Kissing the Shark (Maritime Monsters #1)

Chapter 14- Razorjaw

CHAPTER 14- RAZORJAW

MATE.

MY MATE .

Mine.

That is all I can think of as Karlo Castillo, of his own volition, kisses me under the night sky. Dreams I have had all night, nay, for months now, have culminated to this. He holds my head in place as his mouth and lips explore mine. This is so much grander than the fairy tale, more than I could have imagined. My first real kiss.

I feel so much yearning in Karlo’s mouth, I taste his desire for me. He massages my lips with his. When I taste his tongue, my soul transcends my body — I am beyond elated. Karlo expresses his affection for me, his utter need for me, in this kiss, and I am hearing him loud and clear. All those afternoons pining, all of those dreams of wondering what his mouth would feel like, all that waiting has led to this. It was so worth it.

Seeing his beauty in the light of the manta rays enchanted me. And now I get to hold him in my arms in a perfect kiss.

What feels like a century and not enough time passes before he lets go. He steps back and looks at me, and I cannot fight the smile on my face. Our breathing is sharper now, and I reach out and hold his hand. I should still play it cool, like Aunt Sarah always says. But Karlo Castillo actually has desires for me. Now that I have a sampling, I have no intention of holding back my affection for him.

“Wow,” he mutters.

“Wow indeed,” I whisper in the dark.

“Did you…was…was that weird?”

“No. It was incredible.” I play with the smooth warm skin of his fingers. “Because you are incredible.”

“I just…needed you to know, RJ.”

“Know what?” I ask with a smirk. I step forward and put both my hands on his elbows. He’s not moving backward, and I am most pleased to hold him close.

“Know that I…I want…”

He seems to be finding his words, but I end the search by leaning in. This time, I tip his chin up and kiss him, and he does not pull away. I am delighted with the privilege of kissing Karlo, the most perfect human on all the shores. We kiss and kiss, mouths in motion like a perfect dance I have been preparing for my whole life. My lips spill secrets to his in the darkness while the stars shine above us.

When he pulls off, my face hurts from smiling so much. “That was…” He laughs and wipes his mouth. “That was epic.”

“Then let us continue being epic,” I reply. I swoop in and kiss him again, this time with more passion. Our mouths and tongues are causing my heart to race faster. I need to slow down and reappraise the situation, because even I know sexual activities with humans should not occur out in public. Though it is nighttime…

Karlo pulls off again and pulls back, but does not leave my hold. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself, then nods at me. “I’d…like to be with you. Romantically. If the offer still stands.”

No sweeter words were ever uttered in the history of language, I am sure of it.

“For you, my beloved, the offer will always stand.”

I lean in and kiss him, but he pulls away after a simple peck. “Woah now. Beloved? That’s a strong word, we’ve been together for like two seconds.” We both chuckle, and he sounds like a mixture of chastising and flattered.

“I was told surface dwellers use terms of endearment.” I rub his arms up and down and smile. “What shall I call you?”

“Karlo works. Or, baby, I guess.” He giggles and looks away, like he is uncomfortable.

“Like the pop music that Skyler listens to.” I lean in and kiss his cheek twice. “Kiss me, baby…one more time.”

“That’s not how it—” His words are cut off by mouth. I should not be so forward, so forceful, but I have waited so long. I finally have my Karlo, my baby, my mate, and he desires me too. I can feel it in the way his mouth massages mine for several seconds before he pushes me off again.

“Uh, you should know…” He bites his lip and I nearly huff in frustration. What possible trepidations can he have? We belong together, I feel it in my soul. “I don’t…know what it means to be a shark’s, uh…” He raises his fingers in a gesture I learned is air quotes. “Mate,” he says.

I crowd his space and kiss him again. I will never get tired of this. “You simply have to kiss me. And promise to be with me for our lives, together.”

