Merlicious-1

In space and under the sea, merfolk exist. Enjoy these tales of fin, fun and fantastic adventures
in life and love.

Incredible Sea Hulk, Mae Powers
A mer-alien and a human must work together to solve a crisis, but do they dare consummate their fiery passions in reality?

Sea Dance, Leanne Strange
On her last day of a research assignment, Kass finds herself attracted to a handsome alien merman who won't take no for an answer.

Passion Storm, Megan Hussey
While overseeing a storm shelter, Jill rescues a gorgeous man stranded on the beach. Smitten with her, Jaiden fails to disclose a
secret: his fins.  

Waves of Enchantment, Emery LaRue
From the waters, Trinity watches Christopher swim in the moonlight. Tonight she will be with him; but will he want to hold her forever?

Plenty More Fish In The Sea, Anna Fallon
Mermaid Marina can't find love. After another reckless adventure, she meets sexy merman Ceph. But will their parents’ past
stop them from having a future? 

By Air and By Sea, Bridghid Parkinson
Raging storms brought Hansen and Mariah together. Now, the magical moonlight holds the power to bring the two hearts in sync,
shaping their lives forever.

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EXCERPTS

Incredible Sea Hulk

By
Mae Powers

Chapter One

Lieutenant Commander Kellah Franklin was about to step inside the ship’s main tube-lift when, with a frightening thud, her breath was temporarily knocked from her lungs. Kellah let out a startled cry, finding herself staggering backwards. Huge arms, like bands of steel, instantly encased her, pulling her forward, lifting her tottering form against a rock-hard body.

Time stood still as Kellah looked upwards, her astonished gaze finally resting upon a face. Startling gold-flecked amethyst eyes glared back at her as her body was lifted higher so that her face came even with a strong, square chin. The man's external but alien charisma was too overpowering to her startled senses.

The man is an incredible sea hulk! Irrationally appreciating the rich golden-green of his skin, she was further discomfited when he pulled her more firmly against his length, and her heart pounded madly at the close contact of their bodies.

“Are you stable yet?” Amusement was evident in the fluid smooth voice; the vibrations from his sexy voice, Kellah could feel against her own breasts. She noticed he looked for the telltale blue dot that showed whether a person wore an intergalactic language translator implant in his or her lobe.

She tried not to blush, knowing this powerful enigma was more than aware of her rapidly beating heart. She saw little strands of what looked like kelp, maybe even seaweed, layering his dark gold hair, as if they were just mere wisps of hair blowing about his face. His exotic looks tempted her. Kellah forced herself to act more rationally.

“I'm fine,” she replied calmly, starting to find the situation a bit awkward. “I should have watched where I was going.”

The rumbling laugh came from deep within the Seamarrin. “It was I who erred. I rushed out and nearly trampled you in the process. I did not expect anyone to be about this late. I am not sorry though. We seem to fit perfectly in all the right places. But I must let you down. I have work to do. Perhaps we shall meet again soon.”

Kellah knew he was teasing. The twinkle in the gold of his eyes assured her of it. However, her heart once more increased its tempo as his deep-set eyes kept dancing over her form rakishly. It irritated her she could not share his amusement, especially as no amount of wiggling on her part would allow her feet to touch the ground. Though the slick wetsuit he wore for clothing should have allowed her to slide down his sexy length, he held her too close. She knew Seamarrins wore the wetsuits to regulate their body temperatures when out of water or in conditions adverse to their native water environments. They lived under the oceans of their world more than on top; the race was more water breathers than air breathers. They also used air-tablets or nose loops across the bridge of their noses for breathing out of the water if they could not take the air tablets.

“As this is a large ship, I doubt it.” She intended her voice to sound disinterested, but she didn’t think her tone bland enough.

 He only laughed at her again. “I can only hope you are wrong and that we meet again, sweet sea nymph.” His voice caressed her every bit as much as his body did when he slowly slid her form down his length.

 Finally, her feet rested none too steadily upon the ground. And then he was gone, striding away from her as quickly as he had come up against her. Kellah felt so totally shaken, she did not know if their encounter had lasted a minute or an hour. She did know her body would not quickly forget the pulsating warmth and tingling caused by the Seamarrin.

The usually smooth, golden sands of Port Emerald Beach stirred with a certain fury, matched only by the intense quaking of the palm trees above them.

