Away in a Tentacle Lair

13. Leo

Chapter thirteen

Leo

M y breakfast walk has brought me to the gate of the Briareus estate. It is a huge mass of rolling green hills behind a concrete barrier. Okay, the barrier is hidden behind trees on both sides, and a diverse range of plants grows freely in the space under the trees. It's a wildlife haven in this tropical paradise. There are so many species of plants, many I haven't had a chance to enjoy because of my obsession with the bay. Luckily, I made my mind up last night. Without the marine centre job, I have no reason to be here, so far from home, but I want to explore the land as well as the sea, and I want to do it with him.

The metal bar gates cut through the concrete wall, posing just as much of an imposing barrier.

If it was locked.

It's not locked.

Does that mean the great Briareus family doesn't mind visitors?

"Come on, Leo," I mutter, my hand hovering over the latch. "You've dived into shipwrecks less intimidating than this."

But this isn't just any shipwreck; this is Kai's world, and my stomach is doing backflips at the thought of being so close to him yet so out of my depth.

My feelings for Kai have been brewing like a coastal storm since I saw him swimming across the bay with the grace of a dolphin. He haunted my restless sleep last night, and I'm not sure I can walk away from him, even if it costs me this job opportunity.

"Alright, deep breath," I coach myself, inhaling the salty air that hangs around the estate. "You're just here to say hi. And maybe... figure out what makes the Briareus family tick."

The gate opens on well-oiled hinges, scraping across the gravel. Despite the bright sun, the house is large and dark and only a short walk from the drive. It would be foolish to come this close and not say hello to the man who has turned my world upside down.

The front door swings open, and a young woman stands there, looking like a feminine version of Kai. She isn't identical, but the family resemblance is more evident with her than the other cousins I've met.

“Hello,” I greet. “Is Kai home?”

"You must be Leo," she says, her tone warm but cautious.

“Yes. I must.” I'm not sure if being recognised at the door is a good thing or not.

"Please, come in. My brother has been talking about you nonstop, and it's good to see he's not exaggerating.”

I won't deny that comment is good for a man's ego. I used to flirt with women without a second thought, just for those few seconds of attention, but with this woman, I'd rather slip past unnoticed. Maybe it's because she is Kai's sister or because I'm a better man for having met Kai.

Either way, I am gawking on the doorstep instead of entering the family home.

“Leo?” Kai calls out from further down the dark hallway.

“I was passing, and I wondered if you'd like to join me for a walk or a swim.” I smile broadly as I remember this guy has a job to do. “Or I can help you clean the beach.”

“Come in while I grab my stuff,” Kai urges, heading up the stairs.

"Wow," I exhale, and I mean it. "This place is... something else."

The house is old, and the family is obviously wealthy, but the decoration is subdued and tasteful, if not too oceanic. There are shells everywhere, on every surface, in little photo frames, and even across the top of the doors.

“I don't know who started the shell thing; they were here before my great-grandmother could remember, but what kid doesn't want to add to it? So we've been bringing shells up from the beach for years.”

“Do they have to be local shells?” I ask, my eyes widening with the memory of my collection. “I've got all of mine in tins back home.”

“You are bloody perfect for Kai.”

We run out of things to say, but this woman doesn't want to leave me unattended in their house. “Would you like to take a seat in the living room?”

I nod, and she walks off to a room to the left. I look around, shrug and follow her.

The first thing I notice is a woman sitting on the sofa so upright that it's like she has a metal rod in her spine. She is drinking tea from a tiny cup and saucer while dressed like a Victorian aristocrat.

Then I notice the entire back wall is a fish tank. I should have been drawn to that, but the woman keeps my focus. “Good morning, mam.”

“You must be Leo.” She turns briefly to me before turning back to her tea.

“I must.” What else can I say to that?

"Kai is a very important member of this family.” The woman speaks, but her body language just points dead ahead.

“I'm sorry, do excuse me.” I hurry around to stand in front of this woman. “I was distracted by your amazing fish tank, but I should have introduced myself. My name is Leo Rowland.”

“I'm Alice Briareus, Kai's aunt.”

“Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

I turn to the sister.

“Carrie, also Briareus.” She gives a nervous nod, but I will gloss over the fact that I'm probably the only person in town who doesn't know who these people are.

“So, what is the secret to your tank filtration system? This water doesn't look clean; it looks real. Do you have a real seawater filter?”

“No, it's a closed system,” Carrie brightens as I engage her interest. I can thank Kai for that one.

“We have this tank here that is kept empty, so the water has time to recover and refresh through the filters in the basement. Then we trickle this water back into the tanks in the bedrooms. No one tank is cleaner than the others.”

“In the bedrooms? You do take swimming with the fishes very literally in this family.” I joke, but something in my belly does a summersault.

“Here you are!” Kai greets, bouncing into the room. “Auntie, are you being kind?”

“When am I anything but kind?” The elder of my two companions huffs, sipping on her tea.

“Are you ready?” Kai turns to me, and for a moment, it's like he's going to kiss me—something he quickly rethinks in the presence of his sister and aunt.

“Ready for anything, baby.” I lean in and kiss him. I planned a peck just to show I was serious about this man, but he responds, and I can't resist plundering my tongue into his mouth.

“Hi, get a room, Kai. You're making a girl jealous,” Carrie says, waving an arm at us before leaving.

We part and I glance across at Victorian Aunt.

“Oh, don't stop on my account.” She gives me a wink. “Give his arse a squeeze and get outta here.”

I pull my man in close and dug my fingers into his tight-fitting jeans.

“Let's go before we give Alice any ideas.” Kai tugs me with my fingers, and I oblige him. So much for finding myself a quiet guy who would be happy in my shadow and follow me around the world. The tides have turned on that one.