"Sure. Anyway, thanks for what you did. That was sweet of you," I say before sliding behind the steering wheel of my car.
"He sounds smoking hot!" Elinda says on the other line as I take a sip of Chardonnay, sitting out on the back porch of my rental.
The June sun lowers in the sky, coloring it with pinks and oranges that dance across the surface of Lake Summit. Suddenly, I notice some ripples about twenty yards into the lake, then a green tail fluke out of the water.
"Holy shit! I think there's a mermaid in the lake!"
"A shifter?" Elinda asks, obviously excited by the thought.
"Well, I assume," I respond, as my jaw practically slams against my chest.
At that moment, I am watching Floyd walking out of the water toward me, dripping wet in a pair of shorts and a shirt plastered against his soaking wet, muscular chest.
Holy crap.
"He's here. And I think he's a merman shifter," I hiss.
"Oh shit, girl!"
"I'll call you back," I quickly say, standing.
"Hell no, woman! I want a photo of this guy before I hang up," she says, playfully but with a hint of protectiveness.
"Okay, fine," I breathe, as my entire body comes alive with desire, watching the silver-haired mountain man grin at me as he makes his way to the back deck.
5
Floyd
The entire time I am swimming toward Murphy's rental cabin, my heart hammers beneath my ribs. Ever since I somehow finagled my way into this curvy beauty's life, I've been feeling like a teenage boy with a massive crush on the new girl at school. And when I reach the shoreline, seeing her standing on the back deck, her powder blue sundress blowing in the breeze, does not help my heart rate. I shift in the shallows of the lake before walking onto the shore.
Lexi smiles and gives me a wave, a cell phone to her ear.
When I get to the edge of the deck, I say, "Hey. Sorry. Are you busy? I can come back later."
"No. Not at all, but my friend is demanding a photo since you're going to be playing the part of my boyfriend."
Lexi's pale cheeks redden at the words, and I can't help but grin.
"That makes sense. She sounds like an excellent friend."
Relief washes over her beautiful face, and I realize she has adorable freckles decorating her nose and cheeks. I step back, grinning up at her as she lifts her cell, taking a quick snapshot, and quickly appears to send it to her friend. Seconds later, Ihear her friend loudly exclaim something on the other end of the line, and I watch the voluptuous knockout burst into melodious laughter, her cheeks now blazing red.
"Alright, Elinda. I've got to go. I'll text you later," Lexi says, then she raises a wineglass in her hand. She gestures toward it. "Would you like any?"
"No thanks. Wine makes me sleepy, and I still have a few things to get done when I go home," I say, gesturing towards the deck steps. "But is it okay if I join you up there?"
"Oh, yeah. Of course. Sorry. Where are my manners?"
Before sitting, I offer her my hand and say, "I realize we sort of met in a whirlwind, so I thought I would make it official. Floyd McAlpin at your service," I say, grinning down at her, quickly losing myself in her dark brown eyes.
"Lexi Hodges," she says with a soft laugh.
She grips my hand in a firm handshake, causing my breath to catch in the back of my throat. Her touch sends a delicious warmth of energy through my arm that spreads into my chest before traveling down to my toes. I watch her dark eyes widen in surprise as she slowly lowers her hand. Did she feel something as well?
Feeling my cheeks burn, I sit down across from her. She clears her throat, smooths down the skirt of her dress, and takes a quick sip of her white wine. A soft, nervous laugh escapes her lips, and she shakes her head with a sheepish grin at me.
"This whole thing is so crazy," she says.
