Tessa, Gwen, and Addison sat on the living room floor. Several bottles of wine had been uncorked and drank, the alcohol absolutely necessary to achieve an ultimate purpose: to get Gwen to loosen up and embrace her inner Mer.

The crystals Tessa had brought out of hiding were scattered across the carpet in no particular order. She picked one up, rolled it in the palm of her hand. The green-tinged stone glinted in her hand. "This is one of the ones I've had a lot of luck with." She showed the piece to her sisters.

"What is it?" Addison asked, riffling the pages of a thick clothbound diary. Though it wasn't exactly a how-to book, their mother's descriptions of her dabbling did help give them a grasp of their own potential.

It also gave the girls a glimpse into Jolesa Lonike's mind. She too was afraid of hurting people with her power. Like her middle daughter, she squelched the instinct to embrace it. Their father, on the other hand, had encouraged his daughters to hold on to their inner Mer. He'd often gone behind his wife's back to remind his daughters all three of them were special and could do anything they set their minds to.

Special was one thing. Unique was, too. But to be nonhuman in a world in which 99.9 percent of the people happened to be human wasn't easy.

Not everybody would consider a scaly tail cool.

Tessa rolled the stone across her palm. She considered its smooth surface.

For the most part, the few humans who were aware mermaids truly inhabited the bay were loyal, proudly and fiercely guarding a privileged secret. And even though he'd attempted to bring their civilization to the attention of the archaeological world, even Jake hadn't specifically pointed fingers their way.

Still the word freak hovered in the back of her mind.

A lump rose in her throat. She forced it down. If we knew more about our power, we could control people, let them see only what we want them to. Turning the notion into reality enticed.

"It's fluorite," she finally said, dragging her mind away from the wicked thoughts. The first thing their mother had warned them about their magic was an ironclad rule: Do no harm.

Addison found a page. Strange symbols and odd lettering covered the paper. "I wish I had learned more of the Mer language," she said, frustrated. "But I think this part covers that stone." She offered the book to Gwen. "Here. Didn't you learn quite a bit?"

Swallowing down a gulp of her favorite Pinot Grigio, Gwen waved her hand. "No. I will not get involved in this. You know I am firmly against using our Mercraft."

Addison harrumphed. "Don't be stupid, Gwen. It's our nature to use magic, kind of the way humans have to have air to breathe."

"Uh, we need air, too, Addie." Tessa bounced the stone on her palm. "According to Mom's diary, this piece is a grounding stone. It balances and stabilizes intuitive powers. It's also excellent for mental coordination."

Gwen sucked down more wine. After half a bottle to herself, she was more than a little bit tipsy. "Then the d.a.m.n stone should tell you I am not interested in being Mer. I just want to be plain old Gwen, owner of a successful hotel."

Addison whacked her recalcitrant sister with the diary. "That's boring. Imagine all you could do if you just used a little magic. Instead of wishing for dollars, you could just conjure them into existence."

Tessa nibbled her bottom lip. "I don't think it quite works that way, Addled Brain. We can't just wave our hands and make the dollars appear." If that were possible, she'd have already done it a long time ago.

The sound of plaster and wood collapsing interrupted their discussion.

"Just the bedroom wall coming down!" Kenneth called from upstairs. "Better steer clear."

"We're making a wide berth," she called back.

"We'll get this place in shape in no time," be bellowed.

The sound of men wielding power tools resumed.

Tessa shook her head. Over the last few weeks, the man had lived up to the term handy, tearing into house repairs like a demon possessed. Not only had he hired a small crew to help out; he'd already redesigned the house.

Gwen c.o.c.ked her head. "Sounds like he's really into his work."

Taking a sip from her own gla.s.s, Tessa rolled her eyes. "I can't begin to tell you all he's got in mind. The plans get more elaborate every day. He's adding both a den and an office, and he's redoing the master suite and bathroom, as well. If he doesn't stop, this place is going to be triple the size it is now."

