I drop to my knees beside him, running my hands along the rough, metal track. Jude pulls his hands away so I can investigate. I grab the little tab and pull it the other way, fascinated by how the tiny teeth come together. When it’s closed again, I slide the tab back and forth, enjoying the sound.
“That’s a zipper, Coral.”
“Zipper,” I repeat slowly. I like the way the word makes the same sound. I say it over and over again as I run the zipper back and forth along the track.
“If she likes opening zippers that much, remind me to wear jeans instead of athletic shorts.” Jude snickers, and Avery smacks him on the arm.
When I’m done playing with the zipper, Jude pulls out several garments and passes them around. “They might be kind of big on you, but ya’ll are welcome to wear whatever fits.”
“Let’s lay them out to dry.” Avery drapes a shirt across the sand, carefully smoothing out all the wrinkles.
Jude snorts and rolls his eyes at him but gives a garment a shake before laying it out on the beach. The others do the same with the rest of the clothing.
“Jude, don’t you own any shirts that don’t have stupid sayings on them?” Liam winces then holds up a shirt and reads, “This is not a beer gut, it’s a protective covering for my rock hard abs.”
“Hey, that one’s my favorite!” Jude grabs the shirt and drapes it over his chest with a smile.
Gio smacks him in the stomach, and Jude hunches over and clutches his belly, groaning and chuckling.
“Is this a shaving kit?” Liam pulls a small, black bag out of the duffel. He unzips the bag and his face lights up as he pulls out more things I’ve never seen before.
“Oh, man, this is great. I’m desperate for a shave.” Liam shakes a blue and red cylinder and pulls off the lid. I gasp when he presses on the top of it and a creamy, white substance squirts out and forms a mound on the palm of his hand.
I watch in fascination as he spreads the substance over the hair on his face then slides a small stick through the cream, removing a swath and revealing bare skin underneath.
“Is there a mirror in here?” Liam digs through the bag again and pulls one out then uses it to guide his hand as he finishes the job.
When he’s done, I can’t resist reaching out to stroke his skin. He smells fresh, and the skin on his cheek feels smooth and soft.
“What do you think, Coral? Better? I hate stubble.”
Liam’s face does look better without the scruffy hairs that marred the creamy paleness of his otherwise perfect skin, but yet, on some of the other guys, I find the hair appealing. I can’t even imagine Gio without a shadow of stubble. I nod and stroke his chin with my hand, letting him know I approve.
“That looks like a good idea.” Jude takes the tools from Liam and shaves off his beard, leaving clean skin behind. The change makes him look younger, cuter, and I smile and give him an impromptu kiss on the cheek. I haven’t spent much time with him yet, but I want him to know I like him, too.
Jude slaps his hand over the spot I kissed and lets his mouth fall open. “I’m shaving every day from now on.”
Avery frowns at us, so I go over to him and rub my hands along his rough cheek. The blond stubble makes him look handsome, and I kiss his cheek to let him know it. He smiles at me, his blue eyes sparkling like the ocean, and pulls me tight against his side.
“So does that mean you like me scruffy?” Avery asks, and I nod.
“You goons are acting like you’ve never had a kiss from a girl before.” Gio sounds irritated.
“You’re just jealous because she’s never kissed you.” Jude grins and wags his eyebrows, and Gio rolls his eyes.
I head over to Gio and caress his cheek then give him a peck on the lips to cheer him up. Gio shakes his head at me but his lips curl in a small smile.
“You can’t be kissing all of us, Coral. You’re gonna have four jealous guys fighting over you if you keep that up,” he whispers.
Jude scrunches his brow. “Avery’s the only one she’s really kissed. The rest of us just got a little peck, right?”
Gio nods, but Liam shakes his head. “She’s never kissed me.”
Avery scowls at him. “Well, you two looked awfully cozy in the raft last night.”
“Jealous, Avery?” Jude smirks.
Gio rubs his hand over his head and sighs. “Guys, I know we’re all horny, and she’s the only woman on this god-forsaken island—“
“And she’s sexy as hell,” Jude interrupts.
