His fingers dig into my hips, pulling me against him. He’s always been so gentle and hesitant when it came to kissing me, but this is a new, more confident Avery who knows what he wants. I'm immediately caught up in his passion like it’s an undertow, sweeping me away.
He stops way before I’m ready for him to, but only because we’re in the middle of the parking lot. I let out a groan of protest when he pulls his lips away, grinning. “We can’t do this here. Hilda is probably watching us. Come on.”
He grabs my hand and tugs me to the car. Once we’re inside, he lunges for me again, twisting in the small space, his hands grasping desperately at any part of me he can reach. I do the same, letting my hands explore his soft hair, his delicate face, and his firm body. The more he touches me, the more I want to touch him. My fingers search for the bottom of his shirt, sliding up under it, seeking the heat of bare skin. His phone buzzes in his back pocket, and I can feel the vibration against his skin, but Avery ignores it.
Eventually, his rabid kisses slow down, his groping turns to caresses. Then he pulls away and lets out a shaky breath, smiling at me. “I’m sorry, Coral. I shouldn’t have attacked you like that. I guess I got a little carried away. I don’t want our first time to be in the front seat of my car.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t mind.”
“I just can’t believe this is happening! I’m finally about to get everything I ever wished for — a job at an awesome salon, an amazing apartment, and an incredible girlfriend to celebrate with. Who would’ve thought that one small decision could lead to all this? I’m so glad I answered the ad that Gio placed, looking for crew mates. Even the months we spent stuck on that island were worth it.”
His happiness spills over onto me, and I can’t help but share his excitement, even though I feel the shadow of complications looming nearby.
Chapter 19
“Coral, are you okay?” Liam rushes up to me when we walk in the door, a terrified look on his face. His hands and eyes roam frantically up and down my body, searching for evidence of injury. Jude and Gio are standing in the background, looking just as worried. Gio looks like he wants to murder someone.
“I’m fine. I’m okay.” I put a hand on his to still him.
He pulls me in for an embrace, his body shuddering. I’ve never seem him look so wild and out of control before, so emotional.
“I saw the fire on the stove, and the bloody towel, and…” He swings his eyes towards Avery, the bright green globes instantly morphing from pained to furious. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me she was with you, or at least answer your phone when I called!?”
Avery scowls at him. “I was busy. Besides, you didn’t bother to tell me that you were leaving her home alone. I didn’t think you cared what she did today.”
“Of course I care! But I had something important to do, and Jude and Gio took off without talking to me. I was only gone for two hours. I figured she’d just watch TV or something. I didn’t expect her to set the house on fire.” Liam runs a hand through his hair, mussing the perfectly-styled strands.
“Well, maybe if you’d bothered to at least feed her before you left, she would’ve been okay! You can’t assume she knows how to take care of herself, Liam. She doesn’t. Just because stuff seems obvious to you doesn’t mean it is to her. She’s a freakin’ mermaid, remember? She doesn’t know anything about our world or how to survive in it. We brought her here; she’s relying on us to take care of her.”
I know what he’s saying is true, but I’m embarrassed by my ignorance and cringe at how needy and pathetic it makes me sound. I know I can’t make it here without their help, but I don’t want to be a burden on them.
I drop my head and mumble, “I’m sorry, Liam. I should’ve waited for you to get home or ate some of the raw fish in the fridge. I thought after watching Jude yesterday I knew what I was doing.”
Liam strokes my cheek, lifting my face so he can look in my eyes. His own swirl with emotion. “It’s my fault, Coral. I shouldn’t have left you alone. You’re not ready for that yet. But you’re doing so great, sometimes I forget how foreign all this is to you.”
His words soothe some of my self-loathing, and his embrace relaxes my tensed muscles. When he lets go, his brow pinches again. “Were you hurt? Burned? Where’d all the blood come from?”
