Page 15 of Seduced By the Mermen
“Oh no, here we go, Blair. Once he starts talking about his days in the military, we’ll all be asleep in no time. I actually prescribed listening to Zion talk about his military days to one of our other pod mates who was having a hard time sleeping.”
“No, really?” I laugh. He must be joking.
“It sounds like a joke, and it would be a good one if it wasn’t true.” Grayson takes a can of the spray that Eros showed me how to use it.
“Oh, that can’t be true. I bet he has some really interesting stories. I’d like to hear them sometime.” What the heck am I saying? It sounds like I’m trying to get a date.
“Well, we should make sure you have a really comfortable place to sleep before he starts, just in case you pass out. I’d hate for you to fall and hit that beautiful head of yours.”
I freeze. Beautiful. I want to laugh. No one has ever called me beautiful, not once. It’s the reason why I tell both Annabelle and Marlee how smart and beautiful they are over and over.
“Would you like to do the honors?” Grayson asks. “We’ll seal it back up for a few more days.”
“You can do it. I’ll watch you,” I reply.
The wound vanishes under the spray. It’s like magic; they have so many things here that are light years beyond what we have. But once he finishes, I realize it means they’re going to be leaving. Something that Nico and Castor were adamant needed to happen. I don’t blame them. It’s their house. We’re already intruding enough; they don’t need even more people getting in the way of their honeymoon time.
It’s weird. I would never wish for anyone to be attacked by a shark. But I’ve really enjoyed my chats with Zion. That firstday on the dock, they said they wanted to court me. I didn’t believe it; I didn’t think I could ever date anyone. I’m still not sure I can. But chatting with Zion, and now Grayson? It’s been interesting. Sure, Annabelle and Marlee are adults, but there’s something different about talking to someone with a little more life experience.
“Have you thought about what you would like to do in the city?” Grayson asks. “What did you do back at home?”
“I was a farmer. I grew up with my parents, farming. Then my brother took over the farm and I moved into the city with my now ex-husband. When my father passed away, it was too much for my brother to do alone. We were in a recession, and with mounting debt on the farm, my brother couldn’t afford to hire anyone. My ex and I moved back and...” That’s when things got bad. “Anyway, I do like animals. But I don’t want to be a farmer again—that much I know. Maybe something new, though. New is good.” I’m staring at the floor. Old habits are hard to break. When I raise my eyes, both Zion and Grayson are staring at me like they didn’t understand a word I said. “I could be a farmer, though. I suppose it’s what I’m trained to do. While we were on the run from my ex, I did a lot of waitressing. And I did housekeeping at a bunch of small hotels.” They were the ones that paid under the table. And it was a lot easier to stay away from my ex if we didn’t leave a paper trail.
Zion leans forward and takes my hand. “Blair, you’ve misconstrued Grayson’s question. There’s not a male in this city that thinks you should get a job to earn gold. If you want one, that’s a different thing. Grayson was more talking about... hobbies.” He squeezes my hand and doesn’t let go.
“Oh, right. Um, I’m not sure. I... I haven’t had time for hobbies in a long time. I don’t even know what I might like.”
“Painting?” Grayson’s cleaning up and putting things slowly into his bag.
“Painting, like a room?” I laugh.
“A canvas,” Grayson says.
“I’ve never tried.”
“You might like it,” Zion says. “There are lots of things you can try. Fine arts, crafts, wine tasting—that’s a personal favorite of mine.”
“My sister enjoys shopping, raising hedgehogs, and reading ancient poetry. She’s complicated.” Grayson laughs.
“And my mother plays seven instruments. She took it all up later in life. She was horrible to begin with. But now she’s pretty good.” Zion gives my hand a squeeze.
My insides bubble. I can’t even begin to think of starting a hobby. It’s hard to imagine having the time for it. “I haven’t thought about it. I’ve spent most of my time and energy trying to make sure Annabelle and Marlee were okay. And then just keeping away from my ex.”
There’s a brisk knock on the door. It’s Holter. “When is Zion leaving?”
“He can’t go. It’s too dangerous. Maybe tomorrow.” I don’t know why I lied. I’ve never lied to anyone. Well, almost no one.
“Really? Is that what Grayson says?” Holter cocks an eyebrow at me.
“No, that’s what I say. His injury is our responsibility; we need to make sure he’s good.” My heart slams against my ribs. I straighten my shoulders.
Holter glares over my head, but then his eyes land on me and his smile softens. “To clarify, he caused this injury to himself. But you’re a generous woman, Blair. I’ll talk to the others for you.” The door clicks behind him.
“Thank you.” What in the world have I done? “That’s, of course, if you want to stay. You can leave if you want to. I’m not?—”
“I’m grateful for your generosity, Blair. And I can assure you, you’re not holding me hostage.” Zion smiles with his eyes. I’ve never met someone like him. He can really communicate with only his eyes.
“Oh good. Okay. Well, what else can I get you? Would you like some food?”
