Merman's Kiss (Merman's Kiss, Book 1) Read online

  Merman’s

  Kiss

  By

  Dee J. Stone

  Copyright © 2014 Dee J. Stone.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real life, movies, television, games, or books is entirely coincidental and was not intended by the author.

  Titles by Dee J. Stone:

  Young Adult Superhero Series:

  No Ordinary Hero (Keepers of Justice, Book 1)

  Hero’s Revenge (Keepers of Justice, Book 2)

  Hero Reborn (Keepers of Justice, Book 3)

  No Ordinary Villain (Keepers of Justice, Book 4)

  Villain’s Choice (Keepers of Justice, Book 5)

  Young Adult Romance:

  Cruiser (Cruiser & Lex, Book 1)

  Second Chance (Cruiser & Lex, Book 2)

  Forever (Cruiser & Lex, Book 3)

  Chasing Sam

  Young Adult Paranormal:

  Emily’s Curse

  Paranormal Romance:

  Merman’s Kiss (Merman’s Kiss, Book 1)

  Merman’s Touch (Merman’s Kiss, Book 2)

  Merman’s Bond (Merman’s Kiss, Book 3)

  Merman’s Love (Merman’s Kiss, Book 4)

  Falling for the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 1)

  Loving the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 2)

  Keeping the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 3)

  Email the author at [email protected].

  For more information and updates on new releases, check out Dee J. Stone here: https://deejstone.wordpress.com. Or follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Merman’s

  Kiss

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Excerpt from Merman’s Touch (Merman’s Kiss, Book 2)

  Excerpt from Falling for the Genie

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  My head throbs like someone smashed it against a pile of rocks.

  I try to move my limbs, but they feel like they’re buried in cement. When I pry my eyes open, I’m blinded by something bright and strong. The sun? My eyes snap shut and tears seep out.

  The throbbing travels from the back of my head to my forehead. I moan as images come. Memories. It all rushes back to me. The killer waves this morning, almost as high as towers. The itchy sensation pricking every nerve of my body as I imagined riding them. My stupid self ignoring the warning bells telling me it was too dangerous. Paddling into the ocean and popping onto my board. Getting swallowed by the massive wave. Thrashing my arms and legs as my mouth desperately sought oxygen, only to get salt water instead. My limbs growing weaker until I blacked out.

  Something touches my fingers. No, touching isn’t the right word. Rubbing, maybe? It feels nice. Soothing. Slowly, I open my eyes. A face stares down at me. The sun shines behind his head, creating a halo.

  An angel? Am I in heaven?

  He has dark blue eyes and long, golden hair brushing his shoulders. Definitely an angel. I am in heaven.

  “Cassie!” a voice calls.

  The angel disappears and I hear a splash. I try to raise my head, but the throbbing turns into hammering, and I groan. When I turn my head to the side, I realize I’m on some sort of boulder in the middle of the ocean.

  “Cassie!” the voice calls again. It sounds like my best friend, Leah. I hear an engine. She must be on a boat or Jet Ski.

  I open my mouth to call to her, but nothing comes out. The action alone takes up so much energy that my eyes droop.

  Through the fog in my head, I hear the engine approach. A hand shakes my shoulder. “Cassie? Are you okay?”

  I open one eye. “Leah?”

  She’s sitting on a Jet Ski, dressed in her wetsuit. Her green eyes are wide in alarm. “Thank God you’re alive.”

  When I try to sit up, my head spins. “Easy,” she says, climbing out of the Jet Ski and settling near me on the boulder. She wraps an arm around my shoulder and helps me into a sitting position. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

  “I’m fine,” I mutter. “What happened?”

  “You wiped out. I saw you go down and I grabbed the Jet Ski to go after you. I’m taking you to the hospital. You have a nasty bump on your head.”

  I finger the spot. Ouch. “How did I end up on the boulder?”

  Her eyebrows crease. She scratches her dark brown hair. “Did you swim here and pass out?” She takes me in her arms, hugging me close. “You have no idea how freaked out I was when I saw you lying here. I’m so glad you’re okay.” She pulls out of the hug. “I was searching forever. I really thought…” Her voice cracks. “I really thought you died. Don’t you ever do anything like that again!”

  I stare down at the small waves hitting the boulder. “There was a guy. An angel. An angel saved me.”

  “An angel?” She surveys the area. “I didn’t see anyone.”

  “Maybe I went to heaven.”

  She doesn’t say anything. I know what she’s thinking—that I hit my head and am talking nonsense. Am I?

  “And when you called my name, he disappeared. I’m telling you the truth, Leah. I’m not crazy.”

  “O-kay. What did Angel Guy look like?”

  Those eyes. So deep, so blue, like the ocean. And golden hair that I’ve never seen before, not even in the movies. “He was beautiful.”

  Her eyebrows crease again. I know she doesn’t believe me, but I couldn’t have been hallucinating. The hands rubbing my fingers were real. His face was real. He was real.

