Merlicious 3

by Cara Preston, Cheryl Bonner, Laura Kitchell

  "You have to.” Sarah looked up at him with frightened eyes. “I don't think I can handle the thought of you being hurt after the way you stood up for me. If we don't get out of here you will be."

  He nodded and headed to his side. Mika tugged on the door, but it wouldn't budge. His fingers wrapped around the handle, and he felt something slide in under his finger. Another pull opened the door.

  He climbed in, making sure he didn't hit his head. The little piece of cloth slid easily over him to snap in the metal snap next to his hip. The car started to vibrate, which made him grip the material in front of him.

  "I promise it will be okay, but I need to get us out of here.” The vibration picked up as the car moved faster.

  "Please make this stop soon!"

  "Stop being such a baby.” Sarah flicked her hair behind her ear. “My house is a couple of blocks away."

  The car took a few more curves before it slowed down, took one more turn and stopped moving. He exhaled deeply. They made it.

  Sarah stood on the concrete before he realized she had climbed out. “Well come on, before I regret this."

  "You won't.” He gave her his best smile as he stepped out of the car. She covered a small laugh and headed toward one of the dwellings he hated.

  "I'm not holding this door forever.” She commented when he stood, staring at the building instead of following her inside.

  "Sorry.” He took a deep breath and started moving. The closer he got to the glass door, the slower he moved. This couldn't be good. The decaying smell of rotten earth alone kept him from entering. Sarah didn't seem to be bothered by it. “So. This is where you live?"

  She spoke, but he didn't hear a word because he found the ground suddenly rushing up to his face.

  * * * *

  Sarah stared dumbfounded as her knight in shining armor took a dive. How graceful can he be? And what did he trip over? The doorframe? Grabbing his arm, she pulled him to his feet and propelled him to the elevator. He started to really fight her when he realized they were headed for the double doors. At that point, she didn't care if he had a phobia against small spaces. They only had to go up four flights. She could handle him for that long. Why she wanted to, she wasn't real sure, but getting him into her apartment was her goal, and nothing was going to stop her.

  Her biggest hope was no one saw them together. All she needed was one of her nosy neighbors talking about her bringing some strange man home. Why was she doing this anyway? Each time she tried to leave him behind, she found she couldn't. Sarah didn't know what was going on, but she was feeling a bit manipulated. Still she did need a date for her work function, and he was the only man who didn't know about her klutziness. Would he be willing to go?

  He walked around her apartment looking at everything. His fingers slid along the edge of the different surfaces. Facial expressions followed. Every surface was different, and he absorbed them all. There were a couple of times when he went back to touch a fabric or surface. Like he had never felt them before.

  Maybe asking him wasn't a good idea.

  Here she went again, questioning her own actions. Yet each time she ignored her own council. What was wrong with her?

  * * * *

  Mika could see she was starting to second guess what she was doing again. Time for him to get to the heart of the matter. On the table sat a beautiful envelope. He had seen it in her mind enough to know that was why she wished for him in the first place. “What is this?"

  "Oh nothing. Just an invitation.” She picked up the thick envelope and ran her fingers over it.

  "Oh.” This was it. All he had to do is ask the right questions. “Can I ask where to?"

  "It's a business function. Nothing major.” She scuffed her foot against the soft floor before speaking again. “Um. Are you doing anything in a couple of days? Saturday evening?"

  He had no idea what day that was. “Being with you?"

  "You're very sweet. I, ah, I need a date.” Her voice cracked, making her feel like a school girl. After clearing it, she started over. “Ahem, I need a date for my work function. It's this Saturday. Will you go with me?"

  "Of course.” He gave her his best smile. A squared mouth with nothing but teeth.

  "Have you seen that thing in the mirror? You're going to frighten small children.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him, something she did a lot with this man, to the big mirror hanging in the hallway. “Now smile."

  He bared his teeth.