Standing within the relative safety of a crowded, noisy community center, Jillian Gregory cringed as she stared out a wide bay window at the spectacle that was her home.

The normally beautiful azure waves that defined Port Emerald Bay seemed a furious tempest of wind and water tonight. Even the seagulls seemed to cower in the face of the rising storm sweeping through the area at a breakneck pace.

Jill remained quiet and stoic in the face of every city manager’s nightmare—a Florida tropical storm that quickly closed the businesses and offices of Port Emerald. What’s more, the storm had driven some residents into the city’s community center, a casual recreation site that had been transformed into a makeshift shelter.

Compelled to tend to her citizens during this tumultuous time, Jill had surrendered a long-planned vacation at a distant tropical haven.

It’s just as well. She ran a weary hand through a disheveled crop of long-neglected hair. “After planning a luxury cruise with my fiancé, he up and runs off with our travel agent to enjoy the trip I helped fund.” She shook her head and frowned. “When they dock in that exotic island paradise, I hope they ‘drink the water’¾lots of it. Even Miss Patty Perfect won’t look so hot as she guzzles down an hourly ration of maximum strength laxative.”

“Jill!”

Looking sharply upward, Jill’s eyes widened as they beheld the vision of her chronically disapproving superior, Mayor Lydia Cone.

“Was I venting aloud again, Mayor?” Jill raised her eyebrows.

Lydia nodded and patted Jill’s shoulder. “In yet another attempt to curb your rampant angst, I’m assigning you evening snack duty.” The petite redhead handed Jillian a cardboard box overflowing with potato chips, cheese snacks and chocolate bars. “Have fun.”

Smiling dryly, Jill turned to distribute her evening’s supply of refreshments among the refugees of Tropical Storm Blaine, the severe natural phenomenon that, while thankfully sparing the lives and properties of Port Emerald residents, had left many with minor flooding and without electrical services.

While the storm no longer posed a serious threat to the area and its people, Blaine’s strong winds still painted a scary picture across Port Emerald Beach, accented by flying sheets of sand and dirt. An unearthly blend of ebony and azure tinged with a daunting hint of blood red colored the angry skies.

Even so, nothing prepared Jill for the sight that met her disbelieving gaze as she returned from her evening chore.

Casting a casual glance out a nearby window, she froze as her eyes beheld a jarring sight: the fallen figure of a man lying alone on the beach, a tattered blanket his only defense against the mercy of the battering winds.

Mouth agape, Jill dropped the cardboard box and ran from the building with quick, frantic steps. Ignoring the warning cries of those behind her, she raced across the beach toward the fallen man, the hard wind like an unforgiving wall that blocked and slowed her every move.

When she finally reached him, Jill fell to her knees and gathered his limp form into her desperate arms. Startled by the power of nature, she gritted her teeth as the raw violence of the incoming rain drove her sturdy body backward.

Despite that, she maintained her hold on the unconscious man, a tall, muscular being who felt like an unyielding rock in her arms.

“Let’s go, big guy.” Jill cringed as she struggled to drag his massive form back across the beach toward a shelter that at this point seemed a distant destination.

It was only as Jill approached the open doorway of the shelter that she was able to inspect the stranger in her arms, a young man whose sandy blond hair extended in soaked luxury to his waist. His skin held the tint of sunshine; his face was planed and perfectly sculpted. His eyes remained unopened.

“Sam!” With a high-pitched screech, Jill summoned the shelter’s resident medic. “We need you!”

Nodding sharply, the unusually solemn older man immediately claimed his new patient and carried his body to a nearby cot in the shelter lobby. He administered CPR as a nervous Jill said a silent prayer of hope.

For the next hour, she watched with uncertainty as Sam revived and tended to the mysterious visitor, apparently knocked unconscious by some errant debris.

When his eyes finally opened, the man’s dark-eyed gaze immediately swept the room around him.

“Who?” His words escaped a pair of full and sumptuous lips in even, honeyed tones. “Who is the angel that saved me?”

Jill’s own eyes widened substantially as she heard the stranger’s words. Then she started laughing. Hard. “Me? An angel? Cha. Good one,” she smirked.

Her laughter subsided as the man’s ebony-eyed stare grew deeper and more luminous, reflecting his apparent awe. Her fiancé certainly never regarded her with such unbridled, uh, admiration? Yeah. That must be it.

