by Starla Night
And after having done the mermen another favor, if any new cures arose to try on Jonah, they would call her first.
Balim was a doctor. It shouldn’t be too hard to pass the next hours with him.
“Here’s Dannika.” Hazel gestured at a willowy woman in a vibrant blue, high-fashion caftan, and designer navy-to-baby-blue ombre scarf. “Save room for dessert. I made raspberry mousse.”
“Bella Taylor.”
Dannika extended ring-covered hands and clasped Bella warmly, just like she had whenever they’d met—at the photo studio, the marketing conference rooms, or the kosher deli in the atrium. The socialite was good friends with Bella’s boss at Vibrant Image Marketing.
“I’m so glad to see you again. How is your son, Jonah?”
“Holding steady.” Bella returned Dannika’s squeeze. Heirloom diamonds, rubies, and emeralds on Dannika’s rings made her hands heavy in Bella’s grip. “Thank you so much for keeping us in your thoughts.”
“Yes, of course. You look lovely.”
“I love your ombre.”
“Balim’s waiting for you by the pergola.” Dannika’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Come. Let me show you.”
The women strolled between boxed planters full of sweet-smelling sages, lavenders, chamomiles, trellises covered in blue and yellow passionflowers, and benches arranged with orange poppies and indigo morning glories. All closed up in the damp, chilly night, but the garden still glimmered like a fairy land dotted with landscaping lights like twinkling fireflies.
“That’s so beautiful,” Starr said wistfully. “I wish more than anything I could see it in real life.”
“This is more extensive than my building’s rooftop garden,” Bella commented.
“Yes, the owner is a dear friend and allowed me to have a free hand with creativity.” Dannika directed Bella to the corner of the garden where the night-blooming flowers twined around stone statues—evening primrose, wisteria, chocolate flowers, jessamine, and moonflowers.
“Hey, those are all aphrodisiacs,” Starr commented.
“How romantic for a first date,” Bella murmured aloud.
Dannika glanced back at her, a smile of having been caught by surprise. “I’m so glad you agree.”
She led Bella around a mossy wall to a covered shelter in the center of the misty rooftop garden. Curtains of wisteria parted on a rustic wooden table set with vintage rose plates and cutlery, and lit by thick jar candles. To the side was a small koi pond lined with decorative rock.
“Wow. These mermen know what they’re doing in the romance department.”
Bella agreed, although she suspected Dannika had more to do with creating the atmosphere than a water-born warrior.
“And this is Balim,” Dannika said.
Balim rose from the table.
His gray suit complemented his intricate red facial tattoos. With hands loose in his slacks pockets, he tilted his chin, awaiting her judgment.
She reached out to shake hands. “Hello, Balim. I’m—”
His eyes locked on hers, and her words died midsentence.
He was otherworldly, a warrior, and all male.
Shock paralyzed her. Her heart thudded loud in her chest. Sweat dampened her palms.
This could be my salvation.
Dark brown irises threaded with iridescent red matching his tattoos. Black loafers clad his human feet. Dark slacks accented hard thighs, a trim waist looped by a belt, and a flat, gray button-up shirt covered his bulging arms and torso. Short, dark hair cloaked his head.
Only when she reached his skin did the heartblood-red tattoos give his identity away.
Tattoos curled across his skeptical forehead like capillaries tapering into vine-curls against his right cheek and down his jaw. The fierce slash of his mouth warned he accepted no lies.
Uh-oh.
She could not lie to him.
He stepped toward her. Dark knowing filled his gaze. “You feel it.”
Her throat went dry. She licked her lips. “Feel?”
“Resonance.” His eyes raked her body, fanning coals to smoldering flames. “Our resonance.”
She couldn’t speak. His charisma filled her senses. A spicy, fruity scent like dark cherries teased her nose. She wanted a taste.
He took another step. “It is not only me.”
The words disconnected in her head. She was struck dumb.
