Ocean Music by Amber Kallyn

Chris O’Dell shook himself awake, drawn from dreams of the past — dreams of lavender-blue eyes and the woman who had long ago been a piece of his soul. A piece of his lover’s soul. Stubble scraped his palm as he rubbed the sandy grit from his face. The air was cool, the breeze bringing the scent of damp saltiness. Over the gently lapping ocean that stretched forever, the blue water shone with shocking hues of red and orange and gold. Beside him, Brian stirred, also drawn awake by the coming sunset.

“Um.” Brian trailed his hand up Chris’ leg and tweaked his limp cock. “It’s a beautiful evening.”

Chris’ cock stirred as he gazed over his lover’s tanned body. Everything was perfection, from the ruffled blond hair, the stubborn chin, to a hewn chest with a thin mat of curls. The curls led down a flat, lickable stomach, to Brian’s dick thick with desire.

“You always wake up horny.” Chris grinned ruefully. “And I rarely get the opportunity to take advantage of it.”

Brian nipped along the top of Chris’ thigh, then encased his hardness between firm lips, sucking him deep into hot wetness. Chris’ thighs trembled as his balls tightened. Desire flooded him, making his cock throb with an urgent need.

Brian groaned, the sound a vibration running along Chris’ length. Then Brian scraped his teeth along Chris’ tender underside, only to smile slyly. Jumping to his feet, Brian stared down at him.

Exasperated, frustrated, Chris lay back in the sand, trying to glare at his lover, but not managing it by the laughter he received in response.

Brian’s flashing gaze swept over him so forcefully his cock throbbed harder. “Come on, grumpy. We don’t have time for the loving I want to give you. You’ll just have to wait for sunrise.”

Chris looked over at the setting sun and shook his head, pushing to his feet. “I know. It’s too close.” But he reached forward and cupped Brian’s balls. Stepping closer so naked skin pressed against naked skin, and engorged cock against cock, Chris kissed him. He swept his tongue over Brian’s lips, thrusting into his mouth. Tongues battled, tangled, loved.

“At sunrise,” Chris whispered the promise to his lover.

Brian glanced to the endless water, then sighed. “Again.”

The man was hurting and there was nothing Chris could do about it. He ground his teeth, trying to suppress the frustration. “Aye, again.” He pulled Brian closer, the shorter man’s head resting on his shoulder. “And forever. We both know all too well.”

Brian shuddered in his arms and leaned into Chris. They stood in silence for a long moment. Then, Brian jumped forward and spun, a wild grin on his wide, dark lips. “Think we’ll hear the music again tonight?”

Chris’ heart skipped a thump. He’d give anything to bring this man some bit of pleasure. Unfortunately, whatever ship the music had come from last night must be long gone.

“Perhaps,” he replied.

Brian’s lashes swept down, hooding his golden brown gaze, as if he knew Chris was lying, but neither said anything more.

Doing the only thing he knew to wipe the dark sadness from his lover’s gaze, Chris tugged the man closer. He ran his hands through Brian’s hair, pulling his head back and plunging his tongue into his mouth, plundering, driving deep. Brian moaned, gripping Chris’ ass cheeks and kneading them, slipping his fingers between the crease.

“Lord, I want you.” Chris’ tone came out harsh as he stared into Brian’s eyes, the golden brown already beginning to lighten, the pupil an inky black growing bigger.

At least the shadows had receded.

“It’s time. I know.”

Hands clasped tightly, they headed to the edge of the water.

The tide pushed foamy seawater to lap at their feet. The sun continued to sink beneath the horizon, almost hidden now by far off storm clouds.

“Can we go look at the storm?” Brian asked hopefully.

Chris didn’t hesitate. “Of course. Anything you wish.”

As the sun disappeared, the change swept over them both. Cramps began in Chris’ stomach, so forceful and agonizing he doubled over. They held tight to each other, trying to remain upright.

Pain moved through Chris’ body until everything roared a blazing white.

Sometime later, he came back to himself in his other form. He chattered, moving his flippers and splashing his tail. Beside him, Brian, also in seal form, barked back.

Chris stretched his neck and nuzzled the other’s nose.

They dove through the water, their sleek bodies at home in the sea. Chris led the way out deeper, toward the dark heavy storm, away from the island that was their prison.

* * *

Lilly Tremaine stood at the ship’s rail, staring out at the endless sea quickly disappearing into blackness. The sea, the empty dark, made her feel the strange loneliness she’d been experiencing so keenly lately. Something was missing from her life though she couldn’t pinpoint what it might be. It was as if coming to Ireland had awakened a piece of her soul she’d never known existed, a yearning she didn’t quite understand.

