He briefly wondered what kind of pajamas she slept in. Would she have some sort of lacy baby doll gown? Maybe pink or a really s.e.xy red. Nah. Not her style. Tessa had more tattoos than a h.e.l.ls Angel biker and wore cutoffs and combat boots. He guessed she'd eschew the frills for something sensible.

Something sensible being nothing at all.

That idea definitely made him smile. It probably wasn't true, but he sure did like thinking about Tessa naked. He couldn't help it. There was something about her he found very appealing; something beyond her face and killer body. Perhaps it was her stubbornness, her insistence on relying on herself even when she knew she was fighting a losing battle.

After he'd gone back around the corner earlier that day, he'd paused, something he normally didn't do. Listening in uninvited wasn't a thing he intended to do. It just happened. If he'd heard correctly, Tessa was down to counting dimes instead of dollars.

He mused. I have the money and she has the island. If things worked out, maybe he'd approach her about buying a share. As far as he could guess, the island was about 640 acres, or roughly a mile in size. A lot of it was uncultivated, occupied by trees and other wildlife. He wouldn't mind having a house of his own. Buying a couple of acres might help her out, without invading her s.p.a.ce too much.

Yeah, right. Tessa would probably have a stroke if he ever actually got up the nerve to ask.

Building castles in the air was easy. It couldn't be a bad thing. The future had once felt so bleak, empty.

Not anymore.

The black clouds over his head were finally moving on, letting the sun shine down. He'd survive. Oh, the guilt would still linger, the sadness over what might have been. But that chapter of his life was now closed. Time to write a new one, fill a blank page with new adventures. Somehow he felt Jen would smile, and approve.

The tenseness in his shoulders eased. Cigarette done, he poked the remnant through the mouth of his empty beer bottle. Feeling a slight burning sensation behind his lids, he rubbed his eyes. The need for sleep, real sleep, was beginning to set in. Eyeing the soft patch of gra.s.s, he yawned. A lazy sense of comfort had settled into his bones. He didn't want to get up.

Kenneth was close to drifting off when the sound of something paddling at the water's edge jarred him back awake. Eyes snapping open, he stared toward the direction he believed the sound had come from. Moonlight glistened, reflecting off the silvery waters of the bay.

Something flapped again, louder and more insistent. He thought he heard a woman's voice, cursing.

Curious as to the cause of the disturbance, he hurried in the direction of the sounds. The western edge of the island faced the mainland, which became less and less clear as a thick fog began to roll in off the sea. Little more than a jagged shoal, the craggy ground was unstable and dangerous. One wrong step could twist an ankle.

He arrived at the edge just in time to see a woman's head and shoulders break through the surface of the water. Her hand lifted. She tossed some dripping piece of clothing up onto a flat rock overhanging the water.

Reaching up to catch the edge, she hefted her body up. Moving with the grace of one accustomed to the life beside the bay, she plopped herself onto the rock. A ma.s.s of wet curls streamed down her back. She wore not a single st.i.tch.

Kenneth started to back away. I'm intruding. Feet defying his mental command, he didn't move.

Except for Tessa's silent form, the water was deserted. Unaware of his presence, she sat brooding, staring off into the distance.

Kenneth eased a little closer, admiring the view. His gaze dipped, briefly taking in the delicate curves of her body. Eyes reaching the level of her waist, the fine hairs at the nape of his neck rose. It only took seconds to realize something about her appearance wasn't normal. Her slender limbs had changed shape.

Kenneth stood for a moment in dumb surprise. His heart skipped a beat even as his breath stalled in his lungs. Rubbing his bleary eyes in disbelief, he stared, dumbfounded. Guts twisting, the bottom dropped out of his stomach.

Impossible!

His gaze darted back and forth over Tessa's elongated form, taking in every inch. From the top of her head to . . .

He gulped. The tip of her . . . tail?

Kenneth felt his knees wobble as reality began to slip from his grasp. His stomach lurched. Without even knowing it, he'd stepped through some kind of strange prism, entering a world where beautiful women had the torso of an aquatic creature instead of legs.

Looking down at the woman, he felt himself begin to shake.

"Oh my G.o.d. Tessa . . . ?"

Chapter 4.

Startled by the voice behind her, Tessa swiveled around. She caught sight of her newly hired handyman standing just above her rocky perch. She was fully exposed, and out in the open.

And she hadn't shifted back to human form.

Her heartbeat doubled, pulse pounding in her ears. Every instinct demanded she scuttle away, dive back into the water and disappear.