  "See? You look like some sort of masher. Relax, just smile."

  "But I am."

  "Look at the difference between our smiles.” Why was she doing this? How much more could she antagonize this guy? Was this her way of driving him away? It didn't seem to be working.

  He turned his head this way and that, looking at his mouth then hers. His fingers glided across her jaw to outline the seam of her lips, of her smile. It sent chills through her body and made her nervous. Made her think of things she shouldn't. Want things she shouldn't.

  "Um, what do I call you anyway?” The jitters had her stepping away and heading to the mail sitting on the floor by the door. Anything to keep her hands occupied.

  "Mika."

  "Meeka,” she sounded out. At least she had a name to go with the face. Stop it. You need a date, not a lot of trouble.

  "What do I need to do this date thing?"

  Date thing? Oh yeah, you picked a good one, girl. She smiled. “A suit would be nice."

  "Suit.” He nodded. “What's a suit?"

  "Oh good Lord.” She snagged his hand once more and pulled him to the computer in her bed room. She didn't know why he kept acting like he had no clue what she was talking about, but she'd play along for a little while longer. “This is my computer.” She tapped a few keys. “This is the world wide web. Meet Google dot com. Any question you have they should be able to answer."

  She turned her back and headed for the door. She could hear him grumbling but didn't know what he said. “Spelling out words on the key pads will help."

  * * * *

  Mika stared at the weird little box with the picture on it. It showed so much. “So what do I do now?"

  He turned to look at the doorway Sarah had just walked through. He didn't like reading her mind so much, but it was the only way he would learn how to run this computer. Clearing his thoughts, he connected with her, only looking for how to run the machine in front of him. “Interesting."

  He flexed his fingers and typed a few words in the slot to start his search. First, he had to see what was expected for someone to wear to a business function. Whatever that was. It took a few searches before he hit on the right page to show him what one would wear on a date. Someone named Levi showed him what was worn on a casual date. He then searched for business clothing. “Now I have to figure out how to merge the look."

  Maybe he needed a little more information. He came out into the hall just as a loud shrilling noise filled the room. His body slammed against the wall.

  "Hello?” asked Sarah. “Oh, hi. Yeah. Today was pretty bad. Oh my God! It was so embarrassing. I spilled coffee all over him, and then I tried to blot it off his crotch. I don't know what possessed me to do that. I know. Can you imagine? What? Oh that. I do. No. I'm not sure if he's the smartest choice, but I'm sort of limited now, aren't I?"

  Who was she talking to? She held a small silver bar to her ear and continued to chatter away.

  He stepped into the room she paced in, and she turned toward him.

  "Look, I have to go.” She snapped the silver bar in half then stuffed it in her pocket. “You need some help?"

  "I had a quick question.” She was still questioning her choice in him. He had to fix it some how. “How business is this dinner?"

  "Suit and tie. Nothing too fancy."

  He saw those on the web sites earlier. It shouldn't be too difficult, and it sure would be better than the towel and sweat jacket he still had on.

  "We do need something better for you to wear. Whe
re is your bank?"

  He gave her a blank look. Did it mean the same thing above water as it did underwater? “It's a long distance away."

  "Don't they have an office nearby?"

  "No.” He hoped that would make her happy.

  "What? You still with a small mom and pop bank?” She put her hands on her hips.

  "Yes.” He didn't know what else to say.

  "How far is it?"

  Further than she could go. “I can go by myself."

  "I can drive."

  How was he going to get out of this one? First, he needed to be sure they were talking about the same thing. “I'm very protective of my account. I'd rather do this alone. Um, how much do I need?"

  "I'm not sure how much a suit would cost. Couple hundred?"

  Good, it was money, but what was a hundred? Maybe his father would know. “It won't take me long.” What was the phrase he had heard at the shore many times? “See you later."

  He walked out the door before Sarah could stop him. It shouldn't take him long to get to the sea. They didn't drive far. Although he didn't know his way around the area, his nose led him to the ocean right away.