The wind whipped her long, curly tresses and she shivered as goosebumps cropped up on her arms.

“Are you sure the storm won’t reach us?” she asked as her mother reached her side.

Maggie shook her head and smiled reassuringly. “Lovey, the captain says it might not, but who knows. These old bones of mine say otherwise.”

Her short, plump mother struggled to take Lilly’s violin at the same time Maggie pushed a bright orange life jacket into her hands. “Put it on, then you can have your music case back.”

Lilly shrugged into the life jacket, not sure whether to be concerned about the storm, or her mother’s overprotectiveness.

Captain Joe came around the cabin. His face was weathered and craggy, half-covered by a thick graying beard. Spotting her bundled in the life jacket, he shook his head, winked, then patted Maggie’s shoulder though he nearly had to stoop to reach her. “I have one for you too, darling woman. Why don’t you strap in, just in case.”

Lilly’s mom giggled, her dark skin flushed — something she’d been doing an awful lot during this tour of the Irish islands. Two peaceful days on the ship, with another three to go.

It had been a wonderful break between performances. Lilly’s tour, playing the major cities of Europe, had drained her with the fast pace of the successive concerts.

Even nicer was the captain’s effect on her mother. She hadn’t seen her mom so carefree and, well, girlish, in decades. Heck, she had half a mind to extend the tour just so Maggie could have even more time with the big, burly man who captained the ship.

After getting her mom in the life vest, the captain turned to the sea and stared at the storm. In just the past few minutes, it had drawn closer, the air stirring almost in a dance.

From the water, chattering came. Two seals played in the spray from the ship. The waves around them seemed to be dancing along with the wind in the air, pushed to them by the approaching storm.

“I saw them yesterday,” she said, smiling at the frolicking animals.

“Nah. Wouldn’t be the same ones.” He winked at Lilly, turned and drew Maggie to the rail. “Unless they be Selkies.”

Maggie blinked, looking from Lilly to Joe. “What are Selkies?”

“Well, now. Mayhap Lilly can play something sweet for us and I’ll tell you an Irish tale.”

Lilly sat on one of the deck chairs and opened her case, pulling out her violin. She stroked the dark cherry wood and plucked the strings, listening for the slightest off-note even though she’d tuned it twice already that day.

Drawing the bow slowly over the strings, the music filling her soul, Lilly closed her eyes and began to play a slow, light melody.

The captain cleared his throat. “Once, long ago, there were witches in Ireland and all her small isles. And from them, came the Selkies. See, man and beast should never be one. But sometimes, a man would cross one of these witches.”

“Do you believe the stories of myth surrounding your island, Mr. Joe?” Lilly asked, eyes still closed as she became one with the music.

The captain chuckled. “Perhaps, lady. And I’ve told you, just Joe.”

Maggie asked, “Perhaps, hmm? I take that as a yes.”

“Perhaps,” he repeated. “Anyhow, legend tells that sometimes, one of these men who crossed a witch was cursed to pay a terrible price. To become a Selkie — a creature ruled by the sea. By day, he would be a man, though tied to never wander far from shore. By night, he’d turn into a seal, an animal of the sea.”

The captain continued to talk, but Lilly heard only her music as she played.

The melody soothed her as nothing else in this world could, drawing her into herself, wrapped by the passion within the notes that blended so magically together.

A harsh crack of thunder drowned out her next notes and she opened her eyes to see the storm almost upon them. Lilly hurriedly put the violin back into the case, locking it shut and hoping it really was waterproofed as had been promised.

She gripped the case tight to her life jacket and stood, staring at the waves whipped to immense heights.

The captain shouted orders and men scrambled over the ship.

Maggie hurried over, holding her tight. “That was fast,” Lilly remarked, unable to look away from the storm.

A blinding white light flashed, then thunder boomed, shaking the very deck beneath her feet. It was beautiful, this tempest.

“Ladies, below decks,” the captain shouted, racing toward them.

Her mom tried pulling her to the door, but Lilly resisted. “I want to watch for just a little while.”

“Stubborn,” Maggie groused, but stopped tugging on Lilly’s arm.

Something about the storm called to Lilly. It was music, not the same as she played with her violin, but ocean music. The waves crashed, the wind whipped. Thunder grumbled above it all.

“Ladies, below,” someone shouted.

Lilly turned toward the door, following her mom. As she reached the doorway, her feet slipped in the water spilling over the deck. Before she could recover her balance, a wall of water crashed into her, pushing her against the wall so forcefully pain burst in her arm and she almost lost her violin.

Lilly gripped it tighter as the water spun her around, then sucked her off the ship and into the icy sea.