“Hey, woah.” He steps back and he seems alarmed. What did I say wrong? “As much as I enjoy kissing you…and…” He waves his hand up and down at me. “And your perfect…body. I uh…” He clears his throat. “I can’t make big promises. We haven’t even been on a date yet.”

I step forward under the lamplight, closer to my mate. “But in the story, the prince and princess lived happily ever after.”

“RJ,” he says with a whine. I grow more frustrated, but his hands on my elbows anchor me to his heart. “I told you the day way we met: real life is not a fairy tale.”

“But I saw on television, people do live their happily-ever-afters.”

“That’s after several dates and getting to know one another for years.”

“Dates?”

“Yeah, that’s where you hang out, one-on-one, and get to know each other in a romantic sense.” His hands trail up to my deltoids. He squeezes a tad more than is comfortable, but I can tell he enjoys it, so I do not move. “And if all goes well that can lead to…physical intimacy.” It is obvious he enjoys my body, even in my hybrid form, and I am flattered.

“Then let us do this date now so we can get to the physical intimacy and sexual activity.” I lean into his mouth and he giggles as I kiss him.

Pulling back, he says, “Nice try, sweetheart.”

“I thought I was RJ?”

He scoffs. “Sweetheart, the rules on land are: dates, week by week basis, then we see if we want commitment. That’s the deal. ”

My beloved does not want to immediately promise himself to me for eternity?

He seems to sense my confusion, so his smile softens and he caresses my cheek. I shift my face and kiss his hands, causing sparks to cascade down my spine. My tail has not stopped wagging this entire time.

“RJ, I like you. But falling in love can take a long time, especially for a dude with self-esteem issues like me. It requires getting to know someone in a dating sense, and I really want to explore this with you.”

“I want that too.” I hold his hand on my face and my heart wants to take off like a swordfish.

“Then will you go out on a date with me next weekend?”

My tail wags harder and I kiss his cheek. “Yes, baby.”

“Alright, sounds good. I gotta go, though. Goodnight, sweetheart.” He walks backwards and adds, “But no baby talk or coupley stuff at work, you hear me?”

“As you wish, Karlo Castillo,” I holler. He laughs and gets in his car.

Tonight, under the starry night sky, everything has changed. It is not all of the progress I want, but for Karlo, I am willing to wait.

I stare at myself in the mirror at my aunt’s house. I pull on the collar of my pink plaid button-down shirt, but there is truly no relief to be had. My human neck is almost as thick as my hybrid neck, and I wish I could shift right now. But no, Aunt Sarah took me shopping and insisted this was a good first date outfit.

“And do you remember what to do during dinner?” Aunt Sarah asks. She pokes her head around me and stares at herself in the mirror. As she readjusts her mascara, I bite my lip and try to remember my crash course of lessons about dating etiquette.

“Ask questions. Do not interrupt. Be friendly to the waiting staff as well,” I recite.

“Good boy,” Aunt Sarah replies. She scrutinizes her reflection, then applies more lipstick.

“And you have your new cell phone?” Mother’s face pops out from the left.

“Yes.” I tap my khaki pants pocket. I have become much more adept at shifting with clothes on, but I am not certain if all of my belongings will come with me. Still, I have no intention of becoming a hybrid shark. Tonight, I am a human going on a date with my human, my beloved, my Karlo.

“And you brought breath mints?” Mother asks.

“Yes as well.”

“And condoms?”

“Sarah!” Mother chastises my aunt and shoves her behind me.

My face burns up —I do not wish to divulge that I do, indeed, have prophylactics in my apartment, should that occur.

“What? I heard STDs can run rampant even in the monster community.” Aunt Sarah shrugs and readjusts her lipstick.

“I don’t need to hear that!” Mother retorts.

“He’s a twenty-one-year-old fish man, Mary, not a little shark pup.”

“I know,” Mother says with a slight whine. I turn to her and look down. She smiles at me; in her human form or hybrid form, she has not aged much in my eyes. She remains the woman who showed me how to walk on land and where to find the best crabs to feast on by the ocean floor. “But he’ll always be my baby boy.”

