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I’d kept my boobs to myself so far, and I planned on keeping it that way.
Well, unless certainthingshappened when I got the courage to face Leander again. Non-accidental flashings would be an entirely different story. But would Aleena have him under her spell again before I made it back to his room tonight?
Add that to the list of reasons mermaid magic was so sickening.
My hands went for the wrap, and it took pulling the long stretch of fabric around my hips for me to realize my error. “Yeah, this ain’t gonna work.” Especially not for swimming. Cold air drifted between my exposed lady bits as I unwrapped myself. “New plan.”
Flinging the wrap over the side of a sink, I dove into my shopping bag in search of the bottom half of my bikini. I hadn’t expected needing it now that I had underwear, but I was glad I hadn’t thrown it out. Way to go past-me.
A quick snap took the tags off, and I slipped the bottoms over my legs before heading to the exit.
“Sorry that took me so—why are you naked?”
“What?” Kai said with a jump, swirling a quick circle like a dog searching for the end of its tail.
… Oh.Oh no.That wasn’t helping.
A perplexed look settled over his brow as he came out of his turn. “I’ve got the most important parts covered, I think? My chest, my back.” He circled again, only this time, he really craned his neck, struggling to look behind him.
Right, so he wasn’ttotally naked. But what was so special about his torso that it had to be covered whilelittle Kaigot to be set free?
“I don’t care aboutthoseparts,” I threw back, vaguely gesturing where his button-down stopped covering things that needed to be covered.
Why wasn’t there a seminar or something for merfolk who came to land? Somewhere where these dudes could learn that underwear was a need and it wasn’t cool to show your bait and tackle off to everyone you met, especially when it involved swinging it around in twirly little helicopter propeller circles.
“Where are your pants?”
The lines of Kai’s throat tightened as he swallowed, his voice going quiet. “It wouldn’t bother you, seeing under my shirt?” A light flush crept up his face.
What kind of question was that? And had he even heardmyquestion? Pants, dude!Pants!
A gulp jerked his chin, and his head shook like he was tossing away some impure thought. “N-never mind. I didn’t mean to suggest something so…inappropriate.”
Uh, what?Inappropriate?Him taking his shirt off?
It suddenly occurred to me that his eyes were flighty, landing on every inch of the pool room except the spot where I stood. “You think whatI’m wearing is inappropriate, don’t you?”
He sputtered his words with a weak crack of laughter. “I mean, uh, no?”
Uh-huh.He totally thought my bikini was some obscene thing.
The pastel pink of his cheeks made his soft spikes of hair look even more like cotton candy than usual. It was strangely adorable seeing him get all flustered over something as silly as bare skin.
Dumbfounded, I threw a thumb back at the showers. “I mean, I can go put a shirt on?”
Wait.Was I really worried about my bikini being too revealing while he was literally free swinging in front of me?
“No!” His voice cracked, and with a clear of his throat, his eyes finally settled on mine. “I mean, it’s fine how you are. A-as long as you’re comfortable, of course.”
Well, I wasn’t completely comfortable—how could I be while he was looking at me like I’d presented myself in front of him wearing pasties and a G-string? But if this trident ordeal had taught me anything, it was that I hated being tossed in water covered with restrictive clothing.
“More comfortable than you’ll be trying to swim in that long-sleeved shirt,” I mumbled, and Kai sheepishly started rolling up his sleeves. “So, what, you guys have something against man-chests in the Pacific?” Did that mean the mermen all wore ocean silks there? I tried imagining Leander’s golden torso wrapped in tight bands and gulped.Damn, okay.Wouldn’t be a bad look.
“Well, of course we like to keep ourselves covered and presentable,” Kai answered stiffly. He took a step toward the pool.
But not the bottom half, right?I snickered to myself. It had embarrassed him to see me without pants after my fight with Aleena, but he was okay with showing me his ass? Made no freaking sense.
Kai stuck a toe in the water, and a shiver wiggled up the column of his spine. “Dude, it’scold!”
