Deeper (Elemental Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

knew
that transforming a human was secret business, best done under the cover of
night. He’d done it with an auditorium load of conference onlookers on a
bright, sunny morning.
    “You had no choice,
dear. You weren’t well yourself.” Farina patted his arm. “We’re just glad to
have you here, safe and sound.” She glanced at a stirring Crystal. “Both of
you. We look forward to meeting her later.”
    With a slight smile,
she edged Delnis out of the room, leaving Ray alone with Crystal. When Crystal
opened her eyes, his breath got caught in his throat.
    Holy gods, she’s really
here with me.
    “You’re awake,” he
said.
    She sat up and stretched
out her arms. “Yes. Does that mean I’ve been sleeping?”
    “For three hours.”
    “Three hours! In a row?
No wonder I feel so wonderful.” She glanced down at herself and frowned as she
wiggled her toes. “But where’s the tailfin I was promised and the scales? Where
are yours for that matter?”
    She swung her legs over
the side of the bed and stood in front of Ray. He wanted nothing more than to
fold his arms around her and never let go.
    “You’re in the palace.
You don’t need fins in here. There’s no water.”
    “Oh.” Her bottom lip
puckered in disappointment, but all Ray could think about was how delicious
that lip looked. “I have a lot to learn about this place and lifestyle, don’t
I?”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll
teach you, and the fin comes back once you hit the water.” He lowered so his
forehead touched hers. “And your fin is truly beautiful. Just like the rest of
you.”
    The smile Crystal
rewarded him made his heart soar.
    “Can we go swimming?
Now?” She leaned against him, excitement leaping off her in waves.
    “Of course. We can do
whatever you want.” He laughed when she clapped her hands.
    “Okay, first a tour of
this place.”
    “As you wish.”
    Ray led her through
room after room in the palace. She loved the sand-textured walls, the
stone-lined windows, the seashell mosaic floors.
    “Oh, Ray! It’s exactly
how I pictured it right before my transformation. Your world is magnificent.”
She threw herself into his arms and caught his lips in a heated kiss.
    “It is now.” He
returned the kiss and held her for a long moment. “Will you help me keep this
world magnificent?”
    “Definitely.” Her
eyebrows lowered. “You missed your conference, your chance at speaking to all
those important people.”
    “There will be other
conferences, and now I have a sidekick.”
    “You have a partner is what you meant to say.” She wagged a finger at him.
    “Partner, yes. That’s
what I meant.”
    “And don’t you forget
it.”
    They reached the huge
coral doors of the palace. Crystal ran her fingers along the seam where the two
doors met.
    “How does this work?”
    “Same as any other
doors.”
    “Isn’t water going to
rush in?”
    Ray pointed to the
drains in the floor. “Yes, but it’ll go into these and get recycled back out.”
    “Well, what are we
waiting for then?” She hopped on one foot then the other while tugging Ray’s
arm toward the doors.
    “My, you’re frisky when
you’re fully rested.”
    “Don’t complain. It’s
your fault. You let me sleep, but you also woke me up from the piece of crap
life I was living, Ray. I don’t know how to thank you.”
    “I have a few ideas on
how you can show your gratitude.” He caught her around the waist and squeezed
her close. Kissing a trail down her neck, he nudged aside the shoulder straps
on the dress one of his kin had loaned him for Crystal. “You won’t need this
when we swim…or later.”
    He let the dress drop
to her feet. He absolutely loved when Crystal untied the belt around his
princely robe and kicked it and her dress away.
    “Let’s go, Dr. Fish.
The sooner we go for a swim, the sooner we can get to those other ideas of
yours.”
    She put her hand on the
seashell doorknob and looked to Ray. He nodded, and she pulled open the door.
Water