He leaned over her. Powerful and arrogant and so tempting. “Is it?”
Balim commanded her soul. She was stunned, flushed, hungry.
“Bella? Bella! Wake up.”
She blinked rapidly and struggled to regain her composure. Balim was supposed to be boring. She was supposed to charm him. Not fall helpless under his spell.
Where had Dannika gone?
Only Starr buzzed in her ear, trying to drag her back from the ledge of an uncontrollable tidal wave of sensation.
Bella cast for something, anything, to make sense.
She defaulted to an old media-training question. “What are you looking for in a bride?”
A smile of pure arrogance tilted his lips. “You.”
Her? Her?
He lowered his head. His mouth closed on hers. Their lips united.
Tender, sweet pressure and spicy male unlocked her heart and spilled her soul out. Arousal flooded her veins. Feelings she didn’t even know she still possessed—desire, innocence, vulnerability—flushed through her. Her pussy throbbed, hot and ready. She was his lock. He was her key.
His powerful hand spanned the back of her neck, commanding her to let go of her resistance and yield to his unstoppable possession.
Bella melted into Balim’s kiss.
She mustn’t let herself enjoy his firm lips on hers, his tantalizing breath on her cheek, or the soft brush of his hair against her forehead. The scent of the ocean and his masculine salt mixed with the heady floral spice of the night-blooming jasmine. Innocent and yet so alluring.
He was just a mark. A way for her to reach her goal. The male she had to trick—
His lips parted beneath hers, nibbling. Licking, sucking. Teasing.
Hot need sizzled into her center.
She parted, allowing him in.
He surged forward, unstoppable as the tide. Passion crashed over her, fizzing in white tingles. She felt her whole existence in his possession. His tongue thrusting into her mouth, claiming her. His even teeth nibbling on her throbbing, hot, sensitive lips. His mouth owning hers.
Accept my claim.
She wanted to.
She wanted him to push her down. Scoop her breasts free of the emerald velvet, releasing her from the too-tight corset, push her skirt above her thighs, bury his cock deep into her aching center. Forget herself and just exist as woman and man until her responsibilities floated away and she recaptured the easy freedom of her long-ago youth.
But she had responsibilities. Others were relying on her. She couldn’t run away. That was how her parents had dealt with their problems. Every time she ran away, she hurt worse.
Jonah.
She broke off, gasping. Her lips were wet and hungry, and Balim also breathed as though he had run a marathon. She covered her mouth, struggling for control of her quivering body, and pulled out of his arms.
His kiss broke her. How dare he make her feel hungry? Hopeful? Happy?
When her life was crashing, how dare she let him?
“Bella! What’s going on? Please answer. Please, Bella!”
She lowered her chin to keep her lips away.
He stayed near, his hard jaw smooth against her cheek. She pulled in a deep, steadying breath. Her heart leaped and her knees shook.
Powerful rightness shook her foundation. She fought against it.
She’d met him. He was her one. Her soul mate. And she didn’t believe in soul mates. He was her everything.
And she would betray him.
Chapter Five
Balim’s soul mate, Bella, changed the color of her pale cheeks to
bright pink. Her green eyes glistened with liquid. Her chest brightened with revitalization.
Good.
Pain had darkened his fated bride, and now his presence reignited her passionate inner sun.
They no longer endured loneliness and frustration. The tidal wave had crashed over her. They tumbled together on a current neither of them could control.
Her lips parted, and she risked a furtive glance up at him again as though testing herself.
He tasted her lips once more.
Her soul was hungry. So hungry. He needed to feed her.
They kissed.
He nibbled, giving more, demanding all of her.
She yielded to his wish. Her lips were plump, sweet, and the gateway to his dreams. His cock strained the human clothing, throbbing to burst. He memorized the suppleness of her lower lip, the sweetness of the upper, the damp secrets contained within. She released a sweet moan of need.
Her trusting sound made his heart clench.
