Page 5 of Siren's Call

“Pint of lager,” a deepand definitely male voice demanded. Those light-blue eyes piercedright through me, the same way they had in the basement. Up close,he smelled salty, like a sea breeze.

“Upset they don’t have anyocean water for you?” I asked before I could stopmyself.

His eyebrows went way up,but those thin lips just curled into a smile. Despite the neckgills and greenish tint, the boy was gorgeous in thatso-pretty-I’d-break-you kind of way. Even if I could’ve sworn Ispotted strands of seaweed woven through his hair.

“So I was right. You’renot normal.” He took a sip of his lager but never looked away.Rather than unsettling me, his gaze set my libido on fire. Nothingto do with magical siren powers and everything to do with a damnattractive male giving me the eye. If I didn’t find myself home andtaking a cold shower soon, I would do very bad things to that man,siren or not.

“I don’t know about thatassessment. Compared to your brood, I’m pretty damn normal. Justseen some shit in my day.”

That elicited a chucklefrom him. Had to disengage before my mind wandered into dangerousterritory. Like what a siren was like in bed.Bad, bad libido.

“You’re taking your showon the road, right? Like, out of this town?” I asked, swirling theice around my glass. All flirting aside, I hoped and prayed they’dbe on the move. Otherwise, my problems would be twofold—finding anew job and a new home.

“Always.” He stared downthe meager bar selection of Seagram’s, Captain Morgan, and good ol’Jack Daniel’s. “Not like we’d be able to tap this town too oftenwithout drawing attention.”

“Less turf to fight over,though, being out in the middle of nowhere.”

Interest sparked thoseblue eyes again. “And what would a normal girl like you know aboutthat?”

“I’ve done my fair shareof location-hopping due to your kind. One of the shit factors ofseeing through glamour is the label of crazy chick that comeswith.” A knot unfurled inside my chest at talking openly likethis.

“You’re immune to ourmagic, aren’t you?” His voice contained a note of wonder in it ashe looked me up and down. The tip of his tongue ran over one of hissharper teeth, not unlike our canines.

Glass of lager still inhand, he began to hum. Nice voice and could carry a tune, but I wastoo busy ogling his gorgeous arms to pay attention to the ditty.Viola, on the other hand, snapped to attention, as did the oldbroad who’d been talking up Jake. The men were just as entranced, ahazy look overtaking their eyes as the spell settled in. I placed ahand on my hip. “Was that supposed to impress me?”

“God, that’s hot,” hepurred.

I arched an eyebrow, notsure what he referred to. “You mean my trademark sass move? BecauseI thought it could use a little work.”

“You’re a human whodoesn’t get wrapped up in our magic. Do you know how rare youare?”

“Apparently you do,” Isnarked back. If this banter continued, I was going to jump hisbones in minutes.

“You have no idea. You’vebeen blending in your whole life, haven’t you?” The way hislight-blue eyes danced with hunger made me squeeze my legstogether. He leaned in closer, his face inches away from mine. Thesalty smell of the sea rolled around him, as intoxicating as thetide. “And you’ve got to be pent-up after that show down there.”His grin widened and one of those sharp teeth poked out.

Wicked. He was a wicked, wicked bastard.

I tilted my glass anddrank a larger-than-average sip of good old JD. When I lowered theglass to the bar, my arm brushed against his. The slightskin-to-skin contact rushed through me like a wave. I shifted onthe stool. The room was a bit stifling all of a sudden.

“Can’t tease me like that,buddy,” I joked. “Too long a dry spell here.”

His lips brushed my ear ashe leaned in to whisper. “Darling, it’s no tease.” He nipped my earbefore he pulled away.

The effect wasinstantaneous. I squeezed my legs together, trying to suppress theache that blossomed. He lifted the pint glass to his lips andchugged it down. “Now, care for a breath of fresh air?”

Didn’t need to ask metwice. He grabbed my hand and I followed him out, his band members,Viola, the bartender all blurring into the background. My mindreeled, intoxicated by the promises spoken in thoseeyes.

Crunchy brown leavesdanced around my ankles, kicked up by a spare breeze. Despite thecold, his hand on mine filled me with growing warmth. The full mooncast an alien gleam over everything, gliding over the metal of thecars, shading the brick a soft purple. We reached the back of thebar and he spun me around. The strength and control of his armssurprised me.

His arm snaked around mywaist like a coil of heat pressing around my midriff. Our breathmingled, visible in the chilly night. The wind tried to numb mycheeks, but the way intense heat pulsed through me from hisproximity, there was no chance of growing cold.

Moonlight turned his skinporcelain-pale and threaded shadows through his raven-wing hair. Irested a hand on the nape of his neck, careful to not brush againstthe gills. The way his eyes bored into me—it wasn’t the glazed lookhis kind got while feeding. This was a hunger bred from desire. Thesame hunger that begged me to wrap my legs around his waist and lethim enter me, again and again.

I shivered, but not fromthe cold. He paused and tilted his head to the side.

“You aren’t compelled,” hesaid in a hushed voice.

Irritation sparked throughme. I’d had enough talking about my weird abilities.

---