The Scent of Salt & Sand: An Escaped Novella Read online

  “Oh, you sweet, deluded boy. I’ll light a candle for you.” Stephan squeezed Dean’s shoulder in mock sympathy before flitting featherlike up the stairs.

  Still chuckling, Dean stepped out onto the stoop of the brick building, faced the sun, and stretched mightily. Shit, he was stiff! The impromptu swim he’d taken that morning had made his muscles ache.

  But he didn’t for one moment regret that he’d jumped into that crazy-cold water, because he’d met her. Mel. Her green eyes and alabaster skin haunted his sleep, and her curves filled the brief, intense dreams he’d had, finally waking him, hot and hard, and definitely unfulfilled.

  He needed to find her.

  Okay, so, he was a cop. It couldn’t be that tough. She was one of the crazy swimming people. From watching them for years, one thing he was sure of was that they were all addicted. Once they’d started swimming the cove, they couldn’t stay away. Maybe she was back now. This time when he saw her, he damn sure wasn’t going to let her get away until he found out her whole name. But first, he needed food.

  A giant yawn caught him off guard and he stretched again. The sun felt so good! Almost as if it were the gaze of a beautiful woman—warming him, touching him, wanting him…

  Dean rubbed his growling stomach as he looked from the gray waters of the cove up the street toward Lori’s Diner. A copper flash drew his eye and he froze in shock.

  It was her. Mel. She was standing in front of a storefront just a few buildings down. Or, she had been for a heartbeat. The moment their eyes met, she’d whirled away, but Dean was already moving when she disappeared into the store. He jogged down Beach Street, weaving through tourists as he hurried to the shop. He paused for only a second to take in the name of the business—Siren Tours—before opening the door. A bell rang merrily, announcing his arrival.

  “Good afternoon! Welcome to Siren Tours.”

  A tall, pretty blonde waved at him. He meant to wave back—meant to be polite and proper, but as soon as she spoke she stepped aside, revealing the girl who had been standing behind her on the far side of the counter. Dean’s world narrowed to her pine-green eyes and her full lips.

  “Mel, I thought that was you. I can’t believe my luck. I was just thinking about you, and it’s like you suddenly appeared.”

  “Hello.”

  Her smile was as nervous as it was beautiful. He smiled back at her, doing his best to look nonthreatening and non-stalkerlike.

  “How are you? I mean, you swam away so fast I figured you were okay, but that water’s pretty rough out there,” Dean said.

  The blonde’s laughter was a bright, happy sound that filled the little store. “Oh, Melody is a strong swimmer. You don’t ever need to worry about her in the water.”

  “Melody,” Dean repeated. “That’s a lot prettier than Mel.”

  “Yes,” Melody said. “Thank you.”

  There was an awkward silence during which Dean frantically tried to come up with something, anything charming, or at least intelligent, to say. Thankfully, Melody’s friend came to his rescue.

  “You must be the hero who thought our Melody needed saving yesterday morning.” She held out her hand. “I’m Harmony Seirina, Melody’s cousin. Thanks for going into the water after her.”

  “Dean Kent,” he said, taking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  She looked from Dean to Melody, and her gray eyes sparkled mischievously. “Melody, you didn’t tell me your hero was so handsome!”

  Melody blushed attractively.

  “Not surprising. I’m sure I looked like a drowned rat out there with my clothes soaked, insisting your cousin needed saving.”

  “Dean, I’m sure you exaggerate. No amount of water could possibly tone down all of your yumminess.”

  “Harmony! You’re embarrassing him,” Melody said, though Dean noted that now her cheeks were flaming pink.

  “Oh, Dean knows I’m just teasing,” Harmony said. “Hey, what were you doing out there that made this poor man think you were drowning?”

  Melody’s eyes met Dean’s and her lips lifted in the beginnings of a real smile. “I was laughing.”

  “You were what?” Dean asked, grinning at her.

  “Laughing,” she repeated. “I met a fat, round sea lion, and he said the funniest things.” Her nose wrinkled with glee.