  Making sure no one watched, he stripped off the sweatshirt and towel. He was grateful for his ability to mask himself when around humans. It didn't last long but got him from her apartment to here without someone realizing he was pretty much naked. One more look and he slipped into his medium. He loved the feel of water surrounding his body. He had missed it so much the last few hours.

  Water slid around his body as he descended deeper. A couple of flips along the way put a smile on his face, but it slipped away the moment he saw his home. No one believed in Atlantis. No human anyway. Yet, here it was in all its glory.

  Humans believed several fantastic tales, but none were right. His favorite was the cataclysmic disaster that caused the island to sink. The island never sank. It was always underwater. There was a time when his people could walk freely amongst humans. When Atlantians had nothing to fear. When a merman could slip in and out of the water without anyone thinking twice about it. A sigh escaped him.

  Now his people were nothing more than a myth. In order for them to interact with humans, they had to become one.

  "Sick of the air breathers already?"

  Mika spun at the sound of his father's voice. “We're air breathers when we want to be."

  His father laughed. “True, but humans can't breathe in water the way we can. Turns them a little blue. So, what brought you back so soon? Did the girl kick you out?"

  "No.” Mika realized he should have paid more attention to his father's words. He sounded just like Sarah. “And how often do you spy on them? You sound just like the people I've been talking to the last few hours."

  "Enough.” His father swam around him. “Hmmm You're here because...” His father stroked his beard. “You want to impress her! You like this human!"

  "She's okay.” He wasn't about to tell his dad anything about Sarah. With his luck, he'd want to join him on land. “She's asked me to be her date."

  "Really? Then you need money, unless you want to check the chests at home for clothing."

  "And run the risk that I end up with a suit from the Bronze Age? No thank you. Since you know what money is, maybe you can explain it to me?"

  "It's the way their entire world works. So many of them don't do physical labor anymore. Most trading has become obsolete. Except for trading their currency in for product. It's a little confusing if you've never used it.” His father floated beside him. “But it's easy to learn."

  "And you're willing to teach me? What's the catch?” Mika questioned his father's offer. As much as he loved the man, he had to be wary of the man's practical jokes.

  "No catch.” He placed his hand on his chest. “Promise."

  "Dad. I remember your last promise. I swam into ninth grade with purple hair."

  "Well, it was big with the humans.” His father slapped him on the back. “You know I have always been fascinated by the earth dwellers."

  "Dad."

  "Okay, okay. So I've watched too many movies. Sue me."

  Mika rolled his eyes. “Dad. Please behave."

  "Fine. You can use any of the gold. We have no use for it here. Every time I go topside it grows in value. I'd love to know how much it's worth now."

  "Thanks, Dad. I owe you."

  "Does that mean I can come back with you?"

  "No."

  Chapter Three

  He tugged on his waist band before he knocked on Sarah's door. These pants were very uncomfortable. Binding. And why did they put such a dangerous contraption so close to such a delicate part of the body.

  Sarah opened the door and just stared at him. “May I help you?"

  "Sarah? I'm Mika, remember?"

  "Mika? Good grief! I didn't recognize you in clothes.” She slapped her hand over her mouth and looked around. “That didn't sound very good, did it? Come in."

  He stepped past her as she moved to the side to let him in. He heard the door close once he was in her living room. “Is this okay?"

  She looked him up and down, walking slowly in a circle around him. “It'll do."

  * * * *

  Sarah found herself on the verge of drooling. Goodness, doesn't he clean up nice. She didn't even recognize him when he knocked on the door. His shoulders looked broader, his legs longer. She had seen him naked and found him more appealing in clothing, wondering when she might get a glimpse of that wonderful physique hiding underneath again.

  What's wrong with me? She cleared her throat. “That's a nice outfit, but you'll need something a little dressier for the work function."