This time, he ended the kiss. Not only her soul but also her body was starving for nutrients. He needed to heal all of her.
She held his soul in her hands.
No matter how much he feared that fact, he could not rip it away from her. It was already hers. From the moment he had first seen her, he’d known.
“You are my soul mate,” he intoned again as she rested and breathed against his jaw.
She lifted her head. Her clouded eyes cleared. “What does that mean?”
“We are sewn together. You and I. For all time.”
She rested one hand on her chest. “You’re remarkably calm after that revelation.” A touch of dryness entered her tone as she struggled to lighten the seriousness of his vow.
“I have had longer to become used to it.”
“Oh? But we’ve never met.” She licked her lips. “I would have remembered you.”
“You pass by this building sometimes.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the buildings in the distance. “I work on 37th.”
“I saw you. Your soul light.” He led her to the side of the garden and pointed over the rail at the walkway where, during the busy business hours, a mass of humans flowed without ever looking up. “You were the brightest sun in a sea of stars.”
He leaned back. His hands clenched in his pockets to stop from enveloping her in his arms. “And I also saw you at a human hospital.”
Realization flashed across her face. “You were at the metropolitan hospital two weeks ago. The emergency department.”
“Yes.”
She rubbed her chest harder. A frown darkened her lips. “But I can’t be a soul mate. There must be some mistake.”
Fear stabbed into him.
Bella rejected him before she even knew of his dishonor. Was he bared to her because they were soul mates?
Dannika appeared at the opposite corner of the pergola holding a tureen in her pot-holder-filled hands. She cleared her throat. “Tom yum soup?”
Bella pulled away from Balim and forced a smile to her face. “Thank you. That would be lovely.”
Her words were smooth and mature. Dannika’s soul brightened with ease. She thought this date was going well.
But in truth, Bella’s soul flared and extinguished chaotically.
Balim followed Bella’s lead to take a seat at the table, calming himself as he talked through her symptoms.
Bella was sick. Soul sick and body sick.
By the end of the first date, she would become his mate.
His queen.
And he would heal everything.
Dannika ladled steaming hot broth into their bowls.
Bella commented on the appetizer plates to avoid considering Balim’s truth. “Are these caramelized onion and pear crostinis from Syreno’s? And Moroccan-spiced salmon rillettes from Aslan Chic?”
“Look-alikes,” Dannika said with a smile. “We crafted them in-house. The soup and main course were ordered in and thoroughly tested. Enjoy.”
Dannika withdrew.
Bella crunched the small bites and moaned in pleasure. As Balim had guessed, she needed this hand-crafted, wholesome, flavorful food as much as she needed the sweet, flower-strewn benches and the vibrant gardens. She rolled the bites across her tongue. “Mmm. Oh, wow. This is excellent. And what did she mean by ‘thoroughly tested’?”
“For poison.” Balim bit into his own crispy cracker.
She stopped mid-chew. “Poison?”
“On one warrior’s first date, the food was dosed with Rotenone.”
A quiet vibration emanated from a dark ridge of metal behind her ears. She swallowed, and her soul light dimmed. “Fish killer?”
“Rotenone kills fish because it enters the bloodstream through gills. In humans, consuming it triggers an explosive vomit reflex.”
“Your warrior projectile vomited?”
“As did his female.”
“That would be a memorable first date.”
“Yes. We no longer reserve meals at restaurants.”
She toyed with her soup, and after he showed no ill effects, cleansed her palate with the complex, nutrient-filled spices. “Again, you’re so blasé about someone trying to poison you.”
“Blasé?”
“Unconcerned. People try to harm you all the time?”
“Yes. They always have.”
She tilted her head. “Really?”
“Beneath the water, raiders are a constant threat.” He picked up a shrimp and crunched it whole, consuming the chitinous brain and legs as well as the chewy inner meat. “We defend and protect our most vulnerable warriors. Above the water, we lack awareness. But with every new attack, our intelligence grows.”
