Dagger (Brothers of Element Series Book I)

"You are of the Ocean, not the Land."

<><><> CHAPTER SEVEN  

THE FOUR OF them settled in her small living room. On land and face-to-face, she dominated his attention. The moment their skin touched, arousal flashed through his body, marking her as belonging to him. The wide, gray stare and warm blush confirmed what he knew to be true: she felt their connection.  

Seeing the skinny straps of her top, and the soft muscle of her shoulder, he knew he could mark her as his mate easily, if she did not fight. The flimsy pajama bottoms tortured him, knowing what her soft body felt like spread over his back in the ocean earlier. He focused his attention on the awards covering one light blue wall; they would have time for mating later. His Water Lily was intelligent as well as beautiful, an even bigger distraction. 

The small home reflected her personality, inviting and diverse; he paced before the fireplace. Nothing stood out yet, anything taken away would unbalance the space. Much like the ocean, the differences is what makes it beautiful. Watching her speak with her human males, reflected in the large mirror over the fireplace, he caught a glimpse of himself. A photo labeled T-Bone sat proud in front of the others. She'd photographed him circling the pier, the yellow ball floating in the current. The one she kicked out to him daily at times. She had become enamored with her pet. To his discomfort, the mirror fed him an intimate scene from behind.  

Jack's weighty, improper stare fixated on Drew as she excused herself, moving down the short hallway. Jack's eyes followed the gentle sway of her hips and the soft curve of her lean waist tapering down to the baggy pajama pants, usually unflattering on most women, yet he could not take his eyes from the mystery that lay beneath the thin material. A woman this sensual, he had long since been without. As his cloud cleared, she returned, standing before him with two big bath towels and a mop.  

"Here, dry off," she told him. "Step back; you're dripping saltwater all over my floors." 

"Forgive me," he said, covering his wet sarong-a better use of the towels, since his body stood proud, begging for an introduction to the woman before him.  

"Don't worry about it." Mopping around his feet she said, "Would you like a hair dryer? I've never seen a man with hair this long; it's gorgeous."  

Before he could answer, Jim accepted the mop. She handed it to him as if this were a common routine between them. Was he concerned about the wrong man? 

"Dagger-a hair dryer?" Drew prompted. 

He tucked the edge of one towel along the waistband of his wet sarong, flashed a quick look at Drew, her eyes trailing his hands.  

Beautiful. 

"You are kind. The towel is fine, thank you." 

"Well, Dagger, now that I've, as you instructed me earlier, gathered myself, I honestly don't know what to say or ask you." She indicated the chair under the window. "Why don't you have a seat and tell me what it is you think I can do for you?" 

Accepting her offer, he eased into the solid, high-backed chair, the wood creaking under his weight. It held firm.  

He pulled his hair over his shoulder, sensing it dripping down his back, and began squeezing it with one of the towels. 

"Allow me to offer my condolences on the deaths of your parents and your guardian, Karen." 

"Thank you." With that her voice dropped. "How did you know about...?" 

"Do you not believe me to be T-Bone?" 

"A little proof would help," she told him. "Something only T-Bone knew."