My eyes sting, and I lean down to hug her. “I will always be that for you, Mother.”

When I let go, I hug Aunt Sarah. “Thank you, for teaching me all about date etiquette.”

“Of course, Nephew. But if he breaks your heart I can light his car on fire for you.”

We all laugh, and I let go. After checking myself in the mirror one last time, I see movement outside the window. A car has pulled up to the street.

“Is that him?” Aunt Sarah asks in a quiet tone, pulling the blinds back.

“Yes, that’s him,” Mother whispers.

I look over them to see my Karlo approaching the porch. He looks divine in his dark suit, and his black hair is styled back. I love my mate in any form, but knowing he went through this effort for his physical appearance has my heart aflutter.

“Oh, he’s adorable,” Aunt Sarah whispers.

“Isn’t he?” Mother giggles softly. I had not anticipated the possibility of both of them embarrassing me in front of Karlo. I never had shame before I came to the surface. But I also never had my beloved.

I take a deep breath to center myself before opening the door. Karlo’s eyes light up, and I fight all my instincts to grab him and kiss him incessantly right here in front of my family.

“RJ!”

“Karlo,” I say, breathlessly.

“Who’s this?” Aunt Sarah asks, poking her head out from my side. I rotate to let her and Mother, now in human form, approach.

“Hello, ma’am. You must be Aunt Sarah.”

“And you must be the legendary Karlo I’ve heard so much about.” She juts out her hand and I fear any impending embarrassment.

“Charmed to meet you.” Karlo takes her hand and kisses it. Aunt Sarah looks shocked, flattered, and impressed all at once; my mate exudes charisma.

“Nice to see you again!” Mother all but pushes Aunt Sarah aside to stick her hand out.

“Miss Shaughnessy. You look lovely in your human form. Just as great as the day we met.” He kisses her hand and Mother swoons. She and my aunt exchange contentious looks before stepping back.

“I believe we are to commence our date now, yes?”

“I’m ready when you are,” Karlo says. His smile drops. “I almost forgot, wait right here.” He dashes back to his car and reaches into the passenger seat. He procures a small bundle of vegetation, the petals a mixture of red, yellow, and pink, and returns. “This is for you.”

“Aw,” Mother and Aunt Sarah coo behind me.

The shame heats up my face. Of course, this is a bouquet. “I…um…” How foolish of me to not bring a gift . Karlo has presented the customary first-date flowers, and I am empty-handed!

I look left and right at Aunt Sarah’s front yard. After handing the bouquet to Aunt Sarah, I reach down and yank up the first flowers I can find by the stem. I am no botanist, but these yellow and white puff flowers must be valuable, right?

“These are for you!” I yelp.

“Thanks for weeding my garden,” Aunt Sarah mutters behind me.

Karlo giggles and takes my offering. “Thank you for the, uh…dandelions.”

I take back my bouquet, and he gently places my offering inside his. “Shall we go?” he asks, wiping his hands on his pants.

“Yes.” I turn to my family. “Goodbye, family. I will not be seeing you again tonight.”

“So, I guess we’re not waiting up,” Aunt Sarah murmurs with a smirk. Mother hits her with her hip, then smiles at us.

“Stay safe, boys!” she says.

“Goodnight!” We both say as we get in the car. With that, I am on the road to my very first date.

Thirty minutes later, we are seated at the restaurant of Karlo’s choosing. I have not made it a point to visit much of the surface world after that first mall outing weeks ago. Now I am nearly overwhelmed as I gaze at the opulent surroundings. Oil paintings adorn the high walls, and I wonder if I will ever have enough currency to consistently visit establishments like this one. Despite the dark, I notice other monsters—a rock golem, a giant spider, and some zombies—as patrons and servers, and I appreciate the inclusivity.

