“That was amazing.” Braden wavered above her, withdrawing slowly as if reluctant to leave. Jamie stepped back and knelt to kiss her forehead before rolling next to her with a contented sigh. The mattress shook as Braden lowered himself on her other side.
Three sated bodies nestled together on the bed, Chelsea between her men. She laid her head on Braden’s chest but held Jamie’s hips tight to her as he nestled against her back.
Jamie swung an arm through the air, grasping at the glow. The iridescent flecks slipped through his fingers, creating back eddies that swirled in lazy spirals. “Tell me more about the fireflies thing. Chemical reaction or some kind of free-radical byproduct of the St. Elmo’s—”
“Holy shit, you’re not going to take notes and make an analysis every time we have sex, are you?” Braden complained. Chelsea giggled silently, shaking between the two of them. Her body rubbed their bare skin and it felt so wonderful. So right.
“Well I can hardly be expected to understand if I don’t ask questions, can I?” Jamie responded. His matter-of-fact tone made her laugh out loud and she twisted to kiss him. He smiled at her as she withdrew, his hand tender as he cupped her face. “Siren.”
She winked, then rolled over to pay some attention to Braden. She knew for sure they had the rest of the morning.
Hopefully, they had a lot longer than that.
Chapter Thirteen
“Are you ready for this?” Braden asked.
Jamie nodded slowly, glancing between Braden and Chelsea.
“It’s time, and Alexia’s the one I need to get approval from, right?” He hesitated. “Are you two ready? I mean, are you sure you want me to speak with her about more than my suspicions?”
Chelsea wrapped her arms around his waist, her warm body nestling in and feeling so perfect he could barely breathe. If a month ago someone would have told him that he’d be involved in a relationship with two other people, he would have thought them insane. Yet that’s what he had. In both Chelsea and Braden he’d found more than he expected.
Not just because they could out-swim him, in whatever form they used.
“We’ve talked about this. In depth, Mr. Have To Overanalyze Everything.” Braden slung an arm around his shoulders. “I think the last time we spoke about it was while we were moving Chelsea and I back into the condo. You promised you would stop rehashing old territory.”
“He likes digging up the past,” Chelsea teased, dancing out of reach.
Jamie and Braden both groaned.
“Your turn to deal with her.” Braden squeezed Jamie’s shoulder before unlocking the truck and opening the door for Chelsea.
“Hey.” Chelsea crawled into the truck and settled between the two of them, cuddling up to Jamie and threading her fingers through his.
Jamie marveled at how comfortable he was with them both. No, the butterflies in his belly had nothing to do with the people he sat with, and everything to do with the appointment they had to meet with Alexia, the matriarch of the merfolk people. Jamie stared out the window at the sleepy village as Braden drove them back to the Coltens’ house. The streets of Jaffrey’s Cove had grown more familiar over the past month, faces more easily recognizable. He still couldn’t figure out at a glance who was and who wasn’t a merfolk, and that was probably a good thing.
He and Chelsea had made a bigger dent in the inventory work than he’d expected, especially with how easily distracted they’d been over the past week. Every chance possible, they stopped to explore each other, waiting impatiently for Braden to be able to join them.
Chelsea leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”
Jamie chuckled. “Right. I’m meeting the most important member of a group of mythical people. Piece of cake.”
“She’s just Alexia.” He stared at her in shock. “Well, I mean, she’s the matriarch too, but even though she’s in charge, it’s not like she’s a power hound or anything. This should be less intimidating than some of the family events you’ve had to attend.”
He laughed and leaned over to brush his lips against hers. They kissed softly, Jamie enjoying the way she gave herself over to him, offering her reassurance and passion at the same time. Braden rested his hand lightly on top of their linked fingers, and the touch of both of them at the same time sent a thrill through him.
Plans were falling into place for a future that felt very right, no matter how different it appeared.
They gathered in the dining room, the remaining collection of trinkets and clutter still lining the walls. Standing before Alexia Colten, Jamie wondered where his bravado had fled to in the past thirty minutes. He liked to think he would have known she was the ranking merfolk without being told. There was something about the dark-haired beauty—an enticing air of command. She seemed to be judging him and yet he could find no fault in that judgment.
The men who sat on either side of her—the blond surfer and the brooding god with the intense stare—were far less intimidating physically than Braden. Yet in conjunction with Alexia, the impact of the three of them was enough to awe anyone.
“Braden informed me what happened.” Alexia motioned to her right, where Braden and Chelsea stood. “I guess you’ve discovered more than hidden treasures amidst my grandfather’s collection.”
The moment felt solemn, somewhat spiritual, like he’d been transported back in time to the legendary days of the Greeks when the gods had supposedly walked the earth. That was whom he was meeting, wasn’t it? Living legends? A sudden inspiration hit him.
He dropped to one knee and bowed deeply. “My lady.”
The man at Alexia’s left laughed out loud. “Damn, he’s good. Another intellectual come to haunt me.”
“Joshua, please.” Alexia smiled as Jamie rose. “My husband doesn’t mean to be rude. You said you had information to share?”
“I was researching one of your grandfather’s finds and discovered something in the local news archives that might interest you.” He stole a glance to the side for reassurance. Chelsea winked at him.
Alexia accepted the file of photocopied pages from him. “What are these?” She shuffled through, stopping to examine a picture more closely.
“The reason for the run of craziness over the summer.”
“I heard there was trouble while we were gone, but nothing serious. Oh my goodness, is that my Gram?” Alexia held the clipping out. “Anthony, look, I swear that’s her in the photo.”
“It’s Victoria Colten, about fifty years ago. She’d just moved into this house with her new husband. Her mother left on an extended vacation and I would assume that’s when Lady Victoria took over leadership of the Jaffrey’s Cove merfolk.”
Jamie pulled another couple of pages out, lining them up in order.
“Less than a week later, when she and her husband left for a short honeymoon, mysterious reports of vandalism started to appear in the news. Lots of complaints about unusual behavior in the visitors and locals—everything from streaking down Main Street to tipping over outhouses.”
“Damn, some things never change,” Braden said.
Alexia frowned at the papers. “The same thing happened fifty years ago? What kind of strange coincidence is that? Or are you saying my grandmother has something to do with the chaos?”
Jamie sat, resting his arms on the table. “I think she has something to do with it, yes, but so do you. It’s connected with the fact you lead the merfolk, and it has to do with Jaffrey’s Cove itself. Braden explained part of the reason you can shift is because there are chemicals in the area that combine with and complement your genetics. Everyone who lives here is exposed to the chemicals all the time. It makes your shifting possible, but it affects you in other ways. It appears that having you around as matriarch—having a leader in the area—helps keep the merfolk in check. Just like a group of animals can be convinced to stay calm in a difficult situation, your presence balances the rest of them.”