Drake Sisters 07 - Hidden Currents

surface, but he couldn’t get his body moving in an upward motion.
    From the corner of his eye he saw his bodyguard drop deeper, obviously disoriented, swimming in the wrong direction yards from him, going under and away and then Sid disappeared in the darkness. Around him, his crew seemed suspended in the water, most already motionless, a couple struggling feebly in the cold and dark.
    Stavros fought, kicking and pul ing with his hands, trying to go up. The cold seeped into his very bones, as if the water soaked into him, became part of him. He held his breath, lungs burning. He was Stavros Gratsos. He owned the world. No one, nothing could oppose him, certainly not some worthless woman. He commanded the ocean, yet he couldn’t drag water through his hands. He had to take a breath. He shook his head, feeling as if he might explode with the need for air. Frantic now, he opened his mouth to scream and took in nothing but water.
    The residents of Sea Haven looked out to sea and saw what appeared to be phosphorescent lights dancing beneath the water. Often when seals stirred up the ocean floor, the phosphorescent colors of red and green and yel ow would glow through the water. In the distance, the fog dissipated as if it had never been and the lights in the sky danced with the rhythm of the music. They turned back to their celebration, crowding around the couples, insisting on dancing.
    El e frowned and looked at her sisters. “I don’t feel him, do you? I don’t feel a threat at al .†She turned to Jackson and fol owed his gaze, first to Ilya, whom she caught nodding, and then to Damon, who just grinned and winked at her.
    â€œWhat have you done?†she asked suspiciously.
    â€œKiss me, wife,†Jackson said, drawing her back into his arms. “This dress, bikini and sarong, whatever you cal it, is driving me crazy.
    We’l have to go home soon.â€

    20
    THE gate stood open, welcoming them home. Jackson lifted El e into his arms and fol owed the path of rose petals strewn along the way leading up to their house—the Drake family home. El e’s parents had official y turned over the estate and Drake legacy to them, looking very happy as they kissed their youngest daughter good-bye.
    Each stepping stone vibrated beneath Jackson’s tread, the symbols blazing with light as he cradled his wife in his arms and put his foot on the stones. He kissed her every other step he took, savoring her soft, wil ing mouth and the taste of passion and love combined. Her soft laughter floated around them, teasing his senses.
    â€œLook, baby,†Jackson said, “toward the sea.â€
    El e turned her head and looked out over the deep blue water. Dolphins performed a water bal et to the song of the whales, leaping and twisting and somersaulting at spectacular speeds. She gasped and held him tighter.
    â€œThey’re welcoming us to our home.â€
    â€œI believe they are,†he agreed.
    The wedding celebration had lasted long into the night. El e felt like a princess, dancing the night away with her prince. Stars scattered across the sky like sparkling diamonds, and she held out her hand to study the radiance on her finger. “Look at that. It’s so beautiful, Jackson. How did you think of it in the middle of everything else?â€
    â€œWe couldn’t get married without a ring,†he said and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I had it made months ago.â€
    â€œI love it.â€
    He stepped onto the porch and frowned, turning around, stil holding El e high against his chest. Her long gown shimmered in the moonlight as he twisted around. “The deck looks a little different. When did they change it? There wasn’t an overhang before, and it wraps al the way around the house, but I can’t tel what’s new and what’s old. It al blends seamlessly.â€
    She nuzzled his shoulder. “It looks like the deck you built at your house.â€
    He stood for a moment longer, studying the deck, trying to figure out how the new wood appeared aged, as if it had been there for years. He felt El e shiver in the cool night breeze and he turned back to the house. The front door opened, as if by an unseen hand, spil ing light onto the porch. The front room should have been dark and cold, but warmth seeped out, enveloping them, the scent of cinnamon and apple spice drifting with the heat.
    He carried El e to the threshold