When he thrust his hard cock into her, she gasped with pleasure, breaking from their passionate kiss. She looked into his eyes and noticed how they seemed to shimmer with a million shades of green and flecks of golden sparkles. He moved into her again, holding her in place as he went deeper. She tried not to look away, but the sensual pleasure was too much.
“I think…” She panted. “I think I’m going to…” She was already too close.
“Uh-uh. Not yet.” He withdrew and turned her over, raising her hips and putting her ass up in the air. “I’m not even close to being done with you, Liv.”
He slammed into her from behind, his powerful arms holding her in place as he pistoned his hips. Her ears filled with the sounds of his deep, masculine throaty groans, the sounds of his skin slapping against her bare ass, and the rhythmic humming of her moans.
“Oh God, Roen. Don’t fucking stop.” She could never get enough of this. Of feeling his slick, hot cock sliding into her, pushing against that magical spot deep inside. He went on and on, not slowing down.
“I can go all night, Liv.” He fucked his words into her. “But I won’t.”
He flipped her over and once again kneeled between her thighs, holding his thick, rock-hard shaft in his hands. He slid the head up and down over her c-spot. “You ready to come, Liv?”
She could barely speak. The erotic view of his glistening head massaging her swollen, throbbing bud was too much.
She gave him a quick nod and threw back her head, bracing for his hot, hard thrust. He gave it to her, driving himself all the way in. She exploded and came hard, screaming his name, grabbing fistfuls of dirt and grass, trying to keep herself from losing her mind.
Her screams only made him let go. She realized he’d been holding back, being gentle with her. But now he began fucking her harder, using his entire body to pound his cock into her.
She began climaxing again. “Harder, harder, Roen.” She just wanted him deeper, just wanted more.
His body slapped and she opened her legs as wide as they could go, wanting more.
Finally, as the second wave of sinful contractions racked her body, Roen pillared his hands on either side of her head and arched his back.
He groaned toward the sky, pouring his hot cum into her, his entire body shuddering with his dick twitching deep in her core. With short little thrusts, he finished emptying every drop inside her, finally collapsing onto his elbows.
The two lay there panting, their sweat-slicked bodies pressed tightly together, his hard flesh still inside her. After a few delicious moments of feeling their bodies floating down to earth together, he raised his head and began kissing her.
“That was amazing,” she whispered in between sweet lazy kisses.
“I’m not done yet,” he whispered back, and began moving with slow shallow strokes deep inside her. “I have a lot of bad memories to erase.”
“But I don’t think I can again.” It was so, so good. Every muscle felt like a ball of quivering Jell-O.
He kissed her neck and bit down softly, coaxing a little gasp from her mouth and triggering tiny tingles on her c-spot.
“Just relax,” he whispered against her neck, pulling out just a few inches and easing himself back in. “I’ll do all the work.”
She laid her head back and looked up at the night sky. The sun was completely gone now and there were millions of twinkling stars above them. She let out a breath and savored the feel of the hot man on top of her. “I love you, Roen.”
“I love you, too. Now, open those legs a little wider. I’m going to show you the real power of a merman.”
Epilogue
Two Years Later…
Liv watched a seemingly endless parade of unbelievably beautiful, heavily tattooed men march back and forth in front of her. Every one of them was nearly seven feet tall, ripped from head to toe, and wearing nothing but shorts and snug-fitting tees practically bursting from the seams as they unloaded wooden crates from the small cruise ship’s cargo hold.
“You better not be eyeing my men, wife,” Roen’s deep voice whispered from behind her.
Liv smiled. “Well…you know how partial I am to those fish-scale tatts. Gets me all excited.” She turned and found Roen looking down at her, frowning. “I’m just joking,” she said. “You know you’re the only merman who gets me all wet.” She snorted. “Get it. Wet? You’re a merman and—”
He kissed her. “Silly human.”
