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And she’d called my name.
A new thought slammed into my already reeling mind.
Maybe Seta was just as attracted to me as I was to her.
Maybe she had been touching herself while thinking of me.
Had she continued teasing herself while I’d been right in front of her? Between that mental image and the delicious scent of her desire filling my lungs, I’d grown painfully hard.
I longed to tell her she could use my body as her personal toy, but I knew it would likely embarrass her if she knew that I knew.
Hope, delight, and raw hunger warred inside me. I might have a chance with her as long as I didn’t blow it.
Trying to keep my voice steady, I pretended I was still confused. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m definitely fine.” Her eyes grew more focused, and she squinted up at me. “Why are you here?”
I shrugged, trying to breathe through my mouth to keep from drawing in more of her intoxicating scent. “The storm picked up, and I was worried you may have gotten lost. I came to check the woods and heard my name. Anyway, I followed your voice and found you here in the pool. You appeared to be in pain, and I thought you’d been injured. I didn’t mean to intrude.” Unable to meet her piercing gaze, I looked down, taking in her tattoos for the first time. “These are beautiful, Seta.”
Her breath caught, and faint scales glowed a soft orange across her skin. “Wh-what are you talking about?”
As though pulled by a magnet, I slid my fingertip along the swirling lines. “Your tattoos. The artist is insanely talented.”
I’d never seen anything like the art, a mix of leaves and flourishes blended with symbols I didn’t recognize.
“Thank you.” Seta trembled. “I’d rather no one else know I have tattoos. Okay?”
Curiosity had me on the verge of asking her the meaning behind them, but I worried Seta would consider it crossing a line and might not appreciate answering questions.
“Of course. I won’t tell anyone, but you know they’ll see them if they swim with you?”
She was acting like I was the only one who’d ever seen them, but that wouldn’t make sense.
“Only if I shift forms, and that’s not something I like doing around people.” Seta’s body sank lower into the water, finally covering her bare breasts I’d been doing my best to avoid staring at.
Unable to sit still, I scrubbed at my face. “Really? Most of the mermaids around campus seem to want to stay shifted as much as possible.”
“Only because they are hoping to show off their bodies and catch your attention.”
I barely heard her whispered words and barked a laugh. “That would be a shame.”
Seta’s scowl turned quizzical. “Why do you say that?”
Because there wasn’t a single woman on earth as beautiful as the odd little mer in the water in front of me.
Because there was only one woman who’d ever captured my attention.
I didn’t think this was the time for grand declarations, so I settled on, “Because they’re wasting their time.”
Standing, I adjusted myself as subtly as I could. The floral perfume of Seta’s desire still hung in the humid air, and as long as it was filling my lungs, I doubted my hard-on was going anywhere.
“Where’s your stuff? Do you want me to put your clothes by the edge so you can change?”
“Um. Yeah?” Seta stammered.
When she bit her lip, I knew I needed to get away from her. I was teetering on the edge, fighting against the desire to explore her body with my mouth and find the source of her intoxicating nectar.
Grabbing her soaked clothing and the golden bangle I’d never seen her take off, I placed them on the pond’s edge nearest her. “Here you go. They are a little wet. I’ll go ahead and leave so you can have privacy.”
