The Lovely Deep (The Mer Song Trilogy Book 1)

by Michelle Pennington

  River laid his hand on her back and rubbed it up and down, paying more attention to her shoulder blades where her muscles were bunched and taught. Little by little, he felt her melting into the bed. Then she let out a soft little sound that was almost a snore, and he knew she was asleep.

  About to move to his own room, he lingered to enjoy her clean, floral scent and the warmth that radiated from her soft skin. Somehow, he had to make himself get up and leave her room. But there were soft pillows next to him, and the blinds were drawn against the morning sun that was trying to creep in around the edges. Blinds on all those windows where someone might sneak in—where Edmar might find her asleep and alone.

  River laid his head down, reached an arm around her, and pulled her close.

  She wouldn’t be alone.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Narissa woke up slowly, feeling so perfect that she didn’t want to open her eyes. Then she realized that she was so comfortable because River was all around her—his arm around her waist, his body curved around hers, and his head next to hers on the pillow with his face in the curve of her neck. Happiness flooded through her, making her smile. She moved her hand to rest on River’s, curling her fingers through his.

  She hadn’t wanted to wake him up, but the slight movement made him stir. “Morning, Rissa,” he mumbled.

  “Morning. Or more likely afternoon.”

  River sat up so suddenly that Narissa sat up too, startled. He rubbed his eyes with his broad hand. “Work. We’re supposed to be to work by noon today. I don’t have my phone. What time is it?”

  Narissa looked at her alarm clock on the bedside table. “Almost one o’clock.”

  River groaned. “I guess if Allen fires us today, it’s not that big a deal since we’re quitting anyway.”

  “You have a point. But we should probably get in as soon as we can.” River was already scooting to the edge of the bed, so Narissa shot out and caught his arm. “Thanks for staying with me. I liked waking up with you.”

  He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. “My pleasure.”

  Narissa laid back on her pillow, watching him with pure delight as he stretched his broad shoulders. Her room was dim with all the blinds closed, so it was hard to make out his features, but luckily it meant he wouldn’t see her blush as she thought about how they’d shared a bed. True, absolutely nothing had happened, but it still felt intimate.

  “Come on, lazy bones.” River pulled open the blinds on some of the windows, flooding the room with intense sunlight. “Get up.”

  “Ugh.” She turned her face away from the glare but forced herself to sit back up.

  River grinned. “I’m going to go change. Want to meet me in the living room in a minute?”

  “Yeah.”

  As River left, she stumbled toward the bathroom, thinking about what she needed to do to get ready. Her teeth. She needed to brush her teeth. But he’d already kissed her. Had she had morning breath? She did a breath check as she turned on the light. It wasn’t too bad, thank goodness.

  Ten minutes later, she was ready to go. River waited for her on the couch and stood up when he saw her. He held his hand out for hers, and she found herself wishing she could wake up to this every day. And just like that, all her fears, all her apprehension, engulfed her again.

  “You want to get something to eat here or pick something up on the way?” he asked. “I’m starving.”

  “Uncle Jesse will fix us something. Let’s go downstairs. Where are Brody and Stumps? Did they stay here too?”

  “Yeah. They were sound asleep when I went by their rooms.”

  “I’m glad Stumps has a place to stay.”

  “Yeah. He’s a good man.”

  Down in the kitchen, Uncle Jesse looked up when they came in and motioned with his knife to a white platter in front of him that was filled with delicately sliced sashimi. “Thought you’d want something to eat.”

  Narissa almost swooned with joy at the site of her favorite meal. “Oh my gosh. Thanks so much.” She turned to River as she carried the platter over to the little table by the window. “I hope you like raw fish.”

  “Not usually for breakfast, but yeah, I love sashimi.”

  “Wait till you try Uncle Jesse’s ginger soy dipping sauce.”

  Narissa grabbed chopsticks and they sat down to enjoy their meal. She was impressed with River’s appetite. Luckily, Uncle Jesse hadn’t skimped on the portions of tuna, salmon and mackerel. As they ate, Uncle Jesse sent one of the waitresses over with hot cups of tea and ice water.

  Taking a deep, long drink, Narissa reveled in the taste of the sweet, clean water. She always loved showering and drinking fresh water after long exposure to the sea. She didn’t notice it so much when she was in the ocean, but after getting out, she felt parched and dirty, as if she was covered in mineral buildup. Which she likely was. “Being a mermaid makes me surprisingly thirsty.”

  “Considering the salinity of the water out there, it’s not surprising at all,” River said, not looking up from the food.

  Narissa wanted breakfast to last forever, but Uncle Jesse came up and moved another chair up to the table. “Feel up to telling me what happened last night?”

  “Get comfortable,” River said before taking another bite.

  While they finished eating, Narissa filled him in. She watched his expression, eager to know what he thought of it all. Unfortunately, he was silent about it all when she was done. “What do you think I should do, Uncle Jesse?”

  “I don’t know. I need to think about it. And so do you. You can’t rush into anything just because people are pushing you into it. You were right about that.”

  “We only have a few more days until full moon, however. I might have choices, but my friends don’t unless I complete the bargain with my mother.”