  “A talking sea lion. Wouldn’t that have been a sight?” Harmony chuckled awkwardly. “Our Melody makes up the best stories, don’t you?”

  “Oh. Yeah.” The joy slipped from her pink lips. “I was just laughing and swallowed a mouthful of seawater, and that made me cough.”

  “Ah, that makes sense. I heard you coughing and thought you were drowning.” He wanted to bring back that smile. “But I’d like to meet your sea lion friend. He sounds like quite the comedian.”

  Dean’s chest warmed as cheer returned to Melody’s cheeks. “I appreciate you jumping in after me. Fully clothed and looking like a drowned rat.”

  “No problem at all. It’s part of my job, though I admit that not saving you was a true pleasure. Although in my head that came out much nicer than it sounds.” Dean cleared his throat and took the leap. “So, um, I’m off today and I was wondering if you might like to get a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine, or breakfast—well, my breakfast, probably your dinner. I work nights, so this is really my morning. But I’m up for eating or drinking pretty much anything. With you, I mean.” Dean ran a hand through his hair. “Damn, sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t usually have mouth diarrhea.”

  Melody frowned, studying him closely. “Mouth diarrhea?”

  “No! I didn’t mean to say that. I’m usually not this big of an idiot, either. I’m not sure why I’m screwing this up. Probably because you’re so damn beautiful that you make it hard for me to think.”

  Harmony’s laughter sparkled around them again. “Oh, Dean, you’re not screwing anything up. I think you’re charming. Don’t you, Melody?”

  “I suppose. If you don’t really have mouth diarrhea.”

  Dean’s cheeks heated. “I don’t. I promise. Listen, I’ll prove it. I’ll say this fast and to the point. Melody, would you please go out with me?”

  “I can’t.” She shrugged. “I have to work.”

  Dean’s heart was in the process of falling into his gut when Harmony spoke up.

  “Oh, Melody, don’t be silly. I’m sure you can do both!” she said happily.

  “Both?” Melody asked.

  “Sure! Dean, Melody does have to work, but you could join her today because she’s still in training and won’t actually be guiding a tour, just observing. Or have you been to Alcatraz too many times for it to still be interesting for you?”

  A wave of relief swept over him. “Believe it or not, I’ve never been to Alcatraz.”

  “Perfect! Then it’s settled.” Harmony pulled out a roll of fat tickets and ripped one off, handing it to Dean. “There you are, sir. One ticket for Siren Tours’ Alcatraz Adventure, which will be personally guided by your very own Siren-in-training, Melody. The ferry departs from Pier 33 in twenty minutes. You two just have time to make it. Have a fabulous afternoon, Dean. Be gentle with her—this is her first time. And Mel, don’t worry about coming back to the shop. I’ll close up tonight.”

  With strength that surprised Dean, Harmony took him by one arm and Melody by another and propelled them out of the door, closing it firmly behind them.

  Chapter Six

  Uneasiness quaked within Melody, rattling her teeth. She tensed her jaw to silence their clacking. In twenty-five years, this was her first official date. Having fake encounters with older Sirens pretending to be interested males hadn’t been challenging. Actually, it’d been funny to hear such dulcet voices forced into gruff, cracking baritones. Her time in Tartarus had been training. This was the real deal.

  “I’ve noticed these ferries before,” Dean said as they settled into a standing place near the bow of the boat. His gesture took in the gorgeous, mostly
naked mermaid that was painted along the side of the vessel. “Not the biggest tour boat, but the prettiest by far.”

  “It’s our logo.” She relaxed a bit as she spoke. “Though it’s a little confusing because it’s a mermaid and not a Siren.”

  “Does it matter?”

  She bit her tongue, stopping herself from launching into a lecture on the differences between the two. “Only if you’re a mermaid or a Siren.” She shrugged.

  “Excuse me, sir. May I get you something to drink? Beer or a glass of wine?”

  The hairs on the back of Melody’s neck stood at attention as she turned to face the familiar voice.

  “Oh, Melody! I didn’t know you were leading a tour today.” Aria flipped her blonde hair and let her hand trace the silhouette of the sexy sailor’s outfit that was the Siren Tours uniform.