My face reddens like it was burned as I admit what happened. Thankfully, they don’t laugh at me, not even Jude, even though I expect some kind of joke. They’re too relieved that it wasn’t more serious.
Gio hugs me, his huge body engulfing me. I can tell he’s holding back from squeezing me as hard as he wants to so that he doesn’t hurt me. We head to the living room, and Gio lays my leg in his lap and carefully pulls up my leggings to examine my wound. It’s covered with bandages, though, so there’s not much to see.
Liam rubs a hand across his brow. “I was worried Avery took you to the hospital. I don’t know what they’d find if they examined you. I’d really like to do some blood work, see how your biology compares to ours. The admissions department reactivated my enrollment and gave me access to the lab so I can catch up on my research before the fall semester starts. Coral, would you be willing to come with me and let me run some tests on you?”
Gio’s face gets fierce. “No way, Liam. We talked about this. You’re not turning her into a lab rat, and you sure as hell aren’t exposing her secret.”
“I’m not going to lock her up and start experimenting, I just want to take a little blood and see what it looks like. We need to know in case she ever does get hurt and needs medical care. You don’t want some ER doctor to discover she has 25 pairs of chromosomes or something equally bizarre, do you? We need to know what we’re dealing with if we’re going to protect her.”
I know Liam’s curiosity about me is a never-ending pulse, like the surf lapping at the shore, and I want to satisfy him. I put my hand on his and Gio’s.
“I don’t mind… as long as it doesn’t hurt too badly.”
Liam shakes his head and squeezes my hand. “I would never intentionally hurt you, Coral. I’m so sorry you got hurt today. I promise I’ll never leave you alone again. From now on, we’ll make sure one of us is always with you, agreed?”
The others nod and murmur their agreement. I should tell them that it’s all right, that I won’t be so foolish next time, that I can take care of myself, they don’t need to worry about me, but I stay quiet. I don’t want to be alone again, and Liam’s promise is too appealing.
“Tomorrow is Saturday, the lab should be empty. Coral and I will have privacy. Let me take her there for a bit and run a few tests, just so we’ll know if there’s anything weird that would show up on routine blood work,” Liam says.
Gio frowns but nods his head. He still doesn’t like the idea, but he can’t argue with Liam’s logic.
“My parents are hosting a welcome home party tomorrow evening. You’re all invited, but…” he glances at me. He already mentioned that I would be out of place.
“I’ll stay here with Coral,” Gio interrupts. “Champagne and monkey suits aren’t my style.”
I perk up at the thought of being alone with Gio for the evening. We haven’t had any private time since we left the island. Gio has always been protective and caring towards me, even though he’s gruff and intimidating, and I know he’s attracted to me. I can see it in his mind — brief glimpses of desire that flash like lightning. But he’s never let himself go further than a few kisses. He pushes his feelings down when they emerge, forcing himself to treat me more like a sister than a woman. Maybe tomorrow night I can make him understand that I want more from him, that his feelings aren’t something he needs to resist.
I’m smiling at the prospect when Gio says, “Maybe I’ll see if Bella wants to come over. She’ll probably be more comfortable with less people here.”
My fantasy dissolves like sea foam, and my smile falters. I force it back on my face, though. Building a relationship with Bella is important to
Gio, and I want him to have the thing he most desires, even if it isn’t me.
“How was your day, Gio? Did you find a new boat?” I ask, remembering the other thing he cares about.
A wide smile splits his normally-stern face. “Yeah, I found a couple of them, actually. Maybe I’ll take you and Bella to see them tomorrow. I have an idea I want to run by her. I got my truck back, too. I was lucky; they were about to sell it at auction. Not so lucky on my apartment. The landlord trashed my stuff more than a month ago, but I didn’t have much, anyway. Maybe you and Bella can help me pick up some new clothes.”
He seems happier than ever, in control, with a plan to take back his life. For some reason, it doesn’t scare me as much as the thought of Avery getting a job and a place of his own. Maybe because Gio’s plans still involve me. I know he wants me to take him to the shipwreck where I found the gold, and I’m looking forward to being together with all the guys out on the sea.
