a sunset.
“Juno, you look wonderful.” He smiled at her.
She grinned and twirled. “Thank you, but I was hoping for more from Derix.”
Derix stepped toward her and went to one knee in front of her, “My lady. Words cannot give testament to your beauty.”
She extended her hand to him, and Adam left them as their small connection simmered with heat. That was the same chemistry he was hoping for with his own match, but finding her was becoming hopeless. The sight of the mermaid had filled him with enthusiasm. She was gorgeous, elegant and didn’t have the silver band of a mated being of the Crossroads. She was free and she was here.
Adam paused on the stairway. She didn’t have any bands on her wrist. No guest bracelet. He grinned and climbed upward. She worked here. He had just narrowed down his search. The next day, he would find her.
Chapter Two
Over dinner with her doting mate, Juno asked, “What was Adam looking for?”
Derix smiled loosely. “A large mermaid that was in the water this afternoon. I told him it was probably one of the mated couples.”
Juno cocked her head. “You thought it was a mated woman, out on her own, with no mate in sight? Really? I don’t think so.”
Leda and Altion came into the restaurant, and Juno got to her feet. She left Derix and walked over to ask a very quick question of the only merman she knew.
“Altion, do you know of any large mermaids in the Crossroads?”
He blinked, and she could tell that he knew precisely what she was describing.
“How large?”
“He didn’t say, but he was extremely interested. I get the feeling that that fellow is going to continue to look. He has been here for four days with nothing close to what he is looking for, and today, he perked up.” Juno smiled.
Leda smiled and her lips formed a word. Lorai.
Juno didn’t show her surprise, she continued to look at Altion, and he shrugged. “I will ask around. There aren’t many of us here yet.”
“Please do. In the meantime, I can feel Derix staring a hole in my shoulder blades. Have a great evening.” Juno returned to her mate and settled in just as dessert arrived.
Derix smiled and took her hand. “What was that about?”
“I just had to ask the only merman I knew about the mysterious mermaid. He said he didn’t know, but he would look into it.”
Juno smiled at him and squeezed his fingers. “I think I managed to get a pretty good clue.”
“Do tell?”
“No. I will work on confirming it tomorrow. Let’s enjoy tonight.” She winked at him and pulled her hand back to attack the tower of wafers and mousse that had been settled in front of her.
She was going to have a chat with Lorai in the morning.
* * * *
Lorai tidied up her shop and was putting the broom away when Juno came striding in.
“Thanks for the dress. It worked a treat.” Juno smiled.
“You are most welcome. I am glad it worked out for you.”
Juno cleared her throat. “Is it a sensitive subject for me to ask you about your shifted form?”
Lorai was surprised. It hadn’t come up. “Um, no. What do you want to know?”
“What is your total length? Head to tail, I mean. I have only seen Leda and Altion from a distance.”
Lorai leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “A normal member of the merfolk is about nine feet counting the last of the fin. I am slightly larger.”
“How much larger?”
Lorai blushed. “Twice as big. My parentage is mixed. My father was a merman, my mother was a giant.”
To Lorai’s surprise, Juno hugged her.
“Thanks for telling me.”
Juno released her and stood back. “Care to go for coffee? Lima has the stand up and running.”
“I just opened up. Bring it to me and we have a deal.” Lorai cocked her head. “Why did you really want to know about my size?”
Juno coughed delicately. “I heard that a dolphin was looking for a magnificent mermaid. Naturally, I thought of you.”
Lorai was still feeling the heat in her
“Juno, you look wonderful.” He smiled at her.
She grinned and twirled. “Thank you, but I was hoping for more from Derix.”
Derix stepped toward her and went to one knee in front of her, “My lady. Words cannot give testament to your beauty.”
She extended her hand to him, and Adam left them as their small connection simmered with heat. That was the same chemistry he was hoping for with his own match, but finding her was becoming hopeless. The sight of the mermaid had filled him with enthusiasm. She was gorgeous, elegant and didn’t have the silver band of a mated being of the Crossroads. She was free and she was here.
Adam paused on the stairway. She didn’t have any bands on her wrist. No guest bracelet. He grinned and climbed upward. She worked here. He had just narrowed down his search. The next day, he would find her.
Chapter Two
Over dinner with her doting mate, Juno asked, “What was Adam looking for?”
Derix smiled loosely. “A large mermaid that was in the water this afternoon. I told him it was probably one of the mated couples.”
Juno cocked her head. “You thought it was a mated woman, out on her own, with no mate in sight? Really? I don’t think so.”
Leda and Altion came into the restaurant, and Juno got to her feet. She left Derix and walked over to ask a very quick question of the only merman she knew.
“Altion, do you know of any large mermaids in the Crossroads?”
He blinked, and she could tell that he knew precisely what she was describing.
“How large?”
“He didn’t say, but he was extremely interested. I get the feeling that that fellow is going to continue to look. He has been here for four days with nothing close to what he is looking for, and today, he perked up.” Juno smiled.
Leda smiled and her lips formed a word. Lorai.
Juno didn’t show her surprise, she continued to look at Altion, and he shrugged. “I will ask around. There aren’t many of us here yet.”
“Please do. In the meantime, I can feel Derix staring a hole in my shoulder blades. Have a great evening.” Juno returned to her mate and settled in just as dessert arrived.
Derix smiled and took her hand. “What was that about?”
“I just had to ask the only merman I knew about the mysterious mermaid. He said he didn’t know, but he would look into it.”
Juno smiled at him and squeezed his fingers. “I think I managed to get a pretty good clue.”
“Do tell?”
“No. I will work on confirming it tomorrow. Let’s enjoy tonight.” She winked at him and pulled her hand back to attack the tower of wafers and mousse that had been settled in front of her.
She was going to have a chat with Lorai in the morning.
* * * *
Lorai tidied up her shop and was putting the broom away when Juno came striding in.
“Thanks for the dress. It worked a treat.” Juno smiled.
“You are most welcome. I am glad it worked out for you.”
Juno cleared her throat. “Is it a sensitive subject for me to ask you about your shifted form?”
Lorai was surprised. It hadn’t come up. “Um, no. What do you want to know?”
“What is your total length? Head to tail, I mean. I have only seen Leda and Altion from a distance.”
Lorai leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “A normal member of the merfolk is about nine feet counting the last of the fin. I am slightly larger.”
“How much larger?”
Lorai blushed. “Twice as big. My parentage is mixed. My father was a merman, my mother was a giant.”
To Lorai’s surprise, Juno hugged her.
“Thanks for telling me.”
Juno released her and stood back. “Care to go for coffee? Lima has the stand up and running.”
“I just opened up. Bring it to me and we have a deal.” Lorai cocked her head. “Why did you really want to know about my size?”
Juno coughed delicately. “I heard that a dolphin was looking for a magnificent mermaid. Naturally, I thought of you.”
Lorai was still feeling the heat in her
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