《Flukes》


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    Prologue


    The brisk wind ruffled his hair as he pointed his boat down the coast. Marion sat at the front, large sunglasses concealing most of her face. Even from where he was, he could see the tiny lines along her mouth. They were the only indication of her grief. His heart clenched, and he had to swallow around the lump in his throat. Nothing seemed to help her with the emotional pain, and she had been drifting further and further away. Between the miscarriage and the destruction from the hurricane, things looked really bleak for their small family.Advertisement


    The refuge center they had taken over last year was in terrible debt and, after this storm, there might not be enough left to bother saving. They would be lucky if they were able to pull together enough money to even move out of the center. Shaking his head, he let his eyes travel along the shoreline, noting the debris washed ashore. His keen gaze looked for beached animals and grounded birds. He couldn¡¯t afford to take in any more animals, but there was no way he could let them suffer.


    ¡°Ben!¡± Marion had a hand over her eyes to shade them from the light peeking through the clouds. ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Turning his head in the direction she was pointing, he grimaced. There were several deep-water buoys tangled together in what looked like a fishing net. Something was thrashing about and a pitiful keening noise reached his ears. Without thought he turned the Whaler in the direction of the trouble and sped toward the struggling animal. As they drew near, he cut the throttle and coasted next to the mess.


    The loud squeal of a dolphin caught his attention, and he leaned over the edge of the boat to see how badly the animal was hurt. A large, old-style fishing net was wrapped around the buoys and the dolphin stuck inside thrashed when he tried to pull on the line wrapped around its tail. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his multi-tool and flicked out the knife. Slowly and carefully, he began to cut the net away from the dolphin¡¯s tail and dorsal fin.


    ¡°Marion, come over here and pull the net closer. We¡¯re drifting.¡± Something shiny flashed next to the dolphin and he paused to examine it a little closer, worried that there might be something in the net that could hurt the animal even more. Tilting his head, he moved a little closer to try and get a better look. Reaching his fingers into the net, he prodded the shiny material and was shocked when it felt soft under his fingers. ¡°Marion, where are you? There¡¯s something stuck in this net with the dolphin.¡± She didn¡¯t respond and he tore his gaze away from the net to look over his shoulder. ¡°Marion?¡±


    ¡°Do you hear that, Ben?¡± She was looking over the opposite side of the boat in confusion.


    ¡°Hear what?¡± Keeping his hand on the net so that the dolphin¡¯s blowhole didn¡¯t dip under the water, he kept his eyes locked on his wife. Something in her expression made his heart skip a beat. It was fear and determination.


    ¡°It sounds like a baby.¡± Her voice was so quiet he almost didn¡¯t hear her over the water splashing against the boat. Shaking her head, she turned around to him and bit her lip for a minute. Taking a deep breath, she moved over next to him and grabbed firmly onto the net.


    Not sure what to say, he looked back at the dolphin and pointed to the shiny area underneath. ¡°See that? I¡¯ve never see anything like it before. It almost looks like a scale, but it¡¯s soft.¡±


    Marion leaned over, and he could see the scientific part of her mind take over. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not an animal. It could be some type of trash that was swept away in the storm. Finish cutting the dolphin free and then we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    He slid the knife back to the net that was wrapped around the animal and carefully began to remove the old ropes. He made soothing sounds as he worked, and was careful to not knick the dolphin, which was hard with the waves rocking the boat. The sound of another dolphin surfacing surprised him and he stabbed his knuckle. Muttering a curse, he looked to his right and smiled. There, floating next to the boat was a small dolphin. If he were to guess, he would say it was only a couple of months old.


    ¡°Look, Marion.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve got to get the mother loose.¡± Moving her hands so that she had a better grip on the ropes, Marion smiled softly at the young dolphin. ¡°Hurry, Ben.¡±


    Renewing his efforts, he was able to get the dolphins tail free, but was rewarded with a mighty flick toward his face. Leaning back, he made shushing noises and looked over at his wife. She leaned closer to the dolphin and was whispering words of encouragement. Carefully, she moved her hand so that it could unloop the net wrapped around the dorsal fin before slowly working it over the dolphin¡¯s head. Together they helped free the mother and watched as she turned to nose her baby.


    Marion¡¯s eyes stayed on the pair, tears dripping down her face to run along her soft smile. Reaching over to grab her hand, he laced his fingers with hers and pulled her toward him. She leaned into him for a moment and then pulled away gently. A soft mewling sound drifted over the water to his ears, and his wife tensed.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m going to get the first aid kit and see if she will let me look at her back. She had some lacerations that didn¡¯t look so good.¡± Marion patted his hand before moving toward the back of the boat. He watched her for a moment to make sure that she really was okay and then turned back to the mess next to his boat. He would have to call the Coast Guard to let them know about the buoys, but he might be able to get the net out of the water before anything else was caught. There was also the question of what had been under the dolphin.


    Grabbing the net, he hauled it toward him with a grunt. Something in the net shifted and he jumped back in shock. His heartbeat sped up and he looked quickly over his shoulder toward his wife. She was kneeling and speaking softly to the dolphin. Swallowing convulsively, he moved back to the net and peered down at the sad face looking up at him with sightless eyes. Red hair lapped around her face and his eyes drifted down to where her body seemed to taper off. At first his mind wouldn¡¯t grasp what his eyes were seeing. He stared and stared, but it just didn¡¯t make sense. It was as if his brain refused to process what he was seeing. It shouldn¡¯t be possible; it wasn¡¯t possible and yet there was all the proof that his scientific brain could ever want.


    ¡°Ben?¡± Marion moved next to him and gasped. She leaned over the edge of the boat and pulled at the net. ¡°What are you doing? Help her!¡±


    Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her away from the woman in the water. ¡°Stop, Marion. She¡¯s already dead.¡±


    She covered her mouth and looked away. That strange mewling sound floated over the water again, making his shoulders tense while he held his wife closely. After a moment, Marion looked back at the woman tangled in the net and frowned. Getting back on her knees she reached for the net. He started to stop her but understood what she was being drawn to.


    ¡°Careful.¡± Leaning down next to her, he cut the ropes away from the woman¡¯s face and watched as his wife gently unwrapped some seaweed from the net so that they could see better.


    ¡°Is this real? Can this be real?¡± Marion gently touched the soft, supple scales. Her face was pinched in astonishment and sadness. ¡°A mermaid?¡±


    Not sure how to answer that question, Ben shook his head. He didn¡¯t tear his eyes from the mythical creature in front of him until the injured dolphin swam next to the boat and made a mournful sound. Looking into the sad eye of a generally upbeat animal made his heart clench.


    ¡°Marion?¡± He nodded his head toward the dolphin.


    ¡°Oh. I can almost feel how sad she is.¡± Marion ran a hand over the dolphin¡¯s back. ¡°What do we do? Should we take the¡­ body¡­ back with us?¡±


    Under her words, Ben could hear Marion¡¯s disgust and confusion over what would happen to the poor mermaid they found. Looking from the dead eyes of the woman floating in the water to the soulful eyes of the dolphin helped him make up his mind.


    ¡°We cut her adrift. I can only imagine that she would normally be at rest in the sea.¡± As if there was no other option, he began hacking at the rest of the ropes around the woman¡¯s tail.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Carefully, Marion moved some of the hair back from the mermaid¡¯s face and closed her eyes.


    After what seemed like hours of carefully cutting the netting away, they were able to see what caused the death of the beautiful creature. Tangled in the ropes and pinned between the buoys, a large piece of wood punctured her side. Carefully, he pulled the offending chunk out of her side and tossed it into the boat. As they pulled her body out next to the boat, the injured dolphin swam near enough to gently touch the mermaid¡¯s arm with her snout. Marion washed some of the blood from her hands in the sea and watched sadly as the dolphin made another mournful sound.


    After a moment, the mermaid¡¯s body started to drift away from the boat and the dolphin kept pace. When he could no longer see them, Ben turned back to his wife and shook his head. He wondered if they would question this time years down the road. It was insane, impossible, and yet they had touched a mermaid and let her body float out to sea. If they brought the body back to shore, the discovery would have saved their refuge. It would have brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars in much-needed money.


    ¡°We did the right thing.¡± With a relaxed grin, Marion turned to pick up the mess from the first-aid kit. His heart felt lighter, as if her small smile undid clamps that had been wrapped around him. Deciding that it was time to alert the Coast Guard about the buoys, he moved toward the radio on the large center console. As he picked up the handheld receiver, the mewling sounded again over the wind. It was louder this time and sounded as if it was coming from nearby. Turning to see if his wife heard it, he saw the dolphin and her baby coming along the side of the boat. Marion leaned over the edge and gasped. She dropped to her knees and reached over the side.


    ¡°Marion!¡± Sliding along the wet deck, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder.


    ¡°Ben, it¡¯s a baby.¡± Looking up at him, Marion gave a mighty sniff and looked back at the water with large eyes. ¡°They brought her to us.¡±


    Looking down into the water, he clutched the edge of the boat until his knuckles turned white. There in the water with the two gentle dolphins was a tiny mermaid. No, that wasn¡¯t right. It was a young mermaid. If he had to compare it to a human child he would say it was roughly the age of a toddler. Perhaps a year old, but not much more. Her dark hair drifted around her head and shoulders as she shifted to float on her back. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at the gorgeous teal tail that matched her tear-filled eyes.


    Marion made a soft cooing sound and the small mermaid shifted her gaze to Marion¡¯s. Ben watched as the child¡¯s face seemed to brighten, a smile pushing at her plump cheeks. With a tiny hand, she reached out toward Marion and made an impatient sound. When Marion responded in kind, the mother dolphin swam forward and made a threatening sound.


    ¡°Marion.¡± He said her name in warning, scared that perhaps the dolphin hadn¡¯t intended to bring the child to their boat after all.


    ¡°Shh. She brought her to us for a reason. She just wants us to understand how important this is.¡± Slowly she lowered her hand to the dolphin and looked the animal in the eye. ¡°We understand. We will take care of her. I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure that she is never hurt.¡±


    Holding his breath, he waited while the dolphin seemed to ponder his wife¡¯s words. After a moment, she moved closer to Marion and used her snout to push at her hand.


    ¡°I promise.¡± His wife said the words quietly before reaching for the tiny tyke with a tail. Pulling her out of the water, she cuddled the small mermaid to her chest and made soothing noises. The mermaid¡¯s pudgy hand reached up to touch Marion¡¯s cheek. Moving closer, he leaned over his wife¡¯s shoulder and looked into the bright blue eyes of the little mermaid. When she turned her shy smile in his direction and waved her pudgy fingers, he was lost. In one short afternoon his entire life was turned upside down. His home had been destroyed. He saw a mermaid. And now he was a father.


    Chapter One


    - Meena -


    ¡°There goes the neighborhood.¡± Violet stood on her tiptoes so that she could peek out of the empty tank. Her feet slipped in the soap on the wall and she scrambled to keep from falling.


    ¡°You say that every year.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snort as my friend looked up sheepishly. Leaning down, I picked up Vi¡¯s push broom and handed it back to her. I tried to not think about the fact this would be the last year she would be working the summer at Flukes. From now on she¡¯d have internships for college every summer. And I¡¯d still be here. Doing the same thing. I couldn¡¯t help the sigh that escaped my mouth. Part of me really wished that I was going to college too, not the one being left behind.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true every year. They stomp around and glare at everything. None of them do a good job, and we end up having to pick up their slack.¡± Violet scrubbed at the tank wall with a vengeance, the lather from the soap spraying angrily into the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than having to do it all ourselves. Mom and Dad really need the help this time of year, and those kids have to work off community-service hours. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡± Stopping for a minute, I brushed the loose hair out of my eyes. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s only for a couple of months.¡±


    ¡°Meena. I don¡¯t want to spend my summer vacation with those flukes.¡± Violet looked at me as if I was crazy. ¡°And this year we don¡¯t even have customers to distract us for the first couple of weeks.¡± Dad decided to close the sanctuary to tourists so that we could try to get everything back into shape.


    ¡°Flukes?¡± I frowned. When I heard my father¡¯s voice addressing the arrivals, I looked up.


    ¡°The outcasts, miscreants, freaks, flukes of society. Their whole lives are flukes. Kind of appropriate that they come here. Flukes.¡± Violet huffed. I didn¡¯t say anything and she stopped, her eyes widening with apprehension. ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    I looked away from Violet and bit my lip to keep from laughing. Let Vi sweat it out for a minute. Served her right for picking on the outcasts.


    ¡°Meena, I didn¡¯t mean¡­ You know I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Dropping her broom, Violet threw herself at my back and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°I love you, Meen!¡±


    Pretending to ignore Violet, I bent over awkwardly and grabbed a handful of suds. Turning quickly, I worked the soap into Violet¡¯s hair and laughed. Squealing, she tried to shove me away from her but only succeeded in sending us both to the ground.


    ¡°You stupid fish!¡± Violet lobbed a handful of bubbles. Puckering my lips, I made a fish-face. Violet laughed and threw more bubbles in my direction. Grabbing the nearby hose, I pointed at Violet. She slid backward on her butt and made sputtering noises.

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    ¡°Meena! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Violet tried to scramble to her feet, but I twisted the dial and water sprayed out in a steady stream. Violet cussed loudly and ran for me with her arms outstretched. Yelping, I tried to back away but slid in the soap. Violet caught me in a giant hug, laughing hysterically as she wrestled for the hose. Once we were both drenched and soapy, we sat on the floor of the tank giggling.Advertisement


    The loud roar of a motorcycle reverberated through the concrete walls, making us look at each other in interest.


    ¡°No way.¡± Violet scrambled to her feet and peeked out of the tank.


    ¡°What? Who is it?¡± Standing on the tips of my toes, I tried to see what Violet was looking at.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Blake Weathering is one of the flukes?¡± Violet¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together in consideration. ¡°I guess it was that fight in gym class last month.¡±


    ¡°Blake who? What fight?¡± I watched the motorcycle rider swing his leg over the bike and pull at the clasp of his helmet. He was tall and tan, but it wasn¡¯t until he pulled his helmet off that I understood why my friend was so interested. His dark, unruly hair curled around his ears and even from yards away, I could make out the stubble on his chin and jaw. His mouth was turned down in a disgusted frown as his dark eyes traveled over the worn sign for the sanctuary and took in the rusted gates. Immediately, my hackles went up, angry to see someone openly judge the sanctuary. It didn¡¯t matter how hot he was; judging my family¡¯s hard work pissed me off. When his eyes swung in our direction, Violet grabbed my arm and ducked back down into the tank.


    She pursed her lips. ¡°How the mighty have fallen. Blake Weathering sent to do community service. I bet his dad flipped his lid.¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep acting like he¡¯s something special?¡± I fought the urge to look back over the wall again. There was something about him that caught my attention. Maybe it was the obvious disdain he seemed to have for life. I really hoped it wasn¡¯t just because of his sexy eyes. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s late if he¡¯s supposed to be with the other losers, I mean workers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. That boy is sex on a stick, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m referring to. His family owns half of the major hotels in the area. His dad is a seriously scary dude, too. He came with Blake to my mom¡¯s clinic when we were in grade school. Blake had broken his arm, but his dad acted like he deserved it.¡± Violet chewed on her thumbnail for a minute. ¡°Blake is the proverbial badass at school. He¡¯s always in trouble. Then there was that fight at the end of school. He beat the crap out of some dude in the locker room, but no one knows why. Probably just looked at him wrong or something.¡±


    The sound of flip-flops scuffing along the pavement had us both looking up with wide eyes. Blake¡¯s stared down at us, his mouth quirked into a smirk. The pull of his mouth and dark brown eyes seemed to grab my attention and hold it.


    ¡°Violet, what did you do to end up here?¡± His voice rumbled out of his chest in a pleasant way, but his tone set my teeth on edge, immediately breaking the spell I was under. Who did he think he was?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I help out every summer.¡± Violet stuck her nose in the air and glared at Blake.


    ¡°You actually want to spend your summers here?¡± Blake¡¯s eyes left Violet¡¯s and turned toward me. His gaze was long and thoughtful, making my skin erupt with goose bumps, desire warring with the anger that seethed just underneath. Violet ground her teeth at his words. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend, Vi?¡±


    ¡°Blake, meet Meena. Meena, meet his royal assness, Blake.¡± Violet rolled her eyes at him before turning around to grab her push broom from the ground.


    Blake groaned good-naturedly and ran a hand through his hair. Something in my gut pulled when he smiled. I liked the look in his eyes, a little more relaxed and amiable, but I stamped out that response. I didn¡¯t like the way he talked about the sanctuary. ¡°C¡¯mon, Vi. I haven¡¯t stolen your dessert in years. You can¡¯t still hold that against me.¡±


    Violet rolled her eyes, but I saw her lips twitch a little. I could understand how that peek of boyishness would make her want to smile. ¡°My mom made that cupcake just for me! It was my birthday.¡±


    ¡°Geez, we were eight.¡± Blake shook his head and looked back at me. It was almost as if he was memorizing my face. ¡°So what school sent you to this hellhole?¡±


    ¡°My family owns this hellhole.¡± And with that stupid sentence, I was back to feeling pissed. It was like he slapped me. My cheeks darkened in anger and my back stiffened. ¡°And you¡¯re late.¡±


    I didn¡¯t get the chance to interact with a lot of the other kids my age on the island. I had been homeschooled and at this moment, I was actually glad. What would I have done if I had to spend time with jerks like this? I¡¯d probably be one of the weirdos trying to work off community service. The desire to punch Mr. High-and-Mighty in the jaw was so intense I actually considered it for a split second.


    He blinked slowly and frowned. ¡°Talk about putting my foot in my mouth.¡±


    ¡°Take the path down toward the big building. The rest of the miscreants are in there with my dad.¡± I glared at him, my skin itching with anger. He hadn¡¯t even apologized! My family worked really hard to take care of the animals at Flukes. Sometimes that meant they neglected things like paint and landscaping. Which is probably why his words struck such a wrong chord. But all the animals were well-tended and happy. The cosmetic stuff was what the screwups were here to fix anyway. If they could get the place looking better before the cruise-line people came to inspect them, they had a real shot at scoring a contract.


    ¡°Right.¡± Blake stood up and looked down the path toward the main building. ¡°With the other miscreants. Got it.¡± His eyes swung back to me and I wondered what he was thinking. There was something thoughtful in his gaze. Not wanting to look like his smile had made things better, I continued to stare at him angrily, not caring if my face was red.


    He turned away and headed down the path with a nod of his head. ¡°See you later, Vi. Meena.¡±


    Picking up my broom, I gave it a push against the tank floor before looking after him. I jerked when I realized that he was looking over his shoulder in our direction. Looking back down at the soapy floor, I scrubbed harder. Great. Not only was he a jerk, but he caught me watching him.


    ¡°And that was his royal assness.¡± Violet shook her head and grinned almost apologetically. ¡°He¡¯s hot as hell and just as rude. I guess this summer is going to be a little more interesting than usual.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it and looked back toward the main building where they housed the learning tanks and special displays. Interesting was probably an understatement.


    Chapter Two


    - Meena -


    I twisted from side to side in an effort to work the kink out of my back. A loud yawn worked its way out of my chest as I stretched while walking slowly toward the toolshed to put up my shovel and gloves. I¡¯d just spent the last three hours hunched over while cleaning out the bird cages and I wanted nothing more than a long swim at the beach to wash the stink off. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t love the birds, and I didn¡¯t begrudge them the time it took to clean the cages, but the chemicals irritated my eyes and would cause blisters wherever they touched my skin.


    Becca, the bird trainer, waved her thanks before heading for her old pickup truck. I replaced the lock on the shed and eagerly headed toward the quiet little stretch of beach that the tourists weren¡¯t allowed to visit. It was my family¡¯s sanctuary. The one place I could go to be myself. I rubbed the palms of my hands against my eyes as I rounded a corner on the tiny path and ran smack into someone. A large, strong hand grabbed my shoulder to steady me on my feet.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t realize anyone else¡­¡± I frowned up at Blake. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s you.¡± I moved to walk around him but he blocked my path.


    ¡°I just finished cleaning the sea lion pen. Is the toolshed still open?¡± Blake held up his push broom and shovel and gave me a bright smile. His teeth gleamed whitely in the darkness and for some reason it annoyed me even more. I guess he stayed late to try and get on my dad¡¯s good side. Great. Not only was he rude, he was a butt-kisser as well. Somewhere in the back of my head, an annoying little voice told me to not forget that he was hot, too.


    ¡°No.¡± I turned on my heel and headed back toward the shed. The sound of the waves in the distance called to me and I sighed. I¡¯d get there eventually, but for now I was too tired to even really put much effort into being pissed. I dug the key out of my pocket as we walked and tried to ignore how close he was to me. ¡°Why are you still here? All the others left hours ago.¡±


    ¡°I was late. I figured I¡¯d make it up to your dad and make sure the pens were good before I left.¡± Blake shrugged.


    ¡°Why were you late? Too good to ride the bus?¡± I didn¡¯t want to forgive him for being a jerk earlier in the day, even if he was trying to make up for it.


    ¡°I had a meeting with my father and it ran late.¡± Blake¡¯s voice changed and my eyes darted up to his face. The bright moon threw heavy shadows over his features, but I could still make out his expression. His relaxed stance had changed and tension seemed to roll off him.


    ¡°A meeting with your father? What, you have to schedule appointments?¡± I wrinkled my nose at the thought. My mom and dad were always open to talk to, no matter how busy they were at the time. They were some of the most important pillars in my life.


    ¡°My father¡¯s a really busy guy.¡± Blake shrugged, again, and I knew this was a sore spot.


    ¡°I see.¡± Thankfully, we had reached the shed and I was spared from having to say anything else. Talking to Blake made me feel itchy. I unlocked the door and moved so that he could put his tools up. When he was done, I closed the door and put the key in my pocket. Blake stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at me expectantly. Did he expect more work?


    ¡°Okay. Well, have a good night.¡± Not wanting to wait for the water any longer, I started to walk around him, but he turned to follow me.


    ¡°Where you headed?¡± He bent over as we walked and grabbed a large rock in the path. He chucked it out of the way, his eyes following the arc.


    ¡°I need to check on something at the beach. See you tomorrow.¡± I tried to hint again, but he didn¡¯t seem to catch on.


    ¡°Want some help? I don¡¯t have anywhere to be.¡± He cocked his head to the side as if amused by my attempts to get rid of him. He was one of the strangest people I¡¯d ever had the misfortune of dealing with.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m good. I won¡¯t be out there long.¡±


    ¡°Is that safe? It¡¯s dark and you¡¯d be alone.¡± Blake moved to block my path again and I made an exasperated sound. My skin felt so tight, it was hard to take a full breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s private property. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I shook my head in frustration. I¡¯d come into contact with too many chemicals today and it was making me hurt, which was making me pissy. ¡°But thanks for making sure the enclosures were clean before you left.¡±


    ¡°No problem, boss. I guess I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Blake saluted me and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Try to be on time tomorrow,¡± I said over my shoulder. ¡°And I¡¯m not your boss.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, captain.¡± Blake stood there as I walked away, and it took all my willpower to keep from jogging down the path to the water.


    When I was sure he was out of eyesight, my pace picked up and I pulled my shirt off, exposing my bikini top. Once my feet hit the sand, I threw the top to the side and my shorts and bathing suit bottom quickly joined it. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to worry about bringing my bottoms with me. As soon as my toes touched the water, I sighed in relief.


    Wading out until the water hit me mid-thigh, I sank gratefully to my knees as the change started. For most humans it would be uncomfortable to have your legs turn into one appendage, but I welcomed it. When my scales slid out to cover my skin, I closed my eyes and smiled happily. My tail was so much stronger than the human legs I wore most of the day. With a quick look over my shoulder first, I dipped my head under the water and swam away from the island. My tail made strong, quick strokes that sent me flying through the ocean.


    It was quiet under the water, the creatures around came to say hello or avoided me in general. I coasted along on the current for a little while, letting the seawater heal my stinging skin and aching body. Once I felt better I headed for the cove to find Mitch. I knew she would want to go for a swim too.


    The outer wall of the enclosure was made of netting, sturdy poles, and a walkway that followed the top of the net. There were no lights along the outside so that no one would be able to accidently see me surfacing at night. I called for Mitch as I surveyed the net, checking for holes, and smiled when I heard her jubilant whistles in response. I grabbed the hidden latch and swung open the small porthole-shaped exit just before the dolphin barreled through.


    I locked the gate and held my hand out for Mitch. She slid next to me, her dorsal fin fitting into my hand perfectly, and off we flew. Mitch¡¯s excitement was contagious and I laughed. We soared through the shallows, dodging in and out of the surf until Mitch got distracted by some fish. She went to hunt while I drifted on my back and stared at the stars. I loved my family, my friends, and the sanctuary, but I wished I could spend more time out in the ocean. Or go to college instead of taking online courses. I felt like there was so much more to see than the area on and around our island.


    Mom and Dad didn¡¯t like for me to go too far from the sanctuary. I guessed that all parents felt that way about their kids, didn¡¯t want them to go too far from home or somewhere they couldn¡¯t be reached. Of course that was a whole different problem with me. We did do vacations when we could and visited other islands, even the Virgin Islands once. We had talked about going to the States, but we would have to stay near the coast. I couldn¡¯t risk being away from the ocean for too long because I started to get sick if I was out of the water for more than a few days at a time. It would start like any cold would; I¡¯d feel icky and might run a fever, then be weak and miserable. Sort of like the flu. It had only happened twice. Once when I was little and staying at Violet¡¯s house, I¡¯d had too much fun playing and hadn¡¯t bothered to tell my parents that I wasn¡¯t feeling well. The last time, we¡¯d had inspectors at the sanctuary to renew our different licenses.


    Mitch surfaced next to me and nudged my side. I ran my hand over her back before scratching her chin. I¡¯d known Mitch my whole life. Well, for all that I could remember. Mitch and her mother had been there when my parents found my mother. Jallia was Mitch¡¯s mother and often thought she was my mother too. I didn¡¯t mind. Jallia and Mitch were my companions in the water, the ones that taught me about animals and how to be a mermaid. They were as much my family as Mom and Dad.

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    It was getting late, so I motioned for Mitch to follow me back to the lagoon. She wasn¡¯t happy about it, but came anyway. Jallia was swimming near the gate, her agitation obvious. She was close to calving again and wouldn¡¯t leave the rest of her adopted pod. I kissed Mitch goodbye and unlocked the gate for her to go back into the protected areas. Jallia swam out and nuzzled my side, her mothering instincts in full gear as she checked me over. Patiently, I held out my arms and let her see that I was okay. Once she was satisfied, she nuzzled my face and I ran my hands down her back. My fingers lingered at the fullness of her belly and I smiled. I wasn¡¯t really sure how it worked, and neither was Mom or Dad, but I could sense the tiny dolphin growing inside of Jallia. It would be the dolphin¡¯s first son and we were all excited.Advertisement


    I whistled reassurances as she twisted to look at me. I hoped she would birth at night so I could be in the water with her and help. Otherwise, it would be too dangerous for me to assist while in my mer-form. Mitch made irritated noises from inside of the pen and Jallia admonished her in turn. I couldn¡¯t help the bubble of laughter that came while watching them. Jallia gave me a playful shove before darting back into the pen, arguing with Mitch. I checked the lock and headed back for my quiet beach.


    I surfaced slowly, loathe to leave the water but tired enough to want my bed. My eyes closed and I concentrated on the change. It was harder when I was this tired, but the sooner I was finished, the sooner I could hit the hay. My teal scales slowly disappeared as my legs split. My long turquoise flukes shrank and were replaced with feet. I looked down at my human toes and sighed. I¡¯d have to repaint my toenails before work tomorrow. They glimmered in the moonlight, the same color as my scales. My fingernails never lost their paint when I changed, because my hands stayed the same. I only had to repaint those as often as they chipped. I looked at my hands and cussed under my breath. All the cleaning had eaten a lot of that nail polish off too.


    I gathered the last of my energy and dragged myself back up to the beach where I had left my clothes. I threw my shirt and shorts back on and slid my feet into the flip-flops. I could see better, smell better, and was stronger than most humans my size, but my feet were incredibly tender. The only time you would catch me without shoes was in the water or in the sand.


    When I got back to the small bungalow I shared with my parents, I smiled at the music drifting out the open windows and door. Mom was listening to her favorite eighties hair band again, which must mean she was cleaning. Dad was much more likely to be listening to Jimmy Buffett. I always gave him a hard time for fitting the stereotype of living in the Bahamas and he pretended to be offended. It was our longtime joke. Shaking the sand out of my shoes, I threw them into the box near the door and immediately grabbed my house slippers from just inside. I jumped over the vacuum cord and hugged Mom from behind.


    ¡°Hey, sweetheart!¡± She turned her head and kissed my cheek.


    ¡°Hey, Mom. Any food left?¡± I headed for the kitchen and opened the fridge.


    ¡°Some spaghetti and cheese bread. Sorry we didn¡¯t wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s okay. I needed a good swim.¡± Grabbing a plate out of the cabinet, I spooned a heaping amount of food on my plate and sat down at the counter.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to heat it up?¡± Mom shook her head at me and shut the vacuum off.


    ¡°Nah. Too hungry, too tired.¡± I slurped a noodle into my mouth and sighed. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s good like this.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy.¡± She ruffled my hair before getting us both a bottle of water to drink. ¡°So, how did the new recruits do today?¡±


    ¡°Meh.¡± I shrugged and ripped off a hunk of cheese bread. ¡°Okay, I guess. There are a couple that are really lazy. A couple of smart-mouths.¡±


    ¡°So, same old, same old?¡± She sat on the stool across from me and smiled.


    ¡°Yeah. There was a late guy too.¡± I frowned at my dinner. Blake¡¯s cocky smile had haunted me through my swim. I wasn¡¯t really sure why he got under my skin so much.


    ¡°Oh, yeah? What did Dad say?¡±


    ¡°He sent him to clean out the sea lion pens.¡± I smiled while Mom laughed. That was one of the worst tasks you could get. Especially on your first day.


    ¡°Well, you know how your dad feels about being punctual.¡± Mom smiled and looked past my shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s that about me?¡± Dad kissed the top of my head and pulled the pan of spaghetti over to him. Using the spatula, he scooped some of the food into his mouth.


    ¡°You had the late guy clean out the pens.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Did you go check behind him? He left really late.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm. I did. He cleaned all three.¡±


    ¡°All three?¡± I looked at Dad, surprised. ¡°No wonder he left so late.¡±


    ¡°Did a damn good job, too.¡± He smiled. ¡°I have to admit I was surprised when I heard his name.¡±


    ¡°Violet knew who he was too.¡± I frowned at my parents. I hated feeling like I was out of the loop.


    ¡°Weathering. His family owns most of the hotels on the island. Met his dad once but wasn¡¯t impressed.¡± He pushed the pan back to my mom, who covered it with the plastic lid. ¡°He was a scary guy. Big fancy car, suit, cell phone attached to his ear the whole time, ignoring the little guy next to him that was trying to show him a picture he had drawn. Well, he¡¯s not so little anymore, huh? Kid¡¯s taller than I am.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± I grabbed my empty plate and took it to the sink. That picture didn¡¯t really mesh up well with the cocky guy on the motorcycle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on him, Meena. Despite the fancy digs and clothes, I don¡¯t think his life has been a bed of roses. Maybe this will be his chance to see what a real family should be like.¡± Dad came behind me and squeezed my shoulders. ¡°Go get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long one. Got to get as much work out of those kids as I can early on. They always start slacking after the first week.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at my dad, even though I loved him to death. If you didn¡¯t know his insane obsession with being on time, you would think he was a born islander. All love and be loved. ¡°Night, guys. Love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too!¡± They chorused. I looked over my shoulder to see them smiling at each other. I knew I was lucky that my parents were still in love, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t grossed out by their moments. I made a gagging noise and they laughed.


    My bedroom was at the end of a short hallway, next to the guest bathroom. It wasn¡¯t large but had a great view of the ocean. A quick shower, old pajamas, and I was ready for bed. I kicked off my slippers and was out almost immediately.


    Chapter Three


    - Blake-


    The whine of my alarm made me sit up in bed. I slammed my palm down on the snooze button and tried to remember why the hell I was awake so early. Looking around my room in confusion, I noticed the dirty clothes sitting on the floor next to my closet. I groaned and scrubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands. Another day of community service and I didn¡¯t want to be late again. I¡¯d had meetings with Dad twice last week, and each of them had run over. I¡¯d be damned if I gave the owner¡¯s daughter a reason to look at me like I was a piece of crap again. I¡¯d been stuck mucking drains and fixing plumbing in the bathrooms. Every time I came out stinking like crap, she would smirk and flounce away.


    Of course, I had insulted her family¡¯s business, so I might deserve a little shit. I groaned and wondered why it bothered me so much. She was pretty, but I¡¯d dated pretty and it wasn¡¯t all it was cracked up to be. Maybe it was the instant fire in her eyes? Or the way she worked just as hard as everyone else. Shaking my head, I stood up and stretched. Nothing mattered right now except getting clean and finding some food. Since I hadn¡¯t showered the night before, I could smell myself and that became my top priority. I shoved the door open to my bathroom and almost tripped on the rug.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± I kicked at the stupid mat my mom had picked out before she went back to France and turned on the shower. It was warm almost immediately, so I jumped in and turned on the extra shower head. The shower was probably going to be the best part of my day, so I decided to enjoy it.


    Once my stomach started growling, I cut the water off and hopped out. I dried off, brushed my teeth, and dug around in my closet for clothes. For the last week I had been scrubbing tanks, hauling shrubbery, and trying to stay out of Meena¡¯s way. I grabbed some swim trunks, an old sleeveless T-shirt, and some flip-flops. I tucked my wallet and bike keys into my pocket and stuck my sunglasses on my head.


    As I jogged down the stairs, I could hear voices in the kitchen and almost decided to forgo breakfast. I could hear Vincent and his friend Liv arguing over the last grapefruit. They had been best friends since they both wore diapers. I wished I¡¯d thought to bring my iPod; I could have ignored them both. My stomach growled again and I checked the time on my cell phone. There wasn¡¯t enough time to hit town for some food, so I¡¯d just have to suck it up and grab something here.


    I pushed through the door and frowned at Liv. She was sitting on the counter in a pair of Vincent¡¯s ridiculous pajamas and waved at me like a lunatic.


