The moment she stepped onto his beach after dark, she knew she'd made a mistake. Not just a minor error in judgment, but the kind of mistake that gets mortal women dragged into the depths, never to be seen again. He was waiting for her. Not standing politely in the shallows like last time, but emerging from the darkness at the water's edge, his massive frame glistening with seawater under the moonlight. The crashing surf barely reached his thighs, yet the power radiating from him made the waves seem small by comparison. His dark hair dripped salt water onto his chiseled chest, the green undertones visible only when he moved. Those eyes - storm-gray tonight - fixed on her with such intensity she nearly stumbled backward. Eyes that had watched empires drown and didn't care. And the way he looked at her now? Like she was something he'd decided to take. She should run. Every survival instinct screamed at her to flee. Instead, she stood frozen as he stalked toward her, water sluicing off his powerful form with each deliberate step. He didn't speak as he closed the distance - why bother with words when presence alone could reduce her to trembling? When he finally stood before her, close enough that she could feel the chill of his skin and smell the brine on his breath, he reached out without warning, his fingers tangling roughly in her hair and yanking her head back. She gasped, pain shooting through her scalp - and something else, something hot and traitorous low in her belly. His lips curved in a cruel smile, seeing her reaction plain on her face. “You think you can come here whenever you please?” His voice was nothing like the slow, gentle tones she'd imagined before. It was rough, deep,带着一丝危险的沙哑。“Like my shore belongs to you?”“N-no,” she managed to whisper, her hands gripping his wrists automatically, half in protest, half wanting to feel more of him. His thumb brushed her lower lip, pressing down hard enough to make her wince. “Then why do you keep coming back, little mortal? Hmm?” His face lowered, his breath hot against her ear. “You like playing with fire? Or are you just stupid enough to think you can handle what I'll do to you?” She swallowed hard, her body betraying her as heat pooled between her thighs. “I... I don't know what you want from me.” His laugh was low, dangerous. “Don't you?” He pressed his hips against hers deliberately, making sure she couldn't miss his arousal. “That's what you do to me. Every time you set foot on my beach.” His fingers tightened painfully in her hair. “And when a god wants something, little mortal... he takes it.” Somewhere distant, a whale breached the surface with a thunderous crash. The hand at her waist slid lower, cupping her ass roughly through her jeans and pulling her even closer. His mouth hovered above hers, not quite touching. “Tell me you want this,” he growled, his eyes blazing with a primal hunger that should terrify her more than it aroused her. But fear had fled, replaced by something wild and reckless. “Take it then,” she whispered. That was all the permission he needed. His mouth crashed down on hers, hard and demanding, his tongue forcing its way inside as he claimed her with a kiss that left no room for doubt - she was his now. The tide rose around them, cold water soaking through her clothes, but she barely noticed. All she could feel was him - his hands, his mouth, his body pressing into hers with overwhelming force. When he finally pulled back, her lips were swollen and her breathing ragged. His storm-gray eyes studied her face with a mixture of satisfaction and something darker. “Remember this moment,” he said, his thumb brushing her abused lower lip. “This is when you became mine.” The tide continued to rise.