Gio scowls at him. “But we can’t all go after her.”
“Why not? She doesn’t seem to mind. Seems like she’s into it.” Jude shrugs.
Gio throws his hands up in the air and starts to pace. In his mind he’s picturing the young girl with dark hair who fills his mind with worry so often. “She probably doesn’t know any better! She’s completely innocent. She didn’t even know how to put on a shirt, or know better than to stick her hand in the fire. We might be the first people she’s had contact with in years. Have you seen any other sign of life on this island? Cuz I sure haven’t. Probably all she understands is that it feels good.”
Jude puts his hands on his hips. “So? I don’t see what the big deal is. She’s not a kid, she’s a grown woman. If she wants to hook up with one of us, or heck, all of us, let her decide. Like you said, she’s the only woman on this island, and you just told us we might be here for a very long time.”
Gio shakes his head. “Is that what you all want — to share her?” He looks around at the others who stare back in silent agreement.
“Fine,” he says through gritted teeth. “But let her make the first move, and don’t push her to go farther than she wants. And no getting jealous about who she spends time with!” He scowls at Avery then points a finger at Jude. “No fighting about it.”
My eyes dart frantically between them as suddenly all of their minds fill with images of them taking turns touching and kissing me. I was hoping to attract one of them, but it seems like they’re all interested. And maybe willing to share? Is that normal for humans? I’ve never heard of a mermaid mating with more than one person, but maybe humans feel differently. My mind whirls with the possibility. I was desperate to choose my own mate, but once I had the chance, it was impossible to pick just one. Maybe I don’t have to.
I gasp at the image, and desire swells inside of me, my body responding. I clench my legs together and press my hand against my breasts, trying to satisfy the ache, and every eye swivels my way. Their cheeks turn red as they realize I can see their thoughts, and they quickly try to refocus their attention, but the thought is seared in my brain.
“Is there a comb in that bag?” Avery changes the subject, reaching for the shaving kit. He pulls out a flat, black object with spikes like teeth up and down the length.
“Thank God.” He tugs the object through his chin-length, blond hair till it hangs smooth and straight around his face.
I pick up my own long mass of hair and examine it, and Avery grins at me. “Would you like me to comb your hair, Princess?”
I nod and move to kneel in front of him. He holds out the comb for me to examine, and I run my fingers along the teeth and giggle when they flex and make a buzzing sound kind of like the zipper.
“This is a comb, Coral. Can you say comb?”
I repeat the word and hand the tool back to him. He takes a lock of my hair and combs through it carefully, starting at the bottom. Once in a while, the teeth catch on a snag, and I wince as my head is pulled backward, but Avery gently works out each knot till my entire head of hair is tangle-free, like it is when I’m in the water.
When he’s done, he runs his fingers through it then smoothes it again with his palms. “Your hair is gorgeous, Coral. Just like you.” He whispers the last bit in my ear, and his voice sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine.
“If you all are done primping, I’d like to get started on a shelter today.” Gio starts heading towards the trees.
Jude rub
s his belly and whines, imagining breakfast. “Can’t we get something to eat, first? I can’t work on an empty stomach.”
I hop up and dash over to the pile of fish I left by the fire. They must have missed it in their excitement about the beacon and the duffel bag. Grabbing a fish in each hand, I head over to Jude and hold them out to him, grinning.
“Oh my God, you’re amazing.” Jude grabs me in a hug, lifting me off my feet. I giggle and squirm till he puts me down, then I reach out and hug him back.
“Thank you, Coral.” His hands caress my back and sides, and I press closer to him.
“I thought we were going to let her make the first move.” Avery scowls at Jude.
“What? All I did was give her a thank you hug. Besides, she liked it, right, Coral?”
I nod and squeeze his middle.
“Let’s cook up some of this fish, babe.” Jude leads me over to the fire, and we spear a few fish and hold them over the flames to cook as the others join us.
