by Devyn Quinn
He nodded in agreement. “I did kind of invite myself.” A pause. “You want me to leave?”
Tessa considered the idea, then shook her head. “I’ll cut you some slack. At least two weeks’ worth.”
Relief brightened Kenneth’s eyes. He nodded. “Thanks. I’ll take every bit I can get.”
“If you just want to kick back—”
With a shake of his head, he cut her off. “Thank you for the offer, but I actually want to work. It’ll help take my mind off the pity party I’ve been throwing for myself since Jen died. I know I’ve got to get my shit together and bag it. I’ve just been dragging my ass.”
Tessa studied him, taking in the beginnings of gray sprouting at his temples, the fine lines beginning to etch themselves at the corners of his eyes. She judged him to be in his late thirties, which meant his wife must have been young when she passed away. “You mentioned your wife is no longer living,” she ventured. “Was she ill?”
His jaw tightened seconds before he shook his head. “Murdered,” he grated. “Some punk robbing a convenience store needed a getaway car. Jen had just pulled in to grab a cup of coffee, just like she did every day before work. He shot her and took her car. She didn’t survive.”
His answer was one Tessa hadn’t expected. “That’s horrible. I hope they caught the man who did it.”
Shifting away from her, Kenneth dragged a hand down his face in agitation. His fingers rasped against the stubble he’d neglected to shave off. “They did, and the bastard got the death penalty. But it wasn’t enough in my opinion. He didn’t just kill Jen; he killed our baby.” His words tumbled out unchecked, a burden he seemed incapable of bearing any longer than necessary.
His words delivered a jolt. Shock ran through her, a dismay so sharp she had to gulp down the sudden rise of bitter acid.
Tessa reached for the crystal hanging from her neck. “By the goddess.” Events such as he’d narrated would bring even the strongest man to his knees. Losing a wife and a child to a random act of senseless violence had rightly torn his soul asunder.
Human beings can be such savage, horrible beasts.
A breathless moment passed before Kenneth’s dark gaze met hers. He tried to smile, but failed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to lay all that on you.”
“I did ask,” she reminded him. “I’m the one who should apologize.”
“Don’t. It happened and I can’t keep sticking my head into the sand.” A deep line formed between his brows. “That day I went into the bay . . . I’d looked at my life and didn’t see anything beyond the water. All of a sudden the answer was there. I wasn’t thinking when I did what I did.”
Tessa glanced at his face. His brown eyes were shadowed, sad. He’d lost his place in the world, belonging nowhere. She realized his search had brought him back to the island. “I’m sorry to remind you.”
Giving no reply, Kenneth shifted his attention back toward the water. “Thanks for saving my life. I appreciate it.”
Tessa quickly shook her head. “Don’t even mention it,” she mumbled. Of course, there was no way to tell him the real truth: that she hadn’t immediately dragged him ashore. Because of the storm’s severity, she’d ended up pulling him far beneath the waves, taking him to an underwater shoal. She’d held him in her arms, sharing her breath with him, keeping him alive until the waters calmed enough to return him to the mainland beach. Chances were he had no memory of the event whatsoever.
He shook his head. “From my side, the chance to say thank you is absolutely necessary. I was really wearing my dunce hat that day.”
Wondering how thin the ice beneath her feet might possibly be, Tessa ventured, “Do you remember much?”
Frowning, he shook his head. “Nothing’s really clear until the hospital in Port Rock. I got admitted on a 5150, an involuntary psychiatric hold.”
Working with mainland search and rescue, Tessa knew the emergency codes all too well. “That must have sucked.”
He laughed shortly. “Yeah, it definitely did. I had a lot of explaining to do to the resident shrink. Somehow I managed to turn my vacation into a one-way trip to the nuthouse.”
“Sorry. I had to tell them what I saw.”
Kenneth started to say something, stopped, then shrugged. “Don’t be. The rest of the story’s pretty simple. I went home to Jersey, but I couldn’t get back on track, couldn’t get a grasp on normal. It took a lot of sessions in therapy for me to figure out my life would never be normal again.”