“But seriously, I think your men should all go back to the whole man-skirt thing. That was pretty hot.”
“Liv, stop teasing me. You know how jealous my kind get—”
“Honey! Are we in the cottage on the left or the right?” Liv’s mom’s voice called out.
Liv tilted sideways and looked around Roen’s large frame. “The white one on the right. It’s bigger!”
“Okay, honey!” Liv’s mom disappeared up the path toward the cluster of guest quarters that overlooked the harbor.
Liv brought her attention back to Roen. “Thank you for inviting my family to stay for a while.” Even Krista had decided to come and help Dr. Fuller with the studies on the island. Krista, a veterinarian specializing in marine mammals and birds, would be in charge of documenting the wildlife. The non-mer kind.
Roen beamed at Liv. “I know how much your family means to you. And I have to say, your parents have adjusted really well to all of this.”
They’d actually told her parents everything right before the baby had been born. Or make that babies since Dana had hers too. But days before their due dates, there’d been a moment of panic when Liv’d had a terrible dream that Salla had done something to the baby and it came out with a tail. The thought kind of freaked her the hell out, but she’d told herself she’d love the little mer-munchkin no matter what. But still, it made her think about all of the lying and how much damage had been done to her relationship with her parents. And even with Krista.
It was time to tell them everything.
But Liv would never forget the looks on her parents’ faces when she told them the truth—being shipwrecked, getting kidnapped—twice—killing to save her own life—also twice. At first Liv was sure they were going to have her locked up, but then her father had said something that blew her mind. “The people in Wrangell have known about them for ages. There are legends going back generations, old fisherman songs and stories about how they once protected our island. These last few hundred years, they just ordered their supplies from us.”
“Supplies?”
“Yeah. Boat parts, fishing supplies, food, satellite dishes—you name it. The businesses in town make a big part of their living from them.”
Flabbergasted, Liv’s mouth just sort of flapped for a while. “But…why…why didn’t you say anything?”
“Did you not meet them?” her dad asked. “Those are some of the scariest, most ruthless assholes I’ve ever met. And when a seven-foot-tall, walking killing machine throws cash at you and says he’ll kill you if you ever tell anyone, the merchants took it seriously. No one dared speak of them. Ever.”
Liv couldn’t believe it. All that time, her parents knew? And so did most of the small business owners on the island. But now that she’d thought about it, it made sense. There wasn’t a whole lot of tourism on the island because it was so remote and only accessible by small plane or boat. The fishing industry was almost nothing. Yet, people seemed to live fairly well. Now she knew why.
Anyway, it took a while to convince her parents that things had changed and she and Dana were not insane for wanting to marry two giant “mean” mermen or have their children.
After the babies, Pike and Cruise, came and her mother saw Roen and Lyle being so gentle with their newborn sons (yes, sons—with legs. And lungs of steel and the screaming capability to match), all hesitations flew out the window. Pike, by the way, was the name she and Roen chose for their son. Yes, he was named after a fish—kind of an inside joke since Liv had been so worried that Pike would be born
an actual fish. Pike also meant “spear,” so Roen liked that his son’s name signified something dangerous and deadly. “A real merman’s name,” he’d said. Dana chose “Cruise” because she said that being taken for the Collection and going on that cruise was what led her to Lyle.
Strange thing to want to remember, a cruise that brought her to an island where she almost died, but okay.
Anyway, Roen wanted a small quiet wedding, free from the paparazzi, who still stalked him every time he stepped on dry land. It got even worse after Phil filed for their marriage certificate. The world wanted to see the infamous billionaire bachelor marry the shipwreck-slash-kidnapping survivor Olivia Stratton. That made it impossible to book a church anywhere, so they ended up having the ceremony in Wrangell a few months after Pike was born.
As for Dana and Lyle, they were engaged, but Dana said she wasn’t going to tie the knot until Lyle showed her his sparkly green tail. Which he refused to do. Of course, Dana was absolutely head over heels in love with Lyle, but Liv suspected the two didn’t really care about getting a marriage certificate. They were both too busy having sex all the time and being new parents.
