Page 48 of Magic Potions and the Merman's Lure

“I guess not,” I agree as I go over and help her to her feet. “We will figure out something else to try next.”

She nods in agreement but frowns at the powdery remains of the pearl as she swipes it off the couch with one finger. I worry that she is thinking of the talaxi pearl once more. Its presence in the world is far too seductive for my determined mate. With a soft hiss, I tug her into my arms, my own determination rising to divert her from such thoughts even as my heart melts at her giggle. Even in the midst of her obvious disappointment, I am pleased I can make my mate laugh. My mouth drops to hers silencing her laughter with my kiss until it turns into throaty moans and she twines her arms around me.

My love can chide me for the distraction later.

Chapter 30

Keri

I stand at the edge of the pool and watch as Ro streaks through the water. Gryn stands a few feet away, eating yet again as he watches. The experiment with the tides still weighs heavily on my mind even though this is our last day to have use of the dolphin pool and I need to keep my mind on work.

I know I should go below to record Ro now that he is swimming at his full, natural speed for me, but I’m reluctant to go down just yet. I know that we truthfully have nothing else that we require the pool for. The only thing I’ve yet to observe is how Aquana move when they hunt, but I’m not really mentally prepared to put a small animal in with him just so he can show me how he would kill it if he were in the sea, so the council is going to have to live without that particular study being carried out. In any case, the aquarium is eager to have their access to it back so tomorrow we will be back at the lab.

I remind myself once more that I should be down in the observatory area taking advantage of this, but I can’t seem to make my feet move from this spot. My point of focus leans so strongly toward him that I don’t have the desire to go anywhere. I just want to stay there with him. This is feeling more and more like love and that kind of scares me since I still don’t know if he feels the same way. Although he hasn’t offered more words since those at the beach house, he has certainly made me feel loved with everything he does and his every touch. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that he loves me. The fact that I’m practically fawning over him like a lovesick fool hasn’t inspired him to share his feelings further either.

Why can’t this love thing be easier?

The direction of my thoughts is interrupted when Ro’s head breaks the surface, his white hair plastered against his head and streaming in the water around him as he swims toward me. I can feel the silly smile tugging at my lips, but I simply can’t resist as he watches me just above the edge of the water with his large aquamarine eyes. They gleam with a hint of a smile that I can’t clearly see beneath the water, and then he dives, his tail flicking as it briefly crests and sinks below the water. He speeds toward me, a blur of white, pink, and red until he comes within just a few feet and his double tailfins spread wide like enormous fluttering fans to slow him to a stop before rising once more to break the water’s surface.

I don’t move as he draws closer to the edge of the pool, not even when he sprays droplets on my feet when he puts his arm up along its side to rest his head on it to watch me more comfortably. His gaze shifts to Gryn with a faint look of annoyance as if he had forgotten that he was there. I glance between them, trying to think of a way to get rid of the younger male when a shout from the entrance saves me.

“Yoohoo! I’ve brought sustenance and drinks to celebrate your last day in the tank,” Adiele calls, her high heels clicking on the cement flooring as she heads toward us.

She sets a long cardboard box and tray of drinks on a table a short distance away before turning to give us a long, knowing look. Her lips hitch in a smirk as her eyes turn toward me and I nod my head slightly toward Gryn as I give her a pleading look. He’s been even harder than usual to shake lately and it’s making Ro testy. Her smile widens and she smooths her dress with her hands before turning toward Gryn.

“Hey, kid, let’s get out of here. I’m sure watching Ro swim in circles is about as interesting as watching paint dry. I got you some strawberry lemonade. Let’s grab our cups and snacks and hit the road. What do you say?”

“Thank the holy moon,” Gryn groans with such a sigh of relief that I’m a little taken aback by it. I arch an eyebrow at him, but he merely grins over at me unrepentantly as he pushes away from the side of the tank and hurries over to Adiele. “I thought I was about to go moon-turned watching them. All he does is swim and flirt while she cluelessly moons over him. Another minute of that and I probably would have jumped in there with Ro and really annoyed him.”

That little brat. I gape at him as he rushes over to the table to inspect the tasty things Adiele brought. Un-freaking-believable. Gripping his straw between his teeth, he grabs his cup and picks several pastries from the box that he holds up and waves in a silent farewell. My friend smiles over her shoulder at me and gives me a conspiratorial wink before turning on her heel and following after him. Gods bless her.

The aquarium door opens and slams shut, signaling that we are finally alone. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that entire thing was planned—then again, I do know Adiele and there is a good chance that it was. I laugh softly and turn back toward the pool, my heart feeling a bit lighter with the excitement of finally being alone with Ro again. I am not entirely surprised to find him half out of the tank and leaning over the side as his fins splay flirtatiously in picture-perfect imitation of the first time he flirted with me from the tank at the lab.

Arousal heats his eyes in invitation, and he hums softly, singing sweetly to me. This song isn’t so intense where my nerves feel fried with lust but is like a warm bath washing over my senses sending an exquisite warmth deep into it. While I know he isn’t intentionally trying to lure me in with his song, that melodic humming gradually builds in my blood, sending a shiver through me that makes me want to cast caution to the wind. I swallow hard, my eyes widening as pulse fills my ears and thrums through my entire body with every beat. I stare at him, and my lips part in wonder at the magic caught between us in this moment.

He cocks his head, and a knowing look crosses his face as he becomes alert and lifts his chin from his folded arms. He lifts a hand and offers it to me, emotion swimming in his eyes that I’m still uncertain of how to decipher. “Join me,” he whispers.

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