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again.”
    Again? Yes, yes, she had been under the water. But how had she been able to breathe? How in the world was she going to explain her missing top? She ran her fingers lower and froze when she touched cool skin. Her bikini bottoms were gone too! She was completely naked.
    Oh goodness. Something had definitely happened in the water. She began to tremble.
    “I’ll just hang on to the surfboard and walk with you,” she compromised.
    “Okay, but that’s against my better judgment.” He hoisted his lean form back onto the board.
    She only took a few steps before the water came to just above the curves of her breasts. She stopped and finally confessed her situation. Or at least what she hoped he would believe to be her situation.
    “I…actually I don’t want to scare my friend. I got caught in an undertow. My top got ripped off and I’m really cold. Can you just go back to her and get my throw?”
    “I’ll get your friend to bring it out.”
    “No, please. I’d rather you go and get it. I need a moment to compose myself.” Actually, she needed a few moments to reorient herself and try to figure out what had happened.
    The man nodded. “Sure. Sure. But once again. This is against my better judgment.” He slipped off his board again. “Here, hold on to this. Tight. I’ll get it.”
    “Thanks.”
    When he left, she couldn’t help but look back out across the ocean in the direction she instinctively knew she’d been. The sun had set. The sky had turned a velvety, dark purple, bursting with glistening, white stars. Nothing moved on the quiet surface of the ocean. Not a wave. Not even a ripple.
    Her breath backed up at the beautiful glass-like surface of the endless ocean. Far in the distance, a roll of white puffy clouds danced on the horizon and a large white houseboat was anchored out there too.
    As she stared at it, her shattered nerves seemed to calm, just like she’d calmed earlier when she’d first gone into the water. A beautiful rainbow slowly arched over the boat. Then all too quickly the rainbow disappeared and the boat was swallowed up by darkness.
    She should be relieved that she’d somehow gotten free of whatever had held her. Instead, she yearned to go back out there. To be with him.
    With Calder?
    Oh yeah, she must be losing her mind. Big-time.
    * * * * *
     
    Calder’s three hearts pounded madly as he swam near his houseboat, his body satiated from the quick, intense sex he’d just had with Catalina. He hadn’t anticipated taking her tonight. He’d anchored his houseboat about a mile off the beach from where her RV campsite was located and watched the area with binoculars, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. When, in the late afternoon, Catalina and another woman around Cat’s age came out to lie on the beach, his hearts had soared. He’d waited on his houseboat, loving the way those tentacle tattoos hugged the backs of her legs and wrapped around her waist. Damn, she was sexy. He kind of felt guilty spying on her, but after leaving her today, he’d only wanted to see her again.
    While he thought about her, Calder slowly crawled with his tentacles. He’d been so intent on watching Cat, he’d almost shifted on the houseboat. Usually he found a more secluded spot to anchor for the night, but tonight he’d barely hit the water before he began turning. It had been a close call, but well worth hanging around the area.
    He’d loved curling his tentacles around her breasts, tweaking her nipples. Watching how her pretty mouth parted and panted. She hadn’t even realized she’d turned. It was normal in the beginning not to realize what was happening. But her brain would catch up.
    He could still feel her cool silky flesh tingling against his suction cups where he’d latched onto her newly formed limbs. Throbbing arousal pulsed through his tentacles, especially the ones that had penetrated her.
    He hadn’t realized she’d shifted until her sexy scent embraced him in the water. His