Page 37 of Salt and Knot

“Yeah, well that’s a certain way to see it re-emerge.” He huffs with dry laughter.

My heart almost stops, because he’s right. From the sleek kraken skin at his hips, there’s a bulge.

Then it’s bigger, and a flap opens, allowing a paler part of him to be revealed. His cock. And if I thought he was big as a human alpha, as a shifter, he’s enormous. Intimidating. Ribbed.

This is the slice of space between terrifying and exhilarating, as his erect cock emerges more, and more. Until I can fully see him.

He’s turned on by my presence, and honestly, the slick between my legs says I want this too. Desperately. I shudder with heat. I don’t have much experience with life, but this feels right. Dylan is my monster, and he and I are meant to be.

The way we feed off each other’s desire heightens everything. He reacted to my breasts being revealed, and now I’m reacting to his cock. I can’t help but clench my thighs together as I imagine how that monster length—literally—will stretch me open.

“Isla,” he rasps. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful. And so brave.”

Maybe. Or this is just fate? A smart woman would probably run away screaming.

Instead, I give in to it.

I discard Dylan’s shirt, and slide into the water. I half expect to have a tentacle touch me, but there’s just warm water.

My heart thuds as I swim over to Dylan. He’s visibly holding himself back, the longing on his face evident as I get closer.

“Isla,” he chokes out. “I need to touch you if you’re naked and near me.”

“That’s the idea, yes.”

Chapter 20

Dylan

I reach out with one tentacle before she’s said another word, and I open my arms. Inviting, welcoming, grateful beyond anything. Because my mate is here, and I’m so grateful for her forgiveness.

“Such a good omega. So much better than I deserve,” I murmur as she swims into my chest and grasps at my shoulders. I put my hand on her waist and hold her. She leans in, and our skin brushing together spreads a pulse of need through all of my limbs.

The happiness is heady. I’ve never felt like this. “Six hundred years I waited, Isla, and I found you.”

“I only had to wait twenty-three,” she says sheepishly.

“I would have waited a thousand more years for you, my little mate. Can I touch you?”

She presses her lips together and nods. “You said you wanted to touch me more…”

I groan, because yes.

One of my tentacles finds her thigh, and she gasps. Then removes one hand from my shoulder and dips to the water. Her curious fingers go to my tentacle and stroke over it.

She notices my twitch.

“Is it painful?” pulling away.

“No,” I laugh brokenly. “Quite the opposite. In the presence of my mate, my tentacles are extremely sensitive.”

“Oh.” Her eyes go wide. “It feels good?”

The incident with my tentacles inside her, at the beach, hovers unspoken between us.

“You touching me is better than any pleasure I’ve known in six hundred years, omega.”

She sweeps her hand through the water, and I lift a tentacle to meet it. She catches the end in her palm, and closes her fingers around it, then draws it up to look.