Chapter 3

Natasha

I'm fading from the lack of oxygen until something strong curls around me, towing me to the surface.

The instant I break through the water, I sharply inhale. Cold air enters my lungs as my chest pulls back. I'm not thinking when I grab whatever is holding me—I'm acting on pure instinct.

"What the hell?!" A loud, scary voice is yelling at me, and it sounds like thunder and anger. "You can't swim—why the hell didn't you tell you didn't know how to swim?!"

I blink salt out of my eyes and stare at a giant wall of flesh before me. An eight-pack of massive, granite abs draped over with beautifully tanned skin is staring me in the face.

My cheeks turn molten. Is this person Hayden?

I barely have time to ponder before I'm gently moved away from the water by whoever saved me from drowning.

Fingers, thicker than tree trunks, pull me closer to the person's carved chest. But the intimacy that generally would make me blush got me feeling grateful instead. My desperation for heat makes me cling to the monstrous merman, who I realize must be Hayden Archer.

"I'm freezing..."

The merman seems unbothered by me sticking him to him like a leach, and I glance down at the water below me. As my body temperature return, I become mortified by the thought of being carried by the bastard.

The only reason I'm not trying to break loose from his grip is my exhaustion and maybe the fact that I find the sound of his heartbeat comforting. Each second spent with him chases away more of my inner fears and suspicions.

Slowly, panic is being replaced by trust, and that's how it should be. Hayden is mean and louder than a barking dog, but he has proved himself to be my friend rather than my enemy by saving me from drowning.

I curl closer to his naked chest as the wind bites my skin, prompting the idiot to tighten his grip around me. Shit! I don't know whether to laugh or cry because I don't want him to let go. I lean my cold chin against his warm skin, breathing him in. The scent of cinnamon and snobby perfume tickles my senses—I find it soothing.

Hayden mutters above me. "When you see a merman the next time, yell at them you can't swim, and they might spare your boat even if you're a good-for-nothing mate..."

I almost smile at how conflicted he sounds. Almost. Hayden is a man wanting to hate me, and although I fear him and want nothing to do with a fifty-something-feet tall whale with the face of a man, a part of me has settled, I'm safe in his presence.

"I will try to remember that..." I mumble.

"I can't believe a pirate doesn't know how to swim—how have you even survived this far?"

I giggle. "Luck."

The merman inhales deeply, muttering. "You're unbelievable..."

I smile.

Perhaps I'm drunk on tiredness and too exhausted for my brain to properly function, but my gut tells me Hayden won't hurt me. Monster or not, he must have some human qualities to him, and who knows—he might not be hungry right now.

I wedge my head until I can listen to his thumping heart. My head rises and falls in line with it, almost cradling me to sleep.

"You're so warm..."

With my last strength, I peer up at the clouds, smiling at a pair of ocean-blue eyes belonging to the face of the bastard CEO himself. His head is tilted, and his face so large I can make out the almost-hidden freckles on his otherwise flawless skin.

I snuggle up to him, drunk on my exhaustion. "Beautiful merman."

His eyes narrow. "You better not get used to cuddling with me. I'm taking you to turtle island, and then you're on your own, human."

For being a merman, he is rather handsome—the only fish thing about him is his lower body fins and the few scales appearing here and there. I might be overly tired when I say this, but right now, Hayden is more curious to me than scary.

Looking past his irritated expression, I see hints of concern, which warms my heart. I smile up at him. "Thank you."

Hayden parts his lips, and visible shock moves over his face as if he never expected me to thank him for saving my life. I breathe a laugh at that and fall asleep, hoping Hayden won't take advantage—it's always tiring having to be on my guard in this cruel world.

***

A scene slowly reveals itself before my eyes. I'm sitting on a bridge with the ocean in front of me. My legs are dangling from the edge, feet touching the water, and I moan as rippling pleasure shoots up my spine.

Looking down, I find dirty blonde hair between my legs. It belongs to an insanely large man with his bottom half covered by the water, and I'm gripping his hair while trying not to melt. His devilish tongue is working its magic, and oh godddd—

I clench my teeth and struggle not to make a sound, but the scene beneath me makes my head swirl. Bulging biceps are moving in a slow, seducing fashion as he adds more pressure, and my toes curl as the man continues delivering me insane pleasure.

Sweat glistens from every rugged ridge of his naked body as he works his magic with his tongue on my body and eyes closed. He is completely lost in the feeling, and the sight leaves me in awe.

Slowly, I inhale, gripping his hair and crying out into the night. Heat floods me, and my pants come out strained. The man's lips are hot and wet, absolutely delicious over my skin.

He licks.

He tastes.

He takes.

I'm losing control.

A whimpering sound escapes my lips, and I look down to find the stranger giving me a devilish grin. His eyes are mesmerizing and glowing as he tilts his head. So hot.

"Mine." He whispers huskily, full of dark confidence. "Only mine."

What?

My eyes widen as he paddles out into the sea on his back. His lips form a full-blown telltale smirk before he dives into the deep blue and splashes water onto my face.

I cover my eyes, and when I look again, I only see the fishtail of a merman.

My heart pounds.

Did I just get eaten out by a merman?!

Panic flares in my chest, and then suddenly, the scene fades to grey.