  "I think I have that covered. Would you like to see?” He looked hopeful.

  She gave a quick frown before nodding. “If it will make you feel better then sure."

  He grinned and darted into the bathroom.

  Sarah went back in the kitchen to wipe down the counters. Once she finished, all she had to do was mop the floor. It wasn't something she liked doing, but she hated bugs even more. The busy work kept her mind off the man in the other room.

  At least for a few minutes.

  Now her thoughts flew right back where she didn't want them. Had Mika changed his pants yet? Or was he just sliding them down his muscular legs? Did he have an unbuttoned shirt draped over his shoulders with his bare chest exposed?

  "Okay. Okay. Okay.” She flopped her hands around as she stomped her feet. “Need to get my thoughts on something else. Anything else. Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny. Bugs Bunny.” She leaned her hands against the counter and closed her eyes to block out anything that could distract her.

  "What are you doing?"

  Her eyes popped open, and she straightened at Mika's words. “Oh. Just clearing my thoughts."

  "Okay.” He held out his arms. “What do you think?"

  "Wow.” He wore a simple black blazer over black Docker pants. The soft coral shirt added to the simple yet elegant look.

  "I'm not sure what to do with this thing.” Mika held up a tie.

  "Stick that in your pocket. I don't think you need it.” Sarah leaned her back against the counter and drank in the view. How lucky could she be? He was going to be her date for the party.

  Mika liked the look in Sarah's eyes. All soft and gleaming. He caught a whiff of something. Her. She liked what she saw and was sending him a silent message. His own instinct kicked in. Sliding closer to her, he inhaled deeply. “So this will be okay for your function?"

  Sarah nodded and looked up into his eyes. They were beautiful. She could get lost in them. The color of the ocean on a sunny day. As he watched her, his eyes darkened to a deeper blue green.

  A soft scent wrapped around her, a salty fresh scent that made her think of the beach. What was it about him? It couldn't be because that was where she found him. She had met other men there, but they never smelled this clean. In fact, she didn't want to think about what they smelled like because some of them were prett
y bad.

  Mika's hand caressed her cheek before sliding into her hair. “So soft."

  Sarah sighed at his words. His touch was as soft as silk. She felt like she was the most precious thing on the planet when he touched her like that. The heat from his body enveloped her. His fingers worked magic in her hair as they slipped in deep and massaged her scalp.

  A soft moan escaped her as she tilted her head back to enjoy the massage. Heat seared her as Mika's lips pressed against her throat. The soft pressure sent chills down her spine. His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her into his body. Wherever their bodies touched, fire burned her. All along her thighs and hips. Her breasts pressing against his chest took her breath away. She could feel every intake of breath, every muscle tighten and loosen as he tightened his grip.

  Mika's lips opened slightly, and her knees went weak. His tongue slid along the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. Soft. Hard. Sensuous. She opened her mouth and felt his tongue invade hers. It slid along her teeth and gums, searching for something. She didn't know what he was looking for, but she prayed he wouldn't find it quickly.

  Their tongues twined together. Doing a dance as old as time. Warmth furled within her. Flames licked along her skin. Her heart pounded in her chest.

  * * * *

  Mika felt her body flush as desire raced through her blood. She was so sexual, he could feel every emotion she felt. He knew what nibbled away at that desire. It wouldn't take much to make her his. But he needed her to take control. She had to really want it, and as much as her body told him not to stop, Sarah's mind was rebelling.

  He withdrew his tongue and placed soft butterfly kisses all along her collarbone before trailing them along her jaw line. Resting his forehead against hers, he willed his heart to slow down. Every nerve screamed for release. “You taste so good."

  Her body melted against him a little more. Much more and he wouldn't know where he ended and where she started.

  "I need to...” What word did he need? He needed water, either to drink or to surround his body, “...cool off."

  "A shower might help.” Her voice raspy.

  He smiled. He did that to her. “That sounds good."