She and Roen, on the other hand, had billions of dollars in assets they needed to have jointly owned. First, for their son, and second for the island. They both worked like mad to have a private research center built right next to the Great Hall. It had just been completed, and Phil had successfully (and discreetly) hired seven of the world’s top scientists in the field of physics, molecular biology, genetics, and environmental biology. Naturally, they would’ve preferred to use mermen, since most of them studied at some of the world’s top universities, but most of the science geeks were not coming back. So, she and Roen decided they’d have to trust a few smart humans to do the work. This island was far too important not to take the risk of letting a few in on the secret. Not when they were both convinced that the island held the key to healing the planet someday. With so much pollution and global warming, the work they started today might be the only hope generations from now.
That was also why she and Roen had decided to move back. Liv had finally finished her PhD—yes, she was Dr. Olivia Stratton now—and the research center was complete.
Also, Dana and Lyle already lived here, as did Dr. Fuller and Holden, along with about one hundred mermen and five hundred mermaids. Some of them were couples who’d decided to come back and live as humans. Some were single. At least for now. The rest, however, had taken human form and returned to living as landlovers or stayed at sea. Liv had only seen the creatures a few times with her own eyes, but she’d seen plenty of the photographs taken by Dr. Fuller and Holden for their studies. The mermaids—even the ones who’d been unable to change back—looked exactly like the beautiful creatures from fairytales—happy, ethereal, and majestic with long flowing green or blue sparkling tails. The mermen, however, well…dear God, they were even bigger when in their natural state—larger muscles, broader shoulders, and yes…a very impressive dangly penis. Liv still wasn’t sure about how all that mer-anatomy worked, but the thought of learning someday intrigued her.
If only I could get Roen to stop drinking that water for a few days.
“So are you ready to go unpack?” Roen asked, nuzzling her neck.
Liv turned in his arms. “You just want to have sex.” Frankly, so did she. She could never get enough of Roen in bed.
“Yes.”
“Well, Pike’s with Cruise, taking a nap at Lyle and Dana’s. I suppose we could go and do some unpacking over by the lagoon. Naked.” She winked.
“I was thinking we might try for another.” His greedy, greedy gaze stared at her breasts.
“You just like seeing me with big boobs.”
“Yes.” He smiled. “You know your breasts have always held a special place in my heart since the day we met.”
She laughed and walked away from him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he griped.
“We can have another baby if you show me your tail.”
“You just want to see what my mer-penis looks like!”
She kept on walking toward the house. “Yep!”
A deal’s a deal, merman.
~~~
Concentrate, Salla. You are not weak. You are strong. Salla watched the tiny dinghy approaching the sandy beach. All she needed was for the man to get close enough. That’s right, you fucking bastard. Come to Salla.
The tiny boat slid up onto the sandy bank, and the fisherman hopped out. She wasn’t strong enough to see him, but she could feel him. His energy, his thoughts. And he was heading straight for her.
That’s right. Just a few more steps…
“Hello there, big man.”
The man stopped walking. “What the fuck?”
“Do not be afraid, my sweet strong man. My name is Salla. And if you come just a little closer, I can make all of your dreams come true…”
THE END…?
AUTHOR’S NOTE
All right. So I don’t know if I’ll make a habit of this, but some of you may have noticed how every book I write always has a hidden meaning—acceptance of self, letting go, embracing adventures, striving for the impossible, looking beyond appearances, being grateful even when life isn’t perfect.
FUGLY was the first book I ever actually said anything about because the theme was so near and dear and raw to my heart. But your touching emails and messages made me think. Maybe no one cares about why I write a particular story, but maybe some do.
So if you’re into hidden meanings, be sure to check out the breakdown I did for you at the end here.
