Out on the street, Drew was mobbed by several fans who’d been inside the club. While he signed T-shirts with the band’s logo on them and napkins from the club, Cheryl grabbed Katrina’s hand and dragged her aside for a short tête-à-tête. “Go forth, sistah, and get laid. This guy is so into you, I thought he might combust sitting next to you.”
Katrina laughed, then sobered. “He broke up with his last girl friend only days ago. I don’t intend to sleep with him the first time we talk.”
“Well, from his body language he’s more into you than he ever was her.” Cheryl turned serious. “On second thought, be careful. And call me later.”
Katrina laughed again and shook her head. “Yes, Mother.” She hugged her. “I’ll be fine. He’s just going to drop me at my apartment.”
“That’s what they all say.” Cheryl flipped her thick red hair over her shoulder. “There’s a kind of wild sexuality about him that’s almost impossible to resist. If you really want him to keep coming back, you may want to hold him off for a little while.”
If she only knew. “Consider it done.”
Drew broke away from the fans surrounding him and strode toward her. The way he focused on her was almost frightening. If he pushed, would she be able to resist?
Katrina gave Howard’s arm a pat and murmured good night as she passed him.
Drew held out his hand. The glide of skin against skin as their palms melded set off a sensual storm inside her. They walked hand in hand down two blocks to where his car was parked.
The interior of the vehicle seemed intimate and isolating after their conversation at The Next Best Thing. Unable to read his lips in the dark, Katrina’s anxiety spiked and tension knotted her stomach.
Drew reached up and turned on the overhead light. “You didn’t tell me where you live.”
Katrina smiled at his understanding and drew a relaxing breath before giving him the address. He pulled out into the slow line of traffic.
She was struck by the irony of being so powerfully drawn to a man who used his voice to make a living, when she couldn’t hear him.
Drawn to a man who used his voice to seduce other women.
She bit her lip. How could this possibly go anywhere when they had two such huge obstacles to overcome? “Did you try to seduce me with your voice?”
Drew glanced in her direction and waited until he’d come to a stop at a street sign before turning his head to answer. “I was interested in knowing which tones or notes you could hear. You can’t blame me for being curious.”
“My hearing range is very limited. I hear nothing at the octaves where normal people speak.”
“But you can hear underwater because you’re an aquatic creature.”
“Yes.” She was not quite normal, even underwater. And she could never go back there again. Her earlier caretakers at the orphanage had seen to that. Her feet itched just thinking about it.
Traffic cleared and, as he pulled out, Drew reached up and flicked off the overhead light.
Twenty minutes later they pulled into the parking lot next to her apartment building. The streetlight lanced across Drew’s face, the contrasting shadows limning his strong jaw and the five o’clock shadow darkening it. His lips, not too thick or too thin, looked perfect for kissing.
Katrina drew a deep breath to calm her reaction.
He flipped on the overhead light. “Shall I walk you to your door?”
Katrina studied the dark sweep of lashes surrounding his unusual tri-colored eyes.
What they were toying with could backfire on them both. Could lead to misery. But if they didn’t explore it, they might be giving up on something rare and special.
The fact that he seduced women, used them every time he opened his mouth, gave her pause. He’d tried to discover how to do the same to her. She’d become aware of what he was doing about the time the band had taken their first ten-minute break. Had he stopped because he realized he couldn’t use his voice to get to her? Not much, anyway.
Drew’s expression grew serious. “I’ve been wanting to meet someone I can’t seduce with my voice for a long time. I won’t try any tricks.”
Katrina studied his strong, masculine features. Could she trust him?
She swallowed against the wild beat of her heart. Could she trust herself? Probably not. She needed to say no. Just to be certain. She looked up to see him waiting for her answer. Would he kiss her goodnight? She cleared her throat. “All right.”
Drew unhooked his seatbelt and was out of the car and coming around to open her door before she had gathered her purse from the floor.
His hand rested on the small of her back as she keyed in the security code to enter the apartment building, but tucked his hands in his pockets riding the elevator to the third floor. The swirled pattern on the rubberized tile in the hall always made her a little dizzy, so she focused on the doors they passed.
Katrina’s nerves spiked as she reached her door, and she fumbled getting out her keys. Drew took them from her and unlocked the door, then gave them back.
She pushed open the door, flipped on the light, then turned to look up at him.
“How long have you lived here?” he asked.
“Four years.”
His eyes moved past her to her desk in the living room. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a graphic artist for Harley Graphic Designs.” Had she remained among her people, she’d have never known how to use a computer creatively, but then she’d have never understood she was missing anything, either. “Do you miss…home, or have you always been on land?” she asked.
He braced an arm upon the door facing. “I’ve been landlocked for years. And I’m not welcome in those circles. They think I’m too much a mixed breed.”
“I am, too. But I wanted to know what it was like.” And she’d hoped to find her family. Instead she’d found she could no longer adapt. In fact, deep water was now dangerous for her.
