Page 63 of Sea's Secret

“I am?” I whispered.

“Yes, and men will continue to seek out your attention if you do not stand your ground and let them know you are not interested.”

“I was only being friendly.”

“I know that, but unfortunately, these men will take any kindness you give them and use it for their benefit. None of this is your fault, Meria. You have not done anything wrong,” he said. “But if you make it clear, they will know you are not interested.”

I heard a cry from Richard and turned to look out toward him. I could no longer see him. Dominick removed his hands from my shoulders and began combing fingers through his hair.

“You will not really leave him, will you?”

“I would, if you would not despise me for it,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. I took a few steps back to look over the railing and into the dark sea. He placed a hand on my back. “Be careful or you will fall in, too.”

“He did not ‘fall in’; you pushed him,” I said, turning my head to meet his gaze.

“Yes, I pushed him. He deserved more.”

“Dominick! Pull him up!” I demanded, moving closer to him and touching his chest. He looked down at my hands pressed against him. He covered them with one of his own and looked up to meet my eyes.

“Is that what you want, my mermaid? You want me to save him?” His eyes were so intent on me.

“I do not want him to die because he tried to kiss me. That is a bit extreme.”

“He should die,” he growled, clutching my hands tighter to him. “It would send the correct message aboard this ship, where you are concerned.”

“Dominick!” I begged.

He sighed and stepped away from me, but he held one of my hands in his, still. The thrill that he had not wanted to break that connection coursed through me. “You, there!” Dominick called to a man at our left. “Man overboard! Give that sailor a rope,” he said, and the man nodded, hurrying to grab a rope and toss it over. Two other men began pulling Richard up.

“You cannot toss men overboard. It was just a kiss–"

“‘Just a kiss’?” Dominick looked baffled, turning to face me directly.

"What? A kiss is nothing special, Dominick,” I said with a shrug.

“You should stop calling me that.” He closed his eyes for a moment as if irritated.

“You told me your name was Dominick on Marren.”

“Here, I am Captain Nick.”

“I miss Dominick,” I said as I reached out, touching his scar. I had dared to kiss it–and if the feeling of kissing his skin, just there, was any indication of it, I imagined a kiss from Dominick on my lips would be just as my sisters had described it–or even better.

“Meria, you should not touch me,” he sighed, but I did not remove my hand from his cheek.

“You won’t hurt me,” I whispered. He closed his eyes. I heard movement behind me, and I pulled away, to watch a sailor help Richard back over the rail. “Dominick would not have thrown that man overboard,” I said.

“Seeing as he is me, yes, he would have. And the Dominick you met on the island is not here. He cannot be here if I am still to be captain. As well as you–” he paused, and I turned to look at him. He was standing close to me. “You must become someone else here, Meria, too. It is what being at sea demands. Who you were will no longer do.”

“How can I change who I am?”

“Not truly who you are–only who you choose to show the men. I am not asking you to change who you are, but you must be more careful. You must be more cautious, and you must realize that you are a mermaid among humans. We are different. You were a princess, and no one dared touch you. Here, you are like the last fish available to a hoard of a hundred hungry men."

“I did not know he was going to kiss me.”

“What did he say right before he leaned in?”

“He told me I had a pretty name.”

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