I’m licking my fingers clean when I notice Liam staring at my ankle. “Look at Coral’s leg. Her ankle looks completely healed. No bruising, no swelling.”
“Does it hurt, Coral?” Avery asks me, and I shake my head no.
Liam gets up and comes to sit next to me, picking up my leg to examine it. “And all the cuts and scratches are healed, too. How is that possible?”
He stares at me, his mind churning like the sea where it fights to take over the land. I know he’s adding up all the things that are different about me, trying to figure out where I came from, what I am.
The others find me curious, but Liam is different — he can’t stand not knowing. I’m a puzzle he can’t solve, and his mind won’t rest till he figures me out. I wish he’d quit trying — he won’t like the answer.
Chapter 13
“Okay, guys, enough lounging around. We’ve got work to do.” Gio stands up, and the others moan a little but join him.
“I think that would be a good spot to build the shelter.” Gio points to a section by the trees. “Collect palm fronds and any logs you can carry and bring them here.”
The guys head out, and I do too, intent on helping however I can. Gio spots me walking into the woods and stops me, a pained look on his face.
“Coral, I know you want to help, and that’s really great, but for my peace of mind, would you please just stay here?” I drop my head, feeling useless and incompetent.
Gio winces. “Uh, we’re going to need some lashings. Maybe you can braid some palm fronds together to make some rope?”
He kneels down and demonstrates what he wants, and I nod eagerly. This is something I can do. Gio smiles in relief and takes off, and I gather as many palm fronds as I can and start working.
A while later, everyone is back with armfuls of shelter supplies. Liam points to two tall trees near each other. “If we lay a log horizontally between the branches of these two trees, we can prop other logs against it vertically, creating a lean-to. Then we just need to lash leaves to that to make a roof.”
“How are we going to get a log up there?” Avery stares at the trees in disbelief.
“We just need one of us to climb the tree and toss the rope over the branch. Then we tie one end to the log, hoist it up, and lash it in place. Who’s good at climbing?”
Avery volunteers, but after several attempts, he’s barely made it half way up, and Jude is cracking up laughing at him.
“Let me try. You suck at this.” Jude says, and to everyone’s surprise, he maneuvers his large body up into the tree and uses one of my lashings to secure the log while Gio strains to hold up the other end as high as he can. Jude quickly descends and scurries up the other tree, and they repeat the process.
“That’s how you get’r done, boys.” He tips a pretend hat, and the others roll their eyes at him.
Gio starts lifting the logs and leaning them up against the cross beam like they weigh almost nothing, and Jude grunts and groans as he picks up the heaviest logs, trying to prove he’s just as capable as Gio.
While he works, he flashes back to memories of building something similar up in a tree with two other boys who look like older versions of him. The shame of not being as strong or smart or capable as them haunts his thoughts and motivates him to work as hard as he can to prove his worth.
When he looks my way, I smile at him and wink, wanting him to know I’m impressed, and it seems like he works even harder after that.
The bright sun beats mercilessly on them, and soon their bodies start to shine with sweat. Their shirts come off, and I’m transfixed as I watch their muscles flex.
They look miserably hot, and I’m sure they’re thirsty, so I grab one of the wet shirts laying out on the sand and a container of water and bring it over to them, handing the water to Jude first.
“Oh, yeah, thank you, baby.” He chugs the water, and I swallow as tiny rivulets trail from the side of his mouth and run down his thick neck, following the curve of his bobbing Adam’s apple.
When he pulls the container away, I reach up to wipe the sweat off his face with the tee shirt. He moans and rolls his head to give me better access. I drag the cool, wet, fabric slowly down the back of his neck and over his shoulders to his wide chest. When I look up, Jude is staring at me, his brown eyes swirling.
“Hey, are you going to share that water?” Avery runs a hand through his hair, pushing back the blond strands that are dark with sweat.
I smile at him and hand it over. He takes a long drink then passes the water to Gio while I wipe his toned, golden body with the wet shirt as well. Liam and Gio sit down on one of the logs and take turns drinking while they watch me.
