Chapter Four

Nina’s lips were throbbing; her thighs were hot and slick. His fingers had been teasing her, and she was outraged when he raised his head. “The guys are on their way back.”

She blinked at the sudden withdrawal from the happy cocoon of pleasure that she had been in. “Huh? Oh, shit.”

He chuckled. “You could stay here.”

“I need a shower. I smell hot.”

He rubbed his cheek against hers and purred, “Yes, you do.”

“What, the shower or the hot?” she muttered, but the purr was nice, and she swayed against him.

“Both. Either. I can pick up your stuff for you if you want to take a nap.”

“I think my brother would have a set of conflicting emotions. He tries to be protective, but I am five years older than he is, so things get complicated.”

He chuckled. “So, you are in your early thirties?”

“Uh, yeah. You?”

“Thirty-eight.”

“Oh. That is less terrifying than it could be.”

He leaned back and smiled. “I already know that you have surviving parents.”

“Yup. Which you will never meet.”

He laughed. “I do have living parents, and you will meet them, and they will be delighted to welcome you to the family.”

She blinked. “Oh. Right. I forgot about that.”

“Yes, some families are gone, but thankfully, that is not the case here. They live over in the Wonder chain in a retirement community.”

“Oh. Nice. Do you see them often?”

He groaned and moved his hand on her back, under the shirt. “About once every two months. We videochat weekly.”

“Okay. How did you buy these islands?”

“Ah, there is so much treasure if you know where to look, and I do.” He smiled. “Treasure hunting is lucrative.”

She smiled. “Hey, I might have normal family as well. Maybe.”

“Oh, yes. Your grandparents and aunt.” He purred against her cheek again, and her eyes narrowed.

“Yeah. I should check my phone.”

He shifted slightly.

She clung to him and whined softly. “No. Don’t go.”

He leaned back and kissed her quickly. “I am not going anywhere. Well, not for long. I need to check the barometer.”

She swallowed and leaned back. “I think that is where my phone is as well.”

“I will grab it.” His hand ran down her back, squeezed her butt, and stroked the back of her thigh.

“How did you get under there anyway?”

“I distracted you with my clever technique.”

He put both hands on her waist and set her on her feet, holding her until she was stable.

When she was standing there, he nodded. “Just a moment.”

He disappeared in a flash of motion, and in less than ten seconds, he was back and handed her her phone.

She had a text from Drake. Where are you?

She winced and replied, Still with Kimo.

The little dots appeared, and she waited. Nina, what do you need?

Nina looked up at Kimo and asked him, “Should he bring my stuff?”

He paused and smiled. “Yes, please. I promise you will be in a guestroom.”

“You had better pick one because he’s coming over.”

He nodded. “The grey room will be good. It’s halfway down the hall from mine and won’t look like I am trying too hard.”

She nodded. “Where is my swimsuit? I think I should be wearing something when my brother shows up.”

“This way.” He led her through the house to a courtyard where a drying rack was near the house. She slipped the tankini bottoms on and whipped her shirt off, putting her tankini top on before pulling the shirt back on.

He took her by the hand. “He’s here.”

She walked with him to the front door, and as he opened the door, she flushed hot pink.

Drake came in with her backpack. “I thought we would have more time.”

Kimo reached for the pack. “She will be here, and we are taking things slowly. Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Drake paused. “Is she cooking?”

“No. It will be my efforts. If you like, you can invite Tono and Reg.”

Drake perked up. “Really?”

Kimo sighed. “Really. It seems I have acquired what will be a little brother.”

Nina covered her mouth as a weak smile spread across her lips. She reached for her bag, but Kimo held onto it. He turned to her and grinned. “Nope.”

She sighed. “Well, at least I get Wi-Fi.”

He laughed. “I am glad there is a benefit that you can reap here. Drake, can you bring up some footage of what you have been observing today?”

“Sure. We can really come over for dinner?”

Kimo nodded. “And I have baked some sweet rolls, so if you guys wash up, you can have dessert today.”

Nina turned and ran for the kitchen, trying to hide the rolls somewhere.

Kimo was laughing when he wandered in after her. “What are you looking for, Nerina?”