    ¡°Get your ass off the counter. We put our food there.¡± I opened the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got pants on.¡± She flipped me the bird and I chuckled. It was kind of hard to take the tiny girl seriously when she had her hair in pigtails and looked like she belonged in middle school.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t your pants.¡± I poured milk on my cereal and checked the time on the microwave.


    ¡°They look better on her than on me.¡± Vincent frowned in my direction. ¡°What the hell are you doing up so early?¡±


    ¡°Gotta be at the sanctuary.¡± I shoved a mouthful of chocolate puffs into my mouth and wished I¡¯d skipped breakfast. Reminding Vincent about my community service wasn¡¯t going to make anyone happy.


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d let me do it for you.¡± He picked his bowl up and set it in the sink. Apparently he and Liv had decided to split the grapefruit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Not wanting to see his guilty expression, I put the cereal back in the pantry.


    ¡°What¡¯s it like? Did you get to play with the dolphins?¡± Liv hoped off the counter. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to swim with the dolphins.¡±


    ¡°All work, no play.¡± Shaking my head, I dumped my bowl in the sink and headed for the garage.


    ¡°Blake.¡± Vincent followed me but I didn¡¯t want to have this talk. It was done and over. I wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go, Vince. I can¡¯t be late.¡± Gritting my teeth, I opened the door and headed for the bike¡ªmy freedom.


    ¡°I know. I just wanted to say thanks.¡± He leaned against the door in a ridiculous pair of men¡¯s pajamas.


    ¡°Anytime, bro.¡± I shoved my helmet over my head and then slid my sunglasses on. ¡°Hit the garage-door opener.¡±


    Vincent used his elbow to punch the flat white button and waved over his shoulder as I pulled out. I revved my engine, checked the traffic, and headed out of town.


    It was still quiet at the sanctuary when I pulled up and I smiled. I liked it like this, with no one around. I left the bike but brought the helmet with me. I didn¡¯t want someone to swipe it while I was knee-deep in fish crap. Or walrus crap. Hell, it would probably be some type of crap. Especially if Meena had anything to do with it. She had still acted pissed when I saw her the other night. And in a hurry, apparently. I had ignored her obvious attempts to ditch me. Maybe she had been going to meet someone. I¡¯d seen her heading down to that little beach a couple of times over the last week.


    My instant irritation surprised me. What did I care if she was seeing someone? I shook my head and kicked at a broken stepping stone. I was out of these damn islands as soon I could get my trust-fund money. Girls were the last thing on my mind. Not that I wasn¡¯t going to enjoy the scenery while I could. It was hard to ignore a girl that looked like Meena. Really hard when she was wearing that tiny bikini top and scrubbing tanks.


    Shit. I was thinking about her and she wasn¡¯t even around. Damn bikinis. Maybe I needed to go scrub fish crap. Worry about something more immediate and focus on getting the hell out of here.


    ¡°Blake! Over here.¡± The owner, Ben, waved me toward the toolshed.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Nodding my head, I set my helmet on a shelf in the shed and looked at Ben expectantly. I wanted to just get whatever type of torture I had to do out of the way.


    ¡°How are you today?¡± Ben picked up a rake and looked back at me.


    ¡°Um, good.¡± I looked around the shed and stared at the shovel¡ªmy salvation with a metal scoop.


    ¡°You look hungry. Have you eaten breakfast?¡± Ben leaned on his rake and looked me up and down.


    ¡°Had some cereal.¡± I looked from the shovel over to Ben and frowned. Why was he being so friendly? Wasn¡¯t I here to work off my penance?


    ¡°That¡¯s not food. C¡¯mon. You¡¯re here early, so you might as well get some good grub.¡± Ben laughed as he walked past me. ¡°You¡¯re going to need it.¡±


    Not sure what I was about to get into, I followed the older man up to the little cottage on top of a hill. The bungalow overlooked the entire facility and had kick-ass views from every window. Ben kicked his shoes off at the door and I followed suit. It was a little weird to walk around in someone else¡¯s house without shoes on, but the smell of bacon and eggs made me forget about it immediately. When my stomach growled, Ben clapped me on the shoulder and pushed me toward the kitchen.


    ¡°Marion! I brought a beggar.¡± My back stiffened immediately. I wasn¡¯t begging for anyone¡¯s food. Ben seemed to sense my tension, because he turned back and winked once.


    Marion turned away from the stove and smiled at me. She was a pretty woman, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Meena didn¡¯t favor either of her parents.


    ¡°Blake, right? You¡¯re here early.¡± Grabbing a plate, she turned around and started piling food on it. ¡°Orange juice, milk, or coffee?¡±


    ¡°Coffee, please.¡± I sat down on the bar stool next to Ben and had to fight to not drum my fingers on the counter. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time my mother made me breakfast. In fact, I wasn¡¯t even sure if our cook was a mother. Did it count if she was and made me breakfast? Marion set a plate in front of me and drool pooled in my mouth. This was real, home-cooked food. Even the stuff our cook made felt fake. Our eggs came with parsley leaves and the bacon was set on toast with fluffy garnishes.

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    ¡°Dig in.¡± Marion smiled at me and I was struck by her genuine niceness. She wasn¡¯t playing hostess. She really didn¡¯t mind that I had crashed their breakfast.Advertisement


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I didn¡¯t remember chewing the bacon, but it was gone in seconds.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Meena? Out swimming?¡± Ben took a sip of his coffee and something passed between the adults. Thankfully, I had all that delicious food to keep my attention, so I didn¡¯t look around the house like a dumbass when they mentioned their daughter. Covertly, I let my eyes scan the little kitchen and took in the pictures taped to the fridge and the seashells that lined the tops of the cabinets.


    ¡°She was so tired, I think she forgot to set her alarm clock.¡± Marion set a plate in front of Ben just as a door slammed open somewhere in the back of the house.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Meena came barreling down the hallway into the kitchen, and I stuffed a big forkful of eggs into my mouth. Hopefully my mouth hadn¡¯t hung open for too long. She was wearing a tiny tank top that hugged her braless body and showed off her toned stomach. If her parents knew what I was thinking right that moment, they would have skewered me with the spatula.


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± Her voice cut through the room and you could hear a pin drop. She skidded to a stop and crossed her arms over her chest. I swallowed my eggs and saluted her with my fork. I decided I liked seeing her off-balance. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were wide with shock. Even if we got off on the wrong foot, her reaction seemed a bit on the excessive side. Maybe she just wasn¡¯t a morning person.


    ¡°Meena!¡±


    ¡°He got here early, so I figured he might have missed breakfast.¡± Her parents talked over each other, but there was no mistaking their shock at her behavior. There went the morning person theory. Looks like it¡¯s only me that gets the cold shoulder. Great. If I couldn¡¯t spend some time with her pressed against me in that little toolshed, I¡¯d settle for keeping her angry. I liked the way her eyes snapped.


    ¡°Is this your seat?¡± I wiggled on the stool and almost smiled when her eyebrows drew together and she took a deep breath. Yep, I liked seeing her pissed off.


    ¡°It is, but I don¡¯t have time for breakfast.¡± She turned on her heel, giving me a nice view of her ass as she stalked back down the hallway. ¡°Mom, toast me a bagel, would you?¡± She slammed her door shut and I laughed. I couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°You sure did manage to piss her off, huh?¡± Ben elbowed me and smiled. ¡°She¡¯s usually a lot calmer.¡±


    ¡°We got off on the wrong foot.¡± I tore my toast in half and shoved a piece in my mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize she was your daughter.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. What did you say?¡± Marion leaned a hip against the counter and sipped from her coffee cup.


    ¡°I sort of hinted that I wasn¡¯t happy about having to do community service.¡± I tried to find a diplomatic approach.


    ¡°I heard you thought this place was a real hellhole.¡± Marion looked at me over her coffee cup and I almost choked.


    ¡°Er, something like that. But mainly I was just complaining about giving up my summer.¡±


    ¡°Hellhole?¡± Ben looked at me and frowned. ¡°That would certainly piss Meen off.¡± He chewed on a piece of bacon thoughtfully. ¡°What exactly is so hellish?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I pushed back from the counter and took my empty plate to the sink. After rinsing the plate, I looked around for the dishwasher, but didn¡¯t see one.


    ¡°Leave it. I¡¯ll clean it with the others.¡± Marion¡¯s eyes were thoughtful, and I felt like squirming.


    ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t get off that easy.¡± Ben looked at me before standing up and kissing Marion on the cheek. He motioned for me to follow him out the door.


    ¡°Thank you, Marion.¡± That had been the best breakfast I¡¯d had in years.


    ¡°Any time, Blake.¡± If it had been anyone else, I would have dismissed her words. But something about Marion and Ben put me at ease.


    ¡°I take it that your first impression of Flukes wasn¡¯t that great.¡± Ben stuck his feet into his sandals and headed down the path toward the employee area. I kicked my feet into my shoes and hurried after him.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I let my voice trail off. My first impression hadn¡¯t been good. My second impression hadn¡¯t really required any thinking. At least not with my brain. Which is why I wasn¡¯t on Meena¡¯s favorite-person list.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ben sighed. He stopped for a minute and surveyed the sanctuary. ¡°That¡¯s actually what I¡¯m going to have you guys working on. The place needs to be spiffed up. We¡¯ve spent so much time and money on caring for the animals the other stuff fell through the cracks.¡±


    ¡°I can understand how that would happen.¡± The sanctuary sat in a natural cove that had been exaggerated by dredging. Roped-off areas and wooden boardwalks marked swim areas that housed dolphins. There was a bird house not far from the toolshed and a building that housed tanks and smaller animals.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably picked up some things from your father. What would you suggest focusing on? You¡¯ve had a week to check things out.¡± Ben surprised me when he waited for an answer. He was really asking me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I inherited the family business trait.¡± I was pretty sure I hadn¡¯t inherited anything from my father.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Blake. You¡¯re smart. I can see it and hear it. So, tell me the first thought that pops into your head.¡±


    ¡°A new sign.¡± I don¡¯t know why I was actually answering him. ¡°Not just a repaint, but a whole new logo. You need something more modern, something that won¡¯t get lost in the crowd. Something bright and catchy, but welcoming. There are a bunch of dolphin-swims and you need to stand out.¡± I thought about it for a minute. This was an interesting puzzle. What would work? ¡°Maybe a cool font that twists up into a dolphin tail, or shimmers like water.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. What else?¡± Ben turned to face me, intent on what I was saying. My father never asked me questions, just issued orders or demanded information. There was never a give-and-take conversation.


    ¡°Landscaping. Freshen everything up, make it look inviting and exciting. There isn¡¯t anything tourists like better than to take pictures.¡± I looked at Ben, who was nodding his head. ¡°Maybe hold a big event or something to announce that everything has been revamped.¡± I stopped there, because I had no idea what kind of money they had for this type of stuff.


    Looking away from the man in front of me, I caught a glimpse of Meena walking down from the house and froze. I swear to God, my heart actually stuttered. Her hair was braided and pulled to one side under a little hat and her tiny shorts shouldn¡¯t be legal, not even in the Caribbean where people were just as likely to show up in a bathing suit. The old shirt she wore hung off one shoulder, revealing her bronzed skin. It was a mouth-watering image and I looked away. The last thing I needed was to be thrown out of the program by her father for ogling his daughter.


    ¡°Meena, come here.¡± Ben waved her over and I fought a groan. Shoveling fish crap suddenly sounded appealing. At least then I wouldn¡¯t be distracted or say something stupid.


    ¡°Hey, Dad. Did you already check on Mitch?¡± Meena stepped onto the little platform we were standing on and hooked her fingers into her back pockets.


    ¡°Not yet. Listen, Blake had some good ideas on how to get us into shape. The cruise-line people are going to be coming by in a few weeks, and I want us to have our best foot forward.¡±


    Meena¡¯s eyes darted to me as her father talked and I shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d suggested anything for the hell of it; he had asked me, but she was going to think I had ragged on her home again.


    ¡°So, I think you two should work on designing a new logo and maybe you can show him a little bit about how the sanctuary works. It might give him some more ideas.¡± Ben looked at me and cocked his head to the side. ¡°That okay with you, Blake? I remember seeing your name on some of the pieces when the high school had their art showing last year. You could always come scrub tanks and help lay stepping stones instead.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d like to learn a little more about the sanctuary.¡± The man was sneaky. He had known I did graphic design and painted before even asking me. Ben smiled and I could see he was feeling a bit smug.


    ¡°All right! Get to it, then!¡± He clapped his hands and turned around, heading toward the toolshed.


    I looked back at Meena, who was staring at me. Her face looked confused and nervous. My smile was immediate.


    Chapter Four


    - Meena -


    As soon as his mischievous smile showed up, I knew I was in trouble. My heart was beating too quickly and my stomach did little flips.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. I¡¯ve got to feed Mitch and check on Jallia before we do anything else.¡± I walked past him and headed for the last pen. This enclosure was much larger and had running lines to the other pools. The sanctuary was set up so that the animals were kept in nature as much as possible. Instead of large tanks, our protected cove served as their home. Rope fences separated the different areas and the animals were actually living in the sea they were from.


    ¡°So you draw?¡± If I was going to have to work with him, I might as well try to be nice.


    ¡°A little.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°I would have pegged you for the sports type.¡± My mind went over the muscles in his arms and delicious washboard abs.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± I could hear the smile in his voice. The cocky jerk knew exactly why I had thought that.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t seem smart enough to do anything else.¡± I didn¡¯t look back at him, just kept walking.


    ¡°Oh, burn.¡± He laughed. ¡°I guess I had that coming. I¡¯m sorry about what I said the other day. I can see you guys put a lot of love into this place.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I looked back at him and smiled. I liked that he had laughed instead of being offended. It was also nice to hear him finally apologize. ¡°We spend the majority of our money directly on animal care, but we really do need to start putting more effort into the other stuff.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you got the community-service team?¡± Blake asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I jumped over a large hose. ¡°We¡¯re up for inspection with the shoreside excursion company. If we can land the contract, it would mean a lot more money for the animals.¡±


    I turned down one of the small boardwalks meant for staff and grabbed some fish from the food building. Blake stayed right on my heels and I almost tripped trying to get a little further ahead. His warm hand caught my shoulder and steadied me. Hot waves rolled over my body, and I took a moment to catch my breath. It was the most unexpected reaction to an honest touch I had ever experienced. My eyes darted to where his fingers touched my bare skin and then to his face.


    His mouth was opened slightly, and he looked a little confused. Maybe he was just constipated. I mentally shook myself. Surely he hadn¡¯t felt what I had. I watched his Adam¡¯s apple bob as he swallowed. He looked almost as if he was in pain when he finally let go. The absence of his warm hand on my shoulder felt colder than it should have in the bright Caribbean sun.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I turned away and headed back to Mitch and the others.


    I whistled when I got closer, not that I needed to. Mitch always knew when I was nearby. I pushed open the gate, hopped down onto the floating platform, and dangled my legs in the water. The water felt wonderful against my skin, and I sighed happily. Mitch, Jallia, and Stormy quickly came for their breakfast. Blake climbed down the short ladder and sat next to me. His shoulders were relaxed and he seemed interested in the animals.


    Mitch swam straight for him and shoved her nose onto his lap. I could feel her checking him out, trying to see if she liked him or not. It was the weirdest display she had put on with a stranger. She was a friendly dolphin, but she wasn¡¯t one to crawl in their lap and give them the dolphin version of the third degree. When she let me know she approved, I felt confused. Approved of what exactly?


    ¡°He¡¯s friendly.¡± Blake¡¯s voice was amused and he automatically scratched under Mitch¡¯s chin. She squee¡¯d loudly and spit water at his face.


    ¡°Mitch is a girl.¡± He held his hands up to ward off her wet assault and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He didn¡¯t seem irritated by Mitch¡¯s antics, just amused and wet.


    ¡°My apologies, Mitch. I did think it was weird that you were so pretty if you were a boy.¡± Blake reached out a hand and scratched her chin again. He looked at me from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Did you tell her to do that?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, the splashing? No. She¡¯s just sensitive.¡± Jallia came over and rolled onto her side. I traced my hands over her belly and cooed under my breath. The baby was healthy and happy. He was going to be a big boy. ¡°Not long now, Jallia. You¡¯re going to have your son out and playing in no time.¡±


    Mitch nosed her mother for a minute, checking the baby as well. After a minute, Stormy started making noises about being hungry and I laughed. I set the fish bucket between Blake and Ime. ¡°Here, feed them, but don¡¯t let them knock the bucket over.¡± Mitch rose out of the water and flopped onto the decking between us. ¡°Mitch! You got my clothes wet!¡± I yanked the bucket out of the way and pushed Mitch back into the water.


    Stormy darted through the water and opened his mouth for Blake to deposit some fish. It didn¡¯t take us long to empty the bucket and I enjoyed answering Blake¡¯s questions. He was smarter than I had given him credit for.


    ¡°Are these markings from the other dolphins? They look like teeth scrapes.¡± Blake leaned close to Stormy and peered at the teeth rakings on his melon.


    ¡°Yeah. Some of them are from playing, roughhousing. Some of them are from being irritating. He is a nosy guy.¡± I ran my hand over Stormy¡¯s head. ¡°Most of them fade pretty quickly. They shed their skin every two hours.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Didn¡¯t know that.¡± Blake looked down at the water and frowned. ¡°So my legs are covered in dead dolphin skin. Nice.¡±


    He was so engrossed at looking at his legs in disgust, I couldn¡¯t help myself. It was the perfect chance to get payback for his insulting Flukes. I shoved his shoulder, pushing him into the water. ¡°Now it¡¯s all over you.¡±


    Mitch laughed her dolphin laugh, but Jallia scolded me. When Blake came up sputtering, he glared at me. Mitch spit water at him, but he ignored her and swam to the platform. I thought he was going to sulk until he got closer. He looked up at the last minute and his mischievous smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. His brown eyes twinkled and I knew I was in trouble. I tried to get up and out of the way quickly, but he was faster than I thought. His strong hand closed around my ankle and dragged me into the water. Mitch darted down to me and I grabbed onto her dorsal fin. She surfaced quickly and scolded Blake with sharp whistles.

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    ¡°She had it coming!¡± Blake held his hands out in front of him and laughed. He splashed water at me and I returned the favor. Mitch and Stormy joined in, but Jallia swam away, not in the mood for playing. His smile was infectious as he played with the dolphins, not minding when they dunked him or pushed him around. I found myself watching more than playing because I liked seeing him look so happy.Advertisement


    ¡°You had it coming first. Calling Flukes a hellhole.¡± I laughed at his fake hurt look.


    ¡°I apologized! And it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t notice that I was getting all the crap jobs last week.¡± He pretended to hold his heart. ¡°I¡¯ve paid my dues. What else can you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯re even.¡± I rolled my eyes and shifted a little farther away from him. There was something compelling about him, something that made me want to be closer. He was dangerous.


    ¡°Looks like you lost something.¡± He tapped his head and I frowned.


    ¡°Ugh. My hat.¡± I looked around and saw it floating toward the sandy bottom. I took a deep breath that I didn¡¯t need and dove after it. When I came back up, Blake was looking at me with wide eyes. ¡°What? It¡¯s my favorite.¡±


    ¡°How deep is this part of the cove?¡± He looked down and frowned. ¡°What? Eighteen, twenty feet?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± This part of the cove was twenty-eight feet. Mentally, I berated myself for being so stupid. I should have sent Mitch or Stormy after my hat, but I didn¡¯t want teeth marks on it.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Blake looked at me, his eyebrows drawn together.


    I hauled myself onto the platform and felt his eyes following me, making my heart jump in my chest. He pulled himself out of the enclosure and peeled his shirt off. The boy was gorgeous and he knew it. The exact kind of guy I should avoid at all costs. He twisted the shirt in his hands, wringing as much water out as he could.


    ¡°What next?¡± Blake slung the wet shirt over his shoulder.


    The water droplets that ran down his chest drew my attention like a moth to flame. My fingers itched to touch him. I scrambled to my feet and backed away from him slowly while squeezing the edge of my shirt. Needing a distraction, I picked up the bucket and turned toward the ladder.


    ¡°The others should be here soon. I need to go help Dad with the assignments and then we can come up with a plan for the crews.¡± I didn¡¯t look back at him after climbing the three short rungs, trying to shake the weird spell he seemed to have on me.


    He stayed right behind me as I dropped off the bucket at the fish shack and headed for the toolshed. My heart was starting to pick up pace. No matter how much distance I tried to put between us, he seemed just as determined to stay close. When Dad and Violet came into view, I was so relieved I almost skipped down the last of the path. She turned to look at me and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.


    ¡°Did you fall in the pen?¡± Violet¡¯s eyes trailed over Blake and back to me. A slow smile spread over her face and her eyes gleamed. I knew that look. I was in trouble now. She had been picking on me for giving Blake a hard time all week, and this just fit right into the scenario she would have imagined.


    ¡°Blake dragged me into the water.¡± I pulled at my shirt again and realized you could see my bathing suit through the wet material.


    ¡°She pushed me in first.¡± Blake held up his hands and looked from Violet to my dad with innocent eyes. I snorted. I should have held him under, not just gotten him wet.


    ¡°Payback, huh? That¡¯s my girl.¡± Dad held his hand out for a high five and I reluctantly returned it. ¡°How was Jallia?¡±


    ¡°Good. It shouldn¡¯t be long now.¡± I looked anywhere but at Violet or Blake, worried they¡¯d see through my nonchalance.


    ¡°Excellent. I wonder if we¡¯ll have the new babe for the shoreside rep.¡± Dad looked at me expectantly for answers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Shrugging, I walked into the toolshed and pulled my shirt off, not wanting to give anyone a show. I snatched a towel off one of the hooks and dried off as best I could before grabbing one of the spare employee shirts.


    ¡°Got an extra towel?¡± Blake ducked his head in and my heart skipped. I wore bathing suits all year, usually with nothing else on, but for some reason, I felt too exposed under his eyes. I yanked the towel off the hook next to me and threw it to him without turning around. I needed to get out of here. Hastily, I slipped into the big T-shirt and took my towel to hang on the railing outside. I stared out at the water past the cove entrance and tried to calm my racing heart. Why was Blake Weathering making me so nervous? I didn¡¯t have time for boys that made me nervous. Especially when I was supposed to work with them to get Flukes a big contract.


    ¡°So, did you make any progress?¡± Dad¡¯s voice was hopeful and I looked up from my thoughts.


    ¡°Not really. You wanted him to get to know more about the area, so I introduced him to Mitch and the others.¡± The corners of my mouth twitched when I remembered how much Mitch had liked him, then silently berated myself.


    Blake walked over and hung his towel next to mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Violet watching us and almost groaned. She had been trying to set me up with guys for years, but I didn¡¯t have time for that stuff. More importantly, I couldn¡¯t risk anyone finding out my secret.


    ¡°What did Mitch think?¡± Violet leaned back on the railing and smiled at me. That smile told me a million things, all of them bad. Bad, bad, bad.


    ¡°She was okay.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°She crawled in my lap like a cat.¡± Blake laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know dolphins were so affectionate. Or that they shed their skin every two hours.¡± He shot me a smile and I couldn¡¯t help grinning. Violet¡¯s smile grew until you could see her teeth.


    ¡°Really? Sounds like you made yourself a new friend.¡± Violet¡¯s white teeth gleamed against her dark skin. Blake seemed to sense something, because he narrowed his eyes a little and took a step toward my dad.


    ¡°Vi, why are you all fancy? The fish don¡¯t care what you¡¯re wearing.¡± I looked my friend over and noted her makeup and dressy clothes. Her braids hung around her shoulders and flashy sandals peeked out from under her wide-leg slacks.


    ¡°I have that scholarship interview today, remember?¡± My heart clenched at the reminder. My best friend was leaving for Hawaii soon. She¡¯d be oceans away, working on her Marine Biology degree while I did classes online or at the community college.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Good luck.¡± I tried to smile. It obviously wasn¡¯t a good one.


    Violet laughed at my words and hugged me to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so glum. I¡¯ll be back for the holidays and you can visit me in Hawaii. Lots of lovely water there for you to swim in.¡± Violet squeezed my shoulder. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re already making new friends.¡±


    I tried to not groan and darted my eyes toward Blake. He had certainly caught the undertone in that last sentence, because his mouth was quirked to the side in amusement. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he liked the implication or if he thought it would be funny for one more girl to fall under his spell.


    The rumble of the bus pulling up in the parking lot drew of our attention away, thankfully. Most of the workers rode the bus just because it was easier than driving themselves out to the sanctuary. As the crew unloaded, Violet shook her head and frowned at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta run, but you take care.¡± There was an undercurrent to her words that drew my attention. Her eyebrows were pulled together as she watched some of the workers walk in our direction. ¡°Some of these guys are a little rougher than we normally get here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± My eyes followed one of the taller guys; his wide shoulders and long legs set him apart from the group. His eyes were large and blue, which contrasted sharply with his dark skin.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here because they had a run-in with a principal or trashed some public bathrooms.¡± Violet turned away from the approaching group. ¡°I heard that the tall guy, Devin, assaulted some girl at a bar.¡±


    ¡°Why would they send them here?¡± Blake¡¯s voice surprised me. I hadn¡¯t realized he had come to stand so close to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They normally send the ones that need a slap on the wrist.¡± Violet looked over my shoulder toward my father before lowering her voice. My mind immediately wondered how Blake had ended up at Flukes. He didn¡¯t seem homicidal or overly violent. So why had he beat up some guy in the locker rooms? ¡°I heard your dad talking about it to my dad. He said he was going to pull you from the normal stuff to put some distance between you and them.¡±


    The pieces fell together in my head, and I suddenly understood just how sneaky my father really was. He hadn¡¯t just decided that I needed to work with Blake on designing a new logo and directing the crews. He had put me on a task that kept me away from the worst of the miscreants. I looked over at Blake, wondering if he had put it together, and saw that his mouth was pulled to the side in a smirk. Why on Earth had Dad decided that Blake wasn¡¯t dangerous? He had eyes, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vi, I won¡¯t let anything happen to her while you¡¯re gone.¡± Blake¡¯s voice rumbled out of his chest, giving me goose bumps.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold you to that, Blake Weathering.¡± Violet narrowed her eyes at him and put one hand on her hip.


    I was in even more trouble than my dad realized.


    Chapter Five


    - Meena -


    After Dad sent the crews to take care of the more remedial tasks, like cutting the grass or replacing the broken paver stones, I took Blake to the toolshed and grabbed some gloves.


    ¡°I figured I¡¯d show you the lay of the land and maybe see if we come up with any ideas.¡± I tossed Blake some gloves and he quickly tucked them into the pocket on the back of his shorts.


    ¡°What are the gloves for?¡± He leaned a shoulder against the shed door while I dug around in a bucket for a small hatchet. When I pulled it out, I smiled over my shoulder at him before sticking the hatchet through one of the belt loops on my shorts.


    ¡°Well, while we¡¯re walking, we can work. There are some downed trees on a couple of the paths from the storm earlier this week.¡± I pushed past him and waited for him to close the door. We headed down the path toward my beach, stopping to pick up some of the limbs that had been blown back into the walkway. ¡°Dad¡¯s been talking about expanding for years now. We constantly get calls to take in wounded animals, but right now we just don¡¯t have the room. If we get the contract, it would mean we could grow.¡±


    ¡°Out this way?¡± Blake leaned down and picked up a large branch, moving it farther off the path. I used the hatchet to cut up a large limb and push it out of the way.


    ¡°Sort of. We¡¯re keeping this part of the beach private.¡± I pointed toward where the path forked and dove down to the white sand. ¡°But, we could move the birds and smaller animals up here on top of the hill. And this is the easiest way to reach it right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What would it take to expand something like this?¡± He pushed some branches out of the way for me. This part of the path wasn¡¯t used as often, so the overgrowth was a problem.


    ¡°We¡¯d have to start small. Probably a couple of million to get everything going. More if we do what Dad is really wanting to do.¡± I stepped over a rocky outcropping. ¡°Watch your footing.¡±


    ¡°What is it he wants to do?¡± The entire way, he kept moving branches and stones out of the path. I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy watching his muscles tighten and shift under his skin. He looked over his shoulder at me, his mouth turned up in that obnoxious grin. Frowning, I looked away and kept walking.


    ¡°A school, eventually. Try to educate the public and tourists about how important the oceans are to the world.¡± We were almost to the top of the hill and the sun was throwing shadows through the trees and foliage.


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re going to go to school for? Come back here and help teach? Or do you plan on leaving and finding your own place?¡± Blake¡¯s voice was calm, but there was an edge to his words. As if he couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. This is my home.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. Most people wouldn¡¯t understand. I loved this place. Loved the animals and the people that worked here. Plus, I couldn¡¯t be far from the ocean, so it wasn¡¯t like I could travel a great deal.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to college?¡± His brown eyes raked over my face as if trying to figure out a puzzle. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get out and see the world?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take online courses.¡± I frowned. Of course I wanted to see the world. Not that it did me any good to dwell on it. ¡°What about you? You graduated this year. Are you going into the family business?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no. As soon as I get my diploma, I¡¯m outta here.¡± His voice was full of conviction. Part of me understood the desire to see something new, to experience a different place, but I didn¡¯t understand the underlying sense of hate he felt toward the island.


    The foliage had started to thin and the views were taking its place. Turquoise waters spread out before us and you could see all of Flukes. My heart gave a contented thump as I looked at my home. It had taken years, but we had turned the place around. When I was little there had barely been enough money to feed us, much less the animals. As I had gotten older and started to understand my ability to work with the animals, things had gotten a lot easier.


    ¡°Great view.¡± I could feel his eyes on me, but he looked away when I glared. Blake shielded his eyes with his hands, scanning the area. ¡°I can see why you want to keep that little beach to yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen a lot better, but this is my little piece of paradise.¡± I knelt down, letting my eyes run over Flukes, our house, and our tiny little beach. ¡°There¡¯s a little cottage down there that Mom and Dad lived in when they first moved here. I¡¯m planning on fixing it up for my own.¡±


    ¡°The cove really makes it special.¡± His voice was honest, as if he really did think our place was worth something. ¡°The northern part curves just right. I bet you guys don¡¯t have to deal with too much storm damage. Don¡¯t ever let my dad come here. He¡¯d try his best to turn it into some high-end resort.¡±


    ¡°We still have issues, but it¡¯s better than it could be.¡± I picked at a piece of grass and twisted it between my fingers. My eyes caught on one of the workers throwing shovels of sand at the sea lions. ¡°Oh, hell no.¡±


    Standing up, I tore back down the path, jumping over the rocky patches and heading for the sea-lion pen. Blake stayed right on my heels but didn¡¯t say a word. As soon as I had the guy in my sights, I was ready to strangle him. He was now tossing rocks at the animals and laughing.

 Page 6

    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I barely stopped in time to keep from bowling the guy over. I grabbed the handle of the shovel and yanked. He held on, his blue eyes raked over my body, and a sneer pulled at his mouth. Something in me screamed to hurt him, to make him leave, but instead I pulled with all my strength and wrestled the shovel away from him. I pulled so hard that I would have landed on my butt if Blake hadn¡¯t caught my shoulder. Again, that warm feeling ran over my skin, but I didn¡¯t have time to wonder about it.Advertisement


    ¡°The stupid shit kept spitting water at me.¡± The worker leaned forward as if asking for trouble. I recognized him from the first day of orientation¡ªDevin, I think.


    ¡°So you throw sand at it? And rocks? It¡¯s a sea lion! Of course it spit water at you, you idiot!¡± I looked back at the animals to see them swimming happily in the lagoon water. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just move out of their range?¡±


    ¡°It should have listened when I told it to stop.¡± Devin leaned back against the rope railing and crossed his arms over his chest. My entire body vibrated with disgust. There was this foul smell of something dead rotting in the sun and I could swear it was coming from him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sea lion. You were near its enclosure, doing something it didn¡¯t understand.¡± My hands squeezed the handle so hard I could feel the wood digging into my skin. ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get out of here. The court says I have to stay.¡± Devin smirked. ¡°You¡¯re awfully upset about that stupid sea lion. Maybe if you spent time around real people, you wouldn¡¯t care about animals so much. Or maybe you just prefer animals?¡± His eyebrows pulled up at his nasty innuendo.


    ¡°Go help the others lay pavers.¡± My jaw was clenched so tight I could barely get the words out. ¡°Just get the hell out of my sight.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Meen-ah.¡± He drew my name out like it was an insult. ¡°Whatever you say. Fish lover.¡± He mumbled the last word under his breath, but I heard it anyway.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, man?¡± Blake stepped in front of me, the muscles in his back taut. ¡°Stop being an ass and just do what you have to.¡±


    ¡°Watch yourself, Weathering.¡± Devin stood away from the fence, his chest puffed up. ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from you. You aren¡¯t the only one with a rich daddy.¡±


    ¡°No. You take orders from her and her parents.¡± The amused look that had been on Blake¡¯s face earlier had completely disappeared. Instead, he was wearing the aloof, irritated look I had seen the first day.


    ¡°And what? You¡¯re going to be her enforcer?¡± Devin laughed. The sound was like razors along my skin. ¡°You¡¯re the safe guy. The one her daddy doesn¡¯t care if she¡¯s around. We heard him talking. You¡¯re a joke.¡±


    Blake moved before I could register that anything had happened. Devin stepped back, but Blake was right on him, sending the other guy to the ground with a hard shove. Devin fell back into the sand before scrambling to his feet.


    Leaning close, Blake looked Devin in the eyes, his fists at his sides. ¡°You¡¯re here because you couldn¡¯t get some girl to sleep with you, so you beat her up. I¡¯m here because I put the captain of the soccer team in the hospital. Right now, you¡¯re next on my list.¡± There was a low growl in his words that made my heartbeat pick up. ¡°Get out of here before I decide to do more than throw rocks at your head.¡±


    Devin¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Taking a step away from Blake, the boy looked at me and winked. Slowly he made his way up the trail, toward some of the other workers. I ground my teeth and glared at him as he walked. I was going to have a long talk with my dad. Not just about Devin, but about giving me a babysitter. Throwing the shovel down, I jumped the fence and waded out into the water.


    ¡°Harper! Ruth! Menolly!¡± I hollered the names of the sea lions and waited for them to answer. My connection was much stronger with the dolphins, but I could still feel and understand the other animals in the sanctuary.


    The sound of splashing surprised me, and I turned around to see Blake wading out to where I was standing. His face was blank, but if I had to guess, he was still pissed. I didn¡¯t blame him. Not only was he having to do community service, my dad had decided to make him watch out for me.