For those who just want to know one thing: “Mimi, got any swag?” The answer is yes! I have a lovely pile of signed MERCILESS bookmarks with the evil Shane on them and I have thank you magnets (“I am a merman. What have you done for the world lately?”) for those who mention that they posted a review. Just shoot your snail-mail address to
[email protected] And KING FANS!!!! I’m now working on MACK for a February 2016 release. PRE-ORDER for Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, and NOOK, here: http://www.mimijean.net/mack.html Or sign up for my mailing list and I’ll shoot you an alert once it’s available.
HAPPY READING!
Mimi
2016 Release Schedule:
MACK (King “Trilogy” Book 4) February
TOMMASO (Immortal Matchmakers, Inc., Book 2) May
TAILORED FOR TROUBLE (Happy Pants Series) August
Note: GOD OF WINE (Immortal Matchmakers, Inc. Book 3) will release either May or October, depending on how well my boys behave. Haha…
THE MERMEN TRILOGY.
What’s it really about?
While Mermen is an adventure about a young woman who faces some very difficult situations to survive and ultimately be with her true love, it’s also about a man and a group of people who’ve been robbed of their humanity, hearts, and freedom. When I see the devastation happening to refugees around the world, families and lives destroyed by political agendas, I think of the island. There’s no soul or love to be found. Just greed, darkness, and want. The oppressors often hide behind religion, but it’s a mask. They don’t care about God (in any form), they don’t care about their people, the children they scar, or anything but their own power.
And the soldiers who fight on behalf of these “leaders” rarely start out as bad men. They get sucked in. Poverty and violence towards their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, and children turn them into people who commit heinous atrocities to those who are weaker. They rape, murder, and torture in the name of their cause. If we look at the ones who start out on the peaceful side—the victims—then it’s the victimizers’ cruelty that will eventually change them.
Either way, it’s a zero-sum game. What’s left behind is a culture of hate that is so strong, so powerful, that generations from now, they’ll still be fighting and killing. (Sound familiar?)
The mermen, obviously, aren’t as cruel as some of the groups we see victimizing entire po
pulations in the Middle East (not even close) or in other regions, but they do represent this particular breed of mindless obedience that allows a person to justify violence. “My god tells me to do this.” “The island says we must.” Fear is a big part of what drives this behavior.
So then, how do these people, who’ve endured so much (the soldiers and their victims), rise above the pain and oppression instead of fighting and suffering for the next hundred generations?
Love.
Hands down, it’s the most powerful thing anybody can get, give, and feel. I believe it’s more powerful than hate and fear, and it’s why I write Romance.
Hell no! I’ll never be an advocate of sitting idly by while men who’ve been corrupted with hate and fear rape women or little girls and kill mindlessly (as we’re seeing in Syria, Africa, and in so many other war-torn places around the world), but when and where, if ever, will this stop? With the men who fight and are too gone to know any better? Not a chance.
Hope lies with us—the mothers, sisters, and daughters who have the ability to shape what our children think. Even if it’s just a quiet whisper, telling our children to believe in something greater, to believe in love…It’s the only path forward that I can see. Hate and killing equal more hate and killing.
The mermen were wrong when they said that life is only about eating, fucking, and killing. Liv showed them all that there’s also a time to love and that it’s far more powerful than anything else. Yeah, it’s corny. But that’s the breakdown of the story. Hope you enjoyed!
With Love,
Mimi
Acknowledgements
A huuuuge GARGLE-GARGLE-ARRRR… (maid speak for “thank you”) to my MER-ciless peeps! I think I might have been certifiable for a few weeks there, but your encouragement and support were like sacred water to my poor writer brain. Thank you: Kylie Gilmore (oh, yeah—I made you read another bloody book!), Dali (run while you can!), Ally, Bridget, Latoya, Pauline, Su (awesome cover), Period Images (sa-weeet photo shoot!), and Stef @ writeintoprint.com!