“Um, a place to hide these. They are all going to be gone, and then I won’t have any. He’s a remorseless eating machine.”

He pinned her against the counter and leaned to whisper in her ear. “I have more in the freezer. You can have some just for you tomorrow morning.”

“If you don’t deliver, I am going to register a protest.”

He nuzzled her neck and didn’t jump when there was a clatter of the guys arriving.

She tried to breathe slowly, but her heart was thumping heavily. She put a hand on his chest, and his pulse sped up as well. She tilted her head slightly, and his lips grazed her neck, his tongue lapping at her softly. She sighed just as softly, and she could feel Drake sneaking up behind her and taking off with the sweet rolls. Kimo chuckled. “It looks like he isn’t too upset by us.”

“Drake was born to be practical.”

“And you are not fighting that there is an us .” He continued to nuzzle her neck, and his scent started to get stronger.

“My tattoo is assuring me that you are the right alpha.”

“Remind me to get it flowers.”

She chuckled and listened to the happy hum of her body as his lips gently caressed her skin.

She whispered, “Don’t you have to make dinner for five?”

He chuckled. “I do, but what would you rather be doing?”

She swallowed. “I am not going to mention it on the grounds that you might actually do it.”

He growled softly against her ear, and the waves moved rapidly on her back. She shivered. “Don’t do that.”

“Why not?” He growled again.

“I am sure I will think of a reason.”

He chuckled and growled again.

She shivered again. “Make dinner.”

“Bossy.”

“Assertive.”

He leaned back. “Give me a hand?”

She sighed and nodded. “Sure. Can I get dressed first?”

“Nope.” He leaned back and tapped her nose. “Come on.”

She sighed, and he took her hand, hauling her into a warm room with large freezers. He walked over to one of the freezers and pulled out a vacuum-sealed chunk of meat that had to weigh over eight pounds.

He grabbed another pack of something she couldn’t describe and a few other packs of different sides.

She looked at him. “What do you want me to do?”

He grinned. “Keep me company.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Pick a dessert from the freezer next to you.”

She opened the freezer and blinked. An entire bakery case was in front of her, all frosted and silent. She grabbed a few things, and he laughed. “Okay, off to the kitchen.”

He put the vacuum-packed items into the sink, filled it up, and then winked while he put his hands in the water, and it started to move. The water began to churn, and Kimo kept his hands submerged until he felt something in the water. He lifted his hands and took the beef out. The sodden thud when it hit the counter indicated full thaw.

Kimo smiled as he got his armada of appliances up and running.

Nina watched and lined up the desserts on the counter.

When dinner was under way, she was bent over trying to decide which dessert to start with, and Kimo snaked his arm around her waist. “You have a sweet tooth?”

“Anytime I swim, I am ravenous. I don’t have heavy muscle. I lose heat pretty quickly.”

He pulled her upright against him and wrapped his arms around her midriff. “I do remember you commenting on my heat.”

She slowly reached up and locked her hands behind his neck. “It has a certain appeal.”

The soft purr that came from his chest ran through her body, and Nina mumbled, “So, how long until dinner?”

“Two hours.”

“Oh, dang.”

He slid his hands over her, and she giggled and let go of her grip on his neck. “Aww, ticklish?”

“A little.”

He chuckled. “Do you want to see what your brother has been up to?”

“Sure. It will be distracting if nothing else.”

“Oh, it will be distracting, all right.”

He led her to the living room, and Drake and the guys were already seated and queuing up some files. Drake was using a computer, and Tono was finishing with the cables. Reg had a headset and was listening to something.

Kimo settled her in a large recliner and kissed her cheek. “I am going to get some snacks.”

She blinked. Her brother looked at her with a grin. “He’s very attentive.”

“Um, he’s a good host?”

He laughed. “He has never been this attentive to us. He just lobs a bag of chips at us and might grill some burgers. I think we will move in.”

“I don’t think you want that.”

Kimo came in with a platter of veggies and dip. “I can second that. Once the courtship is over, this home will be ours, and I intend on showing Nerina every inch of it.”

She propped her chin on her fist and smiled at the very domestic image that he presented. Under water, he was all warrior; here, he was all homemaker. She imagined him holding a baby and shook her head violently to get that image out. Too soon.