  “I’m not,” she said, her jaw again clenched. “I’m just observing.”

  There was a small silence, which Dean filled by sticking out his hand.

  “Hi, I’m Dean Kent—Melody’s date.”

  “Well, hello there, Dean Kent. It is soooo nice to meet you. I’m Aria, Melody’s cousin.” She cocked her hip to the side and studied him. “You are a handsome one, aren’t you? Good job, Mel—”

  “Aria!” She barked the name. “The man in the red jacket way over there by the stern is trying to wave you down. He looks thirsty.”

  Melody’s stomach tumbled just as it had in the shop, with the rose petals and that man.

  Don’t let them have him.

  Had that thought been her own? The voice was deeper, richer, different than hers.

  “Well, poo!” Aria pouted. “You’re keeping this handsome man all to yourself?”

  “Yes.” She grabbed Aria by the elbow and led her away from Dean. “He is my date. You and the rest of the girls need to understand that. You can’t have him.”

  “All right, all right,” she grumbled, shaking her arm away from Melody’s grasp. “You never have liked to share.”

  “And you’ll tell the others?”

  “Yes.” She sounded exasperated. “Stop freaking out. I’ll tell the girls onboard that he’s off-limits.” She paused for a moment, seeming to size up the young Siren. “Coming up here has really released your inner huntress. You should be proud.” With a wave, she sauntered toward a group of unsuspecting tourists. “See ya later at the condo—unless I get lucky too.”

  Huntress? Melody stuffed her hands into her pockets and took a cleansing breath before returning to Dean.

  “Another cousin?” he asked as she approached.

  “Yeah, sorry about that.” She leaned into the railing, comforted by the mist of seawater dusting her face. “I’m not good at this dating thing. I’m especially not good at it when my cousins are lurking around ready to pounce on you if I mess up.”

  Dean shook his head. “Hey, you’re not messing up, and I don’t care how many gorgeous cousins you have lurking around here. It’s you I’m interested in.” He waited a beat and then added, “How many gorgeous cousins do you have, anyway?”

  “More than I wish I had.” She thought back to the crowded pool in Tartarus that felt so safe, but that was now so far away. “You’ll see when we get to Alcatraz.”

  “Oh, I get it! This is a family business.” Dean scooted closer and rested his forearms on the white railing. Melody yearned to be that relaxed. She took her hands out of her pockets and mirrored his posture.

  “Yes, exactly,” she said, watching their reflections quiver in the waves.

  “I’m in the family business too,” he said.

  She cocked her head to the side, looking over at him. “The police are your family? You mean literally?”

  “Yeah.” The lightness fell from his voice. “My dad wore the SFPD uniform for upwards of twenty years, working out of North Station. That’s my station now, too.”

  “That must feel good—working with your father,” Melody mused.

  “He, uh, he’s not with us anymore.” His silver-flecked temples pulsed. “But it does feel good to work out of his old station.”

  Melody didn’t know what to say, so she stayed silent.

  He pulled his palm over his stubbly chin and swallowed hard. “So, your family owns Siren Tours?”

  She nodded. “We all take turns working here.”

  “You must have a big family,” Dean said, the pep returning to his tone.

  “You have no idea, though most of us are still back home.”

  “Back home? Where’s that?”

  “Tar—” She snapped her mouth shut and stiffened. She’d gotten too comfortable. “Greece,” she corrected.

  “Greece? That’s awesome. Where in Greece?”

  “Just a small village by a little cove.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”

  “Well, I’ve never been to Greece, but I do have the Internet, and I’ll bet it’s heard of your little cove. Don’t tell anyone, but I am something of a Google Master.” He smirked.

  Melody forced out a dry chuckle. “Is it okay if we don’t talk about my family? Or at least my family back in, uh, Greece. Leaving was hard, and sometimes I miss home so much I feel like I’m going to suffocate, but sometimes I think I’ll suffocate if I have to go back.”

  She picked nervously at her fingernails, and Dean covered her hand gently with his. “Hey, no worries. I get it. Talking about my family can be tough for me, too.” He squeezed her hand, and she welcomed the warmth it provided. “And now we have two things in common.”