The breeze off the sea shifted, bringing his personal odor to her nostrils. He was standing so close she could smell the clean scent of his body spray, the alluring combination of musk and sandalwood.
Close enough to breathe in his masculine scent, Tessa licked her suddenly dry lips. Her inhumanly acute senses zeroed in on the pheromones emanating from his scent. He smelled like sex—a rich, dark, ravenous scent that emanated from every pore.
Breath catching in a hitch, need immediately surged through her. Knees weakening, her head began to spin.
Fighting to regain control, Tessa pressed her fingers against her temple.
She forced herself to take in air, tamping down her body’s response to the silent but urgent call. Acutely aware of his longing, her body’s response was natural, one she couldn’t control. As a Mer, Tessa was extrasensitive to a male’s unspoken reaction to her presence. It helped her gauge the suitability of a prospective mate.
And there was no denying Kenneth Randall’s unconscious craving. All the verbal and physical signals pointed in one direction.
He wanted her.
The only question that remained was whether or not she intended to respond. The temptation was certainly there.
Kenneth caught her move. “Headache?” Concern laced his words.
Hearing his voice, Tessa’s hand immediately dropped. “A little.” She cast around for a quick excuse. There was no way she’d ever admit she was suffering the effects of intense arousal. “I’ve been fighting with the damn swamp cooler all day.” The sensible thing to do right now was keep her distance.
Toying with his cigarettes, Kenneth sifted out a fresh one. Lit it. “Sorry. I guess I kind of barreled in on you.” He took a deep drag. Smoke rushed through his nostrils, reminding her of the steam of a boiling volcano. His movements were suddenly awkward, uncomfortable. “Guess I was wondering what the hell I thought I’d do when I got here. Sold the house, quit my job, and hit the road. Sounds like a plan, right?”
Tessa cleared her throat before allowing a brief smile. “Just stay out of the water, okay? I’m not saving your raggedy ass twice.”
He drew another lungful of smoke. The tip glowed red before dying in gray ashes. “What I’m looking for isn’t there anymore,” he said quietly.
Tessa recognized the strain in his eyes, the uncertainty hovering beneath his calm facade. He’d obviously picked up the vibes her body was giving off, but hadn’t yet recognized the tension humming between them to be erotic in nature.
Heart doing a war dance in her chest, a little laugh slipped past her lips. Every nerve in her body was stretched taut. A thousand emotions were all tangled up inside her psyche, but she froze at the thought of acting on a single impulse. If he touched her now, she’d shatter.
She took a step back, putting a little distance between them. It wasn’t easy to resist the electricity flickering between them. It was taking a supreme effort to pull her thoughts together, keep them coherent. This was something she wasn’t ready to deal with. The day was already crazy enough without having to have sexual pressure added to the mix.
Back off, she warned herself. And take things slow.
Tessa’s heart sped up. She swallowed hard, panicky yet intrigued by the expression on his face. “What are you looking for?” she asked, almost afraid of what the answer might be.
Kenneth shook his head. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I hoped by coming back I’d be able to find it again.”
Chapter 3
Careful not to
make a sound, Tessa crept toward the western edge of the island. There, craggy boulders gave way to a small cul-de-sac, the eroded remnants of a sandy reef. At low tide smaller rocks dotted the white sand, nature’s perfect seat for sitting and just gazing at the ocean. Before the lighthouse had been constructed, this side of the island had caused a lot of damage to ships attempting to make landfall.
Because of the abundance of water in the Port Rock area, fishing and swimming were among the most popular activities. Sea kayaking and boat tours were also popular, which often meant the island saw more than its share of trespassers. Drawn by the lighthouse, many tourists chose to ignore the warning signs. If someone was in need, Tessa was glad to offer help. Otherwise she’d been known to get snappish, especially when people pulled out their cameras and started tramping around to get shots of the popular landmark.