  Or was he? I shake my head because none of this makes sense. Maybe I am hallucinating.

  Leah gets on the Jet Ski and helps me climb on behind her. I’m still a little groggy and dizzy, but my headache is disappearing by the minute. She steers us toward the shore.

  I look back at the boulder. He had to be real.

  We make it to the beach and climb off the Jet Ski. Leah wraps her arm over my shoulder. “Feeling okay?”

  “Fine.” I keep looking back toward the ocean, hoping for—I don’t know. For Angel Guy to pop out of thin air and reveal himself?

  “I still think you should see a doctor. We hear so many stories of people hitting their heads and thinking they’re fine, when they sustain major head injuries and—”

  “Leah, quit worrying. You’re worse than my mom.” Mom has never really liked me spending most of my free time hitting the waves. I guess as her only daughter, she wants someone more…like her. A daughter who would go shopping with her and give her fashion advice and stay up into the early hours of the morning talking about guys.

  Leah stops in front of Misty’s Juice Bar, the place sh
e’s currently working at, and faces me. “You’re just so reckless, Cass. I know I’m not a great surfer, but even I know you shouldn’t have been in the ocean with those waves.”

  I press my lips together.

  She touches my arm. “I know you’re still hurting from the breakup with Kyle—”

  “We are not talking about that.” I nod toward the shop. “Your boss is giving you the death glare. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  Rubbing my head, I notice the pain is almost completely gone. I squint toward the ocean. It’s wishful thinking, hoping my board will somehow emerge. Chances are it’s in pieces at the bottom of the ocean.

  My eyes move to the sky, which is growing a little gray and cloudy. We’ll probably have a storm later today or tonight.

  When I enter my beach house, a familiar scent tickles my nose.

  “Mom?” I hurry into the kitchen and find her sitting at the table, munching on a chocolate bar and flipping through a magazine. I take in her familiar chin-length, dyed red hair and light pink nail polish.

  “Cassie!” She stands and pulls me into her arms. I bury my face into the side of her neck, feeling the stiffness of her business suit against my arms. She’s been gone for over two weeks. As much as I enjoyed the freedom, I missed her terribly.

  She steps out of the hug and studies me like she hasn’t seen me in years. “You look great, honey. Except, what happened to your head?” She reaches to touch the bump, but I move back.

  “Oh, nothing. I tripped on the stairs. So um, how was your trip?”

  “Busy, but good.”

  I peer into the living room, where her suitcases are lined against the wall. “Need help unpacking?”

  She bites her lower lip, regret clouding her eyes.

  My heart sinks. “You’re leaving again?”

  She sighs and drops down on the chair, running her hands through her hair. “I fly out again tonight. Sorry, Cass.”

  I walk to the cupboard and rummage around until I find my gummy worms. Mom works in sales. She travels all over the country selling a new line of women’s cosmetics. It’s been her dream job ever since she started college. Then I came along when she was in her last semester and ruined her plans. She got her degree, but had to kiss the dream goodbye. Dad was chivalrous and married her, but he left us when I was ten. Not very chivalrous. Now that I’m eighteen and will start college in the fall, Mom can finally live her dream.

  I stick a worm between my teeth and slice it in half. She was a complete mess when my dad left us, and now she’s finally putting her life back together. I can’t take that away from her, no matter how much I miss her.

  She gets to her feet and takes me in her arms again. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t think I’d have to travel this much.” She draws back and looks into my eyes. “You know you’re always welcome at Uncle Jim and Aunt Lisa’s and the gang if you get too lonely. And Leah’s parents would love to have you over any time.”

  I don’t say anything, just continue to devour my worms. I stayed with Leah the first few times my mom was away. We had a blast. But after a while, I wanted my mom. That’s how it’s been for the last few years of my life—just Mom and me. But I suppose I need to get used to this, to the future. College, a real job, my own apartment.

  She touches one of my blonde braids that’s curled over my shoulder. “And there’s always your dad.”

  I push away from her.

  “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” She reaches for me again and plays with the bottom of my braid. “He’s trying, Cass. At least give him a chance.”

  “Mom—”

  “That’s all I’m going to say. Just to give him a chance.”

  I clench my teeth.

  Mom squeezes my shoulder. “We have the next six hours to spend together. Let’s make the most of it. What do you say?”

  I force a smile onto my lips. “Okay.”

  Chapter Two

  “I still have no clue where I’m going this fall.” Leah bends down and picks a pebble off the beach.

  I shield my eyes as I stare out toward the ocean. The waves are flat this morning. Leah and I hoped to squeeze in some surfing, but the ocean has a mind of its own. Most of the other surfers have gone back home. “You need to decide soon,” I say. “It’s mid-June.”

  Her fingers close over the pebble. “I won’t let Frankie pressure me into following him to New Jersey. I won’t. New Jersey? That’s so far away.”