Gwen's jaw dropped. "Must be nice to have Prince Charming sweep in and take over with his checkbook." She swirled the last dregs of wine in her gla.s.s. "Don't know how b.i.t.c.hy old you deserved that."

The drunker Gwen got, the sharper her tongue. Not to mention the green-eyed monster was beginning to poke its head out. It didn't help that she'd just kicked her longtime boyfriend out of their apartment. If anyone needed a good man and some hot s.e.x, Gwen was a definite candidate.

Addison refilled her own gla.s.s. "By the G.o.ddess, that man is a catch. He's not sack-ugly, he works hard, and he's willing to spend his dough on you. I'm with Gwen. You should have forked him over to one of us. We'd appreciate him."

Tessa snorted. "It's not that I don't appreciate him. I'm just taking things slow. If there's one thing we Mers have to be sure of, it's our men. Pick the wrong one and we're stuck."

Gwen snorted back. "Oh, don't give me that bulls.h.i.t, Tess. You know this one's a keeper. Right now you're like the heroine of a romance novel." She lifted her hands, framing the picture. "Poor girl plucked from obscurity by the tragic brooding guy who needs help to heal his broken heart. That's almost precious enough to make me puke."

Addison laughed and joined in. "Oh, I can even see the t.i.tle: The Secret Millionaire's Mermaid Bride."

Tessa stuck out her tongue. "Both of you are just jealous as h.e.l.l."

"d.a.m.n right." Gwen swallowed more wine. "I don't see how a b.i.t.c.h like you even gets men. You're just a mean, cranky Mer."

Ignoring the envy, Tessa petted the stone in her hand. Gwen was having a rough time, and putting in all those long hours at the inn had frayed her nerves. "I've got the touch, baby." As if in response to her words, the stone rose slightly from her palm.

Addison eyed the floating crystal. "Oh, that is f.u.c.king awesome. I still haven't quite got the knack yet."

Tessa drew a careful breath, trying not to disturb the stone's gentle hover. She'd only just learned to make the mental connection with her symbiote, using its energy to direct matter on the outside of her body. "I've just got the hang of kinetics down."

Gwen eyed the floating crystal suspiciously. "So what are you and that rock supposed to do next? Have s.e.x?"

Tessa grinned. Gwen's words were more accurate than she knew. "Believe it or not, this stone has a charge inside it, kind of like a battery is juiced. By concentrating on its unique vibrations, I can make a connection and draw that energy into myself. Reprocessing it through my symbiote means I can then add its power to my own and make it remanifest in the physical world."

"I am so going to learn this." Addison clapped her hands. "So make it do something!"

Nodding, Tessa concentrated. And pushed. The stone immediately whizzed away from her palm. Aim uncontrolled, the crystal blasted straight through the nearest window. The pane of gla.s.s shattered into a billion tiny shards.

Jake immediately came rushing up to the blasted window. Cell phone in hand, his face was dead pale. "What the h.e.l.l was that!"

"We're just playing with the crystals Mom left us," Addison called.

Stomach lurching, Tessa winced. "Oops." Cold was beginning to seep through her veins. She'd pushed too hard and too fast and the sudden loss of energy chilled her. She'd have to take a little more care until she fully mastered control of her symbiote. The greedy little f.u.c.ker inside always wanted more. Bigger, better, faster, and stronger.

A little smile turned up her lips. If her mind ever took a turn toward the dark side, all h.e.l.l would break loose.

Jake thrust his arm through the broken window, showing the scorch mark across the back of his hand. "That thing d.a.m.n near took my hand off. Just an inch closer and I'd be waving a stub."

Addison flipped him off. "And if she'd have aimed lower, you'd be singing like a choirboy before p.u.b.erty."

Jake returned the socially unacceptable gesticulation. "I get no f.u.c.king respect around here," he grumbled, returning to his precious cell. Because of the problems with the signal, he could only use it outside, on a clear day. Reception from the mainland wasn't guaranteed, no matter how terrific the carrier's worldwide network claimed to be. His only other option would be the two-way radio in the lighthouse. And the only operator monitoring that signal was the fire department.

"Like you deserve it," Gwen called back.

