Page 39 of Seduced By the Mermen
That's when I see the rest of the guys haven't left the room. They're standing near a twelve-foot statue of Poseidon with full beard, crown, and trident. It's made of a dark, shiny metal. It's tall because the beast with the furrowed brow standing next to it isn't as tall.
Sterling thumps over to Grayson. "What in the cod fish did you give her?"
"The smallest dose of sedative we can give. Less than I would give to a newborn podlet," Grayson says.
"This is your apartment?" I lift my head from Zion's shoulder. I don't know. It's not what I pictured. I'm not sure what I pictured, though. "It's like a museum."
"It's my parents' apartment, Blair." Forrest moves around the side of the sofa to look at me, which, I don't know why, seems like such a nice thing. I reach my hand out to him, and he takes it. Forrest holds on to me. He just lets me rest my hand in his, and I close my eyes.
"It's a nice place," I say after I realize I've insulted his childhood home.
"Not for podlets it's not," he scoffs.
"Don't play hide and seek behind the Athena statue," I say in my best mom's voice, then I laugh.
"How did you know there's an Athena statue?" It's Delmar from across the room.
That has me laughing harder.
"Can we move her to our apartment?" Sterling's voice echoes around us.
"No elevator. No glass elevators," I mumble into Zion's shoulder.
"Absolutely, never again." Zion places his hand in the middle of my back, pressing me to his chest.
"Yes, I think we would all be more comfortable in our own flat," Grayson says.
Zion stands and pulls me up with him. He's wearing a gray robe that's open all the way down. The skin on his chest is warm. Deliciously warm.
Why am I so cold? Also, my fingers are tingling. Why? I snuggle into the crook of his neck and sniff in a hint of cedarwood. His cut collarbone has me thinking about other things. My fingers walk up his back to his hairline, and when I inch them into his hair, he lets off a growl.
"Blair."
I don't know what's come over me. I lick up the side of his neck to the soft skin behind his ear. He hisses. But I'm not put off by it. "Is that a no?"
"Cod fish, Blair. It's a not right now. Not right here." He's taking powerful strides across the room.
The velvet sofa and matching half dozen chairs vanish. Along with the sculpture of Poseidon. And one of Athena. "I was right." I point at it, but then I'm mesmerized by Zion's calves going in and out of his robe. "Holy muscles, Batman."
There's a chuckle from behind Zion, and I lift my head. Alexei's smiling, and it makes me feel better. He's wearing a matching robe to Zion's, and I point at him. And then I retract my hand.
Everyone huddles closer. It takes me a second to realize where we are. Another elevator. I'm not scared of elevators. Not like Annabelle was scared of escalators when she was five. No, it’s just that stupid glass one.Not scared. Not scared.
"Blair, come on, Brave One. You've got this," Clark says, his face next to my cheek. It's a tight fit with all of us in the elevator.
"Brave One?" I laugh. "I'm not brave. I almost hyperventilated myself unalive, as they say."
"Unalive?" Forrest asks. He's on the other side of me. I flip my head, and when I do, the elevator car spins.
Zion steps out and into a room the exact opposite of the room upstairs. It's open and lived-in. Oh, it's masculine for sure—dark leather furniture and a couch the size of my first apartment above the gas station in the little farm town I grew up outside of.
Zion pauses next to the sofa but then pivots and takes us through an archway. Down a long hall, art covers the walls. Real paintings, not prints.
I glance up, and Zion and I are leading a parade. A parade of hot males. "Where are you taking me?"
"To the guest room," Forrest replies. He's half a step behind me.
"Not your pod room?"