Her soul light dimmed again.
“Do not grieve,” he ordered. “Atlantis is unusual. Warriors of many origins fight together to survive. Like a healthy immune system, attacks strengthen our bond.”
“And above the water, you can’t see them coming.” Her soul flared with determination. “Anticipation is torture.”
“Sometimes knowing what is coming next is worse.”
Bella lowered her spoon to the bowl with a clink. “I suppose, as a doctor, you’ve often had to comfort the dying.”
“No.”
“When a patient has no hope—”
“I have seen many recoveries since modern brides have joined the mer world,” he replied. “So long as a warrior lives, hope lives as well. I will use my skill to help him fight.”
She stared at him. Her soul burned hot with resonance. Her chin wrinkled. She touched two scuffed, scratched fingers to her mouth, looked away, and cleared her throat while reaching for her water glass and a napkin. “Well, I’m sure your patients appreciate your unfailing dedication.”
His chest clenched again. One patient he had deliberately failed.
No, he would not think about that.
“It’s admirable. Where is dinner? Oh. Goodness.” Her expression lifted and her lips affixed into a flat, closemouthed smile. “Dannika.”
“To the rescue!” The woman moved the soup dishes aside and served a large platter of Ethiopian food. “These just came out.”
Balim mentioned Bella’s scratches. “Your fingers are injured.”
“Hmm? Oh.” She ran her thumb across the ragged skin. “I jammed them on a credit card earlier tonight. It’s fine. They don’t hurt.”
Balim’s tool kit was in the office, but he did not wish to interrupt Bella’s meal.
Dannika withdrew, and Bella tore the bread. She scooped a handful of green mush, savored the scent, and bit in.
He chewed his own bread-ful. The mer did not have hot foods under the water. They had few spicy dishes, though.
The yellow dish was creamy and tangy, the orange was crumbly and zesty, and the red was spicy. His tongue flared with heat.
The metallic squeak behind Bella’s ear made her enjoyment flicker. Her insightful green eyes closed on him and then veered away.
“You have a quest
ion,” he prompted.
She nailed him with her clear gaze. “How do you fight for a patient after you’ve tried everything?”
“I rest him against his city’s Life Tree. Its healing sap flows in the blood of every warrior, and its resin forms into Sea Opals.”
“What if his city’s Life Tree isn’t an option? Like, he can’t get to it. He’s too far away.”
“That is unfortunate. In Atlantis, channeling the healing energy of the Life—”
“Just humor me.”
“Do I have my tools?”
“Yes.”
“I would use my tools to stabilize the warrior to reach his Life Tree.”
“The Life Tree doesn’t heal him,” she insisted. “Put it out of your mind. What would you do?”
He wiped his fingers on the cleaning cloth. Few illnesses resisted the Life Tree. The more he considered her proposal, the more a certain illness seeped into his mind.
He murmured the nickname. “Oannes’ Curse.”
“Hmm?”
“An illness. A plague.” He could not repeat the nickname in case it summoned the horror. “It destroyed two powerful cities. No cure was found. Not even the Life Trees averted its demise.”
She sucked in a deep breath and tapped both fingers on the table. “No. I’m sorry. I’ll be more clear. What would you do if a human fell ill? And doesn’t respond to Sea Opal elixir. Obviously, he can’t go to the Life Tree.”
It took a long, hard moment for him to wrench away from the past and focus on her in the present. “A human? On the surface?”
She nodded.
“And he does not respond to Sea Opals… I would rely on human medicine.”
That was not what she wanted to hear. She leaned back in her seat, disappointed. “So, nothing else?”
“If a human soul does not brighten with resonance, all the elixir on the surface will not cure him.”
Her lips pinched together.
“Who is your patient?” he asked.
She waved his question away. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve answered my questions.”
“Explain.”
“It’s not important.” She smiled with a closed mouth.