    ¡°Are they okay?¡± His voice rumbled across the water and I was immediately disappointed that he hadn¡¯t asked about me. Taking a deep breath, I cursed myself mentally. I did not care if he was worried about me or not.


    ¡°Seems that way.¡± Harper bumped my leg and I kneeled down so that I could look him in the eye. ¡°Did that jerk hurt you guys?¡± I ran my hand over his head before turning to check the two girls out.


    ¡°They seem okay to me.¡± Blake knelt down next to me. I was incredibly embarrassed that Dad thought I needed someone to watch out for me. And even more humiliated that I might have needed the watchdog.


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re pretty tough.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m really sorry about¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were pretty fierce¡ª¡±


    We looked at each other, both stopping midsentence. I felt a shaky smile pull at my lips, and he nodded at me to go on.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Dad was trying to keep me away from those guys.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I kind of figured that.¡± Blake looked away from me, his eyes running over the water. ¡°Your dad¡¯s sneaky as hell.¡± He sounded more amused than anything else.


    ¡°I take it he didn¡¯t tell you about the other guys either?¡± Ruth pushed at my hand, so I scratched above her eye.


    ¡°No. Just what he told you this morning.¡± Blake stood up and held his hand out to me. I only hesitated for a minute before letting him pull me up. That warm feeling seeped up my arm and ran down my body. He looked at our joined hands briefly before letting go. When his hand dropped down by his leg, I saw his fingers flex as if shaking off a weird sensation. ¡°Guess he figured he would kill two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°About that. I don¡¯t really need someone watching out for me. I¡¯m not a wilting flower. Dad¡¯s just¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s just my dad.¡±


    ¡°Protecting his daughter is part of the job description.¡± He looked down at me and his eyes darkened. ¡°Of course, if he knew what I was thinking when I saw you in those shorts, he might have regretted his decision.¡±


    Heat rushed to my cheeks and I fought the laser-beam lock his eyes seemed to hold on mine. I literally had no idea how to respond to that and the longer I stood there with my mouth hanging open, the stupider I felt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to remember to wear something different tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Meena, you¡¯d look good in a trash bag. Changing into something else isn¡¯t going to keep me from noticing that.¡± He took a step closer and I took a step back. It was the first time he¡¯d said my name today and it made my knees weak. I hated that.


    ¡°Why are you here? Why did you beat up that kid from school?¡± The lights went out in Blake¡¯s eyes and distance as vast as the ocean spread between us.


    ¡°He had it coming.¡±


    Chapter Six


    - Meena -


    The rest of the week was spent in an uneasy truce. I¡¯d catch Blake looking at me and he would catch me watching him. I couldn¡¯t help it. I liked the way he moved, the way his muscles tightened, and how his hair would fall in his eyes. Everything about him made me feel unfocused and confused. If I wasn¡¯t looking at him, I was thinking about him. That was completely the opposite of what I needed to be doing, and I hated that he seemed to have captured my mind.


    It wasn¡¯t that we didn¡¯t get along. It was more like we got along too well and neither of us were comfortable with that. Not that I thought he was interested in anything with me that beyond a quick physical attraction, but I found myself interested in his thought process. There seemed to be so much going on back behind his warm brown eyes.


    ¡°Do you have any ideas for a new sign yet?¡± I picked up some of the rope we had pulled down from the old walkway and started coiling it up. We¡¯d talked about it a few times but hadn¡¯t really come to a clear solution.


    ¡°I was thinking maybe something with a mermaid tail. Maybe just the tail coming up out of the water?¡±


    I dropped the rope and stood up straight. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I guess the name inspired me. And I think it would add a bit of whimsy.¡± Blake knelt down and fixed the rope I had dropped. He narrowed his eyes over his shoulder at me and I felt my heartbeat pick up. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, I¡¯m just surprised.¡± I shrugged and looked across the water. ¡°It¡¯s not up to me anyway. It¡¯s up to my dad.¡±


    ¡°Water, animals, the name. It just all added up to mermaids for me.¡± I looked back at him and met his gaze. He stood up, not once breaking eye contact. ¡°It¡¯s a little bit because of you, I guess. The way the animals seem to accept you, the way you love this place.¡±


    I swallowed convulsively. ¡°Me? A mermaid?¡± The chuckle that escaped my mouth sounded sick and demented. Something flashed in his eyes and I wondered if I had offended him, or if he was just trying to figure me out. It was probably best if I had offended him. I didn¡¯t need him to like me. The problem was that I was quickly realizing I wanted him to.


    Ducking down, I picked up the rope and started to throw it over my shoulder. His hand caught mine and carefully pulled the heavy bundle from me. ¡°Let me get that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Thanks.¡± I slapped my hands together to knock off some of the sand. His loose hand reached out and caught my fingers. That warm tingling ran up my arm and down my spine. Turning my hand over, he ran his thumb over the chipped paint on my nails. My stomach dropped the moment I realized I had forgotten to repaint them this morning. The teal color of my nails peeked out from under the purple paint, clear as day. I tried to yank my hand back, but his fingers held tight.


    ¡°That¡¯s an unusual color.¡± His eyebrows drew together. The warm feeling in the pit of my stomach warred with the anxiety I felt at having him see my real nails.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m always experimenting with nail polish.¡± I tried to pull my hand away again and, thankfully, he let go this time.


    ¡°You must really like that teal color. I¡¯ve noticed you wear it a lot.¡± His eyes were intense and I noticed that he was looking at my toes, too.


    ¡°It changes. Sometimes it¡¯s purple, yellow. I guess it¡¯s just teal¡¯s turn.¡± I curled my hands into fists and bit my lip. That warm feeling hadn¡¯t faded as quickly this time and part of me wanted to touch him again, just to see if it would come back. I was starting to think that I hadn¡¯t imagined the feeling after all. And that seriously worried me. Why on Earth would I feel something from touching Blake?


    When we got back to the shed, the other workers were putting up their tools. I had talked to Dad briefly about Devin, but we hadn¡¯t been able to really work out how to deal with him. The tall guy was leaning against the building, smoking a cigarette. I coughed and frowned at him.


    ¡°No smoking on the premises. There are signs everywhere.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest, well aware of his eyes resting there. ¡°Or can you not read?¡±


    He squished the end of his cigarette between his fingers and flung it out toward the pathway to my beach. ¡°I just didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Devin. You better start caring or I¡¯m going to cancel your work order and you can do time.¡± Dad¡¯s voice held none of his normal, happy hippy tone. ¡°We don¡¯t litter. Pick it up and put it in the trash.¡±


    I had never really thought about it before, but Dad was tall, taller than even Devin. He worked outside doing lots of manual labor that kept him in shape. When you paired that with the serious tone, he was intimidating. Devin seemed to size him up for a minute before slowly going to pick up the cigarette butt. He walked to the trash can, held his hand above the opening, and dropped the cigarette into the hole. Without another word, he turned around and sauntered down the path toward the exit. He jerked his chin and several of the workers peeled off and followed him.


    The ones that hadn¡¯t left all nodded at Dad before making their way down to the bus. Dad shook his head once they were all on their way and the tension in his shoulders drained away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call and find out why they were sent here.¡± Dad¡¯s eyes flicked to Blake and then away. ¡°Did you guys come up with anything today?¡± I knew my dad well enough to sense when he was changing the subject.


    ¡°Blake had an idea.¡± I busied myself in the shed, not wanting to let my expression give anything away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Blake pick up a stick and sketch something in the sand. Dad grunted but didn¡¯t say anything until Blake was finished.


    ¡°This is rough, but I think that works, too.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else. Just stood up and moved back so that Dad could get a better look. ¡°Something loose that just suggests the theme.¡±


    ¡°That would be easy to translate onto promotional kits.¡± Dad¡¯s voice was thoughtful, so I snuck a peek at him. He was rubbing his chin and his eyes were thoughtful. ¡°What sent you in this direction?¡±


    ¡°Meena.¡± Blake¡¯s voice was calm and nonchalant, but the memory of his fingers on mine made me blush.


    ¡°Meena?¡± I turned around and looked at Dad. I knew my cheeks were red, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do about it.


    ¡°When she¡¯s swimming with the animals, she looks just like a mermaid should. Happy and peaceful. It goes with the name, too.¡± Blake tossed the stick back into the brush. ¡°If you think it¡¯s too whimsical I can come up with something else.¡±


    ¡°No. I like it.¡± Dad¡¯s eyes focused on me and I wondered what he was thinking. There was something sad in his eyes I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Can you make something a little more definite? If we get this nailed down soon, we can start production of the new sign and design some shirts for the staff.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Need me to do anything else before I leave?¡± Blake looked at Dad as if waiting for homework.


    ¡°Would you mind moving that cart with the bags of concrete? Looks like it¡¯s going to rain tonight.¡± Dad pointed to where Devin had left a loaded wheelbarrow by the bird hut.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Blake¡¯s eyes cut to me quickly before going back to my father.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I watched him walk away and was surprised that I was sad to see him go. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it, but I liked being around him. Even though he was kind of a mysterious and frustrating.

 Page 7

    ¡°Meena?¡± Dad¡¯s voice brought me back to reality and I winced. He sounded nervous.Advertisement


    ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Technically, I shouldn¡¯t have swum after my hat, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°I know.¡± Dad closed the shed and slipped the lock in place. ¡°We named Flukes after you. It¡¯s not that long of a shot, you know? And really, it fits. I think it would work.¡±


    ¡°But we try so hard to not let anyone find out.¡± I sat down on a large rock next to the path.


    ¡°Sometimes the best hiding place is right in the open.¡± Dad leaned against the shed and looked at me. ¡°If you¡¯re flaunting it in their face, they won¡¯t think there¡¯s any way it could be real.¡±


    ¡°Seems risky.¡±


    ¡°Meena, it¡¯s all risky. All of it. The only way to be safe would be to pick up and move somewhere where you wouldn¡¯t have any friends.¡± Dad frowned. ¡°We thought about it. For years. But you would have been miserable.¡±


    ¡°So would you guys. You and Mom love this place as much as I do.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°We would have given it all up if it would¡¯ve been the best thing for you.¡±


    ¡°I know, Dad.¡± It was time to change the subject before either of us got too mushy. ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal with the crew this year?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that.¡± Dad rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to spend much time around the workers. Some of them are a bit rougher than usual.¡±


    ¡°What about Blake? You told me to work with him.¡± My voice was a little rushed and I hoped I didn¡¯t sound worried. Or anxious. Crap.


    ¡°Blake¡¯s a good apple. I¡¯m not worried about him.¡±


    ¡°He put some kid in the hospital.¡± I stood up and brushed the sand off my shorts.


    ¡°I¡¯m betting he had a reason for what he did.¡± Dad narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Not that I think that excuses him. He deserves his punishment.¡±


    ¡°Then why send him to work with me?¡± I wanted to hear the truth for myself.


    ¡°I knew he would come up with something that worked for our place.¡± Dad always trusted his gut. And it was usually right. ¡°Plus, I thought he would make sure no one gave you a hard time. I saw him with Devin the other day.¡±


    Heat rushed to my cheeks as I remembered Blake standing up for me. I didn¡¯t want him to think I was helpless, but it had been something to see him ready to defend me. Dad just looked at me, a small smile pulling at his mouth, and I tried to wipe any expression from my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a babysitter.¡± Crossing my arms, I decided to go on the offensive. All the better to keep him from thinking anything scary about me and Blake. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t need a hoodlum to take care of me.¡±


    ¡°He was brought up around business and has an eye for design. His dad was the first one to fund Flukes, you know.¡± I hadn¡¯t known that. It seemed like a weird circle to have his son working here now. ¡°Blake¡¯s been around boardrooms his whole life. Even if he doesn¡¯t realize it, he¡¯s picked up a lot of the trade. You understand the sanctuary and love the animals. It¡¯s a good pairing for the project.¡± Dad stretched his arms above his head and groaned. ¡°Go swim. I know you¡¯re dying to get out there and this old man is ready to relax for a little while.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay.¡± I walked backward toward the beach, keeping my eyes on Dad. ¡°But we¡¯re not done talking about the babysitter issue.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Go, already.¡± He turned away but his voice drifted to my ears. ¡°Stay close tonight, though. Someone saw a shark earlier.¡±


    ¡°Save me some dinner!¡± I ran for the beach, my skin ready for the water, and I kicked off my shoes and pulled my shirt off. Kicking my shorts to the side, I waded out as far as I could before diving in. I slipped my bathing suit bottom off and wrapped it around my wrist like a bracelet. My left hand tingled during the change, so I shook it in confusion, but there was nothing on it. I must be even more tired than I thought.


    The water was refreshing and I enjoyed the warm breeze that hit the top of my wet head as I floated. The moon was bright, casting sharp shadows under the clear water. This was my little slice of heaven. It was the only time I was completely myself. Not that I wasn¡¯t myself when wearing legs, just that this was my most comfortable form.


    After a while, I let Mitch out and we swam around the area. We checked for shells and sea glass¡ªa hobby of mine. I loved making jewelry out of the pieces I found. Something bright flashed in the moonlight, and as I dug it out of the sand, I almost missed Mitch¡¯s excited twitters. She shoved at me with her nose, herding me toward a small reef. She was a pushy dolphin all the time, but this was different. She was worried and agitated. Thinking that maybe there was a shark in the area, I heeded her warnings and hid as best I could.


    What came into view a couple of heartbeats later made my stomach clench and I gasped, releasing a flood of bubbles. Mitch stayed low in the water, circling just out of sight of the mermaids that swam nearby.


    No, that was wrong. It was a mermaid and a merman. The mermaid was gorgeous, everything that a mermaid should be. Her blue hair floated around her head as they swam, and her pale blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight. They slowed and looked around the area, the merman signaling something. His blond hair was on the longish side, and he had a face that would make Violet swoon. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think he was attractive, but it wasn¡¯t sexual. I realized that it felt like I was looking at someone I might know.


    Shock ran through my system and even if I had wanted to do or say something, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to. I¡¯d never seen another mer before, was it possible that they would all look familiar to me?


    Chapter Seven


    - Blake -


    Stupid, stupid, stupid. I am not a stalker. As soon as I had pulled the wheelbarrow under the awning of one of the buildings I went back to the shed to get my helmet. Only it was locked. I could have gone up to the house and asked Ben to unlock it, but I had heard Meena making tracks down the path. Now, here I was creeping along in the dark, looking for some girl. No. Not some girl. Meena. I should have asked Ben, but part of me demanded to see Meena again. Just one more time.


    It was the stupidest thing, but it didn¡¯t change my response to the feeling. I would see her tomorrow. It was only a few hours away, but I still wanted to see her now. I hurried down the path to the beach, sure that was where she would have gone. Rounding the corner, I was just in time to see her pull her shirt off, exposing her smooth skin to the moonlight. When she pulled her shorts down, the blood drained from my head. I stepped behind the nearest tree and watched as she dove into the water. She finally surfaced and wrapped something around her wrist before ducking back under the water.


    I waited for a while, scanning the water to see when she came back up for air. After a minute or so, I stepped out from behind the tree and looked around. Had I missed her coming up? With each second that passed my worry grew. I walked up to the edge of the water and looked out.


    There in the distance, I saw something floating in the moonlight. At first I thought it was an animal, the way the silver light glinted off something bright, but then it moved and I realized it was Meena. I don¡¯t know how she had gotten so far out without me seeing her, but her head and shoulders floated just above the water. It was definitely her.


    I stood there, watching her, my mind going over my options. I could go ask Ben for the keys or I could wait for Meena to come back. My eyes shifted back to the path and I contemplated going to wait by the toolshed. She would have to walk right past me to go home. She was gone when I looked back at the water and that made up my mind. Walking back to where her clothes lay, I sat down and waited. Eventually, I leaned back against the palm tree and looked up at the stars. I could understand why she liked to come out here after a long day of working.


    It felt like forever before I heard the splashing that announced she was back. I sat forward and smiled when I heard her make a shocked choking sound. I picked up her shorts and held them up for her to see.


    ¡°You forgot a towel!¡± I didn¡¯t get up. I wanted to watch her walk out of the water.


    She sputtered some and thrashed around a bit more. I stood up, worried that she had managed to get attacked by a shark in three feet of water.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I started to walk down the beach. I didn¡¯t want to be the asshole that sat under a palm tree while some girl was eaten alive in front of him.


    ¡°Stay where you are! I¡¯m fine!¡± Meena¡¯s voice was sharp and breathless.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I froze in place, still worried she might need help.


    ¡°Nothing. I have to put my bottoms back on.¡±


    My brain fritzed for a minute before my mouth tugged up in a grin. ¡°Need some help?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She pushed the wet hair out of her eyes and glared at me.


    ¡°Were you skinny-dipping? It¡¯s a lot more fun when you have someone else with you.¡± Please ask me to go, please.


    ¡°Yeah, I bet you¡¯d know.¡± Her voice drifted to my ears and made my smile grow even more.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I took a couple of steps forward, a laugh bubbling in my chest. ¡°You want me to come help?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! No! I don¡¯t need any help, thank you very much.¡± She stood up in the water and I felt my blood pressure rise. ¡°I was not skinny-dipping. I just had sand in my bathing suit.¡±


    She stomped angrily up the beach before coming to stand in front of me. Her teal eyes glowed in the moonlight as she glared holes in my chest and yanked her shorts out of my hand, before pulling them up over her long legs. Pushing the wet hair out of her face she stood back up but didn¡¯t move away. My left hand tingled and I fought the urge to pull her against my chest.


    ¡°Are you a creeper?¡±


    Her words pulled me out of my thoughts and I blinked my eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you a creeper? Following me around?¡± She put her hands on her hips and I fought the urge to smile. ¡°I can have your job detail cancelled, you know.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± I reached out and brushed some of the hair from her cheek and watched her eyes grow bigger. She was going to call me a creeper? Well, I was staring at her like a boy that just had his first wet dream. I loved her spitfire attitude, but it was time to give her some of her own medicine.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Even in the dark I could see the blush spreading out under my fingers.


    ¡°Because you like having me around.¡± I shifted closer and heard her breathing pick up.


    ¡°What makes you think that? You¡¯re a jerk. No one likes a jerk.¡±


    ¡°Because you watch me when you don¡¯t think I notice.¡± Yep, she was blushing. When she bit her lip it made my body parts down south jump.


    ¡°I do not.¡± Her voice was a little less sure and I knew I was right.


    ¡°And because¡­¡± I leaned closer to her.


    ¡°Because why?¡± Her head tilted up, her mouth opening slightly in invitation. The smell of the ocean on her skin was intoxicating. Damn it if I didn¡¯t want to taste her.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want me to have to do time just because I was waiting for you to unlock the shed so I could get my helmet.¡± Her eyes snapped up from my mouth and she glared at me. ¡°I could have driven home without it, but if I died, you never would have forgiven yourself. And I didn¡¯t want to burden you like that.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just said that.¡± She jerked away from me and grabbed her shirt out of the sand. She pulled it on before digging in her pocket to find her keys. She slipped her feet back into her flip-flops after brushing the sand off and marched back up the trail. I didn¡¯t mind following her angry footsteps. It gave me a great view of her ass.


    ¡°It was a lot more fun my way.¡± She grunted and I smiled some more. She might not want to admit it, but she had been just as excited as I was.


    She undid the lock and opened the shed. I leaned in over her shoulder so that she was trapped between me and the door while she grabbed my helmet from the shelf. I shifted closer and moved my mouth down to her ear. This close, I had to fight my desire to bury my face in all that gorgeous brown hair.


    ¡°Good night, Meena.¡± She shivered against me and my hand clenched on the strap of my helmet. I wanted to touch her so badly but knowing her, she¡¯d try to kick me in the nuts.


    She turned her face and raised an eyebrow. From my vantage point, I could see all the bright blues and greens in her eyes. It was like staring into the Caribbean waters. Her eyes darted down to my mouth and she licked her lips quickly. She leaned closer and I felt my heartbeat pick up. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have kicked me in the balls if I touched her. Just as I was about to pull her against me, she moved the door just enough that the hinge pinched my finger.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I stuck my right pointer finger in my mouth. ¡°You did that on purpose!¡± I stepped back and she closed the door and redid the lock.


    ¡°Good night, Blake.¡± She laughed as she sauntered away. And damn it, I still stared, even though I was seriously considering tackling her and finishing what she had started. Okay, I started it, but I still wanted to finish it. She looked over her shoulder once and I could see that she was laughing. She knew exactly what she had done and thought it was funny.


    As I mounted my motorcycle and headed for home, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I had never looked forward to a day of work like I looked forward to tomorrow. Unfortunately, my good humor didn¡¯t last very long. When I pulled up to the house, the first thing I saw was Dad¡¯s car out front.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I parked my bike next to the garage and pulled my helmet off. He stayed at one of the resorts most of the time, but it looked like he had company, which meant he needed to impress them with a family home.


    I went through the back of the house, hoping to avoid any confrontations. We had never really gotten along, but things had been much worse since the whole shit-storm at school.


    Vincent was standing in the doorway to the kitchen and motioned for me to go in. He was wearing slacks, which wasn¡¯t all that unusual for him, but the button-up shirt and bland tie meant Dad expected us to make an appearance. I groaned, but my brother made hushing motions and I rolled my eyes. I hated this part of being in the family. Yeah, we had money. Loads of money, but we spent so much time pretending to be the ideal family to people on the outside it was a joke.


    ¡°Investors.¡± Vince made a motion like he was going to shoot himself.


    ¡°What are we in for?¡± I set the helmet down and dodged one of the cooks.

 Page 8

    ¡°You¡¯re late, so they already ate.¡± His expression was screaming that I could go eat shit for leaving him to deal with them alone. ¡°But they¡¯re having cocktails right now. Dad¡¯s asking for you.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°Great.¡± I headed for the door to go shower and change. I¡¯d have to hurry.


    ¡°There¡¯s a girl.¡± Vincent¡¯s voice was irritated, so I already knew whatever was going to follow would be bad. ¡°I¡¯m too young for her, so you get to play.¡±


    I closed my eyes and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood, Vince.¡±


    ¡°Not my call, dude. You know Dad is going to expect you to make nice.¡± He pulled at his tie and ran a hand over his hair. ¡°And you¡¯re already on his shit-list.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. Fine. I¡¯ll be down in a few minutes.¡±


    I ran upstairs and showered quickly. I threw on some khaki slacks and a green button-up shirt. I wasn¡¯t wearing a damn tie, though. I hated those things. They should be outlawed in the islands. My hair was still wet, but I didn¡¯t care. I¡¯m sure Dad had come up with a story to explain me being late. Something close to the truth so it wouldn¡¯t be hard to keep up with.


    There was music coming from the parlor, and I could see the back of Dad¡¯s head from where he was sitting in the wingback chair. There was a balding man sitting across from him with a blond woman too young for him draped across his lap. Vince was standing next to the fireplace, talking to a slim brunette. She wasn¡¯t dressed as provocatively as the blonde, but her clothing didn¡¯t leave much to the imagination, either. I tried to not roll my eyes when she smiled at me over her shoulder. Sometimes my reputation was a pain in the ass. I thought people would leave me alone the worse I was, but turns out girls really do like the bad boy.


    ¡°Blake.¡± Dad¡¯s voice cut through the room and I turned to smile at him. It was hard and I knew it didn¡¯t reach my eyes. It wasn¡¯t that he was cruel to us, but he might as well be a stranger. We were only tools to seal a deal.


    ¡°Father, sorry I¡¯m late.¡± I smiled at the couple on the couch. ¡°My apologies.¡±


    ¡°Kids will be kids! Out having fun?¡± The old man smiled while the blonde leered. It was a disgusting show. The Texan accent made me smile, though. I¡¯d put my money on oil.


    ¡°I was working, sir, and didn¡¯t realize how much time had passed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, can¡¯t hold that against him, can you, Marshall?¡± The fat man smiled at Dad as if they were long-lost buddies.


    ¡°Certainly not. Blake, meet Mr. Jordan and his wife, Lyla.¡± I shook their hands and tried to not grimace. ¡°And this is Mr. Jordan¡¯s daughter, Kimberly.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I turned and smiled at the brunette. She held her hand out and I shook it. ¡°Lovely to meet you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it when my eyes strayed to the clock above the fireplace. A completely useless fireplace. It was half past nine o¡¯clock, so I had to make nice for a half hour before I could claim exhaustion. Kimberly sat down on the loveseat next to the wall and patted a cushion next to her. I sat down, knowing how this was supposed to go. I could feel Dad¡¯s eyes on me as I smiled at the girl. If you could win over the whole family, you could land the deal easily.


    ¡°So, Blake Weathering. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± She smiled, showing her orthodontist-perfect teeth.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I smiled at her while I mentally counted down the seconds until I could escape.


    She leaned forward to show off her enhanced cleavage and put her hand on my knee. ¡°Lots. I was excited to get to meet you. My friend Meghan said that you were a lot of fun.¡±


    Vince snorted into his drink and I felt my jaw clench. Meghan had been a giant headache. We¡¯d had a fling a year ago, but it was short-lived. There were songs about her type of crazy. She had been fun for a little while but eventually turned into one of those scary, crying in public messes when I forgot to open a door for her. It had been ugly.


    ¡°I hope she¡¯s doing well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s fine. Shacking up with some ski instructor last I heard. What about you?¡± Her hand was still on my knee. I looked down at it and picked it up gently before placing it back in her own lap.


    ¡°Do you mean how am I doing? Or do you want to know who I¡¯m shacking up with?¡± I knew that this wasn¡¯t how I was supposed to play the game. I was supposed to lead her on a little, flirt a bit, then call it a night. But every time she opened her mouth, a pair of teasing teal eyes fluttered through my mind and I couldn¡¯t stomach wasting my life like this.


    She took a sip of her drink and smiled at me. ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°Well, you just cut to the chase, don¡¯t you?¡± Vince piped in from where he was perched next to the long table that housed Dad¡¯s bottles of scotch.


    ¡°I¡¯m only here for a week.¡± Kimberly darted an annoyed look at Vincent. It was apparent now that I was here, she wanted nothing to do with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Very busy.¡± I took the drink out of Vincent¡¯s hand and downed the rest of it. He was too young to be drinking anyway.


    ¡°There are ways around work, Blake.¡± She ran a hand up and down her leg. It was a nice leg, but I just didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass.


    ¡°True, but I¡¯m seeing someone and I don¡¯t play games.¡± I stood up and held my hand out to her. ¡°It was lovely to meet you, but I¡¯m going to have to excuse myself. I¡¯m exhausted and have a long day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She stood up and tried to give me an awkward hug. Vince¡¯s mouth was pulled into a tight line as he fought to not laugh.


    I left the room quickly. I didn¡¯t care who I offended, I was done with this shit. There was a sharp tap on my bedroom door and I grunted. When Dad opened the door, I wasn¡¯t surprised. He closed it quickly behind him and sat down in the desk chair.


    ¡°Want to tell me what the problem is?¡± His voice was low and quiet. If I didn¡¯t know better I might think he actually cared, but that wasn¡¯t it. He had spent years perfecting his voice for negotiations. That¡¯s all this was for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of the fake shit.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it anymore. I¡¯m not wasting my life with these people.¡±


    ¡°It seemed like Kimberly wasn¡¯t dealing fake shit. Sounded very straightforward.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°She¡¯s attractive. I would think you wouldn¡¯t mind spending time with her. Or are you really seeing someone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± I ran my hands through my hair. ¡°Shit. Are you trying to pimp Vince and me out?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot.¡± There was the dad I knew. ¡°I would never expect you to sleep with a client¡¯s daughter. I do want you to be civil and friendly. That¡¯s never hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± He stood up and put his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to kiss the ass of people I despise.¡± I pulled my hands out of my pockets, bothered that I had adopted his stance without meaning to.


    ¡°This is your family, too, Blake. You need to help make sure it stays where it is.¡± His eyebrows pulled together. ¡°Your older sister ran off to be an artist in New York. Vince is a pushover. He would be eaten alive in this business. You¡¯re the only one that can keep us afloat.¡± He took a couple of steps toward me. ¡°I¡¯ve already had to pay off a judge to keep you out of jail. Did you think they were just going to slap you on the wrist? This family is the reason you¡¯re walking free right now and you will do your part.¡±


    ¡°You paid off the judge.¡± I said the words slowly. It was my fault that those criminals had ended up at Flukes. I was the reason Ben was worried about Meena.


    ¡°Not just the judge, Blake. That kids¡¯ family and lawyers, too.¡± He walked to the door. ¡°I¡¯ve made excuses for you tonight, but don¡¯t let it happen again.¡±


    Chapter Eight


    - Meena -


    My skin was still tingling from my brush with Blake, but right now I had something even more important to deal with. I had seen mermaids. In all the years that I had lived here, I had never seen another mermaid. There had been times when I thought that I was the only one.


    I kicked my shoes off and slammed the screen door open. ¡°Mom! Dad!¡±


    They were nestled into the corner of the couch, watching one of Mom¡¯s favorite shows. They both looked at me in concern, so I tried to calm down and act a little more like my age.


    ¡°Is Jallia birthing?¡± Dad shifted Mom out of his lap so he could stand up.


    ¡°No.¡± I plopped down on the other end of the couch and tried to pick my words carefully. ¡°I went for a swim with Mitch tonight, but something happened.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? Is Mitch okay?¡± Mom leaned forward, her eyes doing that quick scan all parents can do.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± I waved my hand to let them know it was all okay. ¡°I saw another mermaid.¡±


    Silence filled the room and my parents just stared at me. It was my mom who finally spoke first. ¡°You saw another mermaid. You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure! And actually, there were two of them. Well, a mermaid and a merman. I guess that¡¯s what you would call a male mermaid. Right?¡±


    Mom nodded her head, but didn¡¯t say anything else. Why weren¡¯t they excited? All these years and now I know I¡¯m not alone.


    ¡°Did you speak to them?¡± Dad leaned forward, his hands clasped together like when we had The Talk.


    ¡°No. Mitch made me hide.¡± All the tension left both their faces. ¡°Why? Is there something I should know? And what would I say? What if they didn¡¯t speak English? Talk about awkward.¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± Mom looked at Dad before turning her attention back to me. ¡°It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know if there are any customs you should know or how they would react to a mermaid raised by humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s silly. Why would it matter that I was raised by humans?¡± As I said the words a chill went through me. We worked so hard to keep my secret, what if they felt I was a risk? ¡°Oh. You think they might hurt me.¡± Despair flooded my chest. There were mermaids out there. Real mermaids like me, but I couldn¡¯t talk to them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that, Meena. We just want you to be careful. There¡¯s no way of knowing how they would react.¡± Dad leaned forward. ¡°They may be very friendly or they might be territorial. We just don¡¯t know at this point.¡±


    ¡°Territorial?¡± I felt my face twist into disbelief. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t go around peeing on the house plants.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. It could be a cultural thing that you would have no clue about. It¡¯s best to be careful.¡±


    ¡°There are mermaids swimming in our waters. Around our island, and I can¡¯t talk to them.¡± Tears sprang to my eyes and I hated it. I hated that they were right; they were just trying to protect me.


    ¡°No, Meena. We¡¯re saying to be careful.¡± Mom moved to my end of the couch and pulled me against her. ¡°Just don¡¯t rush out to them yet. Let¡¯s see if they stay for a while and go from there.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Dad moved closer to us and reached out to rub my hair. ¡°What did Mitch do? Was she upset?¡±


    ¡°Not really. She was nervous and excited, but not angry or defensive. I don¡¯t think she knew what to do.¡± My breath came out in a gust.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good sign. Mitch wouldn¡¯t lead you wrong.¡± Mom wiped some of the tears away from my cheeks. ¡°We just have to approach this with caution. They may already know you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We can¡¯t know if they have different senses.¡±


    ¡°I really hate it when you start using the Scientific-We stuff.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Sorry, Sea Monster. Old habits die hard.¡± He smiled at me and I found myself feeling a little better.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We need to be careful.¡± I smiled at Dad. ¡°But if the opportunity comes, then I¡¯m going to try to make contact. I have to.¡± I held my breath, hoping they would understand why it was so important to me.


    ¡°Sounds good. You¡¯re smart, Meen. Trust your gut.¡± Mom hugged my shoulders. ¡°We just want you to be careful.¡±


    ¡°We always hoped that you would meet others like you. It¡¯s just a bit scary, you know?¡± Dad¡¯s eyes wavered for a minute and I realized he wasn¡¯t just scared for me. They were scared that I might leave them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, guys. I just want to know a little more about myself.¡± I looked them each in the eye so they knew I was serious. ¡°This is my home and you are my family.¡±


    ¡°We know.¡± Mom squeezed me again.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to shower and head to bed.¡± I stood up and stretched.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hungry?¡± Mom headed to the kitchen and I followed.


    ¡°Well, maybe some food and then a shower.¡±


    The next morning I was awakened by the heavy thud of someone jumping on my bed. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.


    ¡°What the hell, Vi?¡± I looked at my clock and frowned. ¡°God, why are you here so early?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see how yesterday went with your new buddy.¡± She laughed when I threw my pillow at her.


    ¡°He was waiting on the beach after my swim last night.¡± I looked at her from under my hair. I had forgotten to tell my parents about that part. They would freak out, but Violet was different. She squealed and quickly covered her mouth.


    ¡°Oh my God! Did he see you?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°He saw me, but I don¡¯t think he really saw me.¡±


    ¡°What was he doing? Did you tell him to meet up?¡± Violet tucked my pillow under her head and lay down next to me.


    ¡°No!¡± I lay back down and stared at the ceiling. ¡°He thought I was skinny-dipping.¡±


    Her laughter made me blush, but I couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°His expression when I told him I had to put my bottoms back on was priceless.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡± She slapped my shoulder. ¡°Spill. Everything.¡±


    I did. I told her about Dad¡¯s plan to redesign the logo, to spiff up the place, and plan a big event. I told her about Devin and how Blake had stood up for me, which led to our weird banter at the beach. She laughed and sighed the entire time.


    ¡°This sucks. You finally have guy trouble and I¡¯m going to be on the other side of the planet!¡± She stuck her bottom lip out.

 Page 9

    ¡°Bah. It¡¯s not guy trouble. He¡¯s leaving as soon as he can.¡± I frowned. That bothered me more than it should. ¡°So, tell me about the interview. Did you get it?¡±Advertisement


    ¡°I did! They grilled me like a steak, but I got it in the end.¡± She sat up and turned to look at me. Her face was serious and I knew whatever she was about to say would probably make me sad. ¡°But I have to leave early. They want me in Hawaii in ten days to meet with the head of the department.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Ten days?¡± I sat up and looked at her. There was so much change happening, and I hadn¡¯t even told her about the other mermaids yet.