  We pick up walking again. I miss doing this—strolling along the beach, enjoying the beauty of nature and the company of my best friend. The only times I’m at the beach is when I surf and when I’m teaching my surfing class.

  “He shouldn’t pressure you to leave Florida,” I say. “If he loves you, he should try to make a long distance relationship work.”

  She tosses the pebble into the ocean. “Why do men suck?”

  I kick my toes into the wet sand. “Because they are made of suck.”

  My dad pops into my head, followed closely by my ex, Kyle. I shake my shoulders, hoping to cast the memories into the ocean.

  After a few seconds of silence, Leah says, “You okay with living alone?”

  I shrug. “It’s growing on me.”

  “She loves you, you know.”

  Yeah, I know. She had me when she wasn’t ready. Now she has a chance to start over. Maybe any mom would do the same.

  “Hey, Cass?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What’s that down there?”

  I shield my eyes again as I squint in the distance. I can’t make it out, but someone—or something—is lying by the tide.

  “You think it’s some drunk?”

  I squint again, but the sun makes it hard to see him clearly. “I’m not sure.”

  We head over to him, it, whatever, and I stop short when I can see him clearly. And I say him, because—

  “Holy shit. He’s naked.” Leah clamps her hands over her mouth. “He’s naked.”

  I jump back like his lack of clothes might inflict me with a contagious disease. The guy looks around our age, maybe a little older. His skin is very light, like he hasn’t spent enough time on the beach. His arm is draped over his face, so I can’t see if I know him. But based on his body type—nope.

  I know he’s alive, because his chest rises and falls.

  “Oh my God, those muscles. And that hair.” Leah’s eyes are ravaging his body.

  “Maybe we should call the—oh my God.” I fall down on my knees and push his arm off his face.

  “Cassie, what are you…?” She grabs my arm. “Don’t touch him!”

  That beautiful face. The golden hair. My mouth hangs open. “It’s him.”

  “Him? Him what?”

  “Angel Guy.” I look up at her. “This is the guy who saved me.” I stare down at his face. I didn’t hallucinate. I didn’t imagine him. My heart flutters in my chest. He’s real.

  Leah releases my arm and falls down next to me. “This is the guy who saved you?”

  “Unless you’re hallucinating with me, yes, this is the guy.”

  She throws her hands on her mouth again.

  “He fell from heaven,” I mutter. Then I hear what just escaped my mouth. How ridiculous do I sound right now?

  “Well, Angel Guy is looking mighty human, if you ask me.” She raises an eyebrow toward his…yeah.

  My cheeks boil. “We need to get him out of here.” I run my hands down my wetsuit. If only I brought my towel with me.

  “Um. Maybe we should call 911?” Leah says.

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Cass, I don’t know who he is, but he’s not an angel who fell from heaven. He’s probably stoned.”

  “He saved me.”

  “Maybe he had a death wish yesterday, too.” She gets to her feet and tugs on my arm. “We need to call for help and let them deal with—”

  “Can you run back and get my towel?”

  Her eyebrows shoot up. “Are you serious? You can’t be thinking about—
”

  “He saved me, Leah. If not for him, I’d be dead.”

  She folds her arms over her chest. “He left you to rot on that boulder.”

  “No, he sat with me until you showed up.”

  Her arms fall away from her chest. “What?”

  I nod. “As soon as you called my name, he ran.”

  Her eyes scan him again. “He’s naked, Cass.”

  “Please get my towel. Please, before anyone else shows up.”

  She presses her lips together. I beg with my eyes. Her forehead creases as she frowns. Then she throws her hands toward the sky and marches off.

  “Thanks!” I call after her.

  She waves her hand.

  I paste my eyes on my savior, studying every part of his face. I lean forward and brush some of that golden hair off his forehead. It’s silky, too silky for wet hair. He doesn’t stir. His broad chest continues to rise and fall.

  “Who are you?” I whisper. “Why did you save me?”

  Voices and giggles sound in the distance. My head springs up. A group of high school kids are headed this way. I scan the area for Leah and find her trekking back, my cream-colored towel slung over her arm.

  If the kids see him on the sand naked like this, they might call 911. If they take him away, I don’t know what I’d do.

  An idea enters my head. I can’t believe I’m even contemplating this. I throw myself over him, like we’re lovers on the sand.

  He smells like salt water. And something else, something exotic. I never smelled anything like it before. I analyze his face. His jaw is completely smooth, no sign of stubble. He looks human, but there’s an unearthly, almost god-looking quality to it.

  “What the hell?”

  My gaze shoots up to Leah, who’s standing before me with a startled expression on her face.

  I scamper off him and grab my towel, throwing it over his man parts. “I didn’t want anyone to see him,” I mumble.

  “Okay, smarty pants. What do we do now?”

  I wrap the towel around his hips and tie a knot on the side. “We carry him to my house.”

  “We what?”

  “I don’t suppose you secretly have teleportation powers?”

  She snorts.