“Galen?”“Hmm?”“You can put me down now.”“I’m not ready yet.” He tightens his hold.“You don’t have to hold—““Emma? Can you hear me?”“Uh, yes. I can hear fine. I just can’t see—““That’s a relief. Because for a minute there, I thought maybe you didn’t hear me when I said I’m not ready yet.”“Jackass.”
―
Anna Banks,
Of Poseidon
“Basically, everyone thinks--knows--how sweet I am.Emma, you threw my sister through hurricane-proof glass.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“It's easy to remember, because dating rhymes with mating, and they're almost the same [...] So your mom thinks we're ma-- Uh, dating?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“There’s nothing wrong with your daughter, Mrs. McIntosh. I said we’re not sleeping together. I didn’t say I didn’t want to.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Emma this is not a joke. Look at your hands! They're... they're... wrinkled!""Yes that's because-""No way. I'm not going down for this. This isn't my fault.""Toraf-""Galen will find some way to blame me though. He always does. 'You wouldn't have gotten caught if you didn't swim so close to that boat, tadpole.' No it couldn't be the humans fault for fishing in the first place-""Toraf.""Or how about. 'Maybe if you'd stop trying to kiss my sister, she'd stop bashing your head with a rock.' How does my kissing her have anything to do with her bashing my head with a rock? If you ask me, it's just a result of poor parenting-""Toraf.""Oh and my favorite: 'If you play with a lionfish, you're going to get pricked.' I wasn't playing with it! I was just helping it swim faster by grabbing its fins-""TOR-AF."He stops pacing along the water, even seems to remember that I exist. "Yes, Emma? What were you saying?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“What did I do?”“What did you do? Well, for starters, you used your face to stop a cafeteria door from swinging open.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Emma, we don't have to kiss. She already knows I want to sleep with you." He cringes as soon as he says it. He doesn't have to look up to know the sizzling sound in the kitchen is from Rachel spitting her pineapple juice into the hot skillet."What I mean is, I already told her I want to sleep with you. I mean, I told her i wanted to sleep with you because she already thinks I do. Want to, I mean-" If a Syrena could drown, this is what it would feel like.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“My dad always told me that holding a grudge is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die.” ― Anna Banks, Of Triton
“What does that mean? Making out?" Galen says between bites. Emma puts her fork down. "It means, Galen, that you'll need to force yourself to kiss me. Like you mean it. For a long time. Think you can do that? Do Syrena kiss?" He tries to swallow the bite he forgot to chew. Force myself? I'll be lucky if I can stop myself.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“He’s your problem, but what a great problem to have.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“The penguins love Emma. They waddle around, dive in and out of their pool, call out to her. She laughs. "They sound like donkeys!""Maybe you can talk to donkeys, too," Dr. Milligan smiles.Emma nods. "I can. Sometimes Galen can be a jackass.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“It matters, Emma." He grabs my hand and pulls me to him again. "Tell me right now. Do you care for me?""If you can't tell that I'm stupid in love with you, Galen, then you aren't a very good ambassador for the hum-"His mouth covers mine, cutting me off. This kiss isn't gentle like the first one. It's definitely not sweet. It's rough, demanding, searching. And disorienting. There's not a part of me that isn't melting against Galen, not a part that isn't combusting with his fevered touch. I accidentally moan into his lips. He takes it for his cue to life me off my feet, to pull me up to his height for more leverage. I take his groan for my cue to kiss him harder.He ignores his cell phone ringing in his pocket. I ignore the rest of the universe. Even when headlights approach, I'm willing to overlook their intrusion and keep kissing. But, prince that he is Galen is a little more refined than me at this moment. He gently pries his lips from mine and sets me down. His smile is both intoxicated and intoxicating. "We still need to talk.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Why don't you ever call me my prince?" Galen says, feigning insult."Shut up, my prince. There, is that better?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Oh, and I need to known where Jersey is and if I have enough money to buy it.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“I wonder how many tears the ocean has swallowed, how much of the ocean is actually made of tears.” ― Anna Banks, Of Triton
“Sure, I’m gray-shading the line that separates stable and crazy, but the point is, there is a line. And I haven’t completely crossed over to lunatic.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“I keep my back turned while he maneuvers his shorts into place. “Are you decent?” I call after a few seconds. No matter how many times I tell him I can’t see into the water yet, he insists I’m just trying to look at his “eel.” For crying out loud.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“What about me?" I whisper. "Where do I belong?""With me," my mother and Galen say in unison. They exchange hard glares. Galen locks his jaw."I'm her mother," she tells Galen, her voice sharp. "Her place is with me.""I want her for my mate," Galen says. The admission warms up the space between us with an impossible heat and I want to melt into him. His words, his declaration, cannot be unspoken. And now he's declared it to everyone who matters. It's out there in the open, hanging in the air. He wants me for his mate. Me. Him. Forever.” ― Anna Banks, Of Triton