“Oh, by the way, I got Coral a phone today, since she didn’t have a way to reach anyone when she needed help.” Avery tries to keep the irritation out of his voice, but it’s still loud in his head. They others pull out their phones to add my number.
“Let me take your picture so when you call I’ll see your pretty face,” Jude says, holding up his phone.
The others want pictures, too, so I smile for each of them then make them pose for me. Avery shows me how to take a picture with my new phone, and I take a dozen of each of them, trying to capture every aspect of their personalities. No one picture does any of them justice, but I love looking at them, anyway.
“I don’t know how to use this yet. How do I put the pictures with the numbers?” I say, staring at the screen.
“Come here, I’ll help you.” Liam pats the spot next to him.
“It doesn’t take a grad student to teach her how to work a phone, Liam. I’m sure I can handle it.” Avery frowns at him, and I feel bad for not asking him specifically since he’s the one who got me the phone.
Liam holds up his hands and rolls his eyes at Avery.
Avery walks me through the basics of making calls and sending text messages. I don’t quite see the purpose of texting. It seems like it would take longer to type a message than to just call and say it out loud, but the guys seem to prefer it.
“I can ignore a text if I don’t want to talk to one of these losers, but I’ll pick up any time you want to call me, baby.” Jude winks at me.
Feeling playful, I tap on Jude’s name, and his phone starts ringing. He picks it up, grinning when he sees my picture light up the screen.
“Hi Jude, I’m hungry. Can we make something to eat?” I say into the phone.
He cracks up laughing. “Sure thing, Princess. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
The others turn on the television when Jude and I head to the kitchen. Avery and Gio bicker about what to watch while Liam pokes around on his computer.
Jude gives me some important lessons about cooking, and I repeat them a few times to make sure I’ve got it. “Don’t put plastic on the stove, don’t put metal in the microwave, and don’t put water on a grease fire. I think I can remember that.”
“You didn’t teach her the most important thing yet, Jude,” Gio says, grabbing a beer from the refrigerator.
Jude tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“How to call for delivery.” His lips curl up against the mouth of his beer bottle as he takes a long drink.
Jude chuckles. “Yeah, probably the only thing you know how to make is reservations.”
“Hey, I can heat up a frozen pizza as good as anybody.”
Jude rolls his eyes. “Typical bachelor. You can make frozen pizza for Coral tomorrow. Tonight, we’re having something better.”
Jude shows me how to fry a pork chop, steam broccoli, and make mashed potatoes. It seems like an awful lot of work for one meal, but it is delicious. Afterwards, Jude teaches me how to heat up the leftovers in the microwave, in case I get hungry and he’s not here to cook for me.
“Why don’t the rest of you do much cooking?” I glance around at them.
“They think it’s women’s work.” Jude sneers.
In the shoal, mermen are responsible for providing the food for their families. Is it the opposite here? I cringe. Will the guys expect me to cook for them? I guess it makes sense, since I don’t have any other responsibilities and they’re all busy with other things, but I feel woefully inadequate. I’ve learned a lot already, but there’s so much I still don’t know. I vow to learn as much as I can, though, so I can be useful to them. I don’t want to be any more of a burden on them than I already am.
Chapter 20
“You get rid of that blood the minute you’re done testing it, Liam, and you sure as hell better not show the results to anyone else, either.” Gio paces back and forth in front of the door, his bronze face red with anxiety.
Liam nods and grumbles his assent, trying to squeeze past him so we can leave, but Gio isn’t done warning us.
“In fact, if there’s anyone around, anywhere in the building, you get the hell out of there. I don’t want to risk someone seeing you poking and prodding Coral and have them get curious. When you’re at that school, she’s your girlfriend and nothing else.”
I can’t resist grinning at that. I love it when I’m out with one of them and we can act like any other couple.
