Page 59 of Ensnaring the Siren

She smirked, her parted scales closing. “Asking if you’ve made me sore?”

The look he shot her as he got up from bed to discard the condom was heated. “Was asking about your stitches, but you can tell me that too.”

Drawing up her tail, she bent to examine her fins, spreading them out over her hands. “Good as new.” She smiled, willing the transformation. “And it’s the best kind of sore. It’ll keep me thinking about you awhile.” Seamlessly, fins and scales retracted, giving way to two sturdy legs. Now, she could move about his boat without crawling.

When she stood shakily, Reid’s gruff voice had her looking up. “You’re trying my willpower.”

Lifting her arms above her head in a stretch that elongated her body, she shook back her hair. His eyes darkened as he greedily drank her in, a fist clenching at his side. She smirked. “Any clothes I can borrow?”

Sitting on the dive platform, her feet swinging back and forth through the water, Nireed carefully leafed through a stack of photography books. She cradled and examined each page, every single one a precious, breathtaking treasure. Reid had said that the photos were taken in National Parks and scenic places around the world. She hadn’t realized the Land Above the Water could be so beautiful. So otherworldly.

Reid left her to run errands—something about grocery shopping and hitting the laundry mat because they’d fucked their way through all his clean sheets. She smiled to herself, flipping a page. He had good stamina.

She heard a car roll into the small parking lot adjoining the pier and kept flipping. It was too soon for Reid to be back, but she’d already met one of his neighbors, a healer lady with a kind smile. She was on her way to work, so they didn’t talk long, but Nireed thought she did pretty well pretending to be a Surface Dweller.

Maybe his other neighbor had returned.

Crunching, then thudding footsteps approached the boat.

“Nireed?” A familiar voice called out.

Setting the books aside, Nireed shot to her feet, teetering a bit, before clambering onto the docks and racing down the wooden planks, momentum keeping her stable.

She threw her arms around a tall Black woman, whose hair was braided back today, nearly barreling her over in a hug. “Cure Creator! What are you doing here?”

“Lorelei sent me.” Dr. Lila Branson chuckled, giving her a firm squeeze around all the tote bags she was carrying. “It’s good to see you too.”

“Let me help.” Nireed reached for some of the bags and led the way.

Lila was the world’s leading marine biologist in mermaid research. When she studied Nireed, she’d done it thoughtfully and with dignity and care. That was the environment of the Haven Cove Marine Research Center’s mermaid lab when Nireed joined the study. It was hard being away from the ocean, away from her sister and the pod, but finding a cure for her people’s uncontrollable hunger was a worthy cause.

It only got truly bad when Lila was demoted and shut out from large parts of the project. But she never gave up on Nireed. She plotted, planned, and with the help of friends and family, broke Nireed out of the lab and returned her home.

“Cozy.” Lila nodded with approval as she stepped inside. “Actually clean.”

“Are Surface Dweller males dirty?”

“Dirty, messy. Kind of a pain in the ass.” Setting down her bags, Lila brushed off her hands, then winked. “There are a few exceptions though.”

“What did you bring?” Nireed peeked into one of the bags, brightening. She pulled out a collection of potted meat, but one in particular caught her eye. Holding up an orange can, she slowly read the words. “Limited. Edition. Pumpkin. Spice. Spam.” She quirked a brow. “What is pumpkin spice?”

“Don’t question it, just try it.”

The wicked glint in Cure Creator’s eyes was so positively evil, Nireed wasn’t sure she would. Wordlessly, she added the can to the back of the neat arrangement she’d made on Reid’s kitchen counter.

“Also brought a few sets of clothes for you. Thought you might need…” Lila trailed off. She’d gone to set the rest of the bags on the bed, but paused, slowly turning back, her wicked smile growing even wider. “Girl, you banging the man who lives here?”

“Banging?”

Only when Lila began making crude hand gestures and pointed to the condom box left out on the bed did Nireed understand.

“Oh! Yes.” She gave a firm nod, coming over to peruse the clothes Lila brought. All had soft fabrics and textures, thoughtfully chosen to make wearing them less terrible. “Lots of times.”

“I love how straightforward you are. Never change.” Gesturing to the clothes, Lila added, “Thought you’d need these, but maybe not, if you’re not planning on leaving the love shack.”

Nireed got the distinct impression that Lila was making a joke, but the reference was lost on her. “It’s good to have options. Thank you for bringing these and the food.”

“Of course. Lorelei mentioned you got hurt, but I’m guessing with you engaging in all these extracurricular activities that you’re healing fine?”

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