Candles cast a soft glow on each of the tables, so I can see Karlo vividly. My beloved is, as always, the epitome of handsomeness, and the orange firelight only serves to highlight his beauty. I fight against the urge to reach over the table between us and kiss him until we run out of breath. Everyone has informed me that physical intimacy is often customary at the end of an enjoyable date. It stands to reason that the tortuous anticipation of sexual touch is common as well.

“Good evening, gentlemen. Are you both having a lovely night?” A well-dressed vampire man approaches us holding two leather-bound books. I frown at his affectionate attitude—this human is mine , and I do not intend to share.

“We are,” Karlo says with a smile. He takes the books. “Thank you for the menus.”

“Of course! I’ll be back in two flaps of a bat wing to take your orders.”

My shoulders relax when I recall that restaurants typically have books to read food off of. I take a menu and Karlo proceeds to scrutinize his. He looks adorable as he reads. However, looking down, I can barely make out the words. Yes, my beautiful mate has taught me well, but many of these listings are in different languages. What is parmagiana di melanzane?

“Hey.” Karlo’s voice brings me back to the present. “I could order for you, if you’d like.”

I let out a small breath of relief. “That would be most helpful.”

He beams at me, and it feels like a dolphin is fluttering through my heart. When the vampire waiter returns, Karlo hands him the menus. “I’ll have the gnocchi. And my date will have the fish and chips. Can we get that fish like…rare? Undercooked?”

The vampire winces. “Unfortunately, only the meat is severed raw—us monsters love our blood. The fish is already filleted.”

Karlo frowns and looks at me. “We’ll, um, take it anyway.”

With the waiter gone, I sense Karlo’s disappointment. “What is the matter, baby?”

“I’m sorry. I should have chosen a better restaurant for you.” He points at me. “I know you only eat raw fish.”

I wave my hand dismissively. “If this place of dining is what you enjoy, then I will learn to like their food offerings too.”

He snickers and leans on his elbows. “You’re really amping up the charm, aren’t you?”

“Charm is good, yes?”

He reaches forward and touches my hand, sending sparks of delight up my arm. “Yes, very much so, Razorjaw Shaughnessy.”

I place my hand over his, and his cheeks turn a shade darker. I am flattered to know I have this effect on him. We chat about work for a few minutes before the vampire returns with our plates. Karlo is working tirelessly on this future legislation to protect marine life. I find myself enthralled by Karlo’s interest in the sea, a far more interesting topic than this overcooked and breaded fish they have served me.

I pick at my dish as Karlo enjoys his. The french fried potatoes are adequate, but I would much prefer the sablefish or dogfish that I hunt in the ocean. “So I never did ask,” Karlo says. “How did you learn to read before working with us?”

“I am not well-versed in language arts.”

“But you already had a base of knowledge.” He smiles and eats another spoonful of his round pasta. “You knew some words.”

“Mother taught me some basics as a shark pup.” I nibble a potato stick. “I used to loathe going on land in my human form. But I did it regularly, for Mother.”

“Ah.” Karlo nods.

“And for Aunt Sarah.” I nod and eat, getting lost in my memories. “She insisted I wear a towel when in my human form, but eventually I stayed in my hybrid form when on the beach. She instilled in me a passion for the written word.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. My favorites were the fairy tales where the prince would find his true love. That was the ultimate goal for me as a pup. That is the life I wish to live.”

When I look up, Karlo is already studying me. “RJ, I already told you, life—”

“I know, I know. True life is nothing like those tales. Whatever transpires between us, I am willing to take this one date at a time.”

Karlo grins, his content face glowing in the candlelight. “I know land dweller customs haven’t been easy, but you’re catching on, RJ.” He reaches over and strokes my hand again, and arousal courses down to my groin. “And that’s very commendable. You’ve always impressed me. So thank you for going at my pace.”

I sigh and smile back. For Karlo Castillo, I will go as slow as he wants, as long as he is my mate at the end of this journey.