He looked at her with a frown. “Something wrong?”

“Uh. No. Nothing is wrong.” She wanted to fan herself but guessed that the alphas filling the room already knew about the hot flash.

He put the veggies fairly close to her, picked her up, and settled her on his lap as he sat in his recliner. He reached out and grabbed a handful of carrot sticks, dragging them through the dip as they went.

He took one out and offered it to her. She took the carrot stick and nibbled it.

Drake chuckled. “We have it set up. So, this is what I do for work, Nina.”

The cameras were above the water, and the guys were testing them and the audio in the masks.

“Oh, I forgot that you could get masks you could talk in.”

Drake muttered, “Tono can talk anywhere.”

Nina laughed as Drake and Tono got ready to dive while Reg stayed on the boat, directing them.

The guys dropped into the water with their cameras tethered to them, and then the video shifted to what they were seeing, starting with the stream of bubbles as they sank further down.

They swam around a reef, taking plenty of video, and when a shadow crossed them, they swung the cameras upward to see the enormous outline of a whale.

She gasped, and the guys all chuckled. She got another carrot and nibbled at it while she watched them record a family pod of whales moving slowly. When they swam up toward the whales, they were so much bigger than she had thought.

When the flukes and tail nearly struck Drake, she gasped, but he just said, “My bad,” on the recording.

Two of the younger whales turned toward him, and Nina stared at the screen as she watched her brother remain calm with whales the size of buses staring him down.

She was hypnotized by their journey under the water to check under the whales for gender for their records. They had pod information for this group. Next to one of the females was one new baby, and another female showed signs of being nearly to term.

The video continued until they were slowly making their way back to the boat, and the camera was turned off before they tossed it onto the deck or handed it to Reg. She had no idea.

She looked to Drake. “Well, now I know why you wanted to do this for a living.”

He grinned. “I know, right? So, how did you do today?”

“Apparently, I need more instruction.”

Kimo chuckled. “Not much, just a few tweaks, but tomorrow, I want to show her around the house and power systems, and the following day is a storm, so by the end of the week, we will join you with the Seeker.”

The guys gasped.

Nina turned to him. “The Seeker?”

“My boat. It’s something that the whales can’t toss around unless they really put effort into it.” He smiled.

The guys were chattering about how far they could go in a faster vessel, and Nina leaned in and kissed Kimo.

They kissed softly, and when Kimo raised his head, he had a very pleased look on his face.

The guys had fallen silent, and Drake had a rueful expression when she looked around.

Drake chuckled. “Well, I always wanted a big brother.”

She threw a carrot that struck him in the centre of his forehead. “I told you I am not having that operation.”

He wiped the ranch dip from his forehead. “I told you I would chip in.”

Kimo said, “I prefer her just like this.”

He stroked her hair and kissed her neck. “I have to check on dinner.”

She went to push off him, but he lifted her, got up, and set her back in the warm spot.

Drake was laughing at her as she got comfy in the big chair. “You look like you are making yourself at home.”

“Kimo has been an excellent host.”

Tono snorted. “Yeah, we bet you have been an excellent little beta for him as well.”

Reg leaned over and slapped Tono on the head, rocking him sideways.

Drake was looking at Tono in confusion. “What is she supposed to be? She’s not an alpha.”

Tono blinked. “Geez. Sorry. I just meant she’s curling up on him like a cat and not the scrappy fighter you said she was, Drake.”

She snorted. “You don’t understand how right Kimo is. Tono, maybe one day you will find a woman you don’t have to bribe into your bed. Or a man. I have no idea of your interests.”

Tono blinked. “I don’t bribe much.”

The room laughed, and he looked ruefully around. “Right, well, Nina, how did he win you?”

“Well, first, I have a moving ocean tattoo on my back just in case I was feeling exceptionally stupid, and then he has been teaching me to be where he is. And he fed me sweets. I am a sucker for sweets.”

Kimo came in and chuckled. “It was a safe bet, and I am glad I guessed right.” He scooped her up again and settled her on his lap. “By modern standards, she’s too old for you anyway, Tono. But perfect for me.”