  “Have you thought about where to find Tyranno and Anne?” River asked.

  “Yes. I’ve sent out some inquiries through some friends. I hope to hear something in a day or two. But they could be anywhere across two worlds.”

  Narissa sighed. “I know. I’m worried about her.”

  “We’d better get going,” River said, picking up their dirty dishes as he stood up.

  As Narissa showed him where to put them, Brody came tearing down the stairs, his hair sticking up wildly and his shirt thrown over his shoulder. “Can you guys give me a ride?”

  “Sure thing,” River said. “We can all face Allen’s wrath together.”

  “I think he liked me better when I was a drunk. And to be honest, I’d love a drink right now.”

  They piled into River’s truck, and River backed out onto the busy road. They were silent as they drove, so Narissa was glad when River turned on the radio, even though the local station only played ten annoying pop songs over and over. But it was mind-numbing, and she needed that right now.

  She watched the view to her right as they passed the beachside townhomes and tall condos that lined the shore. Glimpses of the gorgeous aqua water flashed between the buildings until they got to a public beach and the view opened up to reveal the shining white sands, colored umbrellas, and the endless, tropical waters that met the bright blue of the sky in a dark line at the horizon. The water looked so welcoming. She wished it was.

  When they pulled up at Beach Bum’s and went inside, Allen walked into the back as they were all clocking in. Narissa waited for him to say something grumpy and critical, so his big smile caught her off guard.

  “Oh, so you decided to come in, did you? How nice of you.”

  Narissa tensed. His voice was so odd, sounding sincere even though she was sure he meant it sarcastically. “Sorry we’re late,” she said. She knew further explanation would be a good idea, but what could she say?

  Allen waved his hand, still smiling. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason why all three of you are late on the same day and come in at precisely the same time without any of you calling ahead to let me know. But I don’t need to know about it. Your
jobs today are simple. I have three new employees. They’re your replacements, and I need your help training them.”

  River met Narissa’s eyes, his right brow raised just a fraction. But he just shrugged. “Whatever you need.”

  The three new employees were beautiful German girls in town on work visas. Their English was good, though heavily accented, and because they came every summer to waitress or work retail, it didn’t take long to train them. All in all, it was an odd day but a relief in many ways. Narissa had felt bad leaving Allen in a lurch so she was glad that he’d found replacements for them.

  She and one of the German girls were folding t-shirts at the end of their shift when Narissa felt the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand up. Someone was watching her. Spinning around, she saw Edmar standing a few feet away, his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face.

  “This seems a bit beneath you, doesn’t it, princess?”

  “Don’t call me that. Go away.”

  “I will, no worries. But not till I say what I came to say.”

  Narissa glanced at the girl working next to her. Except she wasn’t working anymore. She was staring at Edmar with fascinated eyes while her mouth hung slightly open and the shirt she’d been folding scrunched in her hands.

  Edmar owned a severe kind of beauty with alabaster skin, sharp features and glacial eyes under hooded eyelids. And his siren powers never turned off.

  “Ugh. Come on, Edmar.”

  She walked away, knowing he’d follow her, purposefully walking past River at the register so he’d see what was going on. Walking over to a back corner of the store where there were currently no customers, she folded her arms and said, “Okay, shoot.”

  “Don’t you think we should wait for your boyfriend to get here?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend anymore,” Narissa said, hoping Edmar would decide River was no longer a threat.

  “No? Funny how you’re still sharing a bed with him. At least you were a few hours ago. Maybe you broke up with him since then. I mean, what do I know?”

  Chills swept down Narissa’s spine at his words, but it was River, coming up behind her, who answered him. “More than you should, apparently. Tell me why I shouldn’t tear you apart right now.”

  “Because you’re going to spend a lot of time in the water, and I know plenty of females who’d be willing to return the favor.”

  Narissa clenched her teeth, fighting to keep herself calm. “What do you want, Edmar?”

  He smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s a bit awkward with lover boy glaring at me, but since I can’t ever seem to find you alone, this will have to do. Narissa, daughter of Hali, future Mother of the Sea, will you be my mate?”

  Narissa stared at him in shock, but after a moment, the stiff formality combined with their surroundings of cheap snorkel sets and sunscreen got the best of her. She tried to hold her laughter in, which resulted in a snort—something that never happened underwater. This tickled her further, making it impossible to control her mirth.

  “Um, Narissa?” River asked.

  She couldn’t see him through her watering eyes, but she imagined that his expression must look as confused as he sounded. And why was she laughing? Her mother was right. Edmar did want her as his mate. All of her suspicions now seemed true, and all her fears were justified. The stress of the last few days had clearly unhinged her.

  Edmar sighed. “I admit, I didn’t expect a positive reaction, but I wasn’t prepared for this.”

  There was a note of wry amusement and confidence in his voice that at last broke through Narissa’s laughter. She took a deep breath. “What did you expect? That I would agree?”

  “No, not initially. I’m patient, and I believe in time, you’ll see the benefits of my offer.”

  “You know I’m with River.”

  Edmar’s eyes flicked dismissively over River. “For now you are, but humans can’t hold a mer’s interest for long. Take my word for that. The connection pales in comparison to what two of our kind can have. And Narissa, you and I can have everything.”