“Will you go out to dinner with me tomorrow night? I want time for us to talk.” He smoothed back a long strand of blonde hair, his fingertips lingering against the small patch of skin behind her ear.
Though his touch was innocent, every cell in her body seemed to reach out for it. She gulped air, feeling breathless. “It isn’t a good idea for us to see each other, Drew.”
“We’ll eat a meal and talk. What time do you get off?” he pressed.
Why did this have to be so hard? “Around five thirty.”
“I’ll be waiting for you here.”
Though the voice in her head was saying, this is not a good idea, the rest of her said, “Okay.”
“Do you have a cell phone?”
“Yes.”
“May I have your number?”
She laughed. “I’m not normally this obtuse. It’s–I never expected to meet someone like—you…me. I’ve only met two others, and they…”
“Couldn’t wait to get away?” he suggested.
“Yes.” So, he’d experienced the same thing.
“It seems our kind chooses a solitary existence when we’re outside of our normal habitat. Maybe it’s because to be with others tends to make the longing for home worse.”
Would spending time with him cause her to wish for something she couldn’t have? Of course it would. “Then maybe this is a mistake.”
Drew stepped close, cupped the back of her head and kissed her.
The gentle pressure of his mouth was intent but not forceful. Her first seconds of resistance washed away upon the tide of longing and need rushing through her. The heat from his body wrapped her in warmth, drawing her in. Her bag fell from her shoulder and hit the floor.
She slid her arms around his waist and leaned into him. She inhaled in his unique Merman scent.
When his tongue slipped between her lips she groaned. He tasted like expensive bourbon and him. Her tongue tangled with his while Drew’s arms tightened around her, holding her closer. She felt his response and fought the urge to rise on tiptoe to better fit her body to his.
Drew gently broke the kiss, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. A gasp escaped. The normal human planes of his face had transitioned to something more angular and rugged, his cheekbones flatter and more prominent, his eyes holding a preternatural glow. He looked…foreign, majestic and…desirable.
“What is it?’ he asked.
Movement down the hall caught her attention. A man and woman approached, neighbors who lived in three-nineteen. They couldn’t see him like this. She grasped Drew’s arm and tugged him into her apartment and shut the door.
His expression, both bemused and surprised, had her shaking her head. How had he not felt the change? She pointed at a mirror over the couch. “Look at yourself.”
The light over the door signaled her doorbell had rung. She motioned Drew to step out of sight, and then opened the door.
Mrs. Stein, the woman she’d seen coming down the hall, held out Katrina’s purse, her gray brows raised. “I don’t think you want to leave this out here in the hall.”
Katrina’s cheeks burned and she forced a laugh. “No, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Thank you.”
“Good night,” Mrs. Stein said with a nod and strolled down the hall.
Katrina closed the door and leaned back against it, her attention returning to Drew where he stood in front of the couch and stared into the mirror.
Drew touched his cheekbones, his brow, his jaw. It was still his face, but it had transformed. He’d been so worked up with wanting Katrina he hadn’t felt a thing.
“Has this ever happened before?” she asked.
“Not outside of being submerged in water.” He grimaced. Great way to start out with her. He was coming out of the preternatural closet, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. “I don’t frighten you, do I?”
Katrina laughed. “No. You just startled me. You’re handsome either way.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “We could continue what we were doing and see how far this goes.”
Color rushed into her cheeks. She approached him and reached up to touch one raised cheekbone. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”
Liquid warmth spread across his skin, and he rested his hand beneath her elbow to encourage the contact. “No.” Not the transition, but his rock-hard erection was giving him some discomfort.
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “You can’t leave as long as—” She gestured to the source of his discomfort.
Or they could make love and see if sexual release would make the transition go away. He took a calming breath.
“Have you ever been with anyone like me?” she asked.
“No.”
“I’ve only been with two human males, and a Merman, although that was years ago.”
How many women had he been with? He wasn’t sure he’d be able to give her an accurate count. What would she think of him if he told her?
She could be his first preternatural lover. The thought sent a fresh wave of blood to his cock. He bit back a groan. “I promised I’d be on my best behavior. So I’m trying not to touch you. But you’re making it very hard for me.”
Her pupils expanded, making her ocean blue eyes darken to teal. Her Mermaid scent intensified. “I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to get to know you.”
They could learn a great deal about each other in bed. He raked his fingers through his hair. He needed a distraction. Her computer. “You could show me what you’re working on. Practice tomorrow’s presentation to your client.”
She smiled. “Do you really want to see it?”
“You watched me perform for the last three hours. I’d like to see what you do.”
“Right now I’m working on several websites. The one I’m presenting tomorrow is for a small office supply company. They sell everything from office furniture to envelopes. Anything you might need to run a small business. I’m setting up their online ordering system. It isn’t very sexy, but it might earn me a promotion and more money.”
