Page 132 of Fallen Stars

“The shackles of duty,” she drawled.

“You must be an important mermaid.”

There was a laugh, but it was despairing. “I suppose I am.”

“So tell me, Oceanne. If you could do anything in the world,beanyone in the world, free from responsibility and shackles, how would your life look like?”

“Hmm.” She seemed to think for a moment. “I think I’d want to travel to all the realms we spoke of the other night. Experience life the way anyone else would. I don’t see much dry land, even though I do have legs.”

Adrian nodded though she couldn’t see him. He knew from the fables that merfolk could change forms at will—tail or legs, gills or no gills.

“A quiet life,” she added. “That’s what I want. A home to call my own and mountains of cake.”

“Well, siren, I can grant one of your wishes tonight.”

He pulled on the rope, the cage creaking as it descended.

He heard a delighted gasp. “Oh, this isbeautiful. Lavender cakes?”

“Indeed.”

“And you made these?”

He winced. “I can’t take credit for these ones. It was one of my guests, Merissa, who made them.”

“Merissa,” Oceanne repeated. “Is she…a lover?”

Adrian may have been wine-addled, but he knew the tone of a woman’s jealousy anywhere. He grinned as he sat a little further up on the net, a swirl of desire beginning to curl low in his stomach.

“Do you think I’d be spending my night on the net of a ship, talking to a siren if that was the case?”

“Mermaid,” Oceanne corrected. “And who said anything about our little conversations being romantic?” He heard the clink of cutlery as she began to eat.

Adrian nearly snorted. “Are you trying to convince me, or you, that there’s no desire growing between us?”

There was a pause. “How can you claim to feel anythingfor me when you haven’t even seen me? I could be hideous.”

Adrian knew by her arrogant tone that she didn’t believe so.

He felt another pull of desire, even stronger this time and had to refrain from proving to her exactly what he felt for her.

He could feel the tension between them, the silence thick in the air before he replied. “I can tell by a woman’s voice how attractive she is. And Oceanne, you must be a damned goddess with a voice like that.”

He heard a hitched breath. “You’re clearly a man of many talents then,” she said. Her voice had taken on a husky tone, and goosebumps prickled down his spine. “Tell me more of them.”

Now, here was where Adrian could have argued that she was a siren. The way with just a few words she was teasing such longing feelings of want out of him. He cleared his throat, sitting up on his forearms.

“Well, it depends. I’m very good with my hands.”

He heard another hitched breath and groaned internally. She knew what she was doing. Adrian had never been so curious about a woman before. He was used to being physically and visually stimulated. To make conversation, to feel aroused by just a voice…was different.

“And how exactly do you use those hands?” came the response.

He bit his lip, smiling to himself. So the mermaid was a naughty little thing.

“Well,” he replied, voice rough, “if I were to use my hands on you, for argument’s sake, I would start with your hair. What colour is it?”

“Silver,” she whispered back.

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