  “Not love. Never that.”

  “Love is nothing but sex drive and availability. That’s why I wanted to talk to you now, even though you’re not exactly in a receptive frame of mind—in case you decided to act rashly and bind yourself to him. I just want to save you from… regretting it later on.”

  “That sounds an awful lot like a threat,” River said, stepping closer to Edmar until there were only a few inches and a lot of testosterone between them.

  Edmar tipped his jaw up to stare back at River, not flinching back for a second. “Take it how you will, but I meant it for a warning. And I wasn’t talking to you, man Lovely.” He stepped back then and looked at Narissa again. “Think about it. Time grows short.”

  “Why?” Narissa asked. But he was walking away. “Why is time growing short?” she asked again, calling after him.

  “I don’t like it,” River said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “And I don’t like him.”

  Narissa was about to assure him that she despised Edmar when Allen walked up with two business envelopes in his hand. “Here’s your final paycheck. Never mind about working out your notice. You’re done here.”

  Nearly rolling her eyes, Narissa took the envelope with her name on it. “You’re firing us? Fine. Guess you’ll have to find someone else to buy all those keychains with the name Narissa on them that I ordered for you.”

  “You didn’t!” Allen growled.

  Narissa just shrugged, not answering. She hadn’t, but she knew he’d go nuts trying to figure out if she had. “Ready to go, River?”

  He took his check. “More than ready,” he said. “But how about one more make-out session in the store room for old times’ sake?”

  “You made out in the store room?” Allen asked, walking after them, hotly perturbed.

  “All the time,” Narissa said. “Have a great life, Allen.”

  They paused by the stock room so Narissa could retrieve her candy stash. When they got outside, Brody was waiting by the truck, drinking a soda and, once again, looking sick. “Did you two get fired too?”

  “Yep,” River said, waving his paycheck for emphasis.

  “Makes it easier for me,” Narissa said.

  Brody frowned. “But why did he have to fire me just when he got some hot girls working there?”

  Narissa climbed into the baking truck cab. “Hey, what am I? A codfish?”

  Brody smirked. “Only half a cod-fish.” He chuckled half-heartedly when Narissa glared at him. “Kidding, kidding. Like I would have ever made a move on you when River was obsessed with you. Bro code, you know?”

  “He was obsessed with me?”

  “I wouldn’t say obsessed,” River said, starting the truck. “I was interested.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Now I’m obsessed. And unfortunately, Edmar knows it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  After tonight, there was only one more night before the full moon. River had never kept track of such a thing before, but now that it dominated the horizon line of his future, he did. The pull, the sheer compelling force that yanked at his soul, only grew stronger as the moon grew fuller. Tonight would be a fight from dusk till sunrise because the last thing he could do was go into the water.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Narissa asked when he stood up from the couch at her uncle’s place.

  “Down to the beach.” His throat was tight, so the words came out hoarse and deep. He cleared his throat. “Just to sit on the shore.”

  She put down the bag of Skittles she’d been eating. “No way. It’s too dangerous. I was thinking we should head further inland.”

  “No!” He hadn’t meant to shout. But the thought of going further away made him panic. “No. You sang to me that one time and kept me from going in.”

  “I’ll sing to you again tonight, but the magic is stronger now, you know that. If you go down there, you’ll end up in the
water, and one of Edmar’s mermaids will take you. Or maybe several of them will. Plus Edmar will know right where to find us, and after knowing the creep was sneaking around here watching us, I’m not even sure I want to be here. Can we sleep at your place tonight?”

  River paused. Was she just tricking him into getting further away from the beach? Did he care if she was? “Yeah, I think that’s a great idea, but let’s go in a while. I’m okay here for now.”

  He sat down on the couch next to her, tossing the throw pillows around till he was comfortable. Narissa watched him carefully from a nearby chair.

  “Let’s listen to some music,” she said. A few minutes later, she had a bluetooth speaker on the coffee table, blasting some really awful rock music. She turned it up high. It didn’t seem like her kind of music. She saw his expression, no doubt a skeptical one, and shrugged. “This is a cool band.”

  Sure it was. He doubted she’d ever even listened to this crap before. No doubt she hoped to drown out the mer song when it started.

  He looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was almost midnight. His pulse quickened and his muscles tensed. Trying to focus on Narissa’s ridiculous music, he tapped his hands on his knee and bobbed his head in time to the rhythm. Over and over, he told himself to stay on the couch. And then, he realized that he was no longer moving in rhythm to the song blaring out of the speaker, but to a different one. A slower but more insistent one that he couldn’t even hear. And yet, he didn’t have to look at the clock to know it was midnight.

  “What are you doing?” Narissa asked. “Why are you getting up?”

  He paused, confused. He hadn’t known he had been. Sure enough though, he was on the edge of the couch about to stand up. He sat back and looked back at her sadly. “I’m sorry, Narissa, I don’t think I can…”

  In a quick, decisive movement, he launched himself off the couch, running toward the stairs. Something slammed into his back, knocking him forward.

  “I won’t let you go,” Narissa said as she laid on top of him, clinging to his back. “I won’t lose you.”