    ¡°I know. It sucks, but it¡¯s one of the stipulations.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing! You get more time in Hawaii!¡± I smiled and hoped it looked real. ¡°By the time classes come around, you¡¯ll know everyone. You¡¯ll see, Vi!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She didn¡¯t sound very enthusiastic. ¡°I¡¯m just really going to miss you.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. It¡¯s the twenty-first century. We can talk every day.¡± I rolled out of bed and reached for some of the nail polish on my side table. I picked up a blue and a green. Violet grabbed the seafoam green and sat down on the floor. I flopped down in front of her so she could paint my toes while I painted my fingers. It was something we had done since I was little.


    ¡°So what did your parents say about Blake? Did they freak out when you told them he was on the beach while you were all fishy?¡± Her steady hands made quick work of my toes.


    ¡°Actually, I forgot to tell them. Something else happened last night.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°While I was swimming I saw two mermaids.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Violet jerked up to look at me and accidently knocked over the bottle of nail polish. ¡°Shit!¡± She reached over and grabbed some tissues from the box on my dresser. ¡°Sorry. Oh my God. What did you do? What did you say? What did they say? Do they speak human?¡±


    I laughed and grabbed the nail-polish remover to help her clean the mess up from the wood floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t speak to them.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve wanted to meet another mermaid your whole life!¡± Her hand stopped scrubbing and she looked up at me.


    ¡°Mitch made me hide. She was nervous.¡± I sighed, thinking about it.


    ¡°She was scared?¡±


    ¡°No. More like she didn¡¯t know what to do, so she automatically went into protective mode.¡± I picked up the dirty tissues and tossed them in my trash can. Polish remover always stung my fingers, but it was a necessary evil.


    ¡°Meena! That could have been your one chance to talk to another mermaid!¡± Violet looked at me with big eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. At least now I know that there are more of them. And it wasn¡¯t just a mermaid. There was a merman, too.¡± I smiled when her mouth fell open.


    ¡°Logically, I know that if you exist there must be males, too. But holy crap! Was he as hot as I imagine?¡±


    ¡°He was hot, but not really my type. Honestly?¡± I looked toward my door to make sure no one was listening. ¡°He looked familiar.¡±


    ¡°Familiar?¡± Violet¡¯s eyes darted toward my door too. ¡°Like you might¡¯ve seen him walking around before?¡± She mimed walking with her fingers and I slapped her hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter right now. Mom and Dad want me to be careful, but if I see them again, I¡¯m going to try to talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Hell yes, you are!¡± Violet stood up and put the nail polish back on my nightstand. ¡°You can¡¯t let this slip away, Meen. You need to know more about where you came from.¡± She turned back and narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°Now, go put on something hot. I hear Blake¡¯s motorcycle and I want to see him drool over you before I leave.¡±


    I snickered. ¡°You can¡¯t even stay today?¡±


    ¡°I have to pack.¡± She hugged me and then pushed me toward my closet. ¡°Cutoffs. Guys can¡¯t help themselves when a sexy girl is wearing cutoffs. And the teal bikini.¡±


    She left the room while I changed, and I could hear her in the kitchen talking to Mom. As much as I hated to admit it, I sort of did want to see Blake drool a little. Especially after last night. I threw on the bikini, shorts, and a large gray tank top that had once been a football jersey. It hung loosely, giving a peek at the bright top underneath. I hesitated in the mirror. I wore this tank top all the time, but I had never done it with the intention of teasing a guy. It felt daring, and it never had before.


    Shrugging, I braided my hair and pulled my hat on. Just as I was leaving my room, I heard Blake¡¯s voice join Violet and my mom¡¯s. My heart stuttered for a minute. Stiffening my spine, I walked straight into the kitchen and headed for the fridge.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I grabbed the orange juice from the fridge and then a glass from the counter. I kissed Mom on the cheek and then turned to look at everyone else. Blake had a piece of bacon in his hand but had stopped halfway to his mouth. He seemed to realize he was staring because he quickly popped it in his mouth and chewed. After swallowing, he narrowed his eyes a little and smiled. Flames erupted in the pit of my stomach and my skin itched.


    ¡°Morning.¡± His voice rumbled through the room and I wondered if anyone else could feel it the way I did. His eyes flicked down to my hands and I realized that I was scratching at the skin on my left wrist. I grabbed some bacon from the plate Mom had set on the counter and quickly stuck some in my mouth. His eyes focused on my lips as if transfixed by the simple act of chewing. Behind him, Violet flashed a big thumbs-up and heat crept up my checks.


    Mom turned around and winked at me. I choked on my bacon and had to take a quick gulp of orange juice. Well, that spell was broken.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I pointed to the bag he had slung over his shoulders.


    ¡°Brought my laptop. Thought we could work on finishing up the new logo.¡± He patted the bag.


    ¡°Cool.¡± I finished another piece of bacon and downed the rest of my orange juice. ¡°I¡¯ve got to check on Mitch and Jallia first.¡±


    ¡°Want some help?¡± He looked at me, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth. Yes, I wanted his help. I wanted his help with several things that I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about while standing next to my mother.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I kissed Mom¡¯s cheek and hugged Violet. ¡°When do you leave?¡±


    ¡°Ten days.¡± Violet squeezed me tighter. ¡°I¡¯ve got to pack, but I¡¯ll see you before I go.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I didn¡¯t trust myself to say anything else, so turned back to Blake. ¡°You¡¯d better leave your computer in here. Don¡¯t want any of the hoodlums seeing it in the toolshed.¡±


    Something crossed his face as he pulled the strap over his head. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think he looked guilty. It passed quickly though and he cocked his head to the side with a smile. ¡°Should I go put it in your room?¡±


    The thought of Blake in my room made my stomach do flips. Flip. Flop. ¡°I¡¯ll go put it up.¡± I snatched the strap out of his hand and practically ran down the hall. My bed was still unmade, there were clothes all over the place, and it stank of nail-polish remover. I deposited the laptop and pulled the door closed behind me. There was no way I was letting Blake Weathering in my bedroom.


    Chapter Nine


    - Meena -


    Violet came with us as far as the path that led to the parking lot. Unable to help myself, I hugged her again and closed my eyes. I was going to miss her so much it hurt. She mimed calling me later and ran to the little car her parents had bought her last year.


    I didn¡¯t say anything after that, lost in my thoughts. Things were going to be so different without her around. She was my normal, my reality check. Without her it would be all work. Not that I didn¡¯t love the sanctuary or that it bothered me to take care of the animals. It just meant no more movie nights or runs to our favorite taco stand in town.


    ¡°You guys are really close, huh?¡± Blake had been pretty quiet, just following along as I gathered up the dolphins¡¯ food.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I didn¡¯t look up at him. I didn¡¯t want him to see how upset I was. Instead I locked the fish shack back up and took the ramp down to the dolphin pen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry she¡¯s leaving, then.¡± He was leaving too. I heard it in his words and my heart sank even further.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a really great school and I¡¯ll see her on the holidays.¡± I kicked my shoes off and took my seat on the floating dock. Mitch came to me immediately, sensing my emotions. I kissed the top of her head and cooed under my breath.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go? I mean, I bet there are lots of people that would love to have someone with your experience at their school.¡± Blake grabbed a fish and fed it to Stormy.


    ¡°Nah.¡± I handed a fish to Mitch. She ate it, but quickly came back to comfort me. ¡°I can¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Your mom and dad could hire someone to help out. Hell, you already have a really dedicated staff that would be fine.¡± His dark eyes traveled over my face and for the first time I wanted to tell someone just why I couldn¡¯t leave. Why I had to stay on the island. I bit my lip and looked away.


    ¡°Mitch would be lost without me. Wouldn¡¯t you, girl?¡± She clicked in agreement and pushed my hand toward the bucket of fish. ¡°You hungry monster.¡±


    We were quiet for a while, focusing on the dolphins and their empty bellies. I appreciated the chance to just be quiet for a while. I wasn¡¯t big on over-sharing and the fact that I wanted to with Blake bothered me. He picked up the bucket once we were done and showed it to the dolphins.


    ¡°Sorry, guys! You¡¯re all out.¡± Mitch huffed at him but wasn¡¯t really upset. I looked from her to Blake and made up my mind.


    ¡°Do you really want to learn more about them?¡± I stood up and looked down at him. His eyes were wary when they met mine, and I remembered that I had pushed him in not that long ago.


    ¡°Yeah. I want to know more.¡±


    A shiver ran down my back and I wondered if he was really talking about the dolphins. I pulled my hat off and tossed it out of the way before slipping my shirt off and wiggling out of my shorts. His eyes never left mine and, for some reason, that excited me. ¡°Then come on.¡±


    I dove into the water without a second thought, swimming from the dock with strong, sure strokes before surfacing almost twenty feet away. He was pulling his shirt off and I enjoyed the show. His muscles rippled as he twisted to throw the shirt behind him and my mouth watered. When he took a step off the edge of the dock and plummeted into the water, I waited where I was. He surfaced next to me, leaving very little space between our bodies.


    ¡°Nice bathing suit.¡± Water droplets clung to his eyelashes and ran down the sharp lines of his cheek bones. My left hand itched to reach up and brush them off his lips.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Our voices were low, as if there was no one else in the world while we treaded water.


    ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t going to wear anything I might like. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t opt for a muumuu or tent.¡± He picked up one of the ends on the tie around my neck. ¡°This is much better.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the laughter that escaped my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to swim in a tent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I agree. For safety purposes, you should wear the least amount of clothing possible. Hell, maybe we should revisit the skinny-dipping idea.¡± His fingers brushed my shoulder when he let the string go to float in the water. Warm sparks shot down my arm and my heart thumped. I really shouldn¡¯t like the fact that he wanted to see me naked so much, but I did.


    His eyebrows drew together, but he didn¡¯t say anything. If I was crazy, I would think he had felt it, too. Mitch swam up to me and I caught her dorsal fin. She pulled me away, rushing through the water. I imagined that this was what flying would feel like. When we neared the opposite side of the pen, I looked back at Blake and started laughing uncontrollably.


    He had tried to mimic what I had done with Mitch, but didn¡¯t understand how to position his body. So instead of floating along as Stormy pulled, he was being buffeted against the strong dolphin¡¯s body and sputtering water. When he got to me, I tried to stop laughing but it didn¡¯t work. I covered my mouth and chewed on the inside of my cheek. He ran a hand across his eyes and coughed out a little water.


    ¡°That may have just been the most embarrassing moment of my life.¡± He looked at me sheepishly. There was something in that boyish expression that made my heart thump like a bowling ball rolling down a stairwell. ¡°Think I can get you to forget you saw that?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. Not on your life.¡± I swam over to him, checking his face to make sure he really was okay and not scared. Some people shied away from animals if they had a bad experience. ¡°I¡¯ll show you how to do it properly.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should try it with Mitch. I think Stormy is out to kill me.¡± He shot the dolphin a halfhearted glare.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. It¡¯s not that bad. You almost had it right.¡± Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed his hand. I meant to tug him along with me but froze instead. Heat coursed up my arm and it felt like something was tightening around my wrist. I looked at our fingers in shock.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Blake didn¡¯t let go of my hand, but his eyes were wide.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. A jellyfish?¡± I looked around in the water, trying to spot the culprit. Blake moved next to me, his eyes searching too. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t let go of my hand, which made the butterflies in my stomach even more intense.


    ¡°It¡¯s not jellyfish season.¡± Carefully he lifted our joined hands and examined them for markings.


    ¡°Tell that to the jellyfish.¡± My heart was beating a mile a minute and I could barely think straight. Touching him, looking into his warm eyes, was clouding my brain.


    His eyes traced a path over my face before landing on my mouth. It was like I was standing in the middle of a fire rather than floating in the cool water. My lips burned with the need to touch his. Tenderly his right hand reached out to move some of the hair from my face before sliding around to the back of my neck. My body ached the closer we drifted together and my eyes fluttered closed. The warmth of his breath spread over my face and I bit my lip to keep from sighing.


    ¡°Way to go, Weathering!¡± A sharp whistle cut through the air and I pushed away from Blake. His fingers reluctantly let go of mine when I tugged. My eyes cut to where Devin was applauding from the walkway and my cheeks burned.

 Page 10

    ¡°Meena.¡± Blake¡¯s voice was upset, but I didn¡¯t look back as I swam to the dock. Thankfully, Devin was no longer anywhere to be seen. I pulled myself out and slipped my tank top on before pulling my shorts up. My mind was caught over the almost-kiss and I fumbled with the button for a minute.Advertisement


    ¡°Meena.¡± Blake hauled himself out of the water and walked toward me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I pulled my cap on and took a deep breath before turning to look at him.


    ¡°Oh no. I know that nothing means something.¡± He ran a hand through his hair, spraying water around him. He looked at me and his eyes took on a determined gleam. He moved in my direction and I took a few steps back. I bumped into the ladder and froze. I started to turn and climb up, but his strong arms barricaded me between his warm chest and the plastic of the ladder. I couldn¡¯t turn without rubbing against him and that seemed like a very dangerous option.


    ¡°Sometimes, nothing really does mean nothing.¡± I looked up at him and hoped my face didn¡¯t give me away.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t one of those times. Devin¡¯s an asshole, but I swear I didn¡¯t know he was watching us.¡± My heart bucked. He thought I was mad at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Devin is an asshole.¡± I tried to cross my arms, but there just wasn¡¯t enough room. Giving up, I sighed. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t go around just kissing people. Especially the ones that work for my family.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°So I¡¯m the hired help. Ironic.¡±


    ¡°Irony or not, it¡¯s the truth.¡± I glared at him.


    ¡°You wanted to kiss me just as much as I wanted to kiss you.¡± His eyes dropped back down to my mouth and I felt the fire in my stomach rekindle.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± My words were breathless and I frowned, realizing that I had agreed to what he said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m only here for another six weeks. I¡¯m more like an intern than a hired worker. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m getting paid.¡± He didn¡¯t move any closer, but I felt the tension jump between us.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re here because you beat some kid up. Not really a good first impression.¡± It was the truth. Even if I did suspect that he had a good reason for what he had done. There was something honorable about Blake, even if he was a bad boy.


    ¡°True enough.¡± His eyes were thoughtful and I felt like I was walking into a trap. ¡°And you don¡¯t go around kissing just anyone.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°I hardly know you. And you don¡¯t know me.¡±


    ¡°Then get to know me.¡± His arm moved and he reached down to grab my hand. That warm tingling slid up my arm as he rubbed my knuckles. ¡°I want to get to know you.¡±


    I looked at him, completely at a loss for words. His warm eyes were earnest as he studied my face. It was one of the few times I had seen him without any guards up or snarky attitude. My mouth opened and the word came out before I even realized that I was going to say it. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± A smile curved along his mouth and I felt my knees grow a little weak. Oh, that sneaky smile was death to my resolve. ¡°How about dinner?¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡± Apparently my mouth was not in the mood to wait for my brain.


    ¡°Yes. Dinner. A date. I know a great little place, unless you have somewhere you¡¯d prefer to go.¡± His thumb was making little circles on my hand and it was making it hard for me to think.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Are you busy tonight?¡±


    I snorted. I was never busy unless it pertained to the sanctuary. His smile grew; he knew he had won, and, despite myself, I found it charming that he was so excited. ¡°No. I¡¯m not busy tonight.¡±


    He leaned back, but didn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°Good. Do you like seafood? Not allergic? Or does it remind you too much of work?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Seafood is fine.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up around eight.¡± He squeezed my hand before letting go, and I was sad to lose the feel of his skin against mine.


    ¡°This is weird¡ªyou know that, right?¡± Standing this close to him, I had to tilt my head up to meet his eyes.


    ¡°Why is this weird?¡± He smiled and I could actually tell that he was happy that I had agreed to the date. There were little crinkle lines at the corners of his eyes and his smile didn¡¯t hold any snarkiness.


    ¡°Because. You just asked me out and we still have to spend all day together.¡± I motioned between us. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ weird.¡± My vocabulary was really astounding today.


    ¡°So? It just means we have more time to get to know each other.¡±


    I shook my head and turned to crawl up the ladder.


    ¡°Or are you worried I¡¯ll decide I don¡¯t want to go out on a date with you?¡± I glared at him over my shoulder. His amused grin was all I needed to see to know that his cocky tone was a joke.


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried you¡¯re going to start following me around like a love-sick puppy.¡±


    He hopped onto the bottom rung of the ladder so that he was pressed against my back. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll see who¡¯s following who around.¡±


    I met his eyes and tried to slow my breath. His long, hard body pressed against mine was giving me ideas I didn¡¯t need. Especially if I was going to be spending all day with him. He seemed to be thinking along the same line, because his breath had picked up.


    ¡°You know, kissing is a good way to get to know someone.¡± He leaned forward even more, pressing his entire body along mine so that I could feel every inch of him. And I do mean every inch. ¡°A very fun way of getting to know someone.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± I turned away and started up the ladder. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to get you a collar.¡±


    His chuckle slid over my skin. ¡°Game on, Meena.¡±


    Chapter Ten


    - Meena -


    We spent the rest of the day talking about the design he had come up with, making tweaks on the computer, and discussing how best to launch the new logo. Dad popped into the house once or twice to ask how it was going, but for the most part we were left alone in the living room. There were a couple of times that I felt a bit awkward, knowing that we were going out later, but Blake had a way of keeping me on my toes and putting me at ease at the same time.


    Around five o¡¯clock, Blake looked at me over the computer and smiled. He closed the top slowly and stood up.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t picked a color for the font. I don¡¯t like the green you chose.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°We can work on it tomorrow.¡± He tucked his laptop back in his bag. ¡°But right now, I need to go get ready for my date. I don¡¯t want to show up covered in dolphin skin.¡±


    ¡°She must be something special if you¡¯re going to go shower.¡± I grabbed our cups from the table and took them to the kitchen.


    ¡°She gives me a hard time, but she¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Heat ran up my neck and I was glad I wasn¡¯t facing him. Otherwise he would have seen the goofy grin that spread across my face. Schooling my features, I turned back toward him and leaned against the counter. ¡°And what kind of place are you taking this girl to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite restaurant. A little joint near the coast that has a great outdoor sitting area. It¡¯s pretty casual.¡± He slung his pack over his shoulders and picked up his helmet. ¡°I can¡¯t take her somewhere too fancy.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I frowned at him, wondering what he was thinking.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of hard to ride a motorcycle in a dress.¡± His eyes gleamed wickedly. ¡°And if I take the motorcycle, then she has to hold on to me.¡±


    ¡°Sneaky.¡± My lips twitched.


    ¡°You have no idea.¡± He walked over to me, his helmet hanging at his side. With every step he took, my stomach jumped. The distance between us seemed to disappear as he braced one hand on the counter next to my hip. He leaned down and very gently kissed the side of my head. His lips only met hair, but it still felt like electricity ran over my body. He lingered for a moment, and I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. He smelled like sun-kissed skin and salt water. When he pulled back enough to look into my eyes, part of me hoped that he would just go ahead and kiss me. A large part of me. From the way his eyes lingered on my mouth, I was pretty sure he was considering it, too.


    ¡°See you in a little bit.¡± With a quick smile he turned and left the house, but it took a lot longer for me to move away from the counter. I wasn¡¯t sure if my heart would ever go back to a normal rhythm.


    Mom walked in from the back door, took one look at me, and smiled. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I blinked at her owlishly.


    ¡°Am I making dinner for three, four, or two?¡± She leaned against the doorframe and smiled again.


    ¡°Um, two.¡± My hands twitched at my sides. ¡°I¡¯m going out with Blake for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She nodded her head and stood up before walking into the kitchen. ¡°Are you going to go for a swim now or when you get back?¡±


    I glanced at the clock and frowned. ¡°Later. I want to have enough time to shower before he picks me up.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to wear?¡± She picked up the cloth on the counter and looked me over.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± I looked down at my clothes and frowned. Most of the things I owned were suitable for running the sanctuary, not for going out on dates.


    ¡°What about your pink skirt? It looks great on you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t, he¡¯s bringing his motorcycle.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see.¡± Mom frowned. ¡°I hope he has an extra helmet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he does.¡± I never saw him without one, so I was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t expect me to ride without it.


    ¡°Okay. Then how about capris and some cute sandals?¡± She set the rag down and headed for my room. I followed behind her and watched as she deftly flicked through my closet. ¡°This top looks good on you.¡±


    She handed me a low-cut top that flowed away from my body. ¡°The aqua is so pretty against your skin.¡± Next she fished out some khaki capris and handed them to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at this.¡± I smiled at her. The shirt even went with my nail polish.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on a few dates in my time.¡± She looked at me, her eyes a little bit sad. ¡°This is good for you. You need to experience a little more of life.¡±


    ¡°But Blake Weathering?¡± I set the clothes on my bed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be raising hell about me going out with someone who is doing community service?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read his record.¡± I looked at her sharply, but she didn¡¯t look remorseful in the least. ¡°We get to read them all when they¡¯re sent to us, but rarely do. You know how Dad is¡ªeveryone deserves a second chance. I pulled Blake¡¯s chart after that first breakfast. The way he looked at you¡­ Well, you¡¯re gorgeous and he¡¯s pretty good-looking himself.¡± She shrugged. ¡°His record is clean. A few run-ins with teachers or other students, but when you read behind the lines, most of it looked like he was standing up for himself. He makes good grades, doesn¡¯t get into any serious trouble. Everyone makes mistakes. But if he does anything out of line or you feel threatened, you tell me. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Did it say why he did what he did?¡±


    ¡°He refused to explain himself, which is why he wasn¡¯t allowed to walk.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± I didn¡¯t really want to ask him again. It felt like I was prying, even though I felt like I should know. Mom left so I could shower, and I had a mild moment of panic. What were you supposed to do before a date? I didn¡¯t have a lot of experience in this department. I had gone on a group date with Violet once, but that was more to be her wingman. The boy I had been paired with was allergic to seafood, which had made me incredibly nervous. I had spent the whole night avoiding his attempts to hold my hand because I was worried I¡¯d send him into anaphylactic shock. Violet¡¯s older brother, Max, has kissed me once, but it had been more of an experiment than anything else.


    I picked up my phone and texted Violet. If I didn¡¯t tell her I was going on a date, she would skewer me alive. Her response was immediate and just as exuberant as I expected. The next text from her was a long list of things to remember. Bring my own money, don¡¯t eat spaghetti, don¡¯t let him kiss me on the first date. Sheesh, I didn¡¯t need a mom with a best friend like Violet.


    After my shower, I played with my hair, picked out my favorite shell necklace, and sat in my room chewing my nails. I kept looking in the mirror and wondered what I had forgotten. I had liberally applied deodorant and then wiped it off, worried I¡¯d get it on his shirt while holding on for the motorcycle ride. Then I reapplied some, because I couldn¡¯t go on a date and stink. Thankfully, it was one of those hypoallergenic kinds, so it didn¡¯t bother my skin too much. A lot of chemicals gave me blisters and rashes. Even the majority of my clothes were cotton. Synthetic stuff made me itch.


    The rumble of a motorcycle made my heart skip. When I heard the knock on the front door, I stood up and took a deep breath. The clock said seven forty-five. I grabbed my purse off the bed and walked into the living room just in time to see Dad opening the door.


    Blake was wearing jeans and a green T-shirt that suited his complexion. He shook Dad¡¯s hand and came in the house. He smiled at me and I felt relieved that it wasn¡¯t awkward. I pointedly looked at the clock in the kitchen and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I guess I was a little eager, huh?¡± He ducked his head and looked at me from under heavy lashes.


    ¡°It¡¯s expected. Should I bring a bag of puppy treats with us?¡± He laughed while Mom and Dad looked between us, confused.


    ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Sugar¡¯s. It¡¯s just outside of the city limits.¡± Blake smiled at Dad. ¡°They have great food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been there!¡± Mom placed a hand on Dad¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re right. The food is delicious.¡±


    ¡°Have fun.¡± Dad smiled at me, but I saw him shoot a look at Blake that made my eyes widen. ¡°But you should remember that I know where you live.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Very aware of that fact.¡± Blake didn¡¯t mock Dad or seem upset at the insinuation. He just accepted it for what it was: a father worrying about his daughter.


    Dad smiled, his shoulders relaxing a bit. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget you have work in the morning.¡±

 Page 11

    ¡°No, sir.¡± Blake turned to me. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    I threw the strap of my purse over my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±Advertisement


    He opened the door for me and led me down to his motorcycle. I had been right. There were two helmets perched on the seat. He picked up one of them and walked toward me. I stood still while he slid it over my head and pushed the hair out of my face. Carefully he did the strap under my chin and pursed his lips. I realized he was trying to not laugh.


    ¡°I look stupid, don¡¯t I?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°It could be worse. If it was white, you¡¯d look like a ping-pong ball.¡±


    ¡°Was this part of your sneaky plan?¡± I couldn¡¯t help smiling at him while he put his own helmet on. ¡°Payback for me watching you almost drown in the dolphin pen?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. You¡¯ll never see that one coming.¡± He winked at me and I shook my head. Swinging one of his long legs over the bike, he turned and looked at me. ¡°You sit here and put your feet on these pegs. And remember, you have to hold on really tight. Just lean into me when we turn or go around any curves.¡±


    I¡¯d never been on a motorcycle before, so I was too nervous to make fun of his obvious attempts to get me to hold onto him. I slid my leg over the seat and had to do a little hop to be able to get all the way on. He chuckled and I play-punched his shoulder. Once I was on, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his waist. I wouldn¡¯t admit it to him, but I liked being pressed alongside his back. Even though I was nervous, I felt safe tucked against him. He started the motor, and the roar and vibrations of the engine made me squeeze a little tighter than I had planned on.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to take it easy, but hold on.¡±


    ¡°If I hold on any tighter, it¡¯s going to take the Jaws of Life to get me off you.¡±


    His laughter floated back to me as he revved the engine. We pulled out of the parking lot and I realized that I could actually hold on a little tighter. At the first stop sign, I slid forward on the seat until there was no space between our bodies. I tried to wiggle backward so that we didn¡¯t look obscene.


    ¡°Squeeze with your legs and you won¡¯t slide so much.¡± He patted my knee and my heart jumped. I did as he said and found that I could control my body a little better. Once we hit the open streets out of the city limits, I actually started to enjoy myself. If I closed my eyes, it felt a bit like when I swam with Mitch. The curves in the road were the best part, and I wasn¡¯t saying that just because I was pressed against Blake. My hands fisted in his shirt and I could feel the vibrations of his laughter under my fingers.


    After a while, we pulled into the parking lot of a little building that had tables outside. It was a pretty plain-looking establishment, but the parking lot was packed. Blake slid the motorcycle to the front of the lot and parked between the building and a large tree. I hopped down from my perch on the back of the bike and pulled at the chin strap of my helmet. I managed to get it undone and pulled the helmet off. I ran my hand through my hair to try and get some of the knots out while Blake took off his helmet.


    ¡°You¡¯re a natural.¡± He took my helmet from me and motioned toward the door. He tucked my helmet under his arm so that he could open the door and put his hand on the small of my back. Several of the servers greeted him as we walked in and the bartender took the helmets from Blake without a word and then handed him a beer. He asked if I wanted anything, but I shook my head no. Alcohol didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    It was apparently a ¡°seat yourself¡± kind of establishment, because Blake led me through a side door and out onto the patio. We found a table that had a great view of the water. I sat down and fiddled with the menu. There were a lot of local dishes, which I loved. A waitress came over and set a basket of johnnycakes on the table and took our drink order.


    ¡°See anything you like?¡± Blake hadn¡¯t even picked up his menu, just took a quick sip of his beer.


    ¡°It¡¯s been forever since I had conch, but the crab salad sounds good, too. What about you?¡± I grabbed one of the johnnycakes and broke it in half.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get the rock lobster.¡± He scratched at his chin and the stubble made a slight grating sound. ¡°Mary is one of the best cooks on the island. It¡¯s hard to pick.¡±


    ¡°So, how did the infamous Blake Weathering find a place like this?¡± I toyed with the napkin on the table. I was nervous again and didn¡¯t want to just sit there saying nothing.


    ¡°My mother.¡± He leaned back in his chair, draping one arm over the backrest. ¡°She brought us here all the time when I was little. She loved finding these little places. Diamonds in the rough.¡± A happy smile played along his mouth, and I liked seeing the softer side of Blake.


    ¡°How many brothers and sisters do you have?¡± I leaned my chin on my hand, interested in his family. It was just me and my parents and some family that lived in Florida.


    ¡°One older sister and one younger brother.¡± He sat up in his chair and rested his forearms on the table. ¡°Lizzie is an artist in New York. She had a showing at the Met last month. It was spectacular.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s impressive. Where did she go to school?¡±


    ¡°She did her undergrad in the States. Savannah, Georgia. But she received her graduate degrees in Paris.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Lizzie has always been the one to take the less-traveled path.¡±


    ¡°What about your brother?¡±


    ¡°Vince?¡± A bright smile slid over his features and it took my breath away. ¡°Vince is something else. He¡¯s a freshman this year and thinks he¡¯s going to move to Japan and develop software.¡± I was starting to see a trend with his family. Lots of travel, lots of things that had nothing to do with the island. ¡°Vince is in heaven locked in a room with computers.¡±


    ¡°Where does he go to school? Has Vi met him?¡± There was so much love in his eyes when he talked about his sister and brother, it made me wish I¡¯d had siblings of my own.


    ¡°He went to public school while my mom still lived here, but he¡¯s had private tutors for the last few years.¡± Something sad flashed across his eyes. There was more to that story, but I didn¡¯t think now was the time to pry.


    ¡°So, your mom doesn¡¯t live here anymore?¡± I tilted my head to the side when his expression darkened.


    ¡°She went home to France. We see her few times a year, but not as often as we used to.¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s nice to go see her for Christmas, though. Feels like a real Christmas when there¡¯s snow on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Your parents are divorced?¡± I imagined that would have been painful for the kids, especially when it was obvious how much he missed his mom.


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head, sending some of the hair over his eyes so I couldn¡¯t see his expression. ¡°They¡¯re just happier living on different continents.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I looked away from him. What did you say to something like that? ¡°So, do you speak French?¡±


    ¡°Oui.¡± His eyes twinkled over the candle and I wondered if that was the extent of his skills.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I could have come up with more than that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait and see. I can¡¯t give up all my tricks yet.¡± The smile that I associated with him being sneaky showed up. ¡°On this quest to get to know each other, I think it¡¯s only right that you answer some questions, too.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Chapter Eleven


    - Meena -


    ¡°Coke or Pepsi?¡± His smile was contagious. What a silly question.


    ¡°Water.¡±


    ¡°Bacon or sausage?¡±


    ¡°Bacon.¡±


    ¡°Smurfs or Scooby-Doo?¡±


    ¡°Sailor Moon.¡± I leaned back so that the server could light the candle in the center of the table. With the rising moon and the crash of the waves, I was starting to fall in love with the place. We gave the waitress our orders and Blake immediately returned to his questions.


    ¡°Favorite food?¡± His hand reached out and traced the back of my fingers.


    ¡°Seafood Alfredo.¡± I bit my lip at the touches of fire his fingers sparked.


    ¡°How many times have you fantasized about me?¡± His white teeth gleamed in the setting sun and candlelight. I sputtered, pulling my hand away.


    ¡°That many, huh?¡± He smiled and recaptured my fingers. ¡°I figured.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re full of yourself.¡± I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on tight. Carefully, he laced our fingers so that our palms were pressed together. There was something simple and yet sensual as the heat of our skin mingled.


    ¡°And you¡¯re beautiful.¡± He said it like it was obvious. I looked at him over the flame of the candle and felt the blush that spread over my cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯re also pretty smooth.¡± I smiled when he chuckled. It was true.


    ¡°So, I haven¡¯t noticed any little Meena look-alikes running around. No sisters or brothers?¡±


    ¡°Mom and Dad couldn¡¯t have any children. They tried for a long time before finding me.¡± The waitress brought our food back and set it in front of us. Blake squeezed my fingers before letting go and I had to admit that I already missed touching him. Our waitress whispered something to Blake before patting him on the shoulder and he laughed.


    ¡°So, they found you?¡± When she left he picked up his fork and motioned for me to continue. ¡°You¡¯re adopted?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± It was the truth, if a little bit of a stretch. We had adoption papers that Violet¡¯s parents had helped set up, but they weren¡¯t exactly legit. Her mother had been close friends with my mother and was a pediatrician. When they found me, they didn¡¯t know what to do or who to trust. Dr. Lyla had never batted an eye about what I was and had worked to make sure that my secret stayed a secret.


    ¡°Favorite color?¡± He took a big bite of his food and sighed happily.


    ¡°Blue.¡± I followed his example and my eyes closed in pleasure as the crisp flavors hit my tongue. When I finished chewing, I opened my eyes and pointed at my plate with my fork. ¡°This is the best thing I¡¯ve ever eaten in my life.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± He scooped some more food into his mouth and smiled at me around his fork.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s fantastic!¡± He laughed, but I was too busy eating to worry if he thought I was silly. Our conversation slowed, but it wasn¡¯t from lack of things to talk about. Mainly, we were just focused on our food. As soon as I got to the last couple of bites, I frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I should have eaten slower, but it was just too good.¡± I frowned and cut a piece in half, trying to prolong the meal a little more.


    ¡°We can order another.¡± He motioned to the waitress, but I shook my head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll know next time, though.¡±


    ¡°Next time, huh?¡± His eyes gleamed in the darkness and I froze. I hadn¡¯t realized what I had implied.


    ¡°Uh, I just meant¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like it if there was a next time.¡± He ducked his head, looking up at me from under his lashes.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I mentally kicked myself for not coming up with something witty. I just hoped I didn¡¯t have food stuck in my teeth, too. At this point it would be par for the course.


    ¡°Yeah, Meena. I¡¯d like to see you again.¡± He lowered his voice and leaned forward. He held his hand out for me and I laid my palm on top of his. ¡°If you want, that is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of long, light blue hair and froze.


    Sitting not three tables away were the mermaids I had seen last night. How had I missed them until now? How long had they been sitting there? The merman nodded at me, his face friendly, and I wondered if they knew what I was. Why else would he have nodded like that?


    ¡°Friends?¡± Blake¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts and I looked at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head as if that one word hadn¡¯t been clear enough.


    ¡°Ex-boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never met him before.¡± I looked at him and frowned.


    ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re about to.¡± I looked back to the table and realized that the mermaid was getting out of her seat and smiling at us. I had no idea what to do or how to act and out of all the times I had imagined meeting another mermaid, not once had I thought it would happen on a first date.


    ¡°Hi!¡± The mermaid bounced over to our table. Her bright yellow dress was almost garish, even in the moonlight. ¡°I¡¯m Mireille.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± My brain was really letting me down tonight, because I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.


    ¡°Do you live around here? I think we missed you at the reef.¡± She pouted as if she was disappointed, which actually eased some of the tension in my chest. She didn¡¯t sound very territorial. In fact, she seemed pretty friendly.


    ¡°Um, yeah. I do.¡± I let go of Blake¡¯s hand and offered it to her. Did mermaids shake hands? ¡°I¡¯m Meena.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Jacen wasn¡¯t sure, but I figured it had to be you.¡± She shook my hand before looking down at my fingers and smiling. ¡°Oh!¡± She let go of my hand and picked up Blake¡¯s. She turned it over so that she could look at his wrist and then sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m Blake. Nice to meet you?¡± Blake was looking at her with amused eyes, completely at ease with her eccentric behavior.


    ¡°And it¡¯s very nice to meet you, Blake. You guys are so lucky.¡± She let go of his hand and turned to look at the merman that had come to stand behind her. ¡°Jacen, she already found him.¡±


    ¡°Um, found who?¡± I swallowed, completely confused by how quickly my night had turned upside down.


    ¡°Blake.¡± Mireille shook her head at me like I was silly and I wondered if, by her standards, I was.


    ¡°Please excuse my cousin. You may not have noticed, but she makes awkward look comfortable.¡± Jacen smiled at me before offering his hand to Blake to shake. Blake shook his hand, for all the world looking like he met strangers and played nice on a regular basis.


    ¡°Have you been out long?¡± Mireille asked. ¡°We just started our swimabout last month.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± I looked from Mireille to Jacen and frowned. What the hell was a swimabout?


    ¡°Is that like a walkabout?¡± Blake looked at Jacen and frowned. ¡°Where you tour around and see new things?¡±

 Page 12

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Jacen seemed to understand that something wasn¡¯t adding up. He put his hand on Mireille¡¯s shoulder and smiled at me. ¡°Well, sorry to interrupt your dinner. The food was great here. Maybe we¡¯ll see you around?¡± The last question was definitely directed at me and I noticed that Blake hadn¡¯t missed that fact.Advertisement


    ¡°That would be cool.¡± I smiled at them, completely torn about them leaving. They needed to go. I couldn¡¯t talk to them in front of Blake. But what if I never saw them again?


    ¡°But, we just¡ª¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! I promised you a night swim, remember?¡± Jacen cut off Mireille. Looping an arm around her neck, he steered them back toward the building. He smiled at us over her shoulder as I watched them walk away.


    ¡°That was¡­¡± Blake shook his head.


    ¡°Weird. Awkward. Incredibly uncomfortable.¡± I knew my eyes were big, but I hoped I didn¡¯t look as freaked out as I felt.


    ¡°All appropriate descriptions.¡± Blake narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t know them? Maybe you¡¯re in some club with them and don¡¯t realize it?¡±


    ¡°Club?¡± I laughed. ¡°What kind of club?¡±


    ¡°Save the Porpoises? You guys get together and make posters to send to China and Japan, maybe?¡± I kept my face expressionless and just stared at him until he started to squirm. ¡°You know, because of the swim thing? And you love dolphins so much. It makes sense.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it. Watching him squirm was fun, but I couldn¡¯t keep from laughing when he looked away and cursed under his breath.


    ¡°Smooth, Weathering. Very smooth.¡± I giggled when he pursed his lips and glared at me.


    Grabbing my hand, he tugged me out of my chair. He laid two fifties on the table, even though I knew it hadn¡¯t cost that much, and waited for me to put my purse over my shoulder. We retrieved the helmets and went back to his bike. He plucked the helmet from my hands and brushed the hair away from my face. Slowly, he slid the helmet on and buckled the strap. His fingers lifted my chin so that I was looking up at him.


    ¡°We know a little more about each other now. And I¡¯ve been dying to do this since I first saw you.¡± His voice was hushed as he stared into my eyes. ¡°Tes l¨¨vres sont irresistibles.¡± The lull of the French words made my head spin. Very slowly, so that I would have time to object, he lowered his head.


    His lips were like a caress as he brushed them across mine: slow and soft. He lingered, inhaling in deeply as if he couldn¡¯t breathe without me. Eventually, he moved on to plant a tender kiss on my bottom lip, before pulling back and looking at me. His cocky grin was gone, replaced with something tender and nervous. His thumb ran over my lip once, before he let go, and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, but I want to take you to one more place.¡±


    At that moment, he could have taken me anywhere. I nodded and waited for him to mount the motorcycle. When he was ready, I climbed on behind him and held on as we maneuvered out of the parking lot. He headed back toward my house, but stopped in a small lot off the side of a long curvy road. Taking my helmet, he led me through some brush to a trail that ran down to a beach.


    After a moment, we came across a small stone bench and put our helmets down before he took my right hand in his. We navigated down the trail, the crash of the waves, soothing to my soul. Despite the fact that it was getting late, my skin didn¡¯t hurt as much as it usually did.


    Once we hit the sand, we kicked off our shoes and started walking. We didn¡¯t go far, just until we hit the water and the warm waves lapped at our ankles. I looked up at the cloudless sky and stared at the sparkling stars. It was a beautiful beach, quiet, and serene. There were no drunken tourists milling about and you couldn¡¯t see the tall cruise ships that docked downtown. All I could hear was the sound of the water and the beating of my heart.


    ¡°This is my favorite place.¡± Blake¡¯s thumb ran up and down my hand. ¡°I come here when I have projects I need to think about, or when I just need to be alone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± I looked up into his eyes, watching the twinkle of the stars reflected there.


    ¡°My mother gave it to me for my birthday last year.¡± He looked down at me and smiled. ¡°We used to come here all of the time before she left. I didn¡¯t even know that it was up for sale when I got the deed in the mail.¡±


    ¡°That must¡¯ve been a great surprise.¡± I wondered why he had brought me here. It seemed like a very private place for him.


    ¡°It was.¡± He looked away from me and out at the water. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss it when I¡¯m gone.¡±


    My throat closed up as I was hit with panic. I knew he was planning on leaving. I knew that this was going to be a short-lived whatever, but it hurt to think that this time was all I was going to get with him. I swallowed and looked down at my feet. I was overreacting, the feeling too intense for me to understand.


    ¡°Is that why you brought me here?¡± I finally looked up at him and felt my face stiffen. ¡°To remind me that you¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just wanted to share something important to me with you.¡± He looked down at me, his hair falling over his eyes.


    ¡°This was your idea, Blake. If you are worried I¡¯m going to get too attached, don¡¯t.¡± My words were harsh, but they were more for myself than for him. I didn¡¯t like the feeling that I was experiencing. It was lonely and painful. Everyone was leaving and I would be stuck on the island doing what I always did.


    He sucked in a deep breath and I wondered if I had hurt him with my words. ¡°I want to enjoy my time with you, but I also want to be upfront and honest. I plan on leaving.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s so wrong with the islands?¡± His hands ran up and down my arms in a soothing motion and I wondered if he was trying to calm me or himself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay here.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°There are too many expectations and obligations. I can¡¯t be myself here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you letting anyone tell you who you can and can¡¯t be.¡± I stepped closer to him. There was something agonizing in his expression and I wanted to help make it better.


    He just snorted and looked away from me. ¡°You haven¡¯t met my father.¡±


    ¡°Is that why your mom moved away? Why didn¡¯t they just divorce?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that.¡± He ran a hand through his hair and looked back down at me.


    ¡°I thought we were getting to know each other better.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to know some things. Some things don¡¯t matter when it comes to us.¡± He tugged me closer to him, but I stayed firm. My heart had kicked pretty hard when referred to us as a unit, but there was a great deal of bitterness in his words, too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do things halfway, Blake.¡± I knew it would cause trouble, but I asked anyway. ¡°Why did you beat up that guy?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± His eyes grew hard the way they had the last time I asked. ¡°He deserved it, though. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you if you won¡¯t be open with me?¡± My heart was giving painful little jerks. Our date had started out perfectly. I hated seeing it turn downhill.


    ¡°How can you hold your breath for so long? I¡¯ve been watching Meena.¡± His eyebrows pulled together. ¡°And you¡¯re nails are blue. No nail polish in the world looks like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± The panic I had felt earlier swooped in, but for an entirely different reason. ¡°I think you should take me home.¡±


    ¡°Meena¡­¡± He trailed off and took a step closer. ¡°I don¡¯t want to end things like this tonight. I¡¯ve had a really good time.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°But I really do need to go home. We have to be up early.¡±


    He looked at me and nodded his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    We picked up our shoes and headed for the motorcycle. He didn¡¯t take my hand again and I wondered if that was for the best. My heart hated it, but my mind was scared.


    Chapter Twelve


    - Blake -


    Last night had been perfect. Until I fucked it all up. I sat on my motorcycle in front of Flukes with my helmet in my lap and looked up at Meenas¡¯ window. I hadn¡¯t meant to bring anything up last night, hadn¡¯t meant to push her away. Hell, we weren¡¯t even in a relationship and yet, we were in a way. She was different. So different from the other girls I had dated. Down to Earth, sensible, but gorgeous. And that kiss¡­ it had made me think about skipping the beach and taking her straight back to my bed. But she wasn¡¯t the kind of girl you screw real quick. Meena was meant to be savored, and I didn¡¯t have much time to do that.


    I ran my hands over the grips of my handlebars and frowned. I hadn¡¯t been able to bring myself to touch her again last night. I didn¡¯t know what I would have done had she pushed me away, but I knew it would have hurt like hell. Shit. She probably hated me at this point. I¡¯d asked about her nails, and it was probably something like a blood disease, or something from before she was adopted. No wonder she hadn¡¯t wanted to tell me. She had to hate me. I saw Ben open the front door and head down to the tool shed, so I swung my leg over the bike and went to join him.


    ¡°Morning.¡± I leaned against the wall of the shed. ¡°Do you need help out here today?¡± Shit. That sounded like a cop out.


    ¡°Are you done with the logo already?¡± Ben looked at me, his face confused.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± I looked down at the helmet in my hands, hoping my expression didn¡¯t give me away.


    ¡°Something go wrong last night?¡± Ben crossed his arms over his chest.


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not staying long, you know?¡± I shrugged and ran a hand over the back of my neck. I was already sweating and it was barely eight in the morning.


    ¡°Meena doesn¡¯t trust very easily.¡± Ben sighed. ¡°And she has good reason. But she¡¯s worth the trouble. And I¡¯m not just saying that because I¡¯m her dad. She¡¯s a great girl, so don¡¯t yank her around.¡±


    ¡°She is.¡± I¡¯d have to be blind and deaf to not know Meena was great.


    ¡°Then man-up.¡± Ben turned away from me and I shook my head. ¡°I want that logo tonight. It will take a week or more to order everything we need.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I took the steps up to the house two at a time and knocked on the door after kicking my shoes off.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Marion¡¯s voice called, so I opened the door and set my laptop and helmet down on the table. The house smelled delicious, bacon and waffles were piled on the counter. ¡°Grab some!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re spoiling me.¡± I sat down at the kitchen bar and filled my plate.


    She set a glass of orange juice down in front of me and smiled. ¡°I like spoiling people.¡±


    ¡°Is Meena up?¡± I didn¡¯t hear anyone else in the house.


    ¡°She¡¯s already gone down to see Mitch. I think Ben is having the crews powerwash and paint some of the buildings, and she didn¡¯t want any chemicals to run in the pools.


    ¡°I should go help her then.¡± I downed the orange juice and snagged one more piece of bacon before heading out.


    I found her at the fish shack, filling up a bucket. She gave me a small smile when she saw me, but I could tell there was something bothering her. If I could dropkick myself, I would have right then. Her hair was loose today, hanging down her back in soft waves that made my hands itch with the need to touch them. Her little shorts were in place, but she was wearing a large t-shirt instead of a sexy tank-top. It wasn¡¯t that it didn¡¯t still look good on her, but I recognized it for what it was. A sign that she wasn¡¯t playing anymore. No more teasing or daring.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I took the bucket out of her hand and let her walk in front of me.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything else, just went straight to the dolphins and hopped down onto the platform.


    We fed the dolphins and Meena checked on Jallia. I didn¡¯t know how she was so certain about whether or not the mother was going to give birth any time soon. Her hands ran over the dolphin¡¯s belly and she made soothing sounds. She looked like a water goddess in that moment. There were flecks of water on her cheeks and the sun shimmered in her eyes. When she sent them off to play, we sat there for a while, watching. The rocking of the platform was a soothing contrast to the nervous energy in my gut.


    ¡°I think we should stick to being friends.¡± Meena didn¡¯t look at me and I caught a tremor in her words.


    ¡°Why?¡± I wanted to grab her and make her look at me. I didn¡¯t want to be friends. I wanted her in my arms, telling me her secrets, tangled in the sheets of my bed. Every day. Every night.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s leaving. Violets leaves tomorrow and if we start something now, it¡¯s just going to hurt when you go too.¡± She looked at me, her lips pressed in a hard line. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel like the one left behind.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± I turned toward her and reached for her hand. As my fingers traced over hers I thought I saw something white drawn on her wrist, but when I looked closer there was nothing there. It must¡¯ve been a trick of the light. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I like you.¡± She frowned. ¡°And if we get any closer it¡¯s going to hurt. There¡¯s no way around it. So it¡¯s better this way.¡± She pulled on her hand gently and I let go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to just be friends.¡± I watched as she swallowed. Her eyes were already so sad I wanted to punch myself.


    ¡°Then there is nothing else.¡± She stood up and wiped at her shorts. ¡°We¡¯ll work together for Dad, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± I stood up and fought the urge to grab her and kiss the pain away. ¡°We¡¯ll be friends. But it¡¯s going to be hard.¡± I had to be around her some way and if this was all I was going to get, I¡¯d be stupid to throw it away.


    She nodded her head and climbed back up the ladder. I followed her to the house and we worked on the logo. She picked a teal, but I didn¡¯t think it was quite right. I selected a lighter one but didn¡¯t tell her it was because it matched her eyes. After getting the approval from her dad, she worked on ordering shirts from a local business while I worked on designing a website and flyers.


    She leaned over my shoulder to see what I had come up with and I had to fight to not turn my face and bury it in her neck. My fingers cramped on the keyboard and I concentrated on straightening them from the clenched position they had been in.

 Page 13

    ¡°That looks good.¡± She smiled and it was a relief to see her a little more at ease. ¡°I like the picture you used of Dad and Mom. They look so happy.¡± She sighed, her breath teasing my ear. An image of me pulling her into my lap danced through my brain and I had to close my eyes. I repeated the word friend over and over in my head, but it didn¡¯t work. When I opened my eyes, I could see the swell of her breasts under her shirt and quickly looked up at her face. She was staring at me and it was a hungry look.Advertisement


    ¡°Meena,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t know what I was going to say, but if she stayed right there any longer, I had a suspicion that we were going to end up on the couch.


    She took a deep breath and looked back at the computer, reaching over me to click the mouse to the next page. ¡°This part looks good too.¡± She stood up then, putting distance between us. I ground my teeth and looked back at the computer.


    The inside of the brochure was up and there was a picture of Meena in one of the uniform one-piece suits, sliding through the water with Mitch. I loved that one. It captured her joy and serenity all at once. ¡°I wanted the people to look at it and see themselves having fun.¡±


    ¡°You did it. It¡¯s great.¡± She went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. ¡°Want some?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She brought me a glass and sat down across from me.


    ¡°I ordered fifty shirts. There are only sixteen employees, but this gives us backups for accidents and in case Dad hires anyone else. I also went ahead and ordered some stuff for the gift shop.¡± The gift shop was a tiny little tiki hut near the bird house. It was also the first place visitors went to sign in.


    ¡°We need to do something with the gift shop. Make it bigger, spruce it up. Something.¡± I leaned back in my chair and chewed on the end of the pen I had been using to make notes.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little run-down. I guess I can talk to Dad about a budget and see what we come up with.¡± I could feel her eyes on my mouth. It was almost physical. I should respect her wish to be friends, but part of me just wanted to win her over. And that was the larger part of me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the guys working on painting and stuff? Maybe we could get them to help with the hut. Manual labor would be the most expensive part.¡± I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the table.


    ¡°We¡¯d have to have a contractor and inspector no matter what.¡± Meena looked out the window.


    ¡°I know a guy.¡± I cocked my head to the side, studying her profile. ¡°I could see if he¡¯s busy.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s talk to Dad and see where we go from there.¡± Meena took her empty glass back to the sink and I closed my laptop. Ben was working near the fish shack. Some of the guys were replacing old or rotting boards on the walkway and he was painting the building a tan color.


    ¡°Hey, guys! What¡¯s up?¡± He always looked so relaxed, I wondered if I could bottle some of his cheerfulness up and send it to my dad.


    ¡°Blake and I were talking.¡± Meena walked to her dad, a smile on her face. I noticed some of the workers watching her, and it was clear from their expressions that they enjoyed the view. I glared, pissed that they could openly stare without her being upset. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure that she even noticed. Devin smiled at me and I balled my hands up. When he turned to look Meena over, I stepped in his view to try and block her. She had no idea how she affected the men around her.


    ¡°So you think we should redo the gift shop, too?¡± I looked back at Ben, realizing I had missed a good part of their exchange. He looked worried and I could understand why. Even with the manual labor they had, the supplies would really eat into their budget.


    ¡°You need somewhere for the visitors to get out of the elements. Maybe even a place they can buy snacks or food.¡± I winced, knowing that would make it worse. ¡°It¡¯s a lot up front, but it will make you look more appealing to the cruise lines.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s the risk that even with those upgrades we won¡¯t get the contract.¡± Ben rubbed a hand over his jaw, thinking things through. ¡°You know someone that can help? Make sure everything is up to code?¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to him, but he¡¯s done small jobs for my dad. I really liked him.¡± I didn¡¯t add that I really liked him because he didn¡¯t cut corners, even when Dad tried to bribe him.


    ¡°Then do it.¡± Ben looked back at the workers who quickly went about their business. ¡°Find out what it would cost. I¡¯ll pay the guy a consultation fee even if we decide not to do it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I looked around, thinking it was probably about time for Josef to be off work. ¡°I¡¯ll go give him a call and see what he¡¯s up to.¡± I hesitated, not wanting to leave Meena around all the workers, but since she was with her dad I figured she would be fine.


    I ran up the stairs and dug through my bag for my cell phone. I hadn¡¯t charged it last night, but had enough battery to make a couple of calls. I called my father¡¯s secretary, got Josef¡¯s number, and dialed quickly.


    ¡°Josef.¡± His thick Caribbean accent filled my ear and I smiled.


    ¡°Hey, Josef. It¡¯s Blake Weathering.¡±


    ¡°Blake? What¡¯s up, mon?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how busy you were. I¡¯ve got a project I could use your help with.¡± I looked out the window and watched Meena walk to the bird house.


    ¡°It is for you or for your dad?¡±


    ¡°For me. My friends own Flukes and want to redo one of the buildings.¡±


    ¡°The dolphin-swim place?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one. They have guys to help with the labor, but need someone to oversee it. They¡¯d pay you to work up a quote.¡± Josef made a hmmming sound over the phone as he thought it over.


    ¡°What they be wanting to do?¡±


    I sketched out my idea for a larger gift shop with lockers and a place to change. ¡°They¡¯d also like to know about maybe adding a place for food.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna cost ¡®em.¡± I kind of figured it would be more expensive than they would be able to pay, but I had a plan.


    ¡°When would you need the payment?¡±


    ¡°Half my fee up front. They pay for supplies as we need them.¡± He named a figure and I calculated things in my head.


    ¡°How long do you think it would take?¡±


    ¡°A couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°Can you promise it will be done in two? If so, I can write you a check for all of it the first week of July.¡± I continued watching outside, wondering what Meena was up to.


    ¡°Are you paying? I thought it was Flukes.¡± Josef¡¯s voice sounded amused.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift. For a friend.¡± I¡¯d just tell Ben the amount of Josef¡¯s fee and take care of the rest. I could manage with what was in my account right now, and in July I¡¯d have my trust fund, which would make this look like pocket change.


    ¡°For you, I can do that.¡± Josef laughed. ¡°I¡¯m betting it¡¯s a very pretty friend.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°You have no idea.¡± We set up a time for him to come to Flukes the next evening and I hung up the phone.


    I went back and told Ben that Josef would be there the next day and quoted him Josef¡¯s fee. Meena was nowhere to be seen, so I spent the rest of the afternoon working with her dad. We talked about the remaining areas that needed to be spruced up and what they would have to do to get ready for the remodel.


    The next day, Meena barely spoke to me. It was hard to pretend like there was nothing between us, and I even missed hanging out with Mitch. She spent most of her time with the animals and avoided the workers. The longest time I spent around her was when Josef came to do the quote. She wasn¡¯t rude to me and was very grateful to Josef and listened to his suggestions, but once we made a decision, she disappeared again. It was starting to really get to me.


    Over the rest of the week, dreams of her haunted me. I had it bad but didn¡¯t know what to do about it. Everything seemed hopeless. Between trying to keep the cost of the build away from Ben, my father¡¯s constant demands on my time, and the lack of sleep, I was starting to lose my patience with everyone. And I had no tolerance for some of the other workers. Most of them weren¡¯t bad guys, they had just made mistakes like me. But Devin and his friends were a constant pain in the ass.


    The afternoon the sign was delivered, I was down by the parking lot helping install it. Ben asked me to run back to the house to grab some of the paperwork for the delivery guy. I knocked on the door but no one answered, so I stuck my head in the door.


    ¡°Hello?¡± No one was inside, so I went in and started shuffling through the paperwork on the kitchen table. Meena¡¯s handwriting was scribbled across a bunch of the pages, little notes and suggestions. I smiled when I saw that she had circled something on the pamphlet I had designed and wrote ¡°nice¡± in the margins.


    The papers Ben needed were in my hand and I was heading for the door when I heard a scream. My heart stopped and the only thing I could think of was Meena. I didn¡¯t realize I was moving until my feet hit the path in front of the house. When I saw the large shadow in the window of the fish house, rage surged through my veins.


    Chapter Thirteen


    - Meena -


    My heart hurt and I was tired. I hadn¡¯t slept all week. Avoiding Blake was more difficult than I had thought it would be. Especially when he was all I could think about. I missed his jokes, the cocky way he grinned. I missed the way we bantered, how he kept me on my toes. I missed being around him and I realized I had been falling in love. I hadn¡¯t seen it coming, hadn¡¯t thought it would happen with him. But there is was. As soon as he went to the house, I took a deep breath and left my perch on the hill to go see Dad. When I got down there he put an arm around me and squeezed.


    ¡°You okay, Sea Monster?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just tired.¡± I watched as the workers went about pulling down the old sign.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen much of you lately.¡± There wasn¡¯t any condemnation in his voice, just truth. My parents hadn¡¯t treated me like a kid in a long time. They trusted me. It meant a lot. ¡°Are you still avoiding Blake?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding him.¡± I sighed and stepped away from him. ¡°Okay, I am avoiding him.¡±


    ¡°Why are you avoiding him? Excuse me for pointing this out, but you both seem kind of miserable.¡± Dad frowned. ¡°The boy has been moping around all week.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just not a good idea. He¡¯s going to be leaving soon.¡± I clenched my left hand and looked down at my wrist. There was a faint line that almost looked like a rash.


    ¡°I can see how that would be hard to deal with. Something like that hanging over your head.¡± Dad¡¯s eyes watched me. ¡°Sometimes, we have to decide if the good outweighs the bad, sweetheart.¡± He reached out and pulled me into another hug. ¡°You know, Meena, you could travel if you wanted to. You would just have to be careful. Plan it out.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°But I really do love it here. I like what we¡¯re doing. It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°You could always come back, Meena. We aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dad. But I¡¯m happy. I really am.¡± I tried to believe it, to accept that I didn¡¯t need to go anywhere to know this was where I belonged.


    ¡°Shit!¡± One of the workers hollered. He had picked up the gas-powered weed eater and the oil had drained all over the white sidewalk.


    ¡°Someone go get the cleaner out of the shed. Marcus, set it in the grass so it doesn¡¯t make any more mess.¡± Dad walked away from me and I watched the chaos for a few minutes before deciding to go take care of some little things I had been neglecting while avoiding Blake.


    I headed for the bird house to make sure that everything was in good order. Becca wasn¡¯t in today, but her assistant, Laura, seemed to have everything in order. Some of the birds would be released back into the wild, but there were a few that would never be able to leave the sanctuary. I peeked at the tiny baby seagulls and then headed out to the fish house.


    No one was in there, so I grabbed some supplies and set out to clean the tanks. I had just climbed up the step stool when I heard the door open. When the smell of something rotting reached my nose, I froze. Very carefully, I turned around and looked at Devin. He had a bottle in his hands and was leaning against the door.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend?¡± His voice grated on my nerves, making me want to wince.


    ¡°Blake isn¡¯t my boyfriend.¡± He laughed like I had made a joke. I stepped down from the stool and crossed my arms. Devin was unstable and I didn¡¯t want to be at a disadvantage. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Just to talk, but I was starting to think I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to get you alone.¡± He took a few steps in my direction, effectively blocking me from the exit and the back room. ¡°I know what you are.¡±


    ¡°Annoyed?¡± My heartbeat picked up and I was feeling the edges of panic creeping in.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny. I like that.¡± His creepy smile made me want to run, but I had nowhere to go. ¡°No, sweetie. I know about your¡­ fishy problem.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± He took a step forward, but I held my ground. I wasn¡¯t your typical human. I was stronger than I looked and I¡¯d use it if I had to.


    ¡°See, my mom was just like you. Preying on men and then ruining their lives.¡± He swung his arm, making the liquid in the blue jug swish.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± My eyes darted around the room. I was backed into a corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re so much like my mom.¡± His eyes flashed with something ugly. ¡°She loved the water just like you but wouldn¡¯t even talk to me.¡± He turned his head at an awkward angle and I saw something open behind his ear. Two long slits flashed briefly and then closed. My mouth opened and closed. He had gills.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your mom, Devin.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t teach me a lot about myself, but I did learn some things about her.¡± He lifted the jug and shook it. ¡°She couldn¡¯t stand chemicals. Even dish soap broke her out. And bleach? Let¡¯s just say it wasn¡¯t pretty. So I¡¯m pretty sure that this stuff is going to hurt like hell.¡±


    ¡°Devin, I haven¡¯t done anything to you.¡± I moved a little farther away from him. Maybe if I lured him far enough into the building I could get around him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry your mom is so mean to you.¡±


    ¡°Was mean. She¡¯s been gone for a long time.¡± He unscrewed the lid and I felt my heartbeat sped up even more.


    ¡°Devin, don¡¯t do this. I have nothing against you.¡± That wasn¡¯t true. He was crazy as shit and mean.

 Page 14

    ¡°Shut up, Meena. I saw the way you looked at me.¡± He twisted his head again and the gills reappeared. So did that terrible smell. ¡°You think I¡¯m a freak.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. If anyone can understand being different, it¡¯s me.¡±


    His eyes narrowed at me and I thought for a minute that he was going to back down. I edged a step or two along the wall of tanks, trying to get a straight line to the door. He shook his head and jerked the container in my direction. Some of the liquid splashed onto my legs and I couldn¡¯t help the scream that escaped my throat. It was like acid running down my legs that left blisters in its wake. I backed away from him, tears filling my eyes.


    ¡°That looks painful.¡± He tsked.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. At this point, anything I said would just egg him on. Not to mention the fact that I could barely breathe through the pain. He walked forward, his eyes gleaming in the shadows of the room. I tried to back up, but my shoe slipped in the liquid and I almost fell. I managed to make my way to the step stool and picked it up in an attempt to shield myself.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else and it somehow made it so much worse as he walked toward me. He wasn¡¯t making any attempt to hide his gills, and the pupils of his eyes had taken on a slit shape. My back was pressed against the tanks and I had nowhere to go. He smiled as he flung the liquid in the bottle again. I tried to dodge the stream of fluid, but I couldn¡¯t move fast enough. As the chemicals hit my stomach and ran down my legs, the door burst open.


    I fell to the ground and tried to crawl away from the liquid, but my legs wouldn¡¯t hold me any longer. My palms stung as I scrambled along the cold tiles. I looked up in time to see Blake slam into Devin. The container fell out of Devin¡¯s hands and I moved some more to escape the spreading cleaning fluid. The sounds of flesh hitting flesh and a soft moaning sound filled the room. It took a minute for me to realize that I was the one making the keening noise. I bit my lip and rolled over on my back and tried to concentrate on breathing. In and out.


    There was a loud thump and I saw Devin slide across the floor. I started to try and move again, but Blake knelt next to me and I stopped.


    ¡°Oh shit. Meena. Can you hear me?¡± His hands moved in the air over me and I realized he didn¡¯t know where to touch me. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt, not deaf.¡± I took a deep breath and winced when the skin on my stomach tightened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get help.¡± He started to stand and I panicked. I reached for him, but remembered how badly my hands were damaged before I touched him.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t leave me.¡± It felt so pathetic to say that out loud, but I needed to get in the water fast.


    ¡°Meena, you need help.¡± I watched as he ran a hand through his hair. There was blood on his knuckles and a cut under his left eye. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Take me to my beach.¡± I looked at him, begging him with my eyes.


    ¡°You need an ambulance.¡± He patted the pockets of his shorts. ¡°Fuck it. I must¡¯ve dropped my phone when I heard you scream. God, Meena, I¡¯m so sorry I wasn¡¯t here faster.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t call an ambulance. Take me to my beach, Blake.¡± I closed my eyes and took a few breaths. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Meena.¡± His eyes were wild as he shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡± I reached out with my left hand and brushed my fingers just below the cut on his face. ¡°Please.¡±


    His eyes zeroed in on mine and I saw him make up his mind before he said anything. ¡°This is going to hurt.¡±


    As gently as he could, he slid an arm under my legs and under my shoulders. I bit my lip and tried to not make any sound as he stood with me. He held me out away from his body, trying to keep from agitating my skin any more than it already was. He leaned against the door, pushing it open, and took the path to the beach as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Where are your shoes?¡± I looked at him, more to distract myself than anything else.


    ¡°Shoes?¡± He looked down and then back up quickly. Carrying me like this wasn¡¯t exactly easy. I owed him big-time if he didn¡¯t end up running and screaming. ¡°I have no idea.¡± He huffed a little as he climbed over the dunes and down to my little beach. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°The water.¡± He didn¡¯t ask any questions, just waded right in. When the water finally touched me, I sighed in relief. He didn¡¯t stop walking until I told him to.


    ¡°Meena, I don¡¯t think this is a good idea. You might get an infection.¡± He looked down at me and I shifted in his arms, moving so that I was holding onto his shoulders and my legs dangled in the water.


    ¡°I need you take my clothes off.¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen an expression like his before, and if I weren¡¯t in so much pain, I would have laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Your clothes?¡± His voice dropped and he looked me in the eyes. ¡°Meena, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re feeling right.¡±


    ¡°My shorts. Please.¡± My skin was tightening and I needed to change. It was painful to fight it off when my body needed it so badly. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this.¡± His hands fumbled between us, undoing the button and zipper on my shorts. He worked them down my hips as gently as he could, but they still scraped along the blisters. I buried my face in his neck and tried to not cry out. Once they were down to my knees, they slid to the ground, and I moved my feet so that they could float free.


    ¡°Now my bottoms.¡±


    ¡°This is not how I imagined undressing you.¡± His low voice was frustrated and worried. His hands moved to the sides of my bathing-suit bottom and he pulled at the strings. I looked up at him, wishing that we had been on better terms before this. I was pretty sure that I was about to chase away the boy who had stolen my heart. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he ran screaming for his life. His eyes met mine and stayed there as my bathing suit drifted away. His hands moved up to cup the back of my shoulders and lifted, relieving the pain along my arms.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t just tell you.¡± His eyes held me captive. ¡°Please don¡¯t hate me.¡± I pushed away from him and let the change take me.


    Chapter Fourteen


    - Blake -


    She pushed away from me and fell into the water. I dipped down to try and catch her, but she wiggled out of the way. Wrestling with her T-shirt, she managed to pull it over her head, revealing her bikini top, and fling it to the side. A few bubbles escaped her mouth as she looked up at me through the water and my heart flopped in my chest. She said something, but I had no idea what it was and I didn¡¯t have long to wonder.


    Her back bowed and the water seemed to swirl around her. Right before my eyes, Meena¡¯s legs seemed to meld together and elongate. It was magic, real magic, and I had no understanding of how it happened. At one point she had the sexy undercarriage of a woman and the next she was a mythical creature. I stared down at her, my eyes moving over her beautiful face and down to the parts of her that didn¡¯t make sense. Her eyes were sad as she watched from under the water, but all I could do was stare. This was unreal and yet here she was, the most amazing thing I had ever seen. With a flick of her tail, she shot away from me and I panicked.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I moved to follow her, but she spun around and hesitated. She surfaced ten feet away, the water running over her hair and face. One of the first things that I noticed was that her eyes matched her tail. She had a tail. Holy fuck. A tail.


    Mermaid. Meena was a mermaid. The word bounced around in my head like a penny falling down an empty stairwell. I stared at her, unable to speak. She was beautiful, breathtaking. The sun shined through the water to reflect from her scales. Her tail was hundreds of shades of teal, glimmering each time she shifted or moved. Even her skin seemed to have a slight shimmer now.


    She looked scared, like she was waiting for me to do something. Was I supposed say something? What the hell do you say to that? Then my eyes trailed over her shoulders and I saw that there were still red welts along her arms. I ground my teeth. I was going to kill Devin if I saw him again. My left hand clenched into a fist and I felt a tingling along my wrist. I looked down at my hand floating in the water and frowned. White lines seemed to appear for a minute, but were gone in a blink. I looked back at Meena and realized she had floated a little farther away.


    ¡°Say something.¡± Her words slid across the water and I immediately took a step in her direction.