When I’m done with Avery, I head over towards them. The intense look on Gio’s face intimidates me, so I start with Liam first. I hold up the shirt and look at him, and he nods and smiles. “That’d be great, Coral.”
Liam’s chest is smaller than Avery’s, and half the size of Jude’s. His thoughts tell me he’s a little worried I might find him lacking, but I like him just fine the way he is, and I lavish the same attention on him as I did the others.
Finally, I turn to Gio, a question in my eyes. I know Gio cares about me and wants to protect me, but he’s always tried to stifle any desire he felt for me. I know he feels it, though; I can see it in his thoughts. Now that he knows I can read his mind, will he be willing to admit his feelings?
I reach out tentatively with the wet shirt and run a gentle stroke down the side of his face. When he doesn’t resist, I step closer and wipe the other side. He closes his eyes, and I run the cloth over his head and down the back of his neck. I’m standing between his legs as he sits, and I can feel his warm breath on my stomach. It hitches when I drag the cloth around the front of his neck and trail it down his chest.
His thoughts tell me he wants to reach out and touch me, and I wish he would. Maybe he will if I kiss him. I bend over and press my lips to his, and his eyes fly open, black with need. I rest my hands on his broad shoulders and tease his lips with mine. Slowly, his hands come up and wrap around my waist, his strong fingers pressing into my flesh. After a few moments, he groans and pulls away.
“You’re determined to tempt every one of us, aren’t you? God help me, I don’t know if I can resist when you do stuff like that.” He stares up at me, a million questions and concerns fighting in his mind. I wish he’d just relax and give himself permission to feel what he’s feeling.
Instead, he shuts down and turns his focus back to the project. “Okay, let’s finish this shelter and then we’ll take a break for lunch.” He lets his gaze slip back to me one last time. “Coral, could you get us some more fish?”
Anxiety wells up, and I bite my lip but nod and walk back slowly towards the shore line, feeling like all eyes are on me. I’ve never gone in the water while the guys are awake. What if one of them catches me with a tail? I’m terrified of how they’ll respond if they find out I’m not human. I can’t stand the thought of losing them now, I care too m
uch for them. But I don’t want to disappoint them, and I’m sure they’ve worked up an appetite. I’ll just have to be extremely cautious to make sure no one is watching when I return.
I grab the empty duffel back on my way, thinking it would be handy for carrying the fish back, and wade into the water. Catching fish is easy — I’ve been doing it since I was a tiny merling. Kai and Meribel and I used to have competitions to see who could catch the largest, the fastest, or the sneakiest breeds. I’m trying to hurry today, though, so of course it seems to take me forever to catch anything. After longer than I ever expected, I have a decent number of fish, and I’m ready to head back to the shore.
When I pop my head up out of the water, I see Liam standing on the shore, scanning the water. Did he see me?
I quickly duck my head under again and swim away from our spot on the beach, surfacing instead behind the outcropping of rocks so no one can see me come out of the water. I carefully climb up on one of the slick, black rocks near the water and try to wipe the water off my tail with my hands. The rocks’ shadow blocks the sun, though, and without any sand to rub on my tail, it’s taking too long for my legs to appear.
Suddenly, I hear my name being called. My whole body clenches, and my scales stand up as fear electrifies every nerve ending. I shake myself back into action and wipe furiously at the water as Liam’s voice draws nearer.
Footsteps sound on the rocks, and I know he’s climbing up the other side. “Coral? Where are you?” He sounds worried.
My pounding heart makes it hard to tell how close he is. Panicking, I’m just about to dive back in to the water when Liam’s face appears above me. “Coral?”
I gasp as I look up at him then back at my legs. Legs! My tail is gone, and I let out a giant sigh of relief as I offer him a shaky smile. My body tingles as the adrenaline begins to dissipate, and I try to control my quivering.
“Fish.” I hold out the duffle bag.
Liam takes the bag and peers inside. “I was hoping to watch you in action, see how you manage to catch fish so easily. Could you show me?”
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