Jake checked his precious BlackBerry. Just as Kenneth was tied up with his plans for the house, Jake was busy plotting his return to the Mediterranean. His every waking moment was spent on the phone, pulling the vital details together. He certainly wasn't shy about spending Kenneth's money, either. He'd burned through two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in the blink of an eye.

But Kenneth wasn't just blindly trusting Jake and blithely writing out the checks. Taking over the bas.e.m.e.nt, he'd set up a command post, going over the details with Jake. As the man wielding the checkbook, he wanted to know everything before he gave the final okay. Since Recoveries, Inc., was bankrupt, Jake had no choice but to shut up and smile.

All that mattered to the archaeologist was getting back to the ruins he claimed belonged to the lost city.

Curling his lips, Jake repeated the rude gesture. "Someday you'll get my side of the story," he said before disappearing to continue his phone calls.

Tickled by the display, Addison picked up a crystal, rolling it between thumb and forefinger. "I love the way this works." Her breath caught. "My goodness, I can actually feel the vibrations in this thing. It's like it's talking to me."

Reading her entranced expression, Tessa nodded. "I told you."

Though Gwen had a strong vibe for craft, she refused to embrace it. Addison wanted it, but was still a bit clumsy with the concepts she was introducing. But once Addison mastered the basics, nothing would stop her. It was just a matter of time. Of the three of them, Tessa definitely felt Addison would be the strongest.

Gwen settled back, eyeing both her sisters warily. "You're both playing with fire. Don't you remember how Mom always warned us about the darkness inside?"

"Mom wasn't saying we couldn't use our abilities," Tessa reminded. "She just reminded us not to let the viciousness of our natures get out of control and hurt people."

Addison nodded her head. "Humans are part of our survival. Well, at least the men are. Don't know about the women, so much. Could do without them, I suppose, then just keep the males for breeding."

"That's how it was supposed to be in the old days," Gwen reminded them.

Tessa considered the crystals. "Do you think it's true that humans and Mers were at war?"

"Wouldn't be so far-fetched," Addison put in. "Mankind is a pretty warlike species. And we Mers do have our tempers. Could be they found a way to wipe us out deliberately, and only a few escaped to survive. Kind of like the settlers taking the land away from the natives. The strong survive; the weak succ.u.mb."

Tessa picked up another stone, a cl.u.s.ter of crystal quartz. The stone was said to enhance psychic ability. "It's a possibility. There may have been a time when the Mer were hunted and slaughtered because of the power they had . . . we have."

"But if we have the power, wouldn't we be the ones who won?" Addison questioned.

No one had time to answer. Hammer in hand, Kenneth wandered into the living room. "Why is Jake yelling?" he asked, shoving a handful of catalogs under Tessa's nose. "And which do you like better for the floors? Carpeting or tile?"

Closing her eyes, Tessa pressed her fingers to her temple. Good G.o.ddess almighty. Her quiet life had certainly been turned upside down since Kenneth arrived and Jake returned, going from peaceful to unbelievably surreal in the blink of an eye. Suddenly she had a thousand things to take care of, most of which she didn't care about. Paint colors, carpet textures, tile designs. It was all a little overwhelming. Sure, the house had been a little run-down, maybe even a little shabby, but it had been hers. A nice quiet sanctuary far away from the troubles of the outside world.

A sanctuary falling down around your head. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she'd needed someone to give her a shove. She couldn't keep hiding out.

Tessa let her hands drop. "I think I'd prefer tile," she said, making the effort to add a smile to her answer. She really didn't care what he put on the floor. Redoing the house was all Kenneth's idea, something he'd made his own personal project.

It didn't take a lot of figuring to guess Kenneth Randall was a take-charge kind of man. He liked to be in control, make the decisions, and call the shots. Being married to a rich, willful woman with a career of her own must have felt like castration to him. Mechanics just couldn't compare to neurosurgeons.

It also didn't take much brainpower to figure out he was a man who needed to be needed. He clearly liked home and hearth, futzing with repairs and clucking over the little woman.