    ¡°Six months ago my brother was jumped in town. He was beaten so badly I didn¡¯t recognize him when I got to the hospital. But I did recognize the words they had written all over his face and arms.¡± I took another step closer to her. ¡°Someone almost killed him, just for being gay. My little brother, one of the best people I know. He wouldn¡¯t tell me who did it. Told the police he hadn¡¯t seen them, but I had my suspicions. That day at school in the locker room, Trevor asked if my brother still had marker on his face. No one could have known about that. The file was sealed. There I was, sitting on a bench next to a guy that had tried to kill my brother.¡± I took another step forward. ¡°That¡¯s why I did what I did. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. And I wouldn¡¯t take any of it back.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Meena moved closer, her eyes locked on mine.


    ¡°Now you know my secret, too.¡± I sank down in the water so that we were looking at each other eye to eye. I was so relieved that she was talking me again. ¡°Trevor won¡¯t tell because he would be prosecuted for his hate crime. Vince guessed, but we don¡¯t talk about it. He tried to convince me to let him work off the community service.¡±


    ¡°Your brother sounds like a great guy. I¡¯m so sorry someone did that to him.¡± Meena bit her lip for a minute. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet him some time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, too.¡± Some of the tension seeped out of Meena¡¯s shoulders. ¡°His best friend has been asking to swim with the dolphins. Olivia will love you.¡±


    She smiled and I swam a little closer. Slowly I moved my hand to her shoulder and pushed some of the hair away. I touched her skin, surprised by how much she had healed. She didn¡¯t move while I looked, face blank while I examined her wounds.


    ¡°I thought you would need skin grafts or something.¡±


    ¡°When I change, I heal from almost anything. I¡¯ll probably have red marks for a few days and I¡¯ll be tired, but bringing me to the water was the best thing you could do.¡± She looked at me, her teal eyes shimmering. I wanted to pull her to me, to kiss her senseless. I was so relieved that she was okay, it was almost painful.


    ¡°When I saw you lying on the floor¡­¡± How could I explain how I felt? It had been like seeing Vince in the hospital. It had scared me so badly I had just acted, not even realizing what I was doing. As soon as that thought manifested in my head, I realized just how much I cared about Meena. It had only taken me a couple of weeks to fall in love with her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what would have happened if you hadn¡¯t come when you did.¡±


    I was still reeling from my realization. All the girls I had dated, fooled around with, hadn¡¯t come close to making me feel what I did for Meena. She had captured my heart with her sense of humor, her smiles, and one sweet kiss. I moved closer and touched her cheek.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset? I¡¯m a freak.¡± She started to move away, but I moved with her. ¡°Part fish. I¡¯m not human, Blake.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± And I meant it. She was Meena and that was all that mattered. I leaned forward and slid my hand around the back of her neck, cradling her head. Her hands slid over my chest before coming to rest on my shoulders. Slowly, I touched my lips to hers, enjoying the way the salt water mingled with her taste. Just as I was about to dive into the kiss, shouting from the sanctuary broke us apart. She looked at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°My parents.¡± She looked around us wildly and I realized she was trying to find her clothes. I pulled my shirt off and handed it to her. It would hang low enough to cover the important stuff. She took it thankfully and grimaced as the noises came closer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Blake.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to freak out. There isn¡¯t much I can do at this point.¡± She reached out and grabbed my hand. A shock ran up my arm, making us both jump. There was a faint glow from our joined hands.


    ¡°MEENA!¡± Marion hit the beach first, her face frantic. She was knee-deep in the water in no time. Ben was right behind her and surprisingly, so was Violet.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mom!¡± Meena swam toward her mother. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t get your clothes wet. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I followed suit, there was no way I was leaving her side at this point. I needed to know that she was really okay. She stopped a little way away and looked at me shyly. There was a faint blush creeping up her neck.


    ¡°Um. I need to change and when I do¡­¡± She whispered the words before nodding her head toward her tail.


    ¡°Oh. Right. Naked.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the dip my eyes took over her body and down her tail. I looked back at her face, enjoying the blush. ¡°Maybe you can show me that trick again sometime. Only slower.¡±


    She splashed me, but laughed. Well, it wasn¡¯t a no. I¡¯d take it.


    ¡°Go.¡± She pointed toward the shore.


    ¡°I¡¯m going. Can¡¯t blame me for trying.¡± I backed away from her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she called. ¡°Thanks. For before.¡± She smiled, a teasing light in her eyes. ¡°I owe you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold you to that.¡± I turned and made my way to her parents and best friend. Ben was looking at me with an expression that made me nervous. It wasn¡¯t that I blamed him for giving me the stink eye. I knew his daughter¡¯s secret and it was a big one.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Marion met me as I exited the water, her little hands reaching up to touch my face. ¡°Did you get in a fight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± To be honest, I hadn¡¯t given much thought to the stinging on my face. I looked at Ben. ¡°Did you find Devin?¡±


    ¡°What happened? When Devin didn¡¯t come back I went looking for him. I saw the cleaner poured all over the floor in the fish house and went looking for Meena.¡± Ben moved next to Marion. ¡°Did he hurt her?¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine.¡± Meena waded out of the water wearing my shirt and part of me wanted to growl in pleasure. I liked seeing her in my clothes. And I really liked the way the wet material clung to her body. As my eyes traveled down her frame, my vision turned red. There were still welts running down her legs and her arms. And I knew that if they were there, they would be along her stomach and other tender areas. She looked exhausted, dark smudges under her eyes.

 Page 15

    Her eyes were on me as if she could tell how much I needed to make sure she was okay. She walked straight to me, stumbled slightly, and reached for my hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±Advertisement


    I looked from her to her parents and wondered if Ben was going to try and kill me right there on the beach. His eyes were narrowed and I imagined steam coming off his head. My shirt covered her pretty well, but it was obvious that she didn¡¯t have anything on under it but her bikini top.


    ¡°Devin knows what I am. He¡¯s something not human, something wrong.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°He trapped me in the fish house while I was cleaning tanks. He threw some of the cleaner at me and thankfully, Blake heard us.¡±


    ¡°That is not from a little bit of cleaner.¡± Violet pointed at Meena¡¯s legs. ¡°God, Meena, he could have killed you.¡± She hugged her carefully, and I let go of Meena¡¯s hand so that she could return it. I knew how important Vi was to her.


    ¡°You stopped him?¡± Marion was looking at me with tears in her eyes. I didn¡¯t know what to say. It wasn¡¯t like I could just let him do that to someone. Especially not Meena. I nodded my head and was shocked when she wrapped her arms around me. Guilt curled through my stomach and I had to tell them the truth.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Devin is here. I didn¡¯t know, but my dad paid off the judge so I wouldn¡¯t do time. I think it meant a whole group of us got off easier than we should have.¡± I swallowed. ¡°This is my fault. If I had just gotten time, Meena wouldn¡¯t have needed someone to save her. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t make him do this to me, Blake.¡± Meena looked at me and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Marion patted my back and kissed my cheek. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean he wasn¡¯t human?¡± Violet¡¯s voice rose. ¡°He¡¯s a mermaid? Merman? Was he the one you saw swimming the other day?¡±


    ¡°No. That was Jacen. I met him last week. Devin was something else, something weird.¡± Meena shook her head.


    ¡°Jacen¡¯s a mermaid?¡± Jealousy hit me hard like a jagged shard of pain that cut through my heart. Would Meena need to be with someone like her? I took a deep breath and hoped no one had heard what I was really thinking in my tone. ¡°And Mireille, too? I guess that explains the blue hair.¡±


    ¡°You met the mermaids last week?¡± Marion frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± I could tell that Marion was upset her daughter hadn¡¯t brought it up. Meena¡¯s eyes darted to me and I wondered if she hadn¡¯t told them because she had been worried about other things. Things like me. Things like us. Just the thought of it made my heart feel lighter. She cared about me.


    ¡°I just had so much going on¡­. They were at Sugar¡¯s¡± Meena winced. ¡°It was pretty awkward.¡± I laughed. Awkward wasn¡¯t the right word.


    ¡°When it rains, it pours, huh?¡± Violet looked at Meena with big eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the house. We need to talk.¡± Ben¡¯s eyes ran over Meena and then to me. He kicked off his shoes and pushed them in front of his daughter.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She slid her feet into his large flip-flops and we started for the house. My mind was still reeling from everything that had happened. I fell behind the group a little and watched everyone walk. They grouped together like a family unit and I felt like an intruder. I watched as Meena stumbled some more; her legs were weak and shaky. Trying to walk in those large shoes was making it even harder on her.


    I took a few long steps and scooped Meena up in my arms. She didn¡¯t even gasp, just wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I looked down in her eyes and realized that my mind was already made up. I was part of this now, too.


    Chapter Fifteen


    - Meena -


    Blake tucked me against his chest and the world melted away. I didn¡¯t realize that I had drifted off while listening to his heartbeat under my ear, but we were at my house in what felt like seconds. He shifted me in his arms and laid me down on the couch. He started to move away, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to sit next to me. I scooted into a corner of the couch and he sat down next to me.


    Even with everyone else in the house, I found myself hyperaware of Blake. I looked down at our hands and frowned. With my free hand, I traced the faint white lines on my wrist and then let my fingers trail over the matching lines on his. I looked up and met his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. No questions or cursing, just shrugged. I could hear Mom and Dad whispering in the kitchen. Violet was on the phone with her mom, letting her know that I was okay. My wet hair slapped against Blake¡¯s borrowed T-shirt and I shivered. I was soaked and not wearing enough clothing.


    I stood up and frowned at my shaky legs. Blake was on his feet immediately, steadying me. I had never changed with such bad wounds before and it had taken a lot out of me. Doing changes that quickly back to back was difficult in itself. I heard Vi get off the phone and watched as she yanked the throw blanket off Dad¡¯s favorite chair to wrap around me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you in some dry clothes.¡± I let her help me to my room, where I sat on the bed while she found a shirt and shorts. I changed while she was getting my brush out of the bathroom and slipped on my fuzzy slippers. My skin felt sensitive and my feet even more so. I looked in the mirror and frowned. Red skin peeked out of my shirt collar and trailed down my arms. The shirt did help cover up the worst of it, though it agitated the problem even more. Sighing, I pulled the shirt off and slipped a tank top on instead. It would heal faster if I didn¡¯t irritate it more.


    ¡°The shirt hurt?¡± Violet came in with my brush and frowned at me. ¡°God, Meen, he really got you good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± I frowned. I would be okay, but I still felt shaky. I met Violet¡¯s eyes in the mirror. ¡°It scared me, Vi. It was just concrete cleaner, but it might as well have been acid. If Blake hadn¡¯t shown up¡­¡± I wiped at my cheeks. I didn¡¯t need to cry about this, it was over. I was okay and I would be better tomorrow.


    ¡°But he did show up.¡± Violet hugged me gently. Tears ran down her cheeks and she sniffled. After a minute, she looked up at me and shook her head. ¡°I owe him a bunch of cupcakes.¡±


    I laughed and leaned my head against hers. ¡°He didn¡¯t freak out, Vi. When I turned he didn¡¯t act like I was some kind of monster.¡±


    ¡°I said he was trouble, not stupid.¡± She stepped away so that I could brush my hair. ¡°I¡¯m giving up my grant. I can¡¯t leave you right now. There¡¯s too much going on.¡±


    I stopped loosening one of my braids and frowned at her. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°How can I leave right now? You¡¯re my family. You don¡¯t leave family when they need you.¡± She stuck her chin out and I knew I had to nip this in the bud fast. ¡°I¡¯m calling in the morning. There¡¯s enough time for them to give it to someone else.¡±


    ¡°You are not going to give that up.¡± I turned around and pointed at her. ¡°Devin was a weird, random thing and I¡¯m fine. You aren¡¯t giving this up, Vi. This is a big deal, your dream!¡±


    ¡°You could have died.¡± Tears formed in her eyes again and I went to sit with her on the bed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t die. Blake was there and he¡­ God, Violet. He was like an avenging angel. I¡¯ve never seen someone so angry before.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that too. I¡¯ve seen the way you look at each other.¡± She frowned. ¡°And there are the other mermaids¡­.¡±


    ¡°Violet, you can¡¯t give up your life for me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Besides, if you do this, I¡¯ll make Dad give you tank detail.¡± She hated cleaning the fish tanks. ¡°You have to do this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She crossed her arms and glared at me. That¡¯s more like it. I had a feeling that as much as I was worried about her leaving, she was just as stressed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be good, Vi. Maybe I can come visit you one day.¡± I smiled. Who knew? I could always just swim there.


    ¡°That would kick ass.¡± She smiled sadly.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. There¡¯s no telling what Dad¡¯s done to Blake by now.¡±


    Blake was leaning against the kitchen counter. Someone had gotten him a T-shirt and he was drinking a glass of orange juice. His eyes met mine as soon as I turned the corner and I felt warmer immediately. I could feel it like a touch when he looked at the marks on my arms and legs. His jaw tensed and he looked down at the floor, his hair falling over his eyes.


    ¡°We need to decide what to do.¡± Mom walked out of the kitchen and brought me a glass of juice. The sugar always helped pep me up after a bunch of changes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I took a sip and watched my parents over the rim of the glass.


    ¡°We have to report Devin to the police. He can¡¯t come back here.¡± Dad crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°I sent the others home, but they all knew something had happened. There wasn¡¯t any hiding that.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone see him leave?¡± A terrible feeling slid over me. What if he was still here at Flukes?


    ¡°He was out when we left the fish house. If he got up on his own, I doubt he wanted to do anything but get the hell out of here.¡± Blake raised his head and I looked at the cut under his eye. There was hydrogen peroxide on the counter and a couple of bandages. My feet moved without thought, taking me straight to him. Carefully I touched the butterfly bandage on his cheek and frowned. Looking down, I lifted his hand so that I could examine the cuts there. I remembered the blood on them and winced. Bringing his hand to my mouth, I brushed a kiss over his knuckles.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I looked up at him and was surprised by the tenderness in his eyes. He was usually so cocky, it caught me off guard.


    ¡°I wish I had been there sooner.¡± His eyes were dark with emotion and my heart sped up. I¡¯d never been looked at like that before. As if I was the only person that mattered.


    My dad cleared his throat, reminding me that we weren¡¯t alone. I didn¡¯t step away from Blake, but I did turn so that I was facing everyone else.


    ¡°What do we tell the cops? If they see me like this, they¡¯re going to want to know what happened. If I tell them I had an allergic reaction, they¡¯re going to want to know how I¡¯m healing so quickly.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°I have to tell them something.¡± Rubbing his jaw, Dad looked at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°We could tell them that he threatened you and that Blake ran him off. It¡¯s not far from the truth. You¡¯ll just have to cover up until you¡¯re completely healed.¡±


    ¡°No one saw you but us,¡± Violet said. ¡°I ran ahead to make sure no one was on the path.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Mom shook her head. ¡°You said that Devin was something different. If the police go looking for him and they find something that isn¡¯t human, it might bring them back to Meena.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been arrested before.¡± Blake shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to give away his secrets just to get at Meena. Not really his style.¡±


    ¡°What made you think he wasn¡¯t human?¡± Violet sat on the couch, her legs tucked under her. ¡°He looked like your run-of-the-mill bad guy.¡±


    I could feel Blake standing behind me and hesitated. Explaining this was only going to further the evidence that I wasn¡¯t human. ¡°He had gills and his eyes changed. It was¡­ scary. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± I shuddered, remembering the hate in his eyes. ¡°And he told me. Told me that his mother had been a mermaid.¡± I bit my lip. What if I couldn¡¯t have children with a human? What if I had never met Devin and gone on to get married, having no idea?


    ¡°But he wasn¡¯t a mermaid?¡± Dad¡¯s voice was quiet and I could see the scientist in his eyes working out the same conclusion that I¡¯d come to. ¡°Blake, did he look different to you?¡±


    ¡°Looked like an asshole.¡± He shifted closer to me, his hand brushing my lower back gently, and I wondered if he had understood the implications. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any gills, but I wasn¡¯t really looking.¡±


    ¡°He smelled horrible, too. I noticed it a couple of times. Like something rotting in the sun.¡± I made a face, remembering how bad it was. ¡°I heal when I change, what if¡­¡± I darted for the door. What if he¡¯d gone to the water? The closest water to the fish house was Mitch and Jallia¡¯s pen. I fumbled with the door handle for a second, but managed to get it open.


    My legs wobbled as I took the stairs down, but Blake was right behind me and reached out to steady me. I took the path as quickly as I could, my heart racing. When I hit the gate that blocked the path to the swimming areas I slammed the palm of my hand down on the latch and fought to open it.


    ¡°Mitch!¡±


    Blake¡¯s¡¯ sure hands slid past mine and worked the gate open. I kicked my slippers off as I ran down the dock and practically fell down the ladder. I could hear the dolphins, but none of them had surfaced. I dove into the water and swam for the other side of the enclosure. There was a splash behind me as someone else jumped into the water, but I didn¡¯t bother looking to see who it was.


    Stormy was the first to surface, his angry clicks letting me know that something was wrong. There was a nasty looking scrape along his head, but he was too upset to let me look at it. Mitch surfaced with Jallia, her agitated movements adding to my anxiety. I grabbed Stormy¡¯s fin and let him pull me to the others.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you all okay?¡± Mitch whistled plaintively and I turned to look at Jallia. She was angry, but looked unhurt. They were all passing along their fear and frustration. The most I could pick out from them was an impression of a shark, but that didn¡¯t seem right. I ran my hands over Jallia¡¯s belly and tried to see if there was anything wrong with the baby.


    ¡°Meena!¡± Blake swam near us but kept his distance, wary of the angry dolphins. Mitch immediately shot toward him, pushing against him so that he moved forward.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to keep you close so she can protect you.¡± I watched her in shock. She had accepted Blake into her pod without another thought. She was signaling that Blake was ours.


    ¡°Are they okay?¡± He covered the last little space with quick strokes.


    ¡°They¡¯re upset. He must¡¯ve been here.¡± I looked for Dad and saw him walking along the top of the nets. He knelt down and by the look on his face I knew there was something wrong.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I raised my voice so that he would be able to hear me.

 Page 16

    ¡°Hole.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Big hole. We need to move the dolphins.¡±Advertisement


    Carefully, I thought out what I needed for Mitch, Stormy, and Jallia to do and sent it to them. With a quick whistle, Mitch rounded them up to the gate that led to one of the other areas. Flicking the lock open, I swung the gate out and let them swim through. We had been keeping that pen clear for when Jallia gave birth and we needed somewhere for the mom and baby to stay while guests were here, but it would work for now.


    ¡°How¡¯d they know what to do?¡± Blake took the gate from me and pushed it closed.


    ¡°I told them.¡± I watched his face, my stomach tightening. Just because he knew what I was didn¡¯t mean that he knew everything about me. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would be the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. There had to be something that would send him running for the hills.


    ¡°Told them how?¡± His brown eyes were trained on my face.


    ¡°They can feel what I need, what I¡¯m thinking.¡± I tread water for a second. ¡°Just like I can tell what they want.¡±


    ¡°So that first day I met Mitch, you told her to splash me?¡±


    My mouth fell open. That was the last thing I thought he¡¯d ask. ¡°No! She thought you were rude!¡±


    ¡°So she really understood what I had said?¡± We started swimming toward where Dad was standing above the hole.


    ¡°Yes. They are so much smarter than humans give them credit for.¡±


    ¡°Well, she likes me, so it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s smart.¡± He winked at me. She didn¡¯t just like him. Mitch had accepted him as part of the family, but I didn¡¯t know how to tell him that. It was a big deal for her to take to him so quickly and I still didn¡¯t understand her thoughts of him as mine.


    ¡°Meena, are you too tired to go down and take a look?¡± Dad was still kneeling on the boardwalk.


    ¡°No, I can do it.¡± The light was starting to fade, but the hole was obvious. The tear was large enough for me to fit through with no trouble. I pulled at the torn edges, confused by what had caused that type of damage.


    I surfaced and looked at Dad. ¡°Something shredded the net. It¡¯s a mess.¡± He cussed under his breath and stalked back toward the toolshed. It was a real pain to replace a whole side instead of just patching a small area.


    I swam to the platform to haul myself out of the water but didn¡¯t have the energy. Crossing my arms, I laid my head down on the platform and let my body just float. There was so much going on and I was emotionally and physically exhausted. Blake pulled himself out of the water and leaned down over me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡± I reached up and let him grasp my hands. With one tug he pulled me out of the water and against his chest. Once we were up the ladder, he found my slippers and then slid an arm around my waist.


    When we got back to the house, Mom made us all some quick food. It was quiet for the most part, everyone eating and lost in their own thoughts. Once we were finished, Blake got up and helped Mom clean the kitchen. I leaned on the counter and watched them work together. Mom would point him in the right direction and Blake would laugh when she made fun of him for not knowing what a strainer was.


    It was almost peaceful until I noticed the red marks that were still on my arms. Violet sat down on the stool next to me and leaned her head against my arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go.¡± She frowned. ¡°I guess I have an early flight in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do!¡± I smiled and hoped that I didn¡¯t look as bad as I felt.


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep me updated, right?¡± She cut her eyes to Blake and then back to me. ¡°About everything?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I hugged her, hating knowing this would be the last time that I saw her for months. ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay.¡± She grabbed her bag and flung it over her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll send pictures.¡±


    ¡°You better.¡±


    When she left I walked over to the couch and lay down. The sound of the clinking glasses and the low voices of my mother and Blake eased some of the ache in my soul. It wasn¡¯t long before my eyes closed and I¡¯d succumbed to my exhaustion.


    Chapter Sixteen


    - Meena -


    I shifted my head, trying to find a comfortable position. A soft snore made me open my eyes and I looked around, confused. I was still in the living room, with my head resting on Blake¡¯s leg. His head was tilted back against the couch, in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. The fingers of his left hand were wrapped around mine and when I tried to move, they tightened. He muttered something in his sleep, but I couldn¡¯t make it out. My heart warmed as I watched him. How could I have known that when I first saw him, I would end up falling in love with him? I thought I¡¯d hate him, thought he was nothing but a rich jerk. I¡¯d been so wrong.


    Why was he still here? And with me on the couch? Had he fallen asleep like I had? I didn¡¯t remember him sitting next to me, but here he was. The last I remembered was him washing dishes with Mom. Had they told him to stay? Or had he asked? I looked back at our hands and frowned. With one finger I traced the faint lines that ran around his wrist and then the lines that ran around mine. My heartbeat picked up as I noticed how similar they were. It almost looked like a pattern, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. They were so pale.


    ¡°What do you think they are?¡± His raspy voice made me jump. I looked up at him and frowned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake you up.¡± I bit my lip. My head was still in his lap, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°Tickled.¡± His eyelids were heavy as he looked at me and his voice was rough. I liked it.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I looked back at the lines, needing to focus on something other than how hot he looked when he woke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are. I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡±


    ¡°They match.¡± He shifted a little, sliding down in the seat so that my head neared dangerous areas. I was pretty sure that he was just getting comfortable, but my body was highly aware of his.


    ¡°They look similar,¡± I said.


    ¡°Like a pattern.¡± His voice rumbled deep in his chest.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I held my breath, not sure what to say. There was so much about me that I just didn¡¯t know. ¡°I wish I knew.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He opened his eyes a little more and smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you?¡± I had to know, to understand, why he wasn¡¯t freaking out. ¡°You should be upset. You were hurt yesterday, found out that I¡¯m a sea monster, and now this. I have no idea what it is, just that you¡¯re the only person it¡¯s ever happened with.¡±


    He let go of my fingers and shifted again, only this time, he pulled me into his lap. ¡°Because I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re a mermaid. No, that¡¯s not true. I do care, because it¡¯s part of you.¡± He traced my jaw with one finger. ¡°No more pulling away, it¡¯s driving me crazy. I want to know everything about you, Meena. How can I be upset about knowing the truth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ve caused something bad to happen to you.¡± I picked up his hand and looked at it. Oh, God, please don¡¯t let me have hurt him. The thought made me sick. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, Blake, just because I don¡¯t know enough about myself. And¡­¡± I trailed off, not sure what to say. How could I tell him that any relationship with me might be fruitless?


    ¡°Are you still worried about me leaving?¡± He closed laced his fingers through mine. ¡°You could come with me. We¡¯d plan it all out and you could swim in oceans all around the world.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­ don¡¯t know, Blake.¡± My heart was beating fast and I felt breathless. He wanted me to come with him? ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to be away from the water for more than half a day.¡±


    ¡°We can make it work.¡± His eyes were so intense, I wanted to believe him.


    ¡°They need me here.¡± I whispered the words, not wanting to see him upset.


    ¡°I know. Just think about it.¡± He continued playing with our hands and I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes. ¡°I could wait. Everyone needs a vacation.¡±


    He would wait for me? ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me. You¡¯ve known me for less than a month.¡±


    ¡°I know some things and I¡¯ll figure out the rest.¡± He seemed so Zen about it all, like it was no big deal to run off with a girl.


    ¡°Blake, I¡¯m not the kind of girl that runs off with a guy she just met.¡± But I was apparently the kind of girl that sat in his lap. But it was Blake and I knew him, deep down. Maybe not all the little bits to him, but I understood him.


    ¡°You think I would just ask any girl to come with me?¡± He sat up a little straighter. ¡°Meena, you¡¯re the only person I want to come with me.¡± His voice caught a little and I wondered what he was thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I said the words slowly, quietly.


    His kiss surprised me, but I quickly sank into it. His mouth was like magic, chasing away all my doubts and fears. Without thought I spun to face him, bracketing his legs with my own. I fisted my hands in his hair and kissed him back. With each touch, I felt a fire growing in my stomach. His hands slid down to my hips, pulling me closer to him. When I felt him pressed against me, I couldn¡¯t help the groan that escaped.


    ¡°Chaque nuit tu hantes mes r¨ºves.¡± He whispered the words against my mouth. I didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d said, but God, it was sexy.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I leaned back while he trailed kisses down my throat.


    ¡°You haunt my dreams, Meena. I dream about you every night.¡± His mouth came back to mine and the rest of my thoughts were lost.


    This kiss intensified as he teased my mouth open. I pressed closer to him, my need growing with each stroke of his tongue against mine. In a fluid movement, he flipped us over on the couch so that I was pressed beneath him. He moved between my legs and I could feel the hard length of him through our clothes and rational thought disappeared. I pulled at his shirt and slid my hands under the material, wanting to touch his skin. As I traced the contours of his abs and then his chest, his hand slid between us to cup my breast and I gasped.


    He pulled away from my mouth to kiss my neck and I moaned in pleasure. Never before had I wanted something as much as I wanted Blake. When he came back to kiss me, I was overwhelmed with the need to mark him, to make him mine. I nipped his bottom lip gently. Mine. He was mine. He chuckled and it made his body vibrate against mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± His voice was throaty as he kissed down my neck again.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He¡¯d said something, but I didn¡¯t understand. My brain was focused on other things.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours, you¡¯ve already marked me.¡± He switched sides, trailing hot kisses up my neck until he nipped at the bottom of my ear. His hand was under my shirt now, my bathing-suit top pushed up so that he could touch my bare skin. As his thumb rolled over my sensitive flesh, I squirmed in pleasure.


    Until his words registered in my head. I froze in shock. ¡°You felt that?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± His left hand grabbed mine, pressing it into the couch by my head, his fingers spreading through mine. He looked at me in confusion, his eyes half-lidded with desire. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You felt what I felt?¡± My heartbeat had accelerated for a completely different reason. I turned my head to look at our joined hands. ¡°You said I¡¯d already marked you.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± He looked at our hands and his eyes widened. ¡°I did. You did.¡±


    I scooted out from underneath him so that I could sit up and he watched as I readjusted my shirt, his eyes losing some of their glow. He held his hand up and looked at the white lines that seemed more defined along his wrist. Taking my hand, he moved them so that we were gripping each other¡¯s wrists. The white lines that formed the pattern seemed to swirl around my wrist and then travel over his.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡± The words fell out of my mouth in shock. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Have you been with anyone else?¡± Blake¡¯s eyes searched my face, looking for the answer.


    ¡°You mean, have I slept with anyone? No. How was I supposed to do that with this massive secret?¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Have you ever been attracted to anyone?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only cute guy in the world, Blake.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You think it¡¯s caused by attraction? Max kissed me before he went to college and nothing like this happened. What are you getting at?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes for a minute and I thought I saw a flash of jealousy, which amused me. ¡°Then it has to have something to do with just me.¡± He looked at me and I was knocked off guard by the flash of triumph. ¡°This isn¡¯t something that¡¯s happened because we¡¯ve kissed or are interested in each other. This is happening because it¡¯s us. The two of us.¡± He lifted our joined hands.


    ¡°Mireille said something that seemed weird the other night,¡± I said. ¡°That I had found him.¡±


    ¡°Everything that Mireille said was weird that night.¡± He smiled, but it didn¡¯t last long. His face took on an awed expression. ¡°But, she said you had found me. Like it was a search to find someone in particular. And I could feel you, what you were thinking.¡±


    I stood up and started pacing. I pushed the hair that escaped my braid out of my face and tried to figure out just what this meant. What it might mean for me. For Blake. I wanted this to be a good thing. Part of me wanted to leap for joy at the thought of keeping him, but I was terrified that he would regret it all. I didn¡¯t want us to end up like his parents. He was sitting in the dark on our couch and watching me like there was nothing wrong.


    ¡°Why are you so upset?¡± Blake¡¯s voice was calm and even.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± I stopped and looked at him. ¡°I feel like I trapped you!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t trap me.¡± He stood up and walked toward me. ¡°I want to be with you.¡±


    ¡°But what if this is permanent? What if there are side effects?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You might decide you hate me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± Blake was looking at me like he thought I was losing it, and he was right. ¡°I can¡¯t hate you.¡±


    ¡°Blake, you could be stuck with me and you¡¯re acting like it¡¯s no big deal!¡± I put my hands on my hips and stared at him.


    ¡°Are you upset about that?¡± The amused light in his eyes dampened. ¡°That you might be stuck with me?¡±

 Page 17

    ¡°No! You¡¯re perfect. Everything I could want. I¡¯m the freak, don¡¯t you get it?¡± A sound came from my parent¡¯s room and I lowered my voice. ¡°What if we have children one day and they come out like Devin?¡±Advertisement


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this would have happened if we couldn¡¯t have kids.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. ¡°Not that I¡¯m ready to have kids anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°He said that his mother was a mermaid.¡± I sat back down on the couch, sadness gripping me. ¡°I wanted to have kids one day. A big family.¡± I¡¯d never told anyone that before. It had seemed impossible that I would ever find someone I could be my true self with.


    ¡°Meena, let¡¯s think about this, okay?¡± He sat on the couch and grabbed my hand. ¡°This must happen for a reason, right? If you think about it like a scientist, it may be your body¡¯s way of showing that we¡¯re good for each other.¡±


    ¡°Mom and Dad are scientists. They¡¯ve done tests and still can¡¯t explain everything about me.¡± I was pretty sure there were tests that they could have run, but didn¡¯t, because they didn¡¯t want to hurt me or treat me like an experiment.


    ¡°Okay, say it¡¯s something¡­ otherworldly. I doubt it would happen unless it was a good thing for you.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m so confused.¡± Part of me wanted to throw him back on the couch and finish what we had started, but another part of me was worried that it would be bad for us.


    ¡°Then we find Jacen and Mireille.¡± Blake ducked his head so he could see my eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll look for them.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll go back to Sugar¡¯s. Go back to where you saw them swimming.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°We try to find them, but where does that leave us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like it if it left us back on the couch with you under me.¡± His eyes darkened for a minute and I licked my lips. I¡¯d like that too, but I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea.


    ¡°Want to go for a swim?¡± We needed to do something other than lay on the couch in the dark.


    ¡°I hope you mean skinny-dipping.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°C¡¯mon. I¡¯ll show you where I go.¡± I stood up and tugged on his hand.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m a pretty good swimmer, but I doubt I¡¯d be able to keep up with you.¡± He stood up and looked down into my eyes.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll just have to try harder.¡± We left the house quietly and headed for my beach. The moon was out just enough for us the see the water and the trees along the beach.


    Chapter Seventeen


    - Meena -


    We walked for a while and I let the sound of the waves soothe my heart. I could always count on the beach to calm me. I looked over at Blake and smiled when I realized he was watching me. I ducked my head and he pulled my hand up to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to my palm. We moved along the edge of the water, letting it lap at our feet. He didn¡¯t say anything, letting me work through my thoughts.


    I remembered the words he¡¯d whispered against my mouth while we kissed and felt my stomach jump. I wanted Blake. I was tired of not getting what I wanted. What if Blake decided he wouldn¡¯t wait for me? When I looked back at this summer, I didn¡¯t want to regret not making love to him. I stopped walking and looked up at him. I¡¯d come out here to swim, but maybe¡­


    ¡°You look nervous.¡± His eyes twinkled in the starlight. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I reached over and grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling his head down to mine. His mouth was heaven: warm and soft. There was no hesitation for him, no nerves. His hands slid around my waist and pulled me against his smooth chest. One of his hands slid up to cup the back of my head and his other hand slid down to play with the waist of my shorts.


    When he moved to kiss down my neck, I pulled the edge of his shirt up. He leaned back, letting go of me so that I could pull it over his head. His eyes were dark as he watched me. As soon as I dropped his shirt to the sand, his hands pulled at the bottom of my shirt, lifting it slowly over my head like he was opening a present. He threw my shirt on top of his and then reached around me to tug the strings of my bikini top. I swallowed when I felt it fall loose around my ribs. Taking a deep breath, I reached up and undid the tie around my neck.


    I tossed it on the top of the pile of clothes as his hands slid around my waist, resting on my hips. Gently, he pulled me to him and I shivered when my bare skin pressed to his. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip and I opened my mouth in invitation. When his tongue brushed against mine, I moaned in pleasure. It was a long, slow kiss that left me breathless and my mind spinning. His hands moved up from my waist and around to my breasts. He traced my nipples with his thumbs, teasing them until they were tight.


    He pulled away from my mouth and trailed kisses over my jaw, lingering over the pulse points under my ears. I ran my hands up into his hair and tilted my head back, letting him kiss all the way down my throat. When his mouth slid over my breast, I gasped and closed my eyes in pleasure. His tongue teased my nipple before sucking it into his mouth. My knees felt weak, but he slid his arm around my waist, pressing me against him.


    Feeling the hard length of him tucked in the hollow of my hip made me feel light-headed. Reaching between us, I traced him with my fingertips and he growled deep in his throat. With a soft breath he stepped back and looked down into my eyes before hooking his fingers in the edge of my shorts. Slowly he pushed them down until they fell to the sand. His eyes ran over me hungrily.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re gorgeous.¡± The words rumbled out of his mouth. I felt beautiful with his eyes on me.


