Free Deeper (Elemental Series) by Christine DePetrillo Page A

to try.
    “Nope. I have a date
tonight, and I’m too busy to play in the dirt for your sorry ass, Crys. Go see
a doctor or something.”
    A doctor. Now there was
an idea. Only the last quack she went to pumped her full of medication that
made her feel a hundred times worse. The one before that told her to meditate
before going to bed. The one before that had suggested exercising more so her
body would be tired.
    Her body was tired,
dammit. So tired, but it refused to grant her sweet repose.
    The nightmare was
always the same.
    Water. Everywhere. All
around her.
    One moment the Bermuda
sun beamed down on her face, warm and bright. The water lapped gently against
her skin. Her legs kicked rhythmically keeping her afloat. She bobbed like a
happy rubber ducky.
    Then the blue sky
turned stormy black and lightning zapped down to the water’s tumultuous
surface, sending waves of electricity directly into her. The violent jolts
stole her breath away. Paralyzed her limbs. Sucked her under the dark depths of
the ocean. She tried to swim, tried to break through the surface, but her body
was useless and the water would not allow her. It wanted her. It intended to
keep her. Locked in the great blue abyss.
    Forever.
    Heaving in a deep
breath now, Crystal rocked her head back and forth, not looking forward to the
nightmare’s encore performance the moment she crawled into bed tonight. Why she
attempted to sleep anymore was a huge question mark. The moment her eyes
closed, she’d be drowning all over again. Hence her constant state of
unquenchable drowsiness. She’d tried moving to Vermont, a state not bordered by
water, but that didn’t change a thing, besides give her chapped lips and dry
skin during the freeze-your-ass-off winters they had up there.
    No thanks.
    “Excuse me,” a rich
male voice said.
    Crystal was
semi-comfortable slouched on her stool, so she didn’t raise her head. Rich male
voices usually meant Rionne would take this customer anyway.
    “Bonjour, welcome to
Breezes Resort,” Mademoiselle Perky said right on cue.
    “Is she okay?”
    God, that was some
voice. Crystal felt its vibration deep down in her core.
Still, she didn’t have the energy to lift her head. Besides, Rionne was already
handling Mr. Sexy Voice.
    “No, she’s not okay,”
Rionne said, “but you’re not here to discuss my associate, are you, Mister…”
She dragged out the word, waiting for the guest to fill in the blank.
    “Doctor Ray Taimen.”
The voice caressed Crystal’s insides and she nearly sighed. “And I think I
would like to at least see your associate if not discuss her exactly.”
    Interesting.
    A sharp jab to
Crystal’s side had her sitting upright before she had decided to reveal
herself. “Rionne! Ouch.”
    It took a moment for
her battered eyes to adjust to the blazing sunshine backlighting the man,
revealing only his tall, shadowy outline. When the details of Doctor Ray Taimen
came into focus, Crystal suddenly felt completely awake.
    “You’re beautiful.”
    His sea-green eyes
glittered like sun reflecting off water. His jet-black hair hung to his
slightly bearded jaw, giving him a roguish pirate ambiance as he chuckled.
    “What’s so funny?”
Crystal asked, blinking to try to take in more of him.
    “You think I’m
beautiful.” He set his bags down then leaned against the front desk on
well-muscled arms. He smelled like sea air and warm sand.
    “Shit,” Crystal
whispered. “Did I say that out loud?” Lack of sleep was turning her into a
moron.
    “You did.”
    “Well, I take it back.”
Crystal shook off her fatigue, smoothed out her tacky, flowered uniform shirt,
and woke her computer. “Here to check in?”
    “No, you can’t take it
back, and yes, I’m here to check in.” His words were music, soothing all the
tension out of Crystal’s shoulders and neck. All the tension from being awake
night after night.
    She rolled her
shoulders, marveling over the looseness of them. “I can take it back.