When I blink life into my sleepy eyes, I notice a crackling fire running on driftwood. Sunlight comes in through the fluffy clouds in the sky, and the waves pushing against land seem so inviting.

Was that part about the merman only a dream?

It felt too real.

My head whirls, and flashing images of the blonde merman makes my entire body tingle with satisfaction. I rub my eyelids, cursing the fact that I can't remember the merman's face, but I look up when I hear a low, amused chuckle above me.

"Tough morning?"

Hayden Archer is standing in a pair of boxer briefs in the sun, eyeing me with curious eyes. His sullen expression is gone, and although I should ask him where we are, I'm having trouble staying sane around him when he is almost naked.

I'm still wet from my erotic dream, and Hayden's bulging arms aren't making things easier. His arms are crossed over his broad chest, and his abs seem to flirt with me while a telltale smirk steals his lips.

"Seeing anything you like?"

My embarrassment spikes up, and upon noticing I'm wrapped up in Hayden's expensive suit, I panic even more.

I've never done as much as kissing a man, and wearing Hayden's oversized clothes with his scent on them is too much for me to handle. My brain is shutting down.

"W-Where are we?"

"I told you already," Hayden glances around and takes a seat next to me. I skitter away from him, making him raise an eyebrow with a half-smile. My cheeks are molten, and he must have noticed. "We are on turtle island, and are you seriously that terrified of me?"

I nod.

Hayden's lips twitch, his voice low and amused. "You spent the entire night holding on to me like I were your lost and found lover."

Sweet Jesus.

"You must be kidding me? Did I do that?" My voice comes out strained and shaky. "Please tell me you're lying..."

"I believe there are hickeys on my neck. But I guess you weren't yourself. Some weird fruits were hanging in the trees, and you were hungry. Sadly, it turns out it makes humans drunk."

I bury my face in my palms. "Oh-my-god..."

"You haven't heard the half of it yet."

By now, my eyes are bulging out from their sockets. I lower my hands, barely daring to face Hayden. "I did more things than that?"

"Yes, you asked me if I wanted to marry you and wouldn't stop kissing my abs no matter what," Hayden stifles a laugh. "And later, you were jiggling my buttcheeks and calling them your beloved babies, hushing me whenever I tried to ask what the hell you were doing."

My headache grows worse, and I rub my temples while debating with myself on what to do now.

I want to flee from Hayden, the man I've used as my sexy boy toy for the night, but the bastard destroyed my boat—there isn't a way to escape from him.

Shit! I'm so embarrassed! I want nothing else than to sink through the ground! Hayden is watching me while I'm turning redder by the minute—does he want an apology?

"I'm so sorry!" I can't possibly put into words how I wish the last night never happened. "You should have pushed me away—why did you let me hold on to you? We are strangers!"

Hayden's eyes widen, and I must hallucinate because, for a moment, he appears flustered. "You were cold..."

"You let me..." I cringe at the scandalous scene forming in my head and have to force the words out of my mouth. "I was making love to your ass and-..." A laughter attack overwhelms me, and my lips strain to contain themselves. I avert my eyes from Hayden while bobbing up and down, giggling like a maniac. "Oh-my-god, please tell me you were kidding!"

"In your defense, I have a great ass."

His confident words are the last push I need to belt out laughter. "Would you look at that—the grumpy CEO got a sense of humor after all!"

Hayden is wearing a seductive, telltale smirk. "I never said I didn't—are you a judgemental person, Natasha?"

I gasp. "You know my name?"

He stifles a laugh. "Uh, you told me your name at the party?"

"Right..." I'm going down in flames. "I did that, didn't I..."

"Yup," Hayden slowly reaches out his arm. My pulse hammers against my throat. What is he doing? I stare at the beautiful man, and he carefully plucks a leaf from the top of my head, showing it to me. "This leaf was stuck in your hair."

I freeze when Hayden holds the leaf in front of my face. He twirls it between two digits, and I will be damned, but I'm disappointed when he withdraws his large, veiny hand; I wish he would touch me instead.

What is wrong with me?

"Uh... Thank you for removing it."

He doesn't even try not to smile. "No problem."

Hayden trails his large hand across the back of his neck, the muscles in his arms flex. When he notices me looking, his dimples show. I feel his eyes like a weight over my skin and realize he has caught me checking him out twice.

"So..." I drawl.

Hayden keeps smiling and patiently waits for my question, making it harder to stay calm. My nerves are wild.

I clear my throat. "So you're a merman?"

His smile falters. "Does that bother you?"

"I don't know—you're the first one I've met, so I don't know what to expect."

Hayden tilts his head. "I'm not dangerous. I sometimes have instincts that take over, and I hate what I am—a monster. But you have no reason to be afraid of me."

"And why is that?"

He breathes a laugh with eyes that are never leaving mine. "It seems the fish part of my brain is quite fond of you. Whenever I look at you, I hear but one sentence inside my head: mate—she is our mate."

My heart is racing. I'm not sure if it's Hayden's sudden words or the fact his fingers are almost brushing mine. He is a stranger, yet he has such a significant presence.

"Oh." I take a deep breath, mesmerized by the dimple in his cheek. I'm crushing over this man. "And what does that mean?"

Hayden avoids my eyes with a hard-to-read expression. He glances out at the ocean. "It means I'm a terrible man. I shouldn't lust over younger women because I'm already married."