    I moved toward him and reached for the drawstring of his shorts. He watched me with half-lidded eyes while a light breeze blew in from the water and ruffled his hair. Slowly I undid the knot of his shorts and slipped my fingers under the waistband. I looked up into his eyes as I pulled them down, carefully working them over the swollen length of him and the tight muscles of his butt.


    He pulled me down, his eyes on mine as he ran his hands over my skin. He kissed me, slowly moving so that I lay back in the wet sand. Using his knee, he spread my legs and moved to the side. His fingers ran over my belly before testing between my thighs. It was strange and wonderful all at the same time. His fingers teased me until I was moaning. Gently, he pressed inside of me and I gasped. His long fingers moved in a leisurely rhythm that my body seemed to understand.


    His lips moved from my mouth and down to my breast, deliberately torturing me with pleasure. When my hips began to move against his hand, he slowed, dragging it out.


    ¡°More, Blake.¡± I pulled his face back to mine and ran kisses down his cheek. ¡°More.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± His eyes stared into mine, looking for the truth.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    He rolled away for just a second and came back with his swim trunks. He pulled a condom out of his shorts pocket and I kissed him while he put it on. I didn¡¯t know if I should be amused that he carried a condom around, worried, or relieved. I decided to just be glad; it was one less concern.


    He shifted his weight, sliding between my legs, and I arched my back, lifting my hips from the sand. One of his hands pulled my arm above my head, twining our fingers together, while the other moved down to my hip. His lips found mine, kissing me as he slowly guided his body into mine. I couldn¡¯t help gasping once he was all the way in and he stilled.


    ¡°Give it a minute,¡± he whispered. The water lapped around us as only our mouths moved in a long, scorching kiss.


    After what felt like an eternity, he moved softly, rocking against me. He moaned deep in his throat and I closed my eyes in pleasure. I moved my hips, learning the rhythm, meeting each of his slow thrusts with my own. When he began to move faster against me, I gladly joined him. As I neared the peak, my breath was coming in short pants and I trailed my free hand up and down his back. There was a stinging sensation along my wrist, but it was nothing compared to what Blake was doing to my heart.


    With a sharp burst of pleasure, I dug my fingernails into his shoulder and groaned into his mouth. With two more fast thrusts, he joined me, panting against my shoulder. He moved his hand away from my waist to support his weight. His mouth moved back to mine, kissing me slowly, gently. When he finally pulled back to look at me, there was a content smile on his face that warmed my soul.


    He turned to the side, and I followed his gaze to our joined hands. The white lines were bright and vibrant. There was no missing them now. They reminded me of gentle waves that tied us together. Blake looked back at me and his smile grew. Leaning on his elbow, he carefully brushed some of the hair away from my face.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no denying the lines now.¡± His voice rumbled in his chest, which caused interesting sensations since we were still connected.


    ¡°Might be hard to explain.¡± I frowned when he laughed. He leaned down and kissed me once before placing a little kiss on my nose. We looked at them for a while, seeing how they matched. The lines were so fine it almost looked like there was a piece of white lace wrapped around our wrists.


    ¡°Still want that swim?¡±


    ¡°Might be a good idea.¡± Now that I wasn¡¯t caught up in the moment, I realized there was sand in uncomfortable places.


    He kissed me again, sweetly, before rolling to the side and standing up. He held his hand out and I let him help me up. I blushed a little, looking at him standing there naked, but I was also a bit proud of myself. He was mine. I brushed some of the sand off my butt and walked over to our clothes while he cleaned himself up. I picked up his shorts and tossed them to him and grabbed my bathing suit.


    ¡°If I¡¯d known it meant you were going to get dressed, I wouldn¡¯t have reminded you.¡± He wrapped his arms around my waist, making it hard for me to tie the strings in the back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to get caught swimming with no clothes, right?¡± I smiled at him over my shoulder.


    ¡°Fine. Clothed.¡± He slipped his trunks on and watched as I tied my bikini bottom around my wrist. ¡°So that¡¯s where you had your bottoms that night I caught you swimming.¡±


    I laughed, remembering how freaked out I had been. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s irritating to carry them around, but I¡¯m used to it now.¡± I took his hand and we waded out in the water.


    ¡°So, I get to watch this time?¡± He looked down at me, his eyes intense.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I bit my lip. Somehow, letting him watch me change felt just as intimate as what we did on the beach. ¡°But it¡¯s not a very slow process.¡±


    I sank to my knees in the water and called for my tail. I braced myself with my hands and my back bowed. As my legs melded together and my flukes appeared, I rolled over in the water so that Blake could see better. I watched his face through the water and saw nothing but amazement. Once the change was complete, I swam a little farther out and surfaced, beckoning him with a finger.


    ¡°You know how I said there were some things my parents couldn¡¯t explain?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He swam toward me, his eyes on mine.


    ¡°One of them is that I can take people with me.¡± I smiled when his eyes lit up.


    ¡°You mean underwater?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I reached for him. ¡°But you have to stay touching me at all times.¡±


    ¡°So far, so good.¡± He ran a hand down my back to let it rest on my hip. I tugged him forward and pressed his lips to mine. Once I was certain he was thoroughly distracted I pulled us under the water.


    Chapter Eighteen


    - Blake -


    I didn¡¯t realize that we were underwater. All I could think about was Meena pressed against my chest, her lips moving with mine. When she ran her hands down over my arms I shivered. Slowly she pulled my hands away from her waist and twined our fingers together. When she leaned back enough to look at me, I almost choked. Literally, on water.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Bubbles floated out of my mouth and I watched them in amazement. Her face was amused, as if this was no big deal. But it was. It was a huge thing to be under the water and to not miss the air. She cocked her head to the side and I could tell that she wanted to know if I was okay, so I nodded my head.


    I looked around us and realized that things seemed clearer than they should. Normally I needed goggles to be able to see this well underwater. The moonlight trickled through the water, lighting the sandy bottom. Fish swam just out of reach, completely unbothered by our presence. I looked back at Meena and smiled. This might be the coolest thing I¡¯ve ever experienced.


    Her smile grew and I knew she understood what I was thinking. I wondered if she could sense what anyone was thinking if they were swimming with her like this and she shook her head. Her hair swirled around her head like something out of a dream. She let go of one of my hands and held up one finger and then touched my chest.


    I looked at our hands and stared in wonder. The white lines seemed to almost glow and I knew that this was something special, nothing to be scared of. I could also sense that she was still frightened, worried that she had unwittingly trapped me forever. Her eyes were sad and her lips were pressed together. She thought that somehow she had denied me a choice.


    How could I explain that I had made the choice? Meena had captured my heart before we¡¯d ever touched. I¡¯d never believed in love at first sight, but it had happened to us. To me, at least. She smiled sadly, and I wondered just how much of what I was thinking she could understand. Could she feel that I was in love with her? Running my free hand over her hair, I pulled her face back to mine. Her lips were sweet, and despite being under the water, she tasted only of Meena.


    She pressed against me, her tail causing small currents to roll around us. Her perky breasts brushed against my chest and her hair tickled my face. I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding on as we floated through the water. If I hadn¡¯t just made love to her on the beach, this would have been the most erotic kiss I had ever experienced.


    Eventually, she pulled back and looked at me. Her eyes slowly moved over my face and she smiled. Tugging on my hand, she began to swim, pulling me along with her. I kicked my feet, trying to help as she cut through the water. I wasn¡¯t sure where we were going, but my weight didn¡¯t seem to be causing her any trouble.


    Eventually, she veered away from the beach and headed out to sea. I felt naked this far out from land. There were no boats, life vests, not even water wings. Meena looked back at me and bubbles escaped her mouth. It took me a minute to realize that she was laughing at me. She squeezed my hand tighter but didn¡¯t stop swimming. I was guessing that she might have gotten an image of my water-wing idea.

 Page 18

    Soon a dark shadow came into view¡ªa reef that jutted up from the ground. Fish swam along the area, completely unimpressed with us. She pointed out some of the little fish that were hiding in holes and an octopus that was looking for dinner. A group of wild dolphins swam close and chittered in excitement. Meena smiled, and I realized that she knew this pod. For a while we played along the reef, the dolphins blowing bubbles and swimming around at crazy speeds.Advertisement


    They all came to say hello to Meena, playing and talking with her like they were people instead of dolphins. I remembered her telling me that they were smarter than humans gave them credit for, so they were probably having actual conversations that I couldn¡¯t understand. I didn¡¯t mind. In fact, I enjoyed watching it all.


    A young dolphin was nosing around me, pushing at me in an attempt to get me to play. I scratched along her chin and smiled. I didn¡¯t know how old she was, just that she acted like every little kid I had ever met. Hyper and excited. She kept nudging at me, wanting to play, but Meena was busy watching the one that I thought was the mother. I turned toward Meena to show her the little one when a larger dolphin shot between us, barely missing my face with its tail. I let go of Meena¡¯s hand without thinking, trying to keep from being battered.


    Water filled my nose and I exhaled to try and clear it. I started swimming for the surface, but it was at least twenty feet above us. Arms wrapped around me and Meena propelled us to the surface. I coughed, the water that I had swallowed making me feel green. She wrapped her hand around my arm and I immediately started to feel better. I wondered if she was passing on her water breathing ability.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Her face was worried. She shook her head as some of the dolphins surfaced around us. ¡°They didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, they just didn¡¯t understand. They just wanted to play with my¡­ mate.¡±


    I coughed again, unable to talk. The younger dolphin nudged me in the shoulder and made a mournful sound. I distractedly rubbed its head to let it know I wasn¡¯t upset. I looked at Meena, shock rolling through my system at her words.


    ¡°Mate?¡± It made sense. The markings that were more defined, the way we could feel each other.


    She bit her bottom lip and blushed. ¡°That¡¯s what they were calling you.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± I looked at the smiling faces of the dolphins around us and wondered how they knew. I was surprised and relieved that it meant Meena really was mine. She had said she¡¯d think about going with me, but I wasn¡¯t sure she would.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Blake.¡± She shook her head and tears formed in her eyes. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a way to reverse it.¡±


    My heart stopped beating and the little dolphin nudged my shoulder worriedly. Reverse it? I wanted to leave the island, to explore the world, and find out more about myself. But I didn¡¯t want to leave Meena. She was part of me. The tears that had been shimmering in her eyes were now running down her cheeks and I kicked myself for taking so long to respond.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to reverse it, Meena.¡± She had drifted away a little, so I swam closer and pulled her against me.


    ¡°I trapped you! I didn¡¯t mean to, but I did!¡± Her tail swished angrily under the water. ¡°If we can¡¯t reverse it, then you¡¯ll always be linked to me. What are you going to do when you find someone in France or Italy and they ask about the markings on your arm? ¡®Oh, that? It¡¯s nothing. Just the thing that links me to my mermaid mate.¡¯¡± Her impression of me almost made me smile, but I could tell that she was really upset.


    ¡°Meena¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Blake. You want to see the world and I can¡¯t do that! I¡¯d just hold you back from your dreams. If we don¡¯t reverse it, you¡¯ll feel guilty following your heart.¡± She choked up for a minute and I reached out to soothe her, but she wouldn¡¯t let me touch her. ¡°What if you get married one day? And we¡¯re still linked?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I just marry you?¡± It was simple, obvious. Why was she making this so hard? The shock on her face was fascinating to watch. So many emotions played over her features, I wasn¡¯t sure what all they were. Had there been any happiness at all?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your parents! I don¡¯t want you to be with me because you have to be!¡± She swam away and then back, almost like she was pacing. ¡°I want you to love me the way I love you. Not marry me because you have to. Because I trapped you.¡±


    ¡°I do love you.¡± I said the words slowly, quietly. My heart was beating fast and it was taking all my strength to keep from shouting. She had said she loved me. She loved me. I don¡¯t think she even realized she had said it. ¡°You didn¡¯t trap me. You didn¡¯t set out to make me your mate. It happened because that¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to be to each other.¡±


    ¡°You love me?¡± She froze in place, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I grabbed her arm and gently pulled her to me. ¡°I love you. I think I¡¯ve loved you this whole time but was too stupid to realize it.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°You are kind of stupid.¡±


    ¡°Apparently you love stupid.¡± I cupped her cheek in my hand and let my eyes run over her face. Meena. My mate.


    ¡°I do. I love you.¡± She sighed and closed her eyes. ¡°The last week has been hell. I hated staying away from you so much I had nightmares.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at me. ¡°But is that because of this bond? Do you love me or is it the bond that makes you love me?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Meena.¡± I ducked my head so I could look in her eyes. ¡°I love you. The way you smile, the way you care about your family. I even love your bad jokes. When we find Jacen and Mireille, I¡¯m willing to bet that they will tell you we have this bond because we were meant to love each other.¡±


    ¡°Who knew Blake Weathering was a romantic?¡± The corners of her mouth pulled up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get around. It would ruin my image.¡± I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her against me. ¡°I love you, Meena. We¡¯ll figure this out.¡±


    ¡°We should head back.¡± Her voice was wistful and I understood her reluctance. The sky was starting to brighten, the faint light making the water sparkle around us. I didn¡¯t want to give up this time with her, but it wasn¡¯t safe for us to be out in the water during daylight.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t let go.¡± I grinned and threaded my fingers through hers.


    The swim back felt shorter than on the way out and I was disappointed when I recognized her little beach. We slowed and I knew that Meena was sad to give up this time too. There was still so much that we needed to figure out. She brought us to the surface a ways from the beach and bit her lip.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted to skip work before.¡±


    ¡°We could play hooky,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Hooky?¡± She scrunched up her nose.


    ¡°What, you¡¯ve never played hooky?¡± I laughed at her expression.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± she said. She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. ¡°I have a sense of responsibility, unlike some people.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I only play hooky for good reasons! Like swimming with mermaids.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°We can¡¯t swim during the day. It¡¯s too risky.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You win, Ms. Responsible.¡± I tapped her nose.


    ¡°You could come with me again tonight,¡± she offered. She looked at me through her eyelashes and it was one of the sexiest things I¡¯d seen.


    ¡°Swimming?¡± My voice had dropped and my mind had gone somewhere darker and sweatier. ¡°Or skinny-dipping?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to show up to find out.¡± Oh, she was a tease and I was taking the bait.


    ¡°I think I can work that out.¡± A soft blush ran over her cheeks and I wondered just what she was thinking.


    I tilted my head and was going in for a kiss when I saw the shadow coming up behind her. Without thinking, I spun her behind me and pushed her toward the beach. ¡°Swim, Meena!¡±


    Chapter Nineteen


    - Meena -


    Something slammed into Blake, pushing him under the water. My response was immediate and loud. I screamed. A dorsal fin rose out of the water, but it was like nothing I had seen before. It was brown and attached to a back that was too narrow to belong to a shark.


    I dove under the water and tried to make sense of what was happening. Blake was fighting off something that looked like a person with the head of a bull shark. Blood filled the water and fear choked me as I swam toward them. I had nothing on me that could help¡ªno weapons or tools¡ªbut I had to try. I had to do something. There was a conch shell on the sea floor, so I swooped down and grabbed it on my way. I slammed the shell against the monster trying to kill Blake and heard a loud crack as piece of the shell fell off.


    I could feel Blake trying to urge me to swim away, but there was no way I could leave him. Switching tactics, I slammed the sharp end of the shell into the monster¡¯s nose, remembering that was a sensitive location on sharks. I don¡¯t know how many times I rammed that broken shell into the beast, but there was a terrible sound and he let go of Blake. Grabbing his good arm, I raced for the beach, but the animal was right behind me. The shallows were just in sight and I wouldn¡¯t be able to swim much farther. I hoped that it would stop the creature, but when I looked back he was crawling along the bottom. Instead of fins, he had the long brown arms and legs of a human.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what I was seeing; it was the scariest thing I had ever faced. All this time I had thought I was a sea monster, but had never imagined something like this existed. My head broke the surface and I tried to lift Blake out of the water. His eyes were closed and I tried to shake him as I crawled along the sand.


    ¡°Blake, wake up! Wake up!¡± There was a long cut on his left arm and the water was turning red. I continued on, all too aware that the creature was right on us. The brown back broke through the water and I tried to move faster. Without legs, trying to crawl through the water was almost impossible and I didn¡¯t have the time to change. ¡°Blake. Please, Blake.¡±


    There was a thin noise as something shot through the water. I looked back over Blake and gasped when the beast raised its head out of the water and roared. I froze, partly in shock and partly in horror. The shaft from a spear stuck out of his side and he whipped his head back and forth. I scrambled back, trying to pull Blake into my lap. He was groaning, the only sign he was still alive.


    The monster looked at me and roared, his face shifting just enough that I could see the human underneath. Devin¡¯s hate-filled eyes spit malice at me. He moved in my direction and another shaft impaled his side, closer to the gills, with a sickening thunk. My breathing stopped and I watched, shocked, as he fell to the sand, shaking. His body was grotesque¡ªpart man, part shark. His face contorted into something completely inhuman with razor-sharp teeth jutting out of his jaws.


    I looked from the monster to where Jacen stood in the shallows. His eyes were trained on Devin with a fierce look. Mireille was coming out of the water behind him, a worried look on her face as she rushed to my side. They were both naked except for the bag that was hanging over Mireille¡¯s shoulders, but I didn¡¯t care. They could have been wearing nun habits and it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. All that mattered was that Blake was dying in my arms.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Jacen knelt down, his sea-green eyes running over my face.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s Blake.¡± My fingers were pressed against the gash along his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. ¡°We need an ambulance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a phone.¡± Mireille dug through her bag and came out with a waterproof box. She popped it open and turned on the cell phone that was inside.


    Jacen pulled the bag off his cousin¡¯s shoulder while she dialed. He dug through it and pulled out a T-shirt that he helped me wrap around Blake¡¯s wound. I pushed my fingers against the bloody material once we had it in place, trying to help slow the bleeding. Jacen pulled out a pair of swim trunks and quickly put them on before ducking back down to check Blake.


    ¡°I need your address, Meena.¡± Mireille¡¯s blue hair hung lankly about her shoulders. I told her where to send the paramedics and then asked her to call my parents.


    ¡°Let me take him so you can change.¡± Jacen looked into my eyes and I could see the concern etched there. Again, I had that feeling like he was familiar, someone that I should know. I shifted Blake out of my lap and wiggled toward the deeper water. As I shifted, Jacen lifted Blake in his arms and carried him up to the beach. I left the water and pulled on my bathing suit bottom as I ran to where Blake lay.


    I could hear my parents running down the path and Mireille was quickly pulling on a shirt when I looked in that direction. Mom rounded the corner of the trail first. She was carrying a first-aid kit and had a towel over her shoulder. Dad was on his cell phone and I wondered who he was talking to.


    ¡°Blake, please. Please hang on.¡± I brushed the hair out of his eyes. He was so pale he looked dead.


    He coughed up a little water and blinked his eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± I scooted around and leaned over so I could see his face better. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, but the ambulance is on its way.¡± Tears ran down my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t stop them and was fighting to not lose complete control. Blake¡¯s eyes drifted shut again.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay, man.¡± Jacen leaned over and moved the shirt a little to check the wound. ¡°You¡¯re healing already.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I looked at Jacen like he was crazy.


    ¡°You sealed the mating bond, so he¡¯s already healing.¡± Mireille knelt down next to me. ¡°He¡¯d probably be dead if you hadn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean!¡± I yelled the words. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about a bond or what¡¯s going on!¡± My nerves were shot and I felt lost. ¡°What were you doing here anyway?¡± My voice tapered off. I was drained from the burst of adrenaline and the worry.


    ¡°We know.¡± Mireille reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been looking for you. We caught whiff of a siren swimming nearby the other day, which is why we came prepared. They hate mermaids and Jacen thought that it might have been tailing you.¡±


    ¡°Siren?¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°I¡¯m so lost.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help.¡± Mireille grabbed my hand.


    ¡°Meena! Blake!¡± Mom fell to the ground next to me and ran her hands over Blake¡¯s face. ¡°What happened?¡±

 Page 19

    ¡°We were attacked. Devin¡­¡± I turned to look at the remains of the monster that had tried to kill us. ¡°Blake pushed me out of the way. He saved me.¡± My breath hiccupped out of me and I realized I was close to losing it for real.Advertisement


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Dad knelt next to us and helped Mom slide the towel under Blake¡¯s head and shoulder. His eyes slid over Blake to Devin¡¯s dead form. ¡°We have to get rid of that before the paramedics arrive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Jacen held his hand out to Dad. ¡°Jacen Montgomery.¡±


    ¡°Ben.¡± Dad shook his hand and they got up and waded out into the water. They dragged the carcass farther out, making sure that no one would see it from the beach.


    ¡°I called his father,¡± Dad said. He knelt back down to next to Blake.


    ¡°Oh, God. Just give me back to the mutant shark,¡± Blake groaned.


    ¡°Blake?¡± I ran my hand over his chest, relieved to see it moving.


    ¡°Really bad dream.¡± He peeked through one eye and grimaced. ¡°Mutant shark, naked blond dude, and you called my dad. Bad stuff.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I hiccup-laughed.


    ¡°Fine. Tough.¡±


    ¡°You scared the shit out of me,¡± I said. I leaned my forehead down to his. ¡°I thought you were dead.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± He smiled weakly.


    The sound of the ambulance nearing the sanctuary drew my attention up the beach. I was so relieved to know that help was here, I almost couldn¡¯t sit still.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get them.¡± Mom ran down the path. She came back quickly, a couple of paramedics following and carrying a backboard.


    ¡°They¡¯re here, Blake.¡± I brushed the hair out of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going with you, okay?¡±


    The paramedics were thorough, asking about the wounds, what type of shark it was. Once they had Blake loaded up on the stretcher, I followed behind, not even caring about finding my shoes. Mireille ran after me and handed me my clothes and flip-flops from the beach before they closed the ambulance doors.


    The paramedic in the back fussed over Blake while I slid my clothes on over my bathing suit. They explained everything that they were doing and didn¡¯t mind when I squeezed in so I could hold Blake¡¯s hand. He was looking much better and even seemed amused by my worry. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was from the drugs or because he was healing like Mireille said.


    ¡°Please tell me that they didn¡¯t really call my dad.¡± He looked at me over the breathing mask they had strapped around his head.


    ¡°Of course they called your father.¡± I shook my head.


    When we arrived at the hospital, they stopped me at the desk and told me that I wasn¡¯t allowed to go back. Blake tried to insist that I go with him, but it didn¡¯t do any good. I was sent to the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room. My parents showed up not long after the ambulance arrived and sat down with me. Jacen and Mireille were with them, wearing borrowed clothes. I wanted to ask them questions, but there were too many people around.


    Mireille scooted near me. ¡°If you are near him, he will heal faster. The more time you spend together, the stronger your mating bond will be.¡±


    ¡°I tried. They won¡¯t let me back there.¡± I shook my head. Mom was watching us worriedly and I wondered how much she understood.


    A black town car parked outside the ambulance doors and a boy that looked like a younger version of Blake hopped out. He ran straight to the desk and was waved through the back doors. There was no mistaking that it was Vince. I watched as he ran through the ER and was glad that he had shown up so quickly.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Vince came back out the doors and talked to the lady at the desk. After a minute he walked over to me and smiled.


    ¡°You must be Meena.¡± He held his hand out and I shook it.


    ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°Asking for you.¡± He was obviously amused. ¡°C¡¯mon. If I don¡¯t get you back there soon, he¡¯s likely to come out here looking for you.¡± He tucked my hand into the crook of his arm and led me through the doors.


    The smell of antiseptics and medicines burned my nose, but I could only think of seeing Blake. When Vince opened the curtains to a small cubicle, I almost tripped on my feet to get to Blake.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± His upper left arm was bandaged and there was an IV in his right arm. I brushed the hair away from his forehead and placed a small, soft kiss above his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s¡­ not as bad as we thought.¡± He hesitated for a minute, his eyes darting to his brother before coming back to me. ¡°Only stitches. No broken bones.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-two stitches, to be exact.¡± Vince stuck his hands in the pockets of his slacks. ¡°You haven¡¯t even left the island yet and you¡¯re already in trouble. I always thought it would a climbing accident, or parachuting. But a shark?¡± He shook his head sadly, a small smile playing over his lips. ¡°What were you doing out swimming that early anyway? Or do I want to know?¡± He shot a quick grin at me and I felt myself blush.


    ¡°Some things are not for a little brother¡¯s information.¡± Blake leaned back into his pillow and smiled.


    ¡°You really were just swimming, huh?¡± Vince laughed and I shook my head. Siblings would always confuse me. It was like they spoke a secret language or code. ¡°I guess sharks feed at dawn and dusk, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess that makes sense.¡± Blake frowned, shifting on the bed. A doctor stepped in and looked over the chart. He asked a few questions, made some marks on the clipboard.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man, Mr. Weathering.¡± He set the clipboard back on the end of the bed and left.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go out and give Liv a call. She¡¯s been freaking out.¡± Vince leaned down and hugged Blake. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, man.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Blake patted his back.


    Vince smiled at me on the way out and I felt my fake smile melt off my face. I searched Blake¡¯s eyes, wishing I could make everything better.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Meena.¡± He reached up and touched my cheek. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°You saved me.¡± My chuckle was a bit on the watery side, so I cleared my throat. ¡°Again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s two, sweetheart.¡± His smile grew a little. ¡°I¡¯m racking up points here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are.¡±


    ¡°So, have the others said anything?¡± He looked over my shoulder. ¡°About the bond?¡±


    ¡°Just that it¡¯s better for you if I¡¯m around.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Can¡¯t really talk here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± He smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll have time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I wanted to crawl into the bed and snuggle up to his side, but I had a feeling that his doctors wouldn¡¯t appreciate that, so I pulled the chair next to his bed instead.


    Someone opened the curtain and stepped in. He was wearing a suit and tie and carrying a cell phone in his hand, like he¡¯d just hung up. Cold eyes ran over me and then over Blake.


    ¡°I¡¯d like some ice water, please. And let the nurse know that we need a private room.¡± The cold words were directed at me and I frowned, confused. I looked from Blake to the man standing just inside the curtain. Who was this person and why did he think he could order me around?


    ¡°Dad, this is Meena. Meena, meet the real royal assness, my father.¡± Blake stared daggers at his dad.


    Chapter Twenty


    - Blake -


    ¡°Watch your language.¡± He didn¡¯t raise his voice, but I could see Meena flinch out of the corner of my eye. My father was a master at finding just the right tone. He eyed Meena, making me grind my teeth. I could literally see the gears turning in his head.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I reached out and grabbed Meena¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I received a phone call during a board meeting, telling me that my son had been attacked by a shark.¡± He checked something on his phone before sticking it in his pocket. ¡°This was the appropriate thing to do.¡±


    I saw Meena¡¯s eyes narrow. We really hadn¡¯t talked about my family that much and she was about to get an ugly crash course.


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡± I motioned to my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be out in no time.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± There was only one chair in the tiny space, so he was stuck standing at the foot of my bed. ¡°I expect you to be transferred to a private room. You can¡¯t be out here with everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Why? It looks bad?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, just stared at me. I sighed, tired, not wanting to deal with him and the back-and-forth bullshit. His eyes went back to Meena and he frowned. It was obvious that he expected her to leave, but she hadn¡¯t budged. I could feel her protective streak roiling under the surface and I knew that meant there was no way she would leave now.


    ¡°Is this why you turned Kimberly down?¡± His tone was casual, but I knew what he was doing.


    ¡°Kimberly?¡± Meena cut her eyes to me and I saw the doubt swirling in her eyes. Damn it.


    ¡°The heiress, Kimberly Jordan. She asked Blake to show her around the island.¡± He looked Meena up and down. The contempt was all for show, because Meena was a hundred times more gorgeous than Kimberly. ¡°Are you one of the convicts serving with my son?¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡± I tried to sit up, but my shoulder was still unusable.


    ¡°No. My father owns the place where your son is serving his community service.¡± She shook the hair out of her face and I almost smiled when I saw the fire dancing in her eyes. ¡°And yes. I¡¯m the reason he turned down what¡¯s her name.¡±


    ¡°I see. One last fling, then? I do hope you¡¯ve been getting yourself tested, Blake.¡± His expression was bored, but I could see that he was working to keep things where he wanted.


    ¡°Really? This is how you behave?¡± Meena stood up and took a step toward Dad. ¡°Your son is in a hospital bed and you haven¡¯t asked him how he is once. You don¡¯t belong here. You should just leave.¡±


    ¡°Only family is allowed to be in here.¡± He looked down his nose. ¡°You are not welcome.¡±


    ¡°Meena is my family.¡± I narrowed my eyes at Dad. ¡°And she¡¯s right. It¡¯s time for you to go.¡±


    He shook his wrist and looked down at his watch. ¡°I have another meeting tonight and there is a dinner tomorrow night. If you¡¯re out of the hospital, I expect you to be there.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I leaned back into my pillow.


    ¡°If you live under my roof, then you will abide by my rules.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m moving out.¡± I shifted on my pillow and couldn¡¯t help my smile.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, Blake? You owe this family dedication.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t ask you to pay off the judge. You did that on your own.¡± I glared at him. ¡°One of the guys that got sent to Flukes attacked Meena.¡±


    ¡°She seems to be fine.¡± He looked at her and frowned. It was one of the few times I¡¯d seen him actually rethinking his decision. ¡°Besides, you wouldn¡¯t have met her had I not done what I did.¡±


    ¡°The only way I can win with you is to forget you exist. Like everyone else in our family has to.¡± I shifted in the bed again. ¡°I was going to leave as soon as I finished the community service anyway, but I¡¯ll just go ahead and move my stuff out.¡±


    ¡°And what? Get a job?¡± He laughed. ¡°I can imagine you digging ditches. You¡¯d do it just to embarrass me.¡±


    ¡°Blake has a job at Flukes.¡± Meena glared at my father. ¡°He will always be welcome there.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to need one.¡± Dad buttoned his suit jacket. ¡°I will cancel all your credit cards.¡± He looked at me with disdain. ¡°And you can kiss the trust fund goodbye.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Dad.¡± I shrugged and winced when the stitches pulled. Fucking mutant shark. ¡°I¡¯ll give it all up if it means that I don¡¯t have to be like you. Every damn cent.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± His eyes narrowed on mine and I could see him thinking through things, trying to remember if he had signed any documents concerning my money.


    I shrugged. I wasn¡¯t worried. In fact, for the first time in a long time, I felt relieved. He left without saying anything else. It was a nice break. I took a deep breath and looked at Meena. She glared at the shifting curtains and I could tell that she was feeling violent. I squeezed her fingers and she looked back at me.


    ¡°Sorry about that. It was going to happen eventually, and it might as well have happened now.¡± I hesitated for a minute. ¡°Will you do me a favor? Would you go get Vince for me? I need to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She leaned down and brushed a kiss over my lips. God, I¡¯d never get tired of how she tasted. She left my little cubicle and I closed my eyes. I¡¯d come so close to losing her today, I was sure I¡¯d have nightmares for life.


    ¡°What the hell did you say to Dad?¡± Vince walked through the curtain, frowning. ¡°He made some nurse cry.¡± Meena wasn¡¯t with him, but that might be for the best right now.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I ran a hand through my hair and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m moving out.¡±


    ¡°We already knew you were planning on leaving.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m just getting my own place.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°But I think you should consider moving in with Mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I called her when Dad told me that you were in the hospital.¡± He shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s already booked a flight here.¡± He shifted from foot to foot. ¡°You know I would¡¯ve been here sooner, right? Dad didn¡¯t call me until after his meeting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, dude.¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be around to keep Dad off your back. I think you were doing it for me more than the other way around, though.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve watched out for each other.¡± Vince sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled at my bandage. He grimaced at the blood and let go. ¡°So, you¡¯re staying, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I was still going to find a way to travel with Meena, but it would be cool to make the island our home base. I would make sure she got to see all the places she wanted to.


    ¡°And this is because of Meena? Kind of a big deal for someone you haven¡¯t known for very long.¡± Vince cocked his head to the side.

 Page 20

    ¡°I love her.¡± I was saying that a lot lately, but it was true.Advertisement


    ¡°Oookay.¡± Vincent blinked. ¡°That¡¯s a first. Does she know?¡±


    ¡°She knows.¡±


    ¡°Good. I like her.¡± Vince pulled one of his legs up on the bed and smiled. ¡°She seems so natural. None of that fake crap and she¡¯s still gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°I noticed.¡±


    ¡°I bet.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you.¡±


    ¡°You love Paris. And Liv spends six months out of the year there anyway.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be different. At least I¡¯ll get snow for Christmas.¡±


    ¡°And maybe a boyfriend with a French accent.¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°That would be a plus.¡± His cheeks turned pink but he laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you, too.¡± I shoved his knee off the bed.


    ¡°What the hell is that on your hand? Is that a tattoo?¡± He grabbed for my hand but I pulled it out of his reach.


    ¡°It¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°Right. You¡¯ve gotten really weird, you know that?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°You have no idea.¡±


    Meena peeked back in the curtain and smiled at us. Just seeing her again made my heart beat faster.


    ¡°Mind if I come in?¡±


    ¡°I left you the chair.¡± Vince pointed at the ugly thing next to the bed.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She sat down and smiled at me. ¡°So, I saw the doctor in the waiting room. He told Dad that once they did a couple more tests and got the x-rays back, you¡¯d be good to go. Probably only overnight.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± I tried to sit up and Vince pushed me gently back down.


    ¡°Um, that means you get to stay in bed a little longer.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Enjoy it. You deserve a little rest.¡±


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Meena would have to go back to the ocean tonight and I didn¡¯t want to be without her. She gave me a small smile and I knew she was thinking the same thing. It could have been much worse, though.


    ¡°So, when Mom gets here do you want to go look for a new place? You know she¡¯s going to want to help pick it out.¡± Vince picked at the fuzzy crap on my blanket.


    ¡°New place?¡± Meena looked at me, her eyes surprised.


    ¡°Uh. That¡¯s my cue to go, huh?¡± Vince winced. ¡°Sorry, dude. Thought she knew.¡± He stood up and smiled at Meena. ¡°It was nice to meet you. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow to help you get to the house, Blake.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I frowned at him. Way to throw me in the fire. When he was gone, I turned to look at Meena. She was biting her lip and looking at the curtains around us. ¡°So. I¡¯m getting my own place.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Her cheeks were pink.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I laughed. ¡°Is that a good ¡®oh¡¯?¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m just still surprised.¡±


    ¡°By what?¡± I turned a little so that I could see her better.


