“Hole.” He shook his head. “Big hole. We need to move the dolphins.”

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 rêves.” 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?”