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“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry if I upset you with the book. I know I had no right to touch it. It just—”
I waited, breathless with her invigorating scent trapped in my lungs. Did she really think any of my reaction had to do with the book? Was she really so oblivious to her own appeal?
“It reminded me of home,” she said quietly.
The door clicked shut and I let out my breath in a rush, the tension retreating from my body with the exhale. Then I turned and sat heavily on the edge of my bed, scrubbing my hands over my face. “What is wrong with me?”
17
NEVER
The trip to the beach in the skiff wasn’t as bad as I’d expected, though the silence was awkward. Hook refused to meet my gaze, keeping his attention focused on rowing the little boat through the slow, iridescent waves.
I’d checked the water at least a dozen times for any sign of lurking sirens, despite Hook’s assurance that they were traditionally nocturnal creatures. When a brilliant head of bright pink hair popped up in the water a few yards away, I yelped and grabbed for my blade.
Hook’s head snapped around, following my gaze, then his low chuckle threaded through my growing panic. “It’s fine, Never. That’s a mermaid, not a siren.” He set one oar in his lap and waved the creature over. “Come say hi! You’re scaring the poor girl.”
The girl reference stung a bit, but I shoved my irritation away. I shouldn’t give a crap what Hook thought of me. I was using him to get me back to shore, then we were going our separate ways.
The pink-haired creature disappeared beneath the water, then popped back up right beside the skiff a half a breath later. I scooted back away from the edge.
“Hi!” The mermaid waved excitedly, sending little droplets of water into the boat. “I’m Hemisa.” She batted her long lashes, the same neon pink as her hair, and dipped her head. Then she pulled herself up so she was resting on her forearms with her bare breasts pressing against the edge of the craft.
“You’re naked.” I instantly felt like an idiot.
Smooth, Never. Super smooth.
Hook and Hemisa both laughed. “She lives in the water. Do sea creatures in your world wear clothes?”
I shrugged, trying to look her in the eyes, but my gaze kept wanting to dip down to her pert little breasts. Her skin shimmered in the sunlight, like it was made of a million tiny, ethereal scales. Which it probably was.
“I, uh…” Seriously? I’d seen naked women before. An errant thought hit me, and I couldn’t smother the snort that followed.
She watched me curiously, then looked to Hook. “Do you know what she finds humorous?”
I shook my head, pressing my lips into a flat line to get myself under control. When I could finally speak, I still couldn’t seem to control the amusement in my voice. “I just realized how men must feel sometimes.” I motioned to her bare chest to make my point, but she only quirked her head in confusion.
Hook’s bark of laughter let me know at least he understood where I was coming from.
She eyed us both with one eyebrow raised, and I held up my hand. “We don’t have real mermaids in my world, but in the movies, the females always wear clothes, at least on their top half.” I held my hands in front of my chest to show her what I meant.
Her irritation quickly turned to curiosity. “Why? We live in the water. Clothing would slow us down, not to mention it would snag on the reef.”
She made a solid argument and I nodded. “I think it’s a modesty issue. It isn’t typically acceptable for women in my world to walk around topless.”
Hemisa tugged herself up a little higher and flipped her tail out of the water. She gave it a little wiggle, winking playfully when the move splashed more droplets over me. “Good thing I’m not a human woman then, huh?”
Her tail was a thing of beauty, making the gentle shimmer of her upper body pale in comparison to the rich pink and blue hues of her scales.
“You are stunning.” The words were out of my mouth before I realized it, and heat filled my cheeks.
She smiled coyly and batted those lashes again. “Thank you.” Hemisa reached a hand out and ran a finger down my cheek, sending a shiver through me. “You are an exceptional beauty yourself.”
A low rumble pierced the spell she’d cast on me, and I turned to see Hook scowling at her. “She is off limits.”
Her lips quirked playfully. “Is that so?”
If I hadn’t been staring at him in horror, I would have missed the flash of orange in his eyes. Her lips dropped into a pout, then she released her grip on the skiff and flipped backward into the water, sending a wave of the cool liquid cascading over a very grumpy looking Hook. When she resurfaced, the mischievous grin on her face was infectious.