    ¡°That you would stay for me.¡± Her blush deepened and I laughed quietly. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re so cute when you blush,¡± I said. ¡°I love you, Meena. I¡¯m staying. Maybe you could help me pick out a place.¡±


    Her blush deepened and I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Okay. Spit it out. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I talked to Mireille while you were talking to Vince.¡± She bit her lip and then shook her head. ¡°We can talk about it later. When you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh. I¡¯m stuck here and can¡¯t do anything. Tell me.¡± A thought popped in my head. ¡°Is it about the bond?¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay. And me getting a place makes you blush?¡± Her blush came back again. ¡°Am I really going to have to play twenty questions or are you going to tell me?¡±


    She pursed her lips and fiddled with the sheet of my bed.


    ¡°Meena, I took on a shark for you!¡± I raised my eyebrows. If I had brownie points then I was going to use them.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s low.¡± She glared at me. ¡°Fine. You know how they said we sealed the bond? Well, now that we¡¯ve done that, you¡¯ll be able to stay underwater longer and heal faster. And I¡¯ll be able to stay on land longer.¡±


    ¡°And how did we seal the bond?¡± I narrowed my eyes. I had an idea, but I wanted to hear her say it.


    ¡°We mated.¡± She looked up at me from under her eyelashes. ¡°It¡¯s a mating bond. Once you find the other half, you complete the bond by mating.¡±


    ¡°So, when we slept together the bond became complete?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She licked her lips and I wished I wasn¡¯t stuck in the damn hospital bed. I¡¯d seal the bond again, right this minute.


    ¡°I see.¡± I reached out and wrapped some of her hair around my finger. ¡°So far, I¡¯m not seeing any downside.¡±


    ¡°Once you mate, you can¡¯t spend much time apart. We need each other.¡± Her words were soft. ¡°Our bodies crave each other. And¡­ it¡¯s irreversible.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± It was a little sooner than I had thought it would happen, but that didn¡¯t make it a bad thing. ¡°So, in other words, we need to look for a place that will fit a king-sized bed.¡± I tugged on her hair so that she looked up at me. ¡°I¡¯ll warn you now, I¡¯m a blanket hog.¡±


    ¡°Blake, we don¡¯t have to do this anytime soon. We can wait a while.¡± She looked up at me. Her sadness was palpable. She would let me go if it would make me happy, no matter how much it killed her to do so. ¡°Maybe we could find a way to change it.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± My voice was a little sharper than I intended and her eyes widened. ¡°I thought you understood. I want you, Meena. All of you. For as long as I can have you. And if that is forever, then I¡¯m damn well going to take forever. If you don¡¯t want me, then you better speak up. And expect a fight, because I¡¯m going to try and change your mind.¡±


    She smiled, her face taking on a brighter cast. ¡°Then we need to look at somewhere near the beach.¡±


    ¡°I can live with that.¡±


    Chapter Twenty-One


    - Meena -


    Leaving the hospital wasn¡¯t an option. I needed Blake as much as I needed the ocean and for right now, the water could wait. We were moved to another room later that night and my parents had come to check on us. Mom and Dad had fussed over Blake, making him uncomfortable, and I¡¯d laughed. Seeing him treated with love made me happy. Mom had looked at our hands but hadn¡¯t said anything. I knew I¡¯d have questions to answer the next time we were alone.


    Mireille and Jacen brought a large pitcher of water when they came in the room and some salt packets. She dumped one of the little packets into a plastic cup and poured some water in.


    ¡°This will help you stay comfortable overnight.¡± She handed it to me and I took a sip. It wasn¡¯t the same as the ocean, but it did seem to ease the tightness of my skin. I looked at my parents with large eyes. Why hadn¡¯t we thought of this before?


    Blake¡¯s mother had arrived that morning, so I¡¯d left to give them some time. Claire Weathering was a tiny thing with huge brown eyes and short brown hair. Her two sons looked so much like her it was shocking. After meeting Blake¡¯s father, I hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect from a mother that had moved away. It had been a relief to see that she was as far from his father in reaction as you could get. When she entered the room she had gone immediately to his side and ran her hands over his face.


    She¡¯d spoken in French, her words quiet and musical. He¡¯d responded in kind and, if it was possible, it made him even sexier. I squirmed in my chair, thinking that I should leave and give them time, but Vince was blocking the doorway. Claire glanced at me, a soft smile on her face, before asking him a question. When Blake nodded his head, she looked back at me with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Meena? Blake said you saved his life.¡± She took both of my hands between hers and kissed my cheeks.


    ¡°No, Blake saved my life. He pushed me out of the way.¡± I looked over her shoulder at Blake and frowned.


    ¡°Yes, but you were able to get him help.¡± She squeezed my hands, drawing my attention back to her. ¡°He also told me that he¡¯s going to marry you one day.¡±


    My heart stopped and I looked back at Blake. He was smiling softly and raised an eyebrow. My mouth opened and closed once, trying to find words. Vince coughed and I had a sneaking suspicion that he was hiding a laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯d very much like that.¡± I bit my lip.


    ¡°Tres bien. You two will make me very pretty grandbabies.¡± She patted my cheek and fluttered back to Blake¡¯s side, fussing with his pillow. ¡°So, Vince is moving back home with me?¡± She looked at her younger son and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve missed my family.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you leave?¡± The words poured out of my mouth before I could stop them. I wanted to know, though. My parents would have fought the world to keep me at their side. In a way, they had.


    Her eyes were thoughtful as she looked at me. ¡°When I caught my husband with the first mistress, I accepted his apologies. The second time, I had no more love in my heart. I tried to leave, to take the children with me, but he controlled their futures.¡± She sat down in the chair and crossed her legs. ¡°He threatened that if I divorced him, he would cut them off. Tell everyone that he had found out they weren¡¯t his children. I had no doubt that he could pay off doctors to lie, so I did the only thing I could. Being a family man is important to him. He feels that it makes him look more stable, trustworthy. So, if I didn¡¯t push for divorce, he could just claim that I was on vacation.¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°We understood, ma m¨¨re.¡± Blake reached for his mother¡¯s hand. He was moving easily today and the doctors had tsked over his stitches.


    ¡°You understand some of it.¡± She squeezed his hand. ¡°What you don¡¯t know is that I¡¯ve spent the last few years funneling money into accounts for you three. Yours and Vincent¡¯s trust funds are safely tucked away in a Swiss bank account. Elizabeth¡¯s is already safely in her hands.¡±


    ¡°Does Dad know?¡± Vince came farther into the room.


    ¡°Unlikely. He has believed that he had me stuck under his thumb.¡± She shrugged, her expression reminding me of Blake¡¯s sneaky smile.


    ¡°You snuck our money out?¡± Blake leaned back on his pillow and laughed. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s going to shit.¡±


    ¡°Blake.¡± His mother admonished him softly but smiled. ¡°It would be a funny thing to see.¡±


    ¡°Please let me move my stuff out before he realizes what¡¯s happened.¡± Vince shuddered.


    The rest of the morning was spent talking and laughing, planning on getting Vincent moved out with as little friction as possible. When the nurse came with the release papers, Blake was already dressed and ready to go. They changed the bandage on his arm again and I got my first look at how much he had healed. My mother came in time to meet Claire and that had been an interesting conversation. To say Mom¡¯s face was comical when Claire started talking about grandbabies would be an understatement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± Blake kissed me, his warm breath making my heart pick up. He leaned close so that he could whisper in my ear. ¡°Then we need to figure out where we¡¯re going to live.¡±


    I followed Mom to the car and waited for the interrogation to begin. My parents never pried, they always treated me like an adult, but I couldn¡¯t blame her for wanting to understand what was going on.


    ¡°Meena, are you pregnant?¡± She was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat and hadn¡¯t put the key in the ignition yet.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not pregnant.¡± I frowned. ¡°Unless condoms don¡¯t work with mermaids.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why they wouldn¡¯t.¡± She let her breath out slowly. ¡°Are you going to tell me about the tattoo on your arm?¡±


    This was a little trickier. ¡°It¡¯s part of the mating bond.¡±


    ¡°A mating bond.¡± I could see her rolling the idea around in her head. ¡°And that¡¯s why Blake has a matching one. I take it that this is a new development?¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°What does this mean for you?¡±


    ¡°It started almost a month ago, but we didn¡¯t know what it was. It wasn¡¯t until we¡­¡± I was open with my mom. We talked about a lot of things, but what had happened on the beach that night was between Blake and me. ¡°We¡¯re linked now. Mireille said that when we hit a certain age, mermaids start looking for their mate; it¡¯s programmed into us. I just got lucky to find mine so quickly.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She smiled, and I was relieved to see that she wasn¡¯t upset. ¡°You¡¯re an adult, Meena. If you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy.¡± She lifted my hand and looked at the intricate lines that wrapped around my left hand. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous. I wonder if they all look like yours or if it¡¯s unique to the two of you.¡± She pulled me to her for a hug. ¡°There is so much that we never knew about you. I started out as a scientist, but you taught me to believe in magic.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something that I wanted to talk to you about.¡± I watched her as she put the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot.


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    By the time we got to Flukes, Mom and I had come to an agreement. She had said yes almost immediately, which thrilled me to no end. Dad waved at us, and I smiled when I got my first look at the new sign. It was beautiful, just the right design to stand out in a sea of tourist attractions.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He waved his arm like a game-show host.


    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous.¡± I wrapped an arm around his waist.


    ¡°It matches your eyes.¡± He looked down at me and I winked. I looked back and realized that he was right. The mermaid tail was almost the exact color of my scales and eyes.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I turned and looked at the rest of the sanctuary. The new greenery really popped, making everything look high-end and lush. I¡¯d only been gone for a day and a half, but the place looked amazing.


    ¡°C¡¯mon.¡± He tugged me down to the dolphin pens, and I realized that Mireille and Jacen were swimming with Mitch and Jallia.


    I hopped down the ladder to the floating platform and called for Mitch. She swam to me with excited squeals. Her excitement was contagious and I couldn¡¯t help laughing. She was so glad to see me and I was glad to see her, too.


    ¡°How¡¯s Blake?¡± Jacen swam over and rested his arms on the platform.

 Page 21

    ¡°Good. They sent him home.¡± The feeling that I should know him hit me again. ¡°Thank you. If you hadn¡¯t shown up, I don¡¯t think we would have made it.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± He narrowed his eyes for a minute. ¡°You must feel overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°A bit.¡± I watched as Mireille let Stormy push her through the water. Her blue hair was pulled back in a tight braid. ¡°So, is it real? Her hair?¡±


    Jacen laughed. ¡°She wishes. Mireille has a flair for the dramatic.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged. ¡°There is so much I don¡¯t know about us.¡±


    ¡°When I realized you seemed to not know what the bond was, I figured you might have been raised by humans.¡± He tilted his head up at me. ¡°It happens, rarely. Mermaids are a pretty close-knit community, so we notice when one of our own goes missing. But it does happen sometimes. Just like in the human world. Do you remember anything about your parents? Your biological parents?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± I frowned. ¡°I remember impressions, mostly. Being happy, swimming. Not much else. I don¡¯t even remember what my mom looked like.¡±


    ¡°Ben said that she had red hair.¡± His voice was gentle and I wondered what he was getting at.


    ¡°I think so.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°This will sound crazy, but you look familiar.¡±


    ¡°My mom says that I look a lot like my Aunt Sabrina. She disappeared with her daughter a couple of months after her mate died.¡± He watched my face carefully and for a minute I just stared at him, looking at his features. ¡°It was about eighteen years ago. I was about two when it happened.¡±


    ¡°You think that I might be your cousin?¡± My heart hammered in my chest. Could it be true?


    ¡°I called my mom and asked her to tell me a little more about her sister and my cousin.¡± He pulled himself up out of the water and sat next to me. ¡°My uncle died in a car accident. Not long after that, my grandparents invited Aunt Sabrina and my cousin, Maleena, to stay with them in Jamaica. They never showed up.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. Maleena sounded a lot like Meena. I could see how a child might not be able to say it just right. My parents were standing on the dock, their arms around each other. They were watching us and I realized that Jacen must¡¯ve already told them this.


    ¡°Mermaids come from clans. Each clan has an affinity for a certain animal. Ours is with dolphins. We aren¡¯t the only clan out there connected to dolphins, but we know all the clans on this side of the world that are. When Aunt Sabrina left for my grandparents, she traveled with a dolphin that had recently calved.¡± He looked out at where Jallia played with Mireille. ¡°We tend to bond with an animal, a lot like a mating bond. If you¡¯re Maleena, Sabrina¡¯s dolphin would not have left you, even after her death. She would have seen you as her responsibility.¡±


    I chuckled, but it was watery. ¡°Jallia thinks she¡¯s my mom.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right.¡± He leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows.


    ¡°So, you and Mireille are my cousins?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re Maleena, which I think you are, then you¡¯d be my cousin. Mireille is my cousin on the other side.¡± He smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding. Mermaids are a tight group.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you go on swimabouts? To try and find a mate that you¡¯re not related to?¡± I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.


    ¡°Partly. But as you noticed, we mate with humans, too.¡± He winked at me. ¡°More than you might think, which I think is to introduce fresh blood to the community. The swimabout started a long time ago. When we come of age, something in us automatically wants us to find a mate. Probably to ensure the continuation of the species. We start early, because it can take a long time. Mermaids can¡¯t reproduce without their mates, except for very rare instances. Like the siren I killed on your beach.¡±


    ¡°So, his mom was a mermaid?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°It would have been one of his parents, but it¡¯s likely that his father had some mermaid in his DNA, too. If you breed without your mate, then it comes out wrong. Some of them are mostly human, usually gorgeous by human standards, to help lure people to the water. But once they hit the water, they change into something closer to the animal the mermaid¡¯s clan claimed.¡± He rubbed the top of Mitch¡¯s head with his foot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had trouble with sharks. They usually leave me alone.¡± I shuddered and reminded myself that Devin hadn¡¯t been a true shark.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the shark part that hated you. It was the siren.¡± Jacen sat up and frowned, obviously choosing his words. ¡°Sirens hate us. We¡¯re what they should have been but aren¡¯t. We gain strength from the water, can change easily into forms that work well on land and in the sea. Sirens gain strength from stealing the energy of humans. Usually in a physical manner. Sex or violence. Not all sirens do it. They live their lives like humans for the most part, but it¡¯s easy to fall into that cycle.¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m bonded with Blake, our children won¡¯t be sirens?¡±


    ¡°No. They will be merfolk.¡± Blake smiled. ¡°And since you haven¡¯t been around many merfolk, let me tell you that when you decide to have kids, you¡¯re going to have your hands full.¡±


    Relief washed over me and I couldn¡¯t help the giant smile that pulled at my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t wait to see little mermaids. Mom and Dad didn¡¯t have any pictures of me in my tail for fear that they might be found.


    ¡°Thank you, Jacen. You¡¯ve given me so much more than I could have hoped for.¡± I grabbed him in a hug and laughed. ¡°I feel like I understand myself so much better.¡±


    He hugged me back and patted my shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ll rethink that when my family descends on you. My mom was in hysterics when I told her about you. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯s already swimming here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where you guys live!¡± I laughed again. ¡°There¡¯s so much I still don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Mom and Dad live in Melbourne, Florida, with my younger sister and brother, but Mireille and I were going to college in California.¡±


    ¡°Meena! I think you should get ready. Jallia is getting ready to welcome her baby boy.¡± Mireille raised her voice so that it would drift across the water.


    Chapter Twenty-Two


    - Meena -


    As soon as the workers were gone, I wasted no time changing. I hadn¡¯t been able to attend any of the other births in mer-form, and I really wanted to be able to assist Jallia.


    Jacen and Mireille had changed to their mer-forms, too, which had been an interesting experience. I felt like a pervert, but I couldn¡¯t help but watch as they shifted. They didn¡¯t seem to have any nudity hang-ups, but Mireille left her bikini top on. I was pretty sure that was for my family¡¯s sake.


    There really wasn¡¯t much to do for the actual birth. I mainly swam with Jallia and Mitch around the enclosure, offering soothing thoughts. Jacen and Mireille took turns swimming with us, offering support and love. I surfaced at one point, floating next to her as she rested, and realized that Blake was sitting on the dock. He was watching me with a smile, his feet dangling in the water. I swam over to where he was sitting and propped my chin on his knee.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡± He reached a hand out and traced my jaw.


    ¡°Good. Jallia¡¯s a pro.¡± I reached up and tugged at his hand. ¡°Come in with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to intrude.¡±


    ¡°Meena!¡± Jacen called. ¡°The flukes are out.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! I want you to be part of this.¡± I tugged at him again and he caved.


    ¡°Okay.¡± His eyes were warm as he watched me. He pulled his shirt off and slid into the water. The stitches along his shoulder and arm made me wince, but the wound was looking even less angry and red than it had earlier that day. I took his hand and crossed the water quickly, careful to keep my flukes from slapping into his shoulder. Jallia was in the shallows now, so Blake would be able to stand. I kissed his cheek quickly and let go of his hand so I could check on her progress. Mitch swam around us, nudging Blake to make sure that he was okay. I could feel her giving him grief for getting hurt and then turning around to make sure he really was okay.


    Jallia was moving back and forth in the shallows. Once the baby¡¯s flukes are out, it isn¡¯t long to the full birth.


    ¡°Hey, lady.¡± I ran a hand over her back, checking her progress and how the baby was handling it. She twisted in the water, her body trying to expel the baby. I hummed quietly, wanting to offer her some kind of support.


    Blake moved closer to me and ran a hand over Jallia¡¯s back. ¡°That¡¯s pretty amazing.¡±


    ¡°The tail comes out first so that the baby can swim to the surface as soon as it¡¯s free.¡± As Jallia twisted again, the baby slid out a bit more.


    ¡°Looks painful.¡± Blake winced.


    ¡°Good things are often painful.¡± I kept my eyes on Jallia, her body working through the labor process. ¡°But worth it.¡±


    Jacen and Mireille were in the pen, but had swum away to allow us some room. I liked having them here, but I also felt like this was a very important moment for Jallia. Mitch dipped down under the water, checking the progress. She surfaced next to Blake and urged him to move closer.


    ¡°Geez, Mitch! I don¡¯t want to step on her!¡± Blake tripped on a rock and reached out to steady himself and brushed along my tail.


    ¡°Are you blushing?¡± I turned to look at him surprised.


    ¡°No. Why would I blush?¡± His eyes were opened a little wider than they should have been and I started laughing.


    ¡°Blake, I¡¯ll explain mermaid anatomy later!¡± Jacen cupped his hands to his mouth and mock-whispered across the water from where he was floating next to the dock. It was my turn to blush because my parents were sitting less than twenty feet away. Jacen tilted his head back and laughed while Mireille smacked his shoulder. Thankfully, neither of my parents acted like they had heard him.


    Jallia twisted again, and the baby slid down some more. I felt Blake lean forward, his excitement mounting. He knelt down a little, trying to see the baby as Jallia twisted and swam in a small circle. He was willing the baby out, his thoughts intent on the little one.


    I could feel Jallia¡¯s body tensing and she made a few hard strokes with her tail. Mitch stayed a little ways behind her and I took the other side. When Jallia twisted through the water, her body gave a little and the baby dolphin swam free. Mitch was there immediately, helping the little one to the surface while Jallia spun in the water. I backed away a little, giving them a moment to meet. I bumped into Blake and looked back at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re crying.¡± He brushed my cheek with his thumb.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just happy.¡± Jallia swam in circles with her new little boy, trying to let him get control of his fins. After a few laps, she herded him toward us and the little guy went straight for Blake.


    ¡°Hey, fella.¡± Softly, Blake reached out and stroked his fingers on the newborn¡¯s melon. Mitch squealed happily and a soft sense of happiness filled my heart. As I watched Blake with the new baby, Jallia and Mitch nosed at my sides. I ran my hands over them, praising them for a job well done.


    The infant swam happily around with his mother and sister. We went to the other side of the pen so I could change and climb out. Blake helped clean up around the sanctuary while Jacen and Mireille told us things they thought might be important to know.


    ¡°I think we might stay for a little longer than we had planned.¡± Mireille looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°Would that be okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome here as long as you like,¡± Mom said. She patted Mireille on the shoulder as she walked by. ¡°Just don¡¯t be surprised if Ben puts you to work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Mireille said.


    ¡°I figured you might need backup when Mom gets here.¡± Jacen smiled and it was infectious. ¡°She hasn¡¯t answered her phone in hours, so I¡¯m thinking she¡¯s on her way.¡±


    I was excited and scared, nervous and ready to jump out of my skin. The thought of meeting more blood relatives made my brain a jumbled mess. Blake seemed to understand that, because he was never far from my side. Even when Dad demanded to see the markings on our wrists. It was awkward but special at the same time. Mireille made a fuss over the pattern, saying that she hadn¡¯t seen one so intricate before.


    Jacen and Mireille left not long after that, wanting baths and their beds. They were staying at an extended family member¡¯s vacation home not far away. Apparently, it was pretty normal to stay at other merfolks¡¯ homes when doing your swimabout. I took a shower and slipped into a little cotton dress. I wanted to show Blake what I had talked to Mom about.


    He had showered while I was dressing, and I realized that he had a bag stuck just inside my door. There were clothes and things for him to stay, and I felt my heartbeat pick up. I knew I should get used to it, to the fact that he was mine and we would live together, but it was still so new it made me nervous. I went to the kitchen and poured some orange juice. The natural sugar made me feel so much better.


    Mom and Dad had gone out for dinner and I was pretty sure it was just to give Blake and me some time alone. When he came out of the shower, he had a towel wrapped around his hips and water dripping from his hair. He winked at me as he sauntered into my room and didn¡¯t bother to close the door. I rolled my eyes. Did he think I was going to stand there and watch him dress? I started to turn away but thought again. He was mine, right? And I liked seeing him naked.


    The towel dropped to the ground and my stomach followed it. He was gorgeous. There were little dimples just above each butt cheek and I found that I couldn¡¯t look away from them.


    Once he had pulled his clothes on, I was able to breathe again. And hoped I wasn¡¯t blushing too much.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± He held his hand out for me and I smiled. I hadn¡¯t told him anything yet.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± I led him down to my beach but didn¡¯t stop. We walked all the way to the opposite end and I could see his curious expression in the moonlight. We made our way through one of the small paths that cut through the dunes. Just past the dunes was a small rise with a cottage. I bit my lip, worrying that he wouldn¡¯t like it. It needed work, but you couldn¡¯t beat the view.


    ¡°I thought since we¡¯re going to move in together, that we could start looking at places tonight.¡± I looked up at him to see what he thought. ¡°It needs work, but that could be fun, right? Make it our own.¡±

 Page 22

    I looked back at the little house and remembered all the times I had planned on moving there. It probably wouldn¡¯t work forever, not if we wanted a family, but it would be perfect for now. I wasn¡¯t in a rush to have kids or to even get married. I just wanted to spend time with Blake.Advertisement


    ¡°This is the little cottage you were talking about.¡± He looked at me and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I pulled on his hand, wanting him to go inside and take a look around. ¡°You have to see the inside. It¡¯s adorable. It¡¯s all open, like a big flat.¡±


    He laughed at my enthusiasm and let me pull him up the old steps and over the wide wraparound porch. The inside was dirty, but livable after a good cleaning. We peeked in the cabinets, checked the plumbing, and fiddled with the fuse box. After a while, we collapsed on the floor, talking about what we would do to spruce it up. Blake pulled one of the old blankets out of the chest at the end of the old bed and laid it out on the floor while I opened the windows to air out the house.


    He lay back on the floor and held out his good arm. I tucked myself against him, my head on his shoulder. I traced the lines on his shirt with my fingers and smiled up at him.


    ¡°You really like it?¡±


    ¡°I do. It¡¯s perfect. Close enough so we can walk to Flukes, but far enough away from your parents that we still have some privacy.¡± He frowned. ¡°I guess I should look into a real job.¡± He ran his fingers through my hair absentmindedly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to work at Flukes?¡± I frowned. I thought he was starting to love the place as much as I did. ¡°And you wanted to travel.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t want to just assume that I was needed there.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Mom and Dad love you! Jallia, Mitch, and Stormy love you. Not to mention the baby. He took to you immediately.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Besides, if you get a real job, then you won¡¯t be able to travel. You¡¯d be stuck in some boring place you¡¯d hate.¡± Honestly, I couldn¡¯t imagine him working an office job. There was something wild and free about Blake. He needed to be outside or in a studio, dreaming up pictures.


    ¡°All right,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯m more than okay with it. But you get to decide where we go first. I want you to see the world, too. We¡¯ll plan it out and make sure you see everything that you want to.¡±


    I leaned up on my elbow and kissed his lips softly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He pulled my face back down to his again and I lazily kissed him, enjoying the way our breath mingled. His stomach rumbled and I laughed against his mouth.


    ¡°What do you want to do for dinner?¡± I pulled back and looked at him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with dessert?¡± He rolled me over and hovered over my body.


    ¡°Oh.¡± His hand slid under my dress and tugged my panties off. His head moved down my body, trailing kisses as he went. When he got to my waist, he lifted my skirt so that I could feel the cool night air curl across my hips. I bit my lip, not sure what to expect. His breath slid across my skin, his stubble tickling me as he moved.


    When he spread my legs, my hands curled into fists and I sucked in as much air as my lungs would hold. His mouth moved over me as he placed soft, delicate kisses on my sensitive skin. When he opened his mouth and traced his tongue along my contours, I moaned, making him chuckle. I looked down at him through my eyelashes and tried to not moan again as he stared at me while moving his tongue slowly in places that had never been seen before.


    When my hips began to move, he picked up his pace, licking and stroking while my mind went blank. I reached down and fisted my hand in his hair, holding him in place when my peak neared. He didn¡¯t stop until my body was finished shaking. Unhurriedly, he crawled over me and positioned himself between my legs. He cupped one of my breasts and kissed my neck as he gently entered me. He was slow and careful, taking his time until he filled me completely.


    I reached around him, running my hands over his back and tracing those dimples that had teased me earlier. When he began to move inside of me, I was more than ready. My hips met him for each thrust, and I devoured each of his moans with my lips. He whispered in my ear, French words I didn¡¯t understand. We reached the finish line at the same time, and I couldn¡¯t help my loud moan of pleasure.


    I¡¯d never been this happy, this content. I couldn¡¯t think of a better way to have celebrated the decision. This was our new home.


    This was the beginning of our new life together.


    This was my mate.


    My Blake.


    Chapter Twenty-Three


    - Blake -


    Everything was in place and ready for the grand reopening. We¡¯d barely managed to get everything done in time, but I had no doubts that the Cruise Excursion people would be impressed. Mom had offered to help set up the celebration and it had turned into a major event with a lot of her well-to-do friends making the guest list.


    I leaned against one of the new fences along the walkway and took everything in. There were twinkle lights everywhere, tables set out under the moonlight, and a band was setting up near the new building. Meena and Vince stood next to her, going over a final checklist as they got ready for everyone. We¡¯d decided to tell Mom and Vince about Meena. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t keep a secret, but more that I didn¡¯t want to push my family away. It had gone over much better than I thought it would, with Mom talking about the stories her grandparents had told her growing up.


    They had taken to Meena and her family immediately, even insisting that they all go shopping for the event together. Meena was wearing a short, gauzy dress that matched her eyes. The tiny crystal belt and crystals along the collar matched the diamond on her finger. I knew we weren¡¯t in a rush, but I¡¯d needed to see my ring on her finger. The white lines of our mating wrapped around her wrist, giving her an even more exotic look, but the ring was something from me. Something to let her know I would love her even if we didn¡¯t have the bond.


    Ben sauntered down the boardwalk, pulling at his bow tie. ¡°I really hate these things.¡± He stopped in front of me and I pushed his hands away.


    Carefully, I loosened it just enough so that he could breathe easier and fixed the bow. ¡°I can breathe! You¡¯re a genius.¡±


    ¡°I hear that a lot, but not usually for fixing a bow tie.¡± I laughed.


    ¡°It was so tight I thought I¡¯d pass out. How¡¯d you get so good at that?¡±


    I tilted my head toward my mother and shrugged. ¡°It was kind of a requirement growing up.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s something else. Tiny like an imp and bossy like a lioness.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We really appreciate all she¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°She loves it. And I think she¡¯s been trying to convince Meena to move to the Riviera.¡± We laughed, both knowing that she would never leave Flukes for more than a vacation.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame her for trying. I wouldn¡¯t want her that far away either.¡± He looked at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been good for her. I¡¯m glad that she found you.¡±


    ¡°She changed my whole world.¡± I shrugged. As if she could sense me looking, she looked glanced over her shoulder. Her thick, messy braid swung across her back and she smiled at me.


    ¡°So, are you going to schmooze the Excursion director?¡± Ben pulled at his bow tie again and I knocked his hand away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to need me. One look at Meena will turn him to putty.¡±


    ¡°I think you might be on to something.¡± Ben smiled proudly. Even with meeting Meena¡¯s biological family, their little unit was as tight as ever. Jacen and Mireille had quickly become part of the family, and I knew Meena was going to be sad when they left to finish their swimabout.


    The people started arriving not long after the band had set up and I moved to the tables to help greet the people that came. Liv and her family showed up first, and I laughed as she attacked Vince in a huge hug. She was a little more gentle with Meena, but not much. Smoothly, she introduced Meena to her parents and the friend they had brought with them. It was odd to watch her slip into such a dignified persona. She was taller than Meena, and I was shocked to realize how much she was growing up.


    The rest of the night was spent talking and dancing. Food had been served and music had been played. By the time things started to wind down, Meena was grinning from ear to ear. She jerked her head to where her father stood, speaking with several people. One of them was the Excursion director, another was the woman in charge of a very large resort, and the third was a well-known conservationist.


    I crossed the dance floor so I could pull her into my arms. We swayed to the music, taking a couple of minutes for ourselves. ¡°I saw Ben with papers in his hand earlier.¡± I leaned down so I could whisper in her ear.


    ¡°He gave me the thumbs-up earlier. I thought he was going to run around kicking his heels.¡± She rested her head against my shoulder and chuckled.


    ¡°Have I told you how beautiful you are?¡±


    ¡°Roughly every two hours.¡± She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling. ¡°But by all means, don¡¯t let that keep you from telling me again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous.¡± I placed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°And I¡¯m the luckiest man here.¡±


    ¡°Think anyone would notice if we left?¡± She tilted her head up to me, her lips parted. ¡°This dress is starting to bother my skin and I¡¯d really like to go for a swim.¡±


    I looked around the area and smiled. Taking her hand, I walked toward the main house before ducking down a side path. She kicked off her heels and jumped onto my back. We were laughing and joking by the time we reached the beach. We set our shoes by one of the trees and I shucked the jacket and tie.


    ¡°Can you get the zipper?¡± She turned her back to me.


    I pulled it down, careful to keep it away from her skin. Once it was undone, I leaned down and kissed her neck. I¡¯d never get tired of seeing her naked in the moonlight. She was careful as she pulled the dress off and took her time folding it so that nothing would hurt it.


    I peeled my shirt off and laid it in the sand for her to put her clothes on. She slid the tiny little panties off and I shook my head to try and clear my mind. When she added the bra to our pile of clothing, I had to hurry so I wouldn¡¯t be left behind.


    She dove into the water, swimming away from shore before changing. I waded out to her and sank to my knees. She surfaced in front of me, water rolling down her cheeks and clinging to her eyelashes. She kissed me softly before threading her fingers through mine and pulling me with her.


    It wasn¡¯t a long swim because we couldn¡¯t go far. She was worried that some of the people that had come on boats would see us, so we stayed close to the coastline. We didn¡¯t see much for a while and instead just spent the time relaxing after a long day.


    Something silver glinted in the distance and I had a moment of panic when I realized it was a shark. Meena squeezed my fingers and I could feel her reassurance rolling through our bond. She swam to the shark and beckoned me to touch it when it came close.


    It was a reef shark, out looking for food. We were much too big to be an easy meal, so it wasn¡¯t very interested. The fingers of my free hand ran over his side and down to his tail. With a jerk, it darted away and I watched as it joined a few others near the reef. We headed back for our beach. She let go of my hand and moved a little ways out so that she could switch to her legs.


    Her eyes never left mine as her body worked through the change. The magic that was part of Meena never failed to amaze me, but it was the hungry look in her eyes that left me breathless. She looked dangerous and sexy as she cut through the water, her face serious and haunting. The moon glinted off her exposed skin as she swam to where I was kneeling in the shallows.


    There was no hesitation when she reached me, no question in her eyes. She knew what she wanted and was going to take it no matter what. God, I loved that look. Placing her hands behind my neck, she straddled my lap and folded her legs around me. Her mouth claimed mine in a possessive kiss that made all the blood drain from my brain.


    Reaching down, I cupped her ass, sliding her against the length of me that was straining to get out of my wet boxers. Running her hands down my chest, she freed my cock, and slowly slid her hand up and down. I growled into her mouth and nipped her bottom lip. Words were lost, leaving only primal thoughts as she stroked me. Mine, my brain whispered over and over.


    She chuckled at my possessiveness, which only made it harder for me to think straight. I slid my hands from her back to fill them with her sexy breasts and ran my thumbs over her nipples until she groaned in pleasure. Her hips moved against me and I could think of nothing but the beautiful creature making love to me.


    Her lips slid down to mine, her tongue sweeping over my bottom lip. I opened my mouth so that our breaths could tangle and moved my hands back to her ass. Lifting, I positioned her over my cock while she guided me inside. My breath left in a whoosh as I was enfolded in her warmth, and I buried my face in her neck. When she moved against me, my mind blanked with desire. I wanted to take control, to find my release, but it was sexy, so fucking sexy, to see her in charge.


    When she arched her back, exposing her breasts to the moonlight, I ducked my head and captured one nipple with my mouth. Slowly I licked the salt water off, sucking and pulling, before moving to the other. Her moan was low and long and her hips picked up pace.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby.¡± I wrapped an arm around her waist, wanting to hold on as she found her rhythm. The sight of her breasts bobbing in and out of the water made me grit my teeth. I was ready to explode, but wanted to drag this out for as long as possible. Watching her as she came was one of the most sensual moments I¡¯d ever experienced. Every emotion was laid bare. She leaned toward me, her wet hair slapping against my chest. When her mouth found mine, I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I needed it. I needed her.


    Meena.


    My Meena.


    My mate.


    ¡°Mine.¡±