  “Two?” A sudden gust blew her hair in front of her face, and she pulled her hands from Dean’s to rearrange the tangled tresses.

  “Yep, we’re both in our family’s business, and we can both swim.”

  “Swim?” Her eyebrows arched. “Is that what you were doing? I thought you might have been on the verge of needing to be saved.”

  “Hey, I can swim fine.” His chest puffed a little as he smoothed out the front of his shirt. “I just don’t like the water.”

  “Don’t like the water?” She couldn’t contain her burst of giggles.

  “It’s not funny,” Dean grumbled, a dimple forming at the corner of his mouth as his lips quirked up. “But look at it! It’s dangerous out there. And cold. And wet. Really wet.”

  “Of course it’s wet. It’s the ocean. It’s supposed to be wet!” Her cheeks ached with glee. She hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time. “And it’s only dangerous if you don’t understand it.” Her gesture took in the tumultuous water of the bay around them. “It’s like music.”

  “Okay, this I have to hear. How could the ocean be like music?” Dean settled back against the railing.

  “Imagine the water is an orchestra and each current is a note being played. The waves are voices, singing a tune that changes with the tide. If you can hear its music, you know how to harmonize with it. Do that and the sea will never hurt you. It will only wrap around you and sing your favorite songs.”

  She paused, waiting for him to say something to quell the embarrassment pricking hot under her skin.

  “That must have sounded really silly.” She shifted nervously.

  “Not at all,” he assured her. “It made perfect sense. Unfortunately, I am tone-deaf to the ocean music. But I do finally understand the crazy swimming people.”

  “Crazy swimming people?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “That’s just what I named the people who swim laps in the cove. Now I understand that they might not actually be crazy. They just hear the ocean music. Thanks for clearing that up for me.”

  “You’re welcome. I think.” She chewed her lower lip. “Wait, wasn’t I one of those crazy swimming people?”

  “No!” He straightened his arms, pushing himself off of the balustrade. “I mean, yes. You were one of the swimming people. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be insulting.” His apology seemed genuine. “Your ocean analogy was perfect, even if I don’t really understand
it. Hey, maybe I’d get it if I went swimming with you.”

  Her lips twisted in a wry grin. “We’ve already gone swimming together, Officer Dean.”

  A woman’s canorous voice came from the loudspeaker, interrupting the beginnings of Melody’s flirtation. “All passengers please depart our vessel carefully off the starboard side and make your way to our Siren, the beautiful Viola, who is beckoning to you from in front of the gift store area. She will explain the rules of the tour, and then you will be free to explore on your own, or to have a more intimate Alcatraz experience with our special audio tour. Our ferries returning to Pier 33 leave every thirty minutes from right here until 9:00 P.M., when the island closes. Have a wonderful trip, and remember to book Siren Tours next time you’re in San Francisco.”

  “Come on.” Melody grabbed the crook of Dean’s arm and pulled him toward the exit. “You don’t have to listen to the rules—you’re with me.”

  • • •

  Dean was happy to let Melody take his arm and practically drag him past the group of eager tourists who were gathering around what looked to be another stunning woman.

  “Another cousin?”

  “Of course,” Melody said. “Okay, like Harmony said, this is my first time on the island too, but I’ve studied the maps and the general information already. See that really steep walkway that winds up the side of that hill?”

  “I do.”

  “That’s where we’re going. Up to the prison.”

  As if she’d just realized she was holding on to him, Melody tried to jerk away from his grasp, but Dean smiled and tucked her hand intimately into his elbow. “By the look of that incline I’m going to need to keep ahold of you.”

  She placed her free hand on her hip. “Officer Dean, I assure you that I won’t have any problem making that hike.”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about.” He drew her in closer. “I’m going to hang on to you and pretend like you’re not pulling me up that hill.”

  They trudged up the steep, winding path, stopping for just a moment to gawk, Dean with gruesome fascination and Melody with obvious revulsion, at the small, dingy morgue. Then they headed into the massive prison.