She snorted. “Thanks for that. I am sure my brother is proud.”

Drake pulled up something with a smile. “Well, since we are talking about you being useless...”

She recognized the situation but not the angle. “I haven’t seen these.”

Drake chuckled. “I know. I watch them when I miss you.”

It was a bunch of alphas at the edge of the cliff looking over and talking about how to get the child who had slid halfway down the slope on a very narrow ledge. The cliff edge was giving way, and Nina just walked through there with Drake following her. She was wearing a climbing harness, and her sixteen-year-old brother stood and watched as she tossed him the rope. “When I say pull, pull.”

“Yup.” He nodded. She grabbed the cable, pushed out, and dropped out of sight.

Long seconds went by, and then she screamed, “Pull!”

The other alphas caught on, and they all hauled on the rope. Nina and her passenger, a four-year-old girl covered with snot and dirt, literally flew up and over the edge, with Nina landing in a deep crouch.

The girl had her dolly, and her father took her sobbing little self into his arms. The dolly had blown over the edge, and she had gone after it.

Drake laughed. “That was you just walking off like an old western hero, and this was when you were my hero. Thankfully, the little bastards were being smug and filming.”

Drake was getting beat up by a bunch of senior betas shortly after his change started. He was the only alpha at the school. He was on the ground when, suddenly, a whirlwind arrived, and the betas started flying. She kicked, punched, got betas in headlocks, and sent them running. She then cleaned the thirteen-year-old up, kissed his forehead, and took him to the principal.

The last image was her in a skimpy dress cut to the navel, with her cheering on the sidelines of one of his games. His team knew not to look, but the other team was often caught staring as she screamed encouragement and jumped up and down.

Kimo murmured, “You did that at an alpha school?”

“Sure. That is where he was; that is where I went.”

“Do you still have that dress?”

“Of course not. It didn’t fit then; it would fit less now.”

Drake nodded. “She burned it when I graduated. We had a memorial for it. Rest in peace, Skimpy.”

She laughed.

Drake smirked. “I also have recordings of her chewing out other parents when my own parents wouldn’t show up to disciplinary meetings. When I went to university, she went to bat for me when it came to dealing with an alpha professor who said I couldn’t have any proper instincts raised by betas. She informed him that my parents didn’t raise me, she did, and she had done her fucking research and made sure that I interacted with as many alphas in our area as possible. He was as socialized as I could make him, and he was barely biting or urinating in public by that point.” She smirked.

Drake smirked. “Well, you taught me not to mark territory so directly. Though, once I had grasped those, my dating life improved.”

She snickered. “My work here is done.”

Kimo chuckled. “You are going to create terrifying children.”

The room froze, but she turned to look at Kimo. “That is the idea. I practiced on Drake.”

“Yes, fortunately, the electroshock phase of discipline was short-lived.”

His buddies stared at her. She grinned. “I made him lick a nine-volt battery when he wanted to fork an outlet.”

Drake grinned. “She says fork, but she’s being polite.”

His friends looked at him in horror.

He snickered. “That’s right, without my big sis, I was looking for the fastest way to a lot of sensation. So, she started beating me up, and that did it for me.”

“It was so tiring, but it was the actual socialization he was after, not the combat.”

Drake grinned. “I was a twisted little cruller, wasn’t I?”

“Yup.”

Drake muttered, “Well, Kimo, if you are auditioning to be my sister’s chair, you might want to see this.”

Nina sat and watched everything from baby pictures to five-year-old her hauling Drake around in a little wagon with her parents chasing them.

Her pushing Drake on the baby swing in a bunch of pictures turned into him activating as an alpha and pushing her on a swing. She was about to turn eighteen. Then, it was martial arts with the other class parents taking photos for them. Then there were combat trials and the final one where Nina had been dropped to her back and the wind was knocked out of her.

She hadn’t seen this particular angle. She remembered everyone shouting. Her team was running for her, three adults were holding a seventeen-year-old Drake back, and the adult alpha who had flattened her was down with five little betas kicking the crap out of him.

Nina winced. “Yeah, that was my last event on the team. After that, I just made snacks.”

Drake grinned. “She became team mom.”

