Natasha
After the initial shock of running into Hayden wore off, I hurried to find his hotel on top of the cliff of New Tortuga.
The ocean lies behind the hotel, and a cobblestone path leads up to the grand, white building. Cottages inhabit the sides of the road, and I passed many glaring pirates on the way here.
"Okay." I take a deep breath. "Time to convince the CEO that I'm worth hiring as his cleaning lady."
I walk inside the magnificent building with burning confidence coursing through my veins. My back is held straight, and for a moment, I feel good about myself. Sadly, I instantly lose my ability to breathe when I notice the fancy people inside.
Jesus Christ.
What am I doing here?
I don't belong here. I wear rags, my black captain hat with a skull, and other clothes with holes in them, while the other guests carry expensive dresses and monocles.
Shit.
Everywhere I turn, the lounge is filled with people as tall as
Natasha I watch Hayden put on his clothes, aware of my flaring heartbeat. When his dark eyelashes flicker down to mine, I feel lightning surge in my veins. He offers me a smile too wolfish to be friendly, and the desire to touch him turns almost painful. What the hell is wrong with me? Whenever I look at him, it's like my body gets overwhelmed by a fever. Hayden Archer is in my dreams and sweet reveries, and slowly but surely, he is taking over my mind. Hayden's lips part while his hands are closing the buttons on his suit. "I'm supposed to be holding a speech outside in the garden—come and listen to it. I think you will find the conversation rather interesting." "What are you supposed to talk about?" His smile widens, and his eyes glimmer in the dark. "I won't tell you anything. Find out by yourself." With those words, the man leaves me alone. Hayden hurries down the stairs, and after many minutes of blinking and recovering fr
Vivian Past I'm enjoying the evening in the company of two best friends and hoping Hayden won't come down to join us. I find it tiresome how Tiffany deems it appropriate to touch my husband. I might not love Hayden—he is a monster, but I can still ride him if I ignore the circumstances. Because as fucked up as it is, my once hideous husband has turned into a snack. Hayden is hot. And he is also my slave. Jessica cuts into her fish before whispering. "I'm glad you had an abortion to get rid of the monster daughter in your womb, but don't tell Hayden the truth—he needs to be guilt-ridden to stay by your side, and girl, in this crazy world, you need him." I laugh and lift my glass to my lips, smearing it with red lipstick as I down my cocktail. I'm not worried about Hayden. The foolish man is wrapped around my finger. "Don't worry, Hayden won't leave me—the poor bastard tried to commit suicide two days ago, and right now,
Hayden My head isn't in the right place tonight. I'm feeling hurt and betrayed by the gods for picking me this fantastic mate and then making her so terribly afraid of me. I understand that I'm not a human, and yes, I have some aggressive tendencies. My mood shifts a hundred times a day. I'm bad at keeping my temper. I yell, and I fight. I'm huge and still growing every day—I'm a freak of nature, capable of destroying ships and men alike, but I would never physically hurt Natasha! Natasha, fuck, when did I even fall for her? It wasn't love at first sight—it was more like head-first into a pole and unable to think straight for days. She occupies all my thoughts, and every time she looks my way, my insides turn into mush. My entire being belongs to Natasha, the gorgeous, clever woman who makes me laugh and hope for a brighter future. She blows my mind whenever she talks. She is brave, fierce when needed, and when she bites her bottom lip and sizes me up
NatashaIt broke my heart to see Hayden kiss that other woman earlier, but I guess it was inevitable.Hayden told me he was married, and the gorgeous blonde seemed like someone he would date and cherish. They both looked like two supermodels making out, and I'm having difficulty believing Hayden would get invested in someone like me.I'm not pretty.Neither am I wealthy nor successful.What do I even have to offer?I'm funny—I think that's my only good quality.Meanwhile, Hayden is older than me, and he has had a career that he is still trying to retain. He has more life experience than me. He spent his money building hotels and making a family while I was orphaned and raised by pirates.What do we even have in common?No way would Hayden pick me. I'm only his sex toy, someone to fool around with for the hell of it."Nice weather, isn't it?"Oh, right—I'm on a date.I pass Nick a forced s
Natasha Fear curls around my neck, and unexpected tears prickle behind my eyelids when Hayden crawls closer. A large, muscled arm turns into my ceiling, and I have the urge to run and beg for my life when his gigantic, ocean-blue eyes peer down into my face. I always looked into those eyes with awe, wanting the handsome, rugged man to want me as much as I wanted him as I gazed upon him. I still want him, I realize, even if my entire body is shaking. Hayden's lips are a stretch on his face. He doesn't say a single word, and tension grows in my limbs when he uses a finger to move my arm above my head. What is he doing? My breaths become more rapid, more shallow. I count to ten in an attempt to calm down, my heart racing faster—it's not working. Hayden narrows his gaze, dips his head, and licks my wound. Wet saliva covers my entire arm, and the pain ebbs away. Is the merman healing me? At that moment, everything melts away
Hayden I gaze down at Natasha's sleeping form, wishing to join her. The only thing stopping me is how awkward it would be to explain what I'm doing sleeping naked next to her when she wakes up. "Hayden..." Natasha mumbles in her sleep. Smiling, I brush her hair away from her face. "I can't tell whether your attraction or fear felt toward me is stronger. I'm hoping, no, praying the first will take out the other." As expected, Natasha doesn't answer me, and I silently take her tiny cold hand in mine. Yesterday, after she passed out in the sand on the beach, I carried her to the hotel, and now I'm refusing to leave her side, convinced she has caught a fever. My heart clenches in pain as I watch Natasha stir in her sleep. I've never had a person to turn to when the world is cold and dark. Yet, as I sit here, I realize how wrong those words are as I gaze down upon Natasha. Natasha gives me hope for a brighter future, and my heart longs for
Hayden I make it to Natasha's cabin and notice the door is unlocked. Cautiously, I push it open with searching eyes. "Hello? Anybody home?" When there isn't a reply, I relax my shoulders and enter one bedroom. The bedsheets carry my mate's scent, overwhelming my senses. For a merman, the smell of their mate is intoxicating, and when I spot a pair of used underwear on the floor, I forget all about the damn dragon egg. I pick up Natasha's pink underwear, and without a bone of shame in my body, I press it to my nose. Fuck, she smells so sweet! My back tenses and my skin is prickling. I'm struggling to stand still and not take my twitching cock out from my jeans—I have to slap myself to slip the underwear into my pocket. Shit, what the hell is the matter with me? I inhale and slowly exhale when I realize I'm rigid as a pole from sniffing Natasha's underwear like some sick pervert. I'm pathetic, head-over-heels in love already, and I rake my hand t
Hayden The wind bites my skin as I walk down the alley leading to New Tortuga's central street, and Zafira cuddles up to me, searching for warmth. "It's alright, girl," I tell the dragon in a voice I hope she finds soothing. My fingers brush her fluffy head, and I smile. "The weather is bad, but we will get to your mother." The dragon chirps. "Chup!" I'm about to take the gnarly pathway to my hotel standing on the cliffside, but the weather is slowing me down. Brochures fly past my face, and a vendor screams when his parasol snaps away. "No, come back!" I turn around, and my heart stops in my chest when a terrible song vibrates through the air. Thunderclouds are rolling in from a distance, and I can already determine the ocean wishing to climb up on land, enchanted to do so by the mystical voice. "SIREN!" "TO THE LIFEBOATS!" Confusion hits me when pirates and ordinary folks run for the beach, leaving everything