Casting a furtive glance toward the lighthouse, Tessa breathed a little sigh of relief. It was dark, nary a sign of light or life about it. Its new occupant appeared to have settled in for the night. She’d waited until well after midnight to venture out, needing some time alone to contemplate the abrupt change in her solitary life.
A human had invaded her sacred space. And this visitor wasn’t just any human, but one who had a direct tie to her. Worse than that, pieces of the past were beginning to surface in his mind. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what would be revealed if the picture were completed.
Not that she intended to help him figure things out. Anything Kenneth Randall thought might be bona fide could easily be explained away by emotional trauma.
Tessa grinned to herself, enjoying her role as keeper of the secrets. Despite the fact she genuinely liked the man, her inner Mer still wanted to crack the whip. Control was all important in her world. A wicked thought slithered out of the darkest corner of her mind. And the proof is in the tail.
In other words, she’d swear it was all a lie.
As one of the mermaids actually dwelling on Little Mer Island, Tessa knew the indigenous Native Americans regarded stories of the sea creatures inhabiting these waters as absolutely true. Those who lived in Port Rock also did their share to keep the lore alive, many doing a thriving business in mermaid-themed paraphernalia when tourists visited the isolated port. Fishermen working in the harbor were glad to encourage belief with stories of their own.
Some of those stories might even have a grain or two of truth.
Most of them didn’t. Most of the tales were nothing more than fiction spun by locals who needed tourist dollars to keep their businesses in the black. According to them, the bay was teeming with mermaids.
Not true.
Aside from her own close- knit family, Tessa knew of no others. And unless she and her sisters found mates and had daughters of their own, their bloodline would soon be extinct in these parts.
Tessa glanced around, making double sure she was alone. The moon hung in the velvety sky, full and silvery, casting its luminous glow on the surface of the water. On calm nights the bay was a wonderful place to swim. She’d have about an hour to swim before the tide rolled back in and reclaimed the reef.
She slipped off her terry-cloth robe, tossing it over a nearby boulder. The cool night air lovingly caressed her bare skin. She wore not a single stitch, not even the skimpy pieces of a bikini. The only thing she wore around her neck was her soul-stone, which she was never without. Upon birth a Mer was given her own crystal, which contained the vital part of the magic she’d learn to wield, including the ability to shift. At this point in her life, Tessa still hadn’t grasped the full scope of a Mer’s abilities. Neither had her sisters. Their mother had passed away just as she’d begun to pass on her knowledge to her three daughters. Tessa was barely fifteen years old when the automobile accident claimed both her parents.
Tessa followed the narrow beach to the water’s edge. She didn’t stop to test the temperature of the water, stepping straightaway into the chilly depth. Wet sand oozed up between her toes and she sank a little. She walked until the sandy bottom fell away beneath her feet, suddenly plunging into an endless depth.
Sighing with contentment, she treaded water for a few minutes. Her legs were bothering her, a restless sensation that wouldn’t settle down. Her body felt crawly, like thousands of tiny insects skittered beneath the surface of her skin. The only remedy was a swim, where she could shift into her true form. Once in the water, she could swim herself into exhaustion. After that, she’d be able to rest.
Taking a deep breath, Tessa dived. As the water rippled around her naked flesh, she shifted. Beneath the surface, her lungs filtered water like air. Her vision adjusted perfectly to the shadowy depths. Her movements driven by incredible flexibility and strength, she swam with strong, sure stokes.
Spotting a school of blue-tinted bass, Tessa darted through the pack. Offended by the disturbance, the fish scattered in a dozen different directions.
Drifting lazily in their wake, Tessa laughed. She could almost imagine them shaking their fins in anger. She wondered what they might be thinking, seeing a half-human, half-sea creature swimming among them. Contrary to popular belief, mermaids could not communicate with sea life, not even the more intelligent species. Just as people couldn’t understand a cat’s meow or a dog’s bark, she had no earthly clue what the chirps and whistles of a dolphin might mean.
It was a silly part of the legend that annoyed her. Mermaids might be able to live on land and sea, but their main components were designed to mesh with those of oxygen breathing Homo sapiens. After all, there were no mermen. Mer females still needed human males to impregnate them.