She felt sick, but angrily shook off the unbidden emotion. Instead she frowned, resisting the urge to flee, hide herself from human eyes. I have nothing to be ashamed of, came her irate thought. He's the one who intruded, interrupted her private moment. She should have known better than to allow a stranger onto her island.

s.n.a.t.c.hing her soggy robe, Tessa flipped it over her lap before crossing her arms over her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s. At least she had a little cover. She'd never felt so vulnerable. So exposed.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped, lacing her tone with an edge of displeasure.

Kenneth blinked at the question. His face was chalky white. "I'm sorry," he said, holding his hands out and backing away. "I didn't mean to bother you."

She studied him suspiciously. Had he seen it? She couldn't be sure. And this was a conversation she definitely didn't want to have. d.a.m.n it all! Why did he have to come snooping around and invade her privacy?

"Well, you are," she grated, wishing he would turn around and make fast tracks. The sooner he got the h.e.l.l out of there, she sooner she could shift and go home.

Much to her displeasure, Kenneth came to a sudden halt. "I thought I was crazy," he confessed in a rush. "But I wasn't hallucinating. You're her, the thing in the water. It was you all along."

Her brows rose. Had he really just called her a thing?

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Tessa's anger unexpectedly faded. Realizing how tired she was of perpetuating the lie, she sighed. No reason to let the poor man think he'd lost his grasp on his sanity. That would be cruel. Besides, what would he do with the knowledge?

Flicking the soggy robe aside, she revealed her long tail in all its glory. "You're right." She wiggled her appendage, splashing the tip in the water. Her scales were bright, glimmering with soft iridescence. A mix of pinks and blues, her tail was also elaborately patterned with symbols etched in black. The pattern extended up her back and arms. Most people mistook the markings for tattoos. She rarely corrected the misperception.

Disbelief slowly drained from Kenneth's face. Another look replaced it. Relief. "Thank G.o.d," he breathed on a note of revelation. "I haven't lost my ever-loving mind."

Tessa shrugged. "Guess not." She studied him, wondering if she hadn't unconsciously wanted to be unmasked. He'd told her his secrets. Now he knew hers.

In uneasy awe, he asked, "Can I come a little closer?"

Tessa involuntary stiffened. She wasn't used to having people nearby when she was in Mer form. Still, she had to wonder what he must be feeling. For him, everything about the world had suddenly turned upside down. "If you have to," she grudgingly agreed.

Easing his way onto the flat boulder, Kenneth knelt beside her. He blinked hard. "Man alive, I was sure that beer had gone to my head. I thought I drank too much and pa.s.sed out." Pulling a hand through his already disheveled hair, he briefly glanced up. "I'm half expecting to see a winged horse fly by."

Allowing herself to relax a little, Tessa laughed. The constriction in her chest eased. "No Pegasus here, I'm afraid, though it would be pretty cool to have one." All in all, he seemed to be taking the truth fairly well.

His gaze fixed on her lower half. "Have you been like this all your life?"

She swished her tail. "If you mean was I born a mermaid, the answer is yes. Of course."

He arched an inquiring brow. His compelling gaze explored every inch of her lower half. "What does it feel like to have a tail?"

Tessa glanced down, eyeing her bottom half. She'd never given it a second thought. It wasn't half as uncomfortable to wear as it looked. "It's like having your legs strapped together with duct tape."

He laughed. "Really?"

"Really."

Kenneth studied her, intrigued. "Amazing." He started to reach out toward her, but his hand froze in midair. A nervous laugh escaped him. "Sorry. I just wanted to see what it felt like."

Tessa nibbled her lower lip. She usually didn't let anyone close enough to cop a feel. "I guess it would be okay."

Keeping one hand across her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she used her other to take his, guiding his fingers toward where her left thigh would usually be. "I'm not a fish. I'm warm-blooded."

Eyeing her with pure admiration, he let his hand linger. "Beautiful," he murmured. "Feels like hot velvet." His fingers brushed across her scales, sending a tremor down her spine.

Tessa shivered. His touch, strangely welcome, felt wonderful. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s felt particularly sensitive behind the shield of her arm. Unbidden heat bubbled up from her core. Her body was slowly awakening from the long slumber of self-imposed celibacy.

She closed her eyes, secretly enjoying the contact. A vision of their bodies coming together flashed through her mind. Her senses went off-kilter, as if she'd downed ten shots of hundred-proof whiskey after days of drinking nothing but water.

"Have a little care there." Her voice sounded strangely husky, more than a little bit needy. "Certain parts of my anatomy are anatomically correct."

Kenneth's brows shot up. "You mean-" He immediately lifted his hand.

