Crave the Night by Sharon Ashwood, Michele Hauf, Patti O'Shea, Lori Devoti Page B

and a cleft in his chin. The hag, like all sea
beings, appreciated beauty. So, his looks were a plus, but neither
that, nor the confident way he prowled forward, were enough.
    He had to be able to stay alive in the sea
hag’s home long enough for Sarina to swim away with the soul.
    As he moved closer, Sarina spun in her seat
to face him. "Are you looking for me?"
    He paused, surprise registering on his face.
Like the others, he'd probably taken her soft features and feminine
form as some sign she would be submissive, an easy target for
whatever caused him to search her out.
    But mermaids, nixies, none of their kind,
were submissive or easy targets.
    She stood, sweeping her waist-length hair
behind her. The long shirt she'd taken from her last failed
candidate fell open over one bare shoulder and the dungarees she'd
belted at her waist slipped. Annoyed with the human clothing, she
undid the belt with one hand and let the pants fall to the
ground.
    Stepping out of them, she moved forward.
    She trailed her fingers over the newcomer's
chest as she walked around him, appraising. "What did the bartender
tell you?" This man was the first to come to her. The others she
had searched out. They had come willingly enough, of course, but
they hadn't walked into the bar looking for her, as she suspected
this male had.
    "I need a guide," murmured.
    His chest and back were layered with muscle.
She paused for a second to lay her palm flat, over his heart. Its
beat was slow, slower than any she had felt before. Her brows
pulled forward, and confused, she took a step back to study him
again.
    He was not a merman come to land, or a
selkie. Her fortune couldn't be that great. Or poor—another
creature like herself would be harder to fool, harder to mesmerize
into thinking he was in love with her, and harder to convince to
accompany her on her journey to see the sea hag.
    "What type of guide?" she asked, for the
moment making no effort to charm him in any way. She wanted to hear
the answer he intended to give, not one put into his mind by
spell.
    "I have business at sea." He paused, and she
sighed. Nothing special after all.
    "With the sea hag," he added.
    Sarina's body stiffened, and she stepped
back, studying him again. "You know Melusine?"
    "My business is just that...business. I have
no prior connection with the hag...Melusine."
    Sarina tilted her head. Ordinary humans
didn't know of Melusine, or if they did, thought her nothing but
legend. But this man before her wasn't selkie or merman, so what
could he be? What was his story?
    She inhaled, checking for the scent of the
sea.
    Sadly, or luckily, she wasn't sure which
yet, he smelled no more of the ocean than any of the unbathed
seafarers seated at the tables nearby. He didn't, however, smell
entirely human either. There was something different about him, but
Sarina couldn't peg what it was.
    "As it happens, I'm in need of a companion
myself," she replied, keeping her tone neutral.
    He smiled, confident, like a man used to
getting his way. "So I heard. That is, then, fortunate for us both,
isn't it?"
    Perhaps. Sarina still didn't trust that her
luck had finally changed. "Can you swim?" she asked. All said they
could, but none really knew what they might expect to encounter in
a journey to Melusine's home.
    Like the others, he nodded his head in
assent.
    Tired of speculating as to whether her
search was finally over, she walked past him and strode to the
door.

    The mermaid, as the bartender had called
her, said nothing to Nolan as she passed. She simply walked toward
the door showing not the tiniest amount of doubt that he would
follow.
    And he would. In fact, he was surprised
every man in the place didn't rise to his feet and rush after
her.
    Maybe one-hundred and twenty pounds and
under five feet eight inches in height, she was slim and athletic,
but also exuded femininity.
    He had never encountered another woman, or
creature, like her.
    As he turned, his foot caught in the pants
she had