Gills flared out along his merman’s sides and neck, and he hyper-focused on Connor’s hand. Connor dragged his finger against his thumb again, and the merman’s tail splashed. Connor almost mistook it for agitation until he pulled his hand away, and the merman chased after it.
There was a sudden grip on his ankle. A hot band burning his skin, while above water, he barely dared to brush his fingers against Connor’s hand. The merman’s gaze darted to Connor’s face as if to read his expression before he took hold of Connor’s wrist and guided his palm flat against his tail. He pushed Connor’s hand down much harder than Connor had dared to touch him.
The merman led Connor’s exploration, keening in his throat and watching Connor’s face. The hand on his ankle moved, creeping up the back of his calf in a long, smooth stroke.
Connor’s breath caught, a surprising prickle of heat throbbing up his legs and through his thighs.
The merman’s gaze sharpened. Connor ducked his face, his cheeks burning in shame. He shouldnotbe getting aroused by a sea creature touching his leg. It should be scary and maybe exhilarating; it shouldn’t send bolts of heat straight to his junk. The merman’s firm and slow touch on his calf spiked more heat.
“Enough of that,” Connor said, embarrassed. He shook his leg. The merman snaked his arm around the front of the board instead, and rested his cheek on the side. He blinked slowly and tilted his head to the side, looking toward the shore. The hand holding Connor’s wrist released and rested in the water instead.
With his half-lidded eyes, Connor would almost think the merman was bored. But something about the sudden disinterest in Connor seemed feigned. Like a cat who pretended to ignore you but was, in actuality, aware of exactly where you were and what you were doing.
Connor turned over the flask of tea in his hand. He reached out and set it down on the merman’s tail. His gaze snapped straight to the flask. Confusion rippled over his expression, though faded quickly. After glancing at Connor’s face, he resumed his uninterested pose.
Connor considered that and took the flask back. He picked up his book and set that on the now-dried scales. The merman only spared half a glance. When Connor put a bottle of sun lotion on him next, he didn’t even look. Nor did he pay any attention to the torch or the jacket. Connor was getting the towel when he heard a snort.
Connor went still, turning only his head to see the merman giving him a side-long look. There was something haughty about his expression, as if he found Connor silly.
Connor placed the towel down and leaned over, setting both hands on the merman’s tail. The merman twitched and then tensed up, the underside of his jaw flexing tight, though he refused to look at Connor. Connor grinned and pressed down harder, shifting his weightallonto the merman. The merman’s gills flared out as Connor spread his fingers wide.
The paddleboard creaked under the merman’s tightened grip; his jaw was locked in tension, and his eyes were almost entirely shut.
“You’re obviously paying attention,” Connor goaded. “You might as well look.”
The merman’s body was taunt with tension, but he did not look. Another snort came out. This one was ridiculously forced.
Connor wasn’t about to lose to a sea creature. He leaned back and drew his legs onto the board. The merman watched him out of the corner of his eye. Connor didn’t have to worry about tipping the board as he moved. The merman was holding it steady. Connor crawled forward on his hands and knees and lowered himself onto the board. He lay on his side, his face planted directly in the merman’s line of sight.
“Now you have to look at me,” Connor said.
The merman’s gills flared. His hooded eyes focused on Connor, obvious interest in his expression as his gaze darted over Connor’s face. Lingering, momentarily, on his mouth.
Connor couldn’t have said if that look implied the same kind of interest as it would have if a boy from school looked at his lips when they were inches apart.
Slowly, Connor reached out. Letting his impulses get the better of him, he touched the merman’s pointed ear. It was as warm as his scales; apparently, mermen ran hotter than humans.
The merman blinked slowly. The water shifted as he lifted his hand up, but he froze, his hand suspended in the air a mere inch from Connor’s face. His brows creased slightly as he set it between them without touching Connor.
Connor glanced at the hand, understanding unfolding inside of him. “Because I told you no?” he asked. He reached out, taking the merman’s hand. This time,heguided the merman. “Was it my ear you wanted to touch?”
He set the merman’s damp hand against his ear. The merman made a keening noise in his throat, hoarse and low. His fingers sank into Connor’s hair, dragging against his scalp, sending fire and warm goosebumps racing across his skin. He shuddered.
Connor tried not to squirm as hot fingers played with his ear, tugging at the rounded end and then tracing the delicate shell. His ear throbbed as if it were burned.
“Okay, that’s my limit,” Connor took the hot hand away from himself, beginning to feel overwhelmed. He set it back onto the board.
He waited to see if the merman would retreat at the rejection, but all he did was acknowledge his displaced hand and flick his eyes back to Connor’s face.
Chapter Fourteen
A small wave lapped onto the back of the paddle board, and he propped himself onto his elbow to take in their new positioning. The water was no longer dead calm. The merman’s tail swaying in the water held the board perpendicular to the shoreline, letting the newly formed smaller waves wash past with the least amount of disturbance.
Connor checked his watch for the time and was surprised to find it was already past lunch. He looked down at the merman, who gazed steadily up at him. “You’re very distracting, you know,” he said. He’d done little more than stare at the merman for the past few hours, talking and examining him at leisure.
He sat up fully and scooted to his cooler, digging out the wrap Laurence had insisted on making him before going to school.
Connor took a bite, though noticed a keen gaze fixed on his mouth. “Do you want some?” he asked, offering half of the wrap.