There was Nina at his graduation, holding a huge, glittering sign with his name on it.

Then the trip to the tropics, the snorkelling, and spearfishing.

It was a super cute photo of them and their catches. Hers was three times the size of his, and then there was dinner when the server set it out and mixed them up, so Drake fixed the plates with a grin, and they got to eating.

Drake said, “She does still have that bikini.”

Another carrot was launched.

“What? You do.” He laughed.

She looked and was distressingly out of carrots. “We need more carrots.”

Kimo took her grasping hand in his. “Use a cucumber.”

Tono opened his mouth, and Drake hurled the rogue carrot stick at him.

Kimo laughed. “I see what I accidentally did there.”

She snorted. “So, Kimo, do you have any baby books so we can share in the embarrassment?”

He wrapped his arms around her. “I will ask my parents to have one handy.”

“One?”

“My father is an enthusiast. Oh, speaking of family, your grandparents are eager for contact, as is your aunt.” He held up his phone and brought up the messages that had been received in the last hour.

She blinked rapidly. They were enthusiastic and ready to hop in a boat right that moment.

“Drake, when do you want to meet with Dad’s side of the family?”

“I have a day off next week.”

Kimo smiled. “What if they come here, or you take one of the helicopters?”

“If they come here, that’s great. I mean, if you don’t mind hosting.”

Kimo chuckled. “I made the house for family. I am not fussy about which family occupies it.”

Reg spoke softly, “And there is always the guesthouse.”

Kimo nodded. “That, too.”

Nina frowned. “Guesthouse?”

“I will show you tomorrow during the tour.”

She chuckled. “Sure.”

“Drake, why doesn’t your sister like pink?”

Drake snorted. “Because that is all that Mom would buy her. Pink from head to toe. Her little beta princess. They were so concerned that they had her genetically tested and then were certain that I was a beta, so they never tested me. Dad should have known that betas and alphas can come from the same household. But, yeah. She was pinked out from birth until she started putting her foot down at eleven or so. It was still all Mom bought her, but Nina learned to dye her own stuff. Pink disappeared. Four years later, Mom caught on.”

Nina shook her head. “No, I got a part-time job and got my own clothes.”

“Ah. I did wonder.” Drake paused. “Wait. Did you buy all my sports gear?”

Nina turned bright pink. “Of course not.”

“You are a terrible liar.”

She shrugged. “You needed stuff, and they were being jerks. It was a good use of my allowance.”

Drake sighed. “I really want to hug you right now. All those sports saved my sanity.”

Nina squirmed to the edge of Kimo’s legs and hopped off. “I am not shackled there. He’s just super warm and comfy.”

Drake got up and hugged her.

Tono said, “Anyone else feel like we are at family therapy?”

Drake released one of his arms, reached for the veggie tray, and Tono shouted as cut veggies from Reg, Drake, and Kimo pelted him.

She chuckled, and her brother ruffled her hair. “You are welcome.” She grinned at him. “Looks like Tono likes vegetables.”

The smart-ass in question said, “At least I can take a cucumber better than you can.”

“Aw. I am sure I will get the hang of it.”

He startled and blushed. “Oh, right.”

“Now, celery. Celery is hard to deal with, and I have no idea which direction those peppers are going in. They seem kind of advanced.”

Kimo pulled her away from Drake and tucked her back onto his lap. “Mine.”

She snorted and yawned when she settled against the wall of heat that was holding her. Nina let herself relax.

Drake spoke softly. “When she crashes, she crashes. So, how did she do today?”

“She knew the basics but hadn’t applied the practicalities. We were having a nice time until we went swimming in a freshwater pond, and then she had a panic attack. She came out of it, but I really want to kill that guy.”

Drake agreed. “Me, too. I can’t believe she kept it from me.”

Reg spoke softly, saying, “The timing lined up with your finals. My guess is that she didn’t want to distract you. She’s an excellent mother for a sister.”

She mumbled, “But I am a terrible horse. And definitely not a barn, English.”

Drake laughed, and he explained the jokes while she mumbled, “Wake me for dinner.”

Kimo held her close. “Of course, Nerina. I’ve got you.”