Drew’s attention swung to the round oak table with four chairs off to the right. The living room and kitchen were one long room decorated in soothing tones of blue with touches of yellow, lime green, raspberry, and purple. The vibrant colors reminded him of coral reefs and their colorful, often iridescent inhabitants. Had she been there?
“I’ll get a chair,” he said, crossing the space to lift the seat and carry it to her desk.
They both settled before the computer and Katrina opened a file on the desktop. The website was set up with the logo for the company on every page in metallic colors. The site was well arranged, colorful, loaded very quickly, and had some interactive features that were innovative.
Drew touched her arm to get her attention. His fingers lingered despite his vow to take it slow. “How long have you worked on this?”
“Nearly three months.” She touched his hand where it rested on her arm. “I have all their products listed, and everything ready to sell online. All I have to do is upload the command to make it go live. I hope they’ll be pleased with it.”
“I’m sure they will. When is your presentation?”
“Eleven tomorrow morning.” She leaned back and rested her hands in her lap.
“We’ll celebrate both of our successes tomorrow at dinner.”
“The woman who showed up at the club tonight, how long have you been apart?”
“A little over a week. After I saw you at the club, I spent several days looking for you. I even tried to track your scent. She and I went out once during that time, and I broke it off afterwards.”
“Not because of me.” She shook her head.
“No.” How could he explain? “Dating human women isn’t going to work for me. If it were going to, I would have already found a mate and fathered children.” His voice grew husky. “My reaction to human females isn’t anything like it is with you.” If this didn’t work out, would this experience forever leave him craving more?
He rested his arm on the back of her chair and turned so his knee brushed hers. “Human women are very fragile. I’ve always been careful.”
He’d also been wary of dropping his guard in case he might expose what he was. The partial transition Katrina had triggered proved he’d been right to be cautious. “It’s exciting to know I don’t have to hide what I am from you.” Not all of it, anyway. There were parts of his genealogy he wasn’t willing to share with her. If things progressed between them, eventually he’d share it all, but not yet.
“I understand. When I was sixteen, I left the orphanage to hunt for my parents. I encountered quite a few unusual…folks.”
“Were you able to find your parents?”
“Not then, but I found my father later.” She shook her head. “It was stressful and disappointing.”
“I’m sorry.” He grasped her wrist and ran a soothing thumb over her skin.
“Are you still in touch with yours?” she asked.
“Yes. They live close by. My father is a fertility specialist. My mother works raising money for the opera.”
She smiled. “Singing and fertility. We can’t help ourselves, can we? I’d have gone into something closer to the water if I could have.”
“What happened?”
Her expression grew solemn. “That’s a long story, and better left for another time.”
Drew sighed. He was tempted to draw her close for some comfort, but he didn’t trust himself. Didn’t trust how she would perceive it.
She brushed his cheek with her fingertips. “Your face has gone back to normal.”
He wanted to grasp her hand and hold it against his skin so he could revel in her touch.
“Does that mean you’re kicking me out?”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Drew—”
“I’m teasing. I know you have to get up early. I’d better leave so you can get some rest. You’ll want to be fresh for your presentation.” He rose.
She followed him to the door.
He turned to face her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her blue-green eyes moved over his face. “It’s only a few hours.”
It seemed a great deal longer. God, had he ever felt this way about a woman before? Every cell in his body reached for her.
Not trusting himself to kiss her again, he grasped her hand and bent his head to press his lips to the inside of her wrist. Her cheeks flushed again as he looked up into her face. “Good night.”
He at least got the satisfaction of hearing the huskiness in her voice as she murmured good night.
He turned to leave.
“Drew?”
Had his hearing not been so acute he’d have missed her soft inquiry. He turned to look over his shoulder.
Katrina bit her lip, and her throat worked as she swallowed. “This isn’t a good idea.”
There had been a time, when he’d first gained control of his powers, that he’d immersed himself in a sea of feminine bodies and sex. The phase had run its course in a little over a year. Even though he’d been more circumspect about his behavior since, there’d still been lots of women and even more sex.
But had there ever been a real connection between him and a woman? And if she bonded with him, would he follow through with the commitment it would represent? Was he even capable of making someone happy outside of the bedroom for an extended time?
But her concerns should be his, too.
In his thirty years, he’d been either lost in meaningless relationships based on physical pleasure, or working toward his music career. Until now.
But now he’d seen what might be possible with her, how could he take a step back? This might be his only opportunity.
And if exploring more than a physical joining with her was what it took to get there…
He saw the struggle in her face.
“You might find it too much. I mean—if our being close throws you into transition and all we did was…” Her cheeks reddened again. “What if it happens in public?”
“I’ll learn to control it. Do you know how rare it is to find someone you can feel this attracted to? Someone you have this much in common with?”
If he could beat back his own nature and give this, whatever it was, a chance to breathe, they might both find out they could have something extraordinary together. “All I’m asking for is a chance.” He’d never had to beg a woman to let him in before. It was a little humbling to do so now.
He knew he’d said the right thing when her features softened.
“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”