A tremor unexpectedly shook her that had nothing to do with the fish she’d disturbed, but had everything to do with Kenneth Randall. His presence had sparked something inside her, a hunger she’d almost forgotten existed. Though she tried to deny it—had fought against it—the Mer were a highly sensual species. The desire to mate came as naturally as breathing. Having gone without physical relations for several years, a man’s touch, however causal, was guaranteed to set her on fire.
It was my choice to live alone, she reluctantly reminded herself. My choice to stay here and not move to Port Rock. But in choosing the solitary island over the populated mainland, she’d mostly cut herself off from the outside world.
From all human contact.
Coming to a dead halt, Tessa closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink. She refused to breathe, doing her best to ignore the arousal Kenneth Randall had inadvertently piqued. She was attracted to him. No doubt there. His appeal had definitely set her body to simmering.
Three years had passed since she’d been dumped by Jake Massey. Surely that was long enough to get her emotional equilibrium back. Just because she’d gotten kicked to the curb didn’t mean all men were pigs. It just meant she hadn’t chosen the right man.
Tessa winced, drawing an involuntary breath. Good grief, she’d really dodged a bullet there. Thank the goddess they hadn’t gone through with the mating ceremony. Once a mermaid linked with her human Breema, her breed-mate, the ties binding them could never be undone. It would have destroyed her to be married to a man who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.
Jake had broken off their engagement the night before the ceremony. Tessa had spent the evening drinking too much wine and crying. Jake had spent it wrapped in the arms of some stripper he’d met at his bachelor party. As great a guy as Jake had appeared to be, she’d had to learn the hard way he was a self-centered, selfish individual. He thought only about his wants, his needs, and his satisfaction. Jake didn’t care who he hurt as long as he got his way.
Having drifted beneath the surface long enough, Tessa reluctantly opened her eyes. Shifting her position, she broke through the surface of the water a few moments later. Lights from the mainland sparkled in the distance.
Ignoring their lure, Tessa flipped over onto her back and just let herself float. She relaxed and drifted with the currents, allowing the water to take her where it wanted.
Her mind drifted, too, inevitably turning toward the man who’d invaded her island. Much to her surprise, she wasn’t as angry as she’d thought she’d be by his intrusion.
In fact, she welcomed it.
She needed a change, something to shake up the boring rut she’d fallen into. The idea of taking a lover hovered at the far recesses of her mind.
Tessa’s internal temperature hitched up a notch. So did the heat in certain parts of her body. Oh, it had been such a long time since she’d allowed herself to revel in a man’s touch, enjoy sex for the sake of pure physical gratification. There were some needs that just couldn’t be slaked with a battery-operated boyfriend.
Shuddering with need, Tessa ran her hands over her skin, palms lightly tracing the curve of her breasts, then the soft slope of her belly. It was perfectly acceptable for a Mer to have many partners before settling on her breed-mate, the male she would eventually choose to father her children.
She mulled the idea of finding a boyfriend on the mainland. Both Addison and Gwen had tried to set her up on blind dates.
Heart hammering against her rib cage, Tessa caught her breath. Did she really have the nerve to take a lover?
She definitely ached for physical contact, for a man’s hard caresses on her hungry skin. The sexual hunger driving her species was inborn, necessary.
Giving the plan more consideration, Tessa had to admit the idea held a lot of appeal. She could definitely use a no-strings-attached affair. And no law said she had to invest her emotions. She was almost thirty years old, for heaven’s sake. No reason to let life entirely pass her by. Laying eyes on a hunk of man like Kenneth Randall reminded her exactly what she’d been missing out on. Had he not been so psychically damaged, she would have put him at the top of her list.
She made a quick decision. Time to loosen up and have some fun.
Reanimating her limp body, Tessa reluctantly forced herself to swim back toward the island. She’d drifted at least two miles, maybe more. Putting her tail in motion, she quickly closed the distance. An Olympic swimmer would have been envious of her speed and agility.