“When his mouth snaps shut a third time, I splash water in his face. “Are you going to say something or are you trying to catch wind and sail?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Basically, everyone thinks--knows--how sweet I am.Emma, you threw my sister through hurricane-proof glass.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“It's easy to remember, because dating rhymes with mating, and they're almost the same [...] So your mom thinks we're ma-- Uh, dating?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“There’s nothing wrong with your daughter, Mrs. McIntosh. I said we’re not sleeping together. I didn’t say I didn’t want to.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Emma this is not a joke. Look at your hands! They're... they're... wrinkled!""Yes that's because-""No way. I'm not going down for this. This isn't my fault.""Toraf-""Galen will find some way to blame me though. He always does. 'You wouldn't have gotten caught if you didn't swim so close to that boat, tadpole.' No it couldn't be the humans fault for fishing in the first place-""Toraf.""Or how about. 'Maybe if you'd stop trying to kiss my sister, she'd stop bashing your head with a rock.' How does my kissing her have anything to do with her bashing my head with a rock? If you ask me, it's just a result of poor parenting-""Toraf.""Oh and my favorite: 'If you play with a lionfish, you're going to get pricked.' I wasn't playing with it! I was just helping it swim faster by grabbing its fins-""TOR-AF."He stops pacing along the water, even seems to remember that I exist. "Yes, Emma? What were you saying?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“What did I do?”“What did you do? Well, for starters, you used your face to stop a cafeteria door from swinging open.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Emma, we don't have to kiss. She already knows I want to sleep with you." He cringes as soon as he says it. He doesn't have to look up to know the sizzling sound in the kitchen is from Rachel spitting her pineapple juice into the hot skillet."What I mean is, I already told her I want to sleep with you. I mean, I told her i wanted to sleep with you because she already thinks I do. Want to, I mean-" If a Syrena could drown, this is what it would feel like.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“My dad always told me that holding a grudge is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die.” ― Anna Banks, Of Triton
“What does that mean? Making out?" Galen says between bites. Emma puts her fork down. "It means, Galen, that you'll need to force yourself to kiss me. Like you mean it. For a long time. Think you can do that? Do Syrena kiss?" He tries to swallow the bite he forgot to chew. Force myself? I'll be lucky if I can stop myself.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“He’s your problem, but what a great problem to have.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“The penguins love Emma. They waddle around, dive in and out of their pool, call out to her. She laughs. "They sound like donkeys!""Maybe you can talk to donkeys, too," Dr. Milligan smiles.Emma nods. "I can. Sometimes Galen can be a jackass.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“It matters, Emma." He grabs my hand and pulls me to him again. "Tell me right now. Do you care for me?""If you can't tell that I'm stupid in love with you, Galen, then you aren't a very good ambassador for the hum-"His mouth covers mine, cutting me off. This kiss isn't gentle like the first one. It's definitely not sweet. It's rough, demanding, searching. And disorienting. There's not a part of me that isn't melting against Galen, not a part that isn't combusting with his fevered touch. I accidentally moan into his lips. He takes it for his cue to life me off my feet, to pull me up to his height for more leverage. I take his groan for my cue to kiss him harder.He ignores his cell phone ringing in his pocket. I ignore the rest of the universe. Even when headlights approach, I'm willing to overlook their intrusion and keep kissing. But, prince that he is Galen is a little more refined than me at this moment. He gently pries his lips from mine and sets me down. His smile is both intoxicated and intoxicating. "We still need to talk.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Why don't you ever call me my prince?" Galen says, feigning insult."Shut up, my prince. There, is that better?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“Oh, and I need to known where Jersey is and if I have enough money to buy it.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“I wonder how many tears the ocean has swallowed, how much of the ocean is actually made of tears.” ― Anna Banks, Of Triton
“Sure, I’m gray-shading the line that separates stable and crazy, but the point is, there is a line. And I haven’t completely crossed over to lunatic.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“I keep my back turned while he maneuvers his shorts into place. “Are you decent?” I call after a few seconds. No matter how many times I tell him I can’t see into the water yet, he insists I’m just trying to look at his “eel.” For crying out loud.” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
“What about me?" I whisper. "Where do I belong?""With me," my mother and Galen say in unison. They exchange hard glares. Galen locks his jaw."I'm her mother," she tells Galen, her voice sharp. "Her place is with me.""I want her for my mate," Galen says. The admission warms up the space between us with an impossible heat and I want to melt into him. His words, his declaration, cannot be unspoken. And now he's declared it to everyone who matters. It's out there in the open, hanging in the air. He wants me for his mate. Me. Him. Forever.” ― Anna Banks, Of Triton
“When his mouth snaps shut a third time, I splash water in his face. “Are you going to say something or are you trying to catch wind and sail?” ― Anna Banks, Of Poseidon