He was almost too d.a.m.n good for his own good. He put a hundred and ten percent into whatever he did. She, on the other hand, was pretty laid-back. She definitely preferred crystals to ceramic tile.

"Good. I agree." Kenneth paused, redirecting his thoughts. Nothing got past him. Not a single thing. "But you didn't answer my question. What's Jake b.i.t.c.hing about?"

Addison pointed to the broken window. "Tessa accidentally sent a crystal through the gla.s.s and almost blew Jake's hand off."

Kenneth's brow furrowed. "I thought you were aiming for his head."

Tessa smacked his leg with the catalogs. "Funny. Ha-ha. I wasn't aiming for anything, actually."

He walked over and examined the broken window. "Looks like you blew right through it. Guess this means I'll need to order a replacement."

"Any chance we can get shatterproof?" As long as they were redecorating, might as well upgrade.

Kenneth thought a moment. "I'll check." He ambled off, heading back to work.

The girls watched him go.

Gwen shook her head. "Unbelievable." She laid a hand on her sister's arm. "Don't treat him bad, okay? If you're just going to use him, cut him loose."

Bristling, Tessa pulled her arm away. Getting drunk and jabbering like a baboon on crack was one thing. Saying hurtful things quite another. "Why would I hurt him?"

Gwen looked at her through soft green eyes. Her momentary jealously had bled out, replaced with sincere concern. "You're arrogant, Tess. We all are when it comes to humans. Even though we don't like to admit it, we do treat them like lesser beings."

Tessa's mouth quirked down. She had to admit there were lots of times when people-humans-just annoyed her. After they'd answered her beck and call she wanted them gone. Period.

The realization made her feel a little sick. "I won't do that to Kenneth." She raked her fingers through her long hair. A moment ago she'd been near freezing. Now she was burning up, beads of perspiration dotting her forehead.

She really didn't want to talk about how she would or wouldn't treat Kenneth. It was none of her sister's business anyway. Gwen wasn't the woman in Kenneth's bed.

But she'd like to be.

Gwen studied her through an all-too-perceptive gaze. "Just make sure the darkness doesn't get the best of you."

Despite the fact she was burning up, Tessa shivered. Things were getting too complicated, too fast.

Kenneth frowned at the line of rot running along the base of the wall he'd just knocked down. He'd hoped the damage hadn't seeped down into the floors of the house, but one look revealed the worst.

He cursed under his breath. d.a.m.n. Looked like it was going to take a lot more work than he'd initially estimated.

Hands on his hips, he cast a look around the room. The workmen he'd hired had called it quits for the day, promising to be back first thing tomorrow morning. He'd definitely have to adjust his original plans and re-figure his budget to cover the extra costs of replacing the floors.

Kenneth shook his head. It needs to be done. No getting around it. He'd just have to roll up his sleeves and plunge right in. The old house was in terrible shape. Battered by wind and water for generations uncounted, it had suffered badly through the years.

Regular maintenance might have helped allay a lot of the damage, but it was work a single woman on her own definitely couldn't manage. The sort of repairs the house needed definitely called for a man's hand. Several men and several pairs of hands, in fact. After a few days of working on his own, he'd quickly figured out the job was too much to tackle alone.

Some might think renovating the house was his way of repaying Tessa. In a way, that was true. She'd given him back his life. But being alive didn't necessarily mean the will to live. He'd had to rediscover that for himself. It felt good to have a purpose, goals to pursue.

Of course, he'd consulted Tessa before plunging in. There was no way he'd enter into a major renovation without her say-so. While it was true they shared a bed, his place in her life was still tenuous. They were still learning their way around each other's moods, the slow dance that came with getting to know a person and their preferences. He'd already learned the hard way that Tessa was moody. She was a woman who sought independence, but had no way to maintain it.

Since she couldn't very well refuse, she'd agreed to let him handle-and pay for-repairs on the house. He'd asked for control and she'd granted it.

He did so with an eye toward the future. He wanted to make things work between himself and Tessa.

Simply put, he wanted a future. With her.