somehow connected to the horse. Now that she had a moment to think, she recalled his command to Kel to back off. The only one in the water at the time that needed to back off was the horse. The
horse?
Who spoke to a horse that way unless the horse was . . . ?
Then she remembered—two men running into the Gulf and becoming something else entirely.
The battle ended suddenly. The horse turned away and disappeared beneath the waves. Kayla kept her attention fixed on the spot where she could just make out the shape of something large in the water. Without warning, the creature the horse had been fighting broke the surface.
“Oh. My. God!” Not
here
. Not in Galveston. Not this close to shore. But she’d seen enough pictures in her lifetime to recognize what she was looking at. “A great white shark.” Was this a real shark? How could she tell?
She finally turned to look at the man crouched behind her. He had the same sensual mouth and the same sexy body, clearly exposed by the wet clothes clinging to his body. But his blond hair was now black, damp strands framing his lean beautiful face. And his brown eyes were now blue, muted in the darkness.
Kayla shifted her mental picture of him to fit the real man beneath the wig and colored contacts.
“Will.”
But that’s all she managed to get out. Panicked, she swung her gaze back to the water. She’d forgotten. Kayla scrambled to her feet. “Banan! We have to save him. He’s still out there.”
7
Kayla stumbled over to her pile of things. She tossed her phone at Will. “Call 911.” Scooping up her gun and knife, she headed back toward the water. Even if the shark was a shape-shifter, it could still kill.
Was she too late? Had the shark found easier prey in Banan? Her father’s words played a repeat reel in her mind. “Do not be impulsive. Do not allow emotions to make you stupid. Always think things through.”
Dad would give her a failing grade for this night. Too bad. If there was a chance that Banan was still alive, she would go in shooting and slashing. She remembered something she’d read about stopping a shark attack: punch it in the nose. God, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“He’s safe.” Will grabbed her arm. “Look.”
She looked. Sure enough, Banan was struggling out of the water. He’d recovered his jeans, because he was trying to pull them on. Not easy when both he and they were soaked.
At another time she would have paused to admire the absolutely amazing body her “partner” had, but right now she was too overcome with joy that said body was still intact. Dropping her weapons, she splashed into the surf and flung her arms around him. “You’re alive.”
Banan looked puzzled for a moment and then grinned. “Well, yeah. I’m tough to kill.” His grin turned just as quickly to a frown. “Never go into the water alone at night.”
Kayla finally realized that she was still hugging him, the partner she didn’t think she wanted. But he hadn’t hesitated to put himself in danger to help her. She stepped away from him. “Thanks.”
Banan’s smile returned. “Hey, that’s what
partners
do.”
Kayla didn’t miss the emphasis on “partners.” Sparkle must have mentioned her lack of enthusiasm for his title.
She wanted to turn to the man who had dragged her to safety, but she hesitated, trying to come up with exactly the right words. “I appreciate that you saved my butt, but who the heck are you?” or “Who is Kel, because the only one out there besides me and thee was the monster horse?”
The silence seemed to stretch on forever. If they were waiting for her to say something brilliant, they’d be waiting a long time. But Kayla’s brain finally kicked in. Its short hiatus was understandable. Paralyzing terror could do that.
If she assumed that Banan had run past Will and her to stop the horse from following them, then why was he getting naked as he ran? Where were his weapons, because there was no way he could
horse?
Who spoke to a horse that way unless the horse was . . . ?
Then she remembered—two men running into the Gulf and becoming something else entirely.
The battle ended suddenly. The horse turned away and disappeared beneath the waves. Kayla kept her attention fixed on the spot where she could just make out the shape of something large in the water. Without warning, the creature the horse had been fighting broke the surface.
“Oh. My. God!” Not
here
. Not in Galveston. Not this close to shore. But she’d seen enough pictures in her lifetime to recognize what she was looking at. “A great white shark.” Was this a real shark? How could she tell?
She finally turned to look at the man crouched behind her. He had the same sensual mouth and the same sexy body, clearly exposed by the wet clothes clinging to his body. But his blond hair was now black, damp strands framing his lean beautiful face. And his brown eyes were now blue, muted in the darkness.
Kayla shifted her mental picture of him to fit the real man beneath the wig and colored contacts.
“Will.”
But that’s all she managed to get out. Panicked, she swung her gaze back to the water. She’d forgotten. Kayla scrambled to her feet. “Banan! We have to save him. He’s still out there.”
7
Kayla stumbled over to her pile of things. She tossed her phone at Will. “Call 911.” Scooping up her gun and knife, she headed back toward the water. Even if the shark was a shape-shifter, it could still kill.
Was she too late? Had the shark found easier prey in Banan? Her father’s words played a repeat reel in her mind. “Do not be impulsive. Do not allow emotions to make you stupid. Always think things through.”
Dad would give her a failing grade for this night. Too bad. If there was a chance that Banan was still alive, she would go in shooting and slashing. She remembered something she’d read about stopping a shark attack: punch it in the nose. God, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“He’s safe.” Will grabbed her arm. “Look.”
She looked. Sure enough, Banan was struggling out of the water. He’d recovered his jeans, because he was trying to pull them on. Not easy when both he and they were soaked.
At another time she would have paused to admire the absolutely amazing body her “partner” had, but right now she was too overcome with joy that said body was still intact. Dropping her weapons, she splashed into the surf and flung her arms around him. “You’re alive.”
Banan looked puzzled for a moment and then grinned. “Well, yeah. I’m tough to kill.” His grin turned just as quickly to a frown. “Never go into the water alone at night.”
Kayla finally realized that she was still hugging him, the partner she didn’t think she wanted. But he hadn’t hesitated to put himself in danger to help her. She stepped away from him. “Thanks.”
Banan’s smile returned. “Hey, that’s what
partners
do.”
Kayla didn’t miss the emphasis on “partners.” Sparkle must have mentioned her lack of enthusiasm for his title.
She wanted to turn to the man who had dragged her to safety, but she hesitated, trying to come up with exactly the right words. “I appreciate that you saved my butt, but who the heck are you?” or “Who is Kel, because the only one out there besides me and thee was the monster horse?”
The silence seemed to stretch on forever. If they were waiting for her to say something brilliant, they’d be waiting a long time. But Kayla’s brain finally kicked in. Its short hiatus was understandable. Paralyzing terror could do that.
If she assumed that Banan had run past Will and her to stop the horse from following them, then why was he getting naked as he ran? Where were his weapons, because there was no way he could
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