Liam rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed that Gio would question his intelligence. “I know, Gio. I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to do anything stupid that would put Coral at risk.”
Gio turns to me and jabs a finger at my chest. “And you keep your legs out of the water! No shifting anywhere that humans might turn up. If someone sees you with a tail, it’ll all be over. They’ll yank you away from us so fast, you won’t even have time to dry off before you become a worldwide spectacle and a research specimen in some Mengele experiment.”
I take his pointing finger and fold it against his own chest, capturing it under my palm. “Don’t worry, Gio. Liam won’t do anything to risk losing me, and I won’t do anything to risk losing you. I’m looking forward to tonight.”
For a moment, I think about asking him if he wants to come with us, but I don’t think Liam would appreciate having Gio breathing down his neck while he works, and besides, this is something that I can only do with Liam. I feel like it’s important to have at least one thing special that I do with each of them.
My words soften Gio’s scowl. He grits his teeth, swallows, and lays a hand over mine on his chest, his eyes deep black with emotion. “Okay, I’ll see you in a few hours.”
Liam and I scoot past him and hustle out the door. “He really needs a Xanax or something.” Liam scowls.
“He’s just protective. I think it’s sweet.”
Liam frowns at me.
“Not that I’m worried you won’t keep me safe. I know you will.” I reach for Liam’s hand, threading my fingers through his. He looks down at our joined hands, and his frown softens to a small smile.
We drive to the university, a large, sprawling campus dotted with lush landscaping. Palm trees and flowering bushes lining the paths that meander from one building to the next. It reminds me a bit of the shoal, the way they’ve used plants to decorate the large, open areas. So far, most of my time has been spend indoors, in rooms filled with manmade objects. It’s nice to be out in nature, even if we’re not underwater.
I’d like to stroll around a bit, enjoying the scenery, but Liam seems totally focused on his goal and ignores the beauty around us, heading straight for the laboratory. He’s more excited than I’ve ever seen him, though, his normally-serious expression almost giddy.
Liam swipes a card in a slot then opens the door to a large room that’s stark white, with thick, black table tops and brown, wooden table legs providing the only color. Cabinets line most of the walls, their glass fronts displaying the lab equipment inside. A few large machines fill one corner and smaller ones sit on c
ounters and tables. The air feels cool and smells clean, like no human has been here in a long time, even though Liam said that this place is normally bustling with students during the week.
The space intimidates me with its severity, but Liam’s demeanor relaxes even more, a smile softening his face, his head and chest lifting like he’s taking his first full breath in months. His fingers trail lovingly along the cool, slick table tops as he strides towards one of the corners.
“Isn’t it great in here? The equipment is top-notch. We have everything we could possibly need. I’d like to do a blood panel and a DNA test.”
I nod, not sure what that entails but trusting Liam’s promise not to hurt me. He slides his hands into tight-fitting coverings then pulls out his supplies and sets them on a tray— a stretchy band, two white balls of fluff, a bottle of liquid, a flat, white roll, a clear tube with a long, metal tip. Liam takes my arm and wraps the band around it, tying it tightly, then he squirts some of the liquid on the fluffy ball and wipes it across the inside of my elbow.
“You’ll feel a sharp pinch, but it only lasts for a second, okay?”
I gasp at the prick as he quickly slides the needle into my skin. My blood fills the clear tube, turning it dark red. When the tube is full, Liam fills another one. Afterward, he pulls the needle from my arm and presses another ball of fluff against the tiny hole then tears off a strip of something from the flat roll. He presses the thin strip across the ball of fluff, and it sticks to my arm, holding the ball in place.
“There, all done. Now I just need to put this in the centrifuge.” He drops the tubes in one of the machines and turns it on. It whirs to life, spinning the tubes round and round.
“The blood has to spin for a while before I can analyze it, but I’d also love to look at a scraping of your scales under the scope.” Liam looks at me anxiously.
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