Suppressing a groan, Tessa nodded. Arousal rolled through her, sweeping away the last of her self-protective instincts. "Brush those scales aside and everything's still there, right where it's supposed to be."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that makes sense."

Hesitating, Tessa licked papery lips. Many people would consider the idea of mermaids an abomination, a freak of nature. That wasn't true. Mermaids had the same feelings, the same emotions as any human being. The fact she carried genes that allowed her to adapt to living on land or immersion in water made little difference. Deep inside she was still a woman, and had a woman's feelings. Love. Hate. Desire. She'd experienced them all at one time or another in her life.

Especially desire . . .

"I'm still a female, in every way." Oh G.o.ddess above, she wished he'd touch her again. Just one more time.

I want him, her ravenous body clamored. So very much.

She could almost taste those full, sensuous lips of his. And his hands. They had the power and the strength of a man used to handling heavy equipment. She wondered what those hands would feel like spread across her waist as he guided her down onto . . .

Oh!

Tessa's skin suddenly felt way too small to fit over her bones. She drew a quick breath, mentally willing her out-of-control libido to stand down. His simple, curious touch shouldn't have hit her so hard. Right now she'd probably mistake a simple handshake for foreplay.

Rocking back on his heels, a rich, deep laugh escaped him. "I would definitely agree." He gave her a glance that swept every inch of her body. "You're a beautiful woman." His tone was humble, awed.

Attempting to cool herself off, Tessa dipped the tip of her tail in the bay. She tossed it into the air, splattering them both with salty water. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

Kenneth swiped his hands across his face, wiping the droplets away. "I mean every word. With or without the tail, I think you're one hot chick."

d.a.m.n, she liked him. Instead of treating her like a freak and running off to call the media, he was talking to her like a real person. One who had a brain, a soul, and could understand plain English. "You're not just saying that?"

He shook his head. "Not at all." Tense with nerves, he dragged his fingers through his hair, spiking it wildly. The s.e.xy, punk style suited him. "Now I know how the guy felt in Splash."

Tessa snorted with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Good grief. You're comparing what happened to you to something you saw in a movie?"

Grin a mile wide, he nodded. "All I know about mermaids comes from movies, actually. It isn't like you stumble on one every day."

She shook her head. "I think you were sneaking." Pointing to her temple, she pretended to think a moment. "Yes, I'm pretty sure you were creeping up with the intention to spy on me."

Kenneth eyed her. "Honestly, I had no idea you were here. I just heard something in the water."

She rolled her eyes. "I still say you were sneaking."

He held up his hands in mock defeat. "I'll cop a plea and just admit to being curious." A hand moved to his heart. "And I swear to G.o.d I haven't tried to sneak up on a woman and get a peek since college."

"Oh?" She looked him up and down. "You don't look like the kind who'd have any trouble getting a private show from a co-ed."

Kenneth chuckled, a rich, warm sound. "Eighteen years ago, I was bone thin, had more acne than skin, and couldn't make time with a freshman to save my life. Making panty raids on the girl's dorm was as close as I usually got to a living, breathing female."

"Old habits die hard, eh?"

"Yeah, well, those were the days."

"And time marched on."

He rolled his eyes. "In a big way. Never thought middle age would ever come my way."

Tessa swallowed a laugh. "Oh, please. You aren't that old."

He had the audacity to grin. "That's probably what I should be saying to you. What are you? Twenty- four, twenty-five . . . ?"

She raised a scolding finger. "Oh, no! A woman never tells her age."

Kenneth's gaze settled on her face, intense and focused.

Stomach clenching with desire, Tessa sucked in a startled breath. Just the idea of him touching her in other, more intimate places made her senses hum with a s.e.xual awareness she couldn't possibly ignore.

She self- consciously ran her fingers through her hair, trying to neaten the damp strands, arrange them into something remotely presentable. Her shoulder-length hair was usually a wild tangle, out of control. Taming the ma.s.s of loose curls was almost impossible.

"I'm about to turn thirty," she said to cut through the tension.

A lot of people often mistook her to be much younger than her actual years. A mermaid was capable of surviving for more than a few centuries if she kept her soul-stone intact. Humans lived very short lives, a pittance in terms of time. Given their extraordinary genetic structure, a Mer could also deliver a child at an age most humans couldn't even begin to imagine.

Clearly surprised, Kenneth rocked back on his heels. "I'd have never guessed."

Tessa sighed. "There are a lot of things people would never guess about me." She reached for her robe. Her b.u.t.t was getting more than a little bit numb from sitting on the hard surface. "You've got a lot to learn about Mers."