“I’m Jill Gregory, city manager of Port Emerald,” she greeted. The city manager who didn’t have time to put on a shred of makeup this morning. Drat it.

The stranger looked at her with what seemed to be unconcealed admiration, as though she were the most beautiful woman in the world.

“You saved me.” He gifted her with a soft gentle smile that was quite angelic.

“Hey!” Sam, now seated at a nearby refreshment table, totally blew the mood. “Don’t forget me, buddy. I didn’t particularly enjoy giving mouth-to-mouth to another guy. Give me some credit here.”

The stranger nodded politely to the smirking medic then returned his attentions to Jill.

“You are a brave woman.” Although still strained, his deeply toned voice gained infinite strength as he spoke. “I am in your debt.”

Shrugging, Jill took a seat beside the reclining man and squeezed his masculine hand.

“It’s nothing,” she said.

Waves of Enchantment
by
Emery LaRue

Christopher O'Neil closed the file on his desk in relief. He was beginning to hate his chosen profession. Why he had decided on criminal defense he would never truly know. Maybe because the bad seemed to outweigh the good most days and he was guaranteed a paycheck. Whatever the reason, he was tired of it all and in serious need of a vacation and possible change. A quick knock on his door and his partner entered. Karla Morgan was top notch as far as attorneys go. Sharp as a tack, if there was a loophole in the law she would find it. However, even she was getting on his last nerve. One drunken night a few months back, they’d shared an evening he could hardly remember. She saw it differently.

“Come on, Chris, let's grab a bite and a drink.”

“No thanks, Karla. I think I may spend a week out at the beach house.”

“Oh, sounds like a good time. Care for some company?”

He didn't miss the invitation in her voice, or the expectant look on her face. As far as pretty went, Karla was unique. Short, midnight black hair framed a face that was almost too perfect to be real. Her black eyes could lure you, or cut right through you. In a sense, she was attractive. But if she got any smaller she would blow away. Chris didn't mind petite, but Karla went above and beyond. Besides, he just didn't see her that way.

“Not this time, partner. I need to clear my head.”

“Swimming in the moonlight no less.” She sighed. “What do you expect to find out in that sea water other than a shark or two?”

“I just need to relax. You know as well as I do that the chances of me getting attacked by a shark are almost nothing.”

“Well, you know where to find me, Chris, should you need me for anything.” She winked before she turned away. “I do mean anything.”

“See you next week, Karla.”

He found it almost funny that when he pictured himself being attacked by a shark, the great white had black hair and eyes. He shook his head before the image became too much and he laughed himself to death.

Gathering his case, he locked the office and climbed into his mustang convertible. His bag was already packed, and he was ready for a week of uninterrupted relaxation. He had a lot to think about, and a few changes may be in the near future, such as taking his practice solo. Karla wouldn't like it, but she didn't like much these days.

He took the turns and curves with practiced ease. The closer he got, the more he could smell the welcoming salt of the sea. He itched to feel its cool waters against his naked body. His beach house came with a private stretch of sand and sea. It was his haven, and he needed it now more than ever.

Parking his car in the circle drive, he paused at the house long enough to place his bag inside, then hurried toward the calming waves of the water. With quick motions, he removed his shoes, socks and shirt. His slacks and shorts hit the sand and he was striding forward, sighing in relief at the first touch on his toes in the water. Slowly, he walked deeper, knowing he would soon feel alive and refreshed. With a smile, he made a graceful leap and dive, plunging below the surface.

Like all the other times before, Chris swam for long moments underwater. When he broke the surface, he turned and could still see the lights near the shore. He floated for a time, swam out even more, and floated more. As he looked up into the dark night sky, a million stars winked down on him. A shiver passed through his body. Why he felt it he couldn't say, but something told him he was not alone in the water tonight.

Slowly, making as little noise as possible, Chris began to make his way back to shore. He fought the urge to panic. There was nothing below him but the water, the sea he loved so much. Nothing was below him, waiting to take a bite out of him.

That thought jump-started the panic he was fighting. Chris swam hard toward shore. By the time he touched bottom, his legs ached from the effort. On hands and knees, he made his way to shallow water before turning and looking back into the sea.

Chris sat down hard, catching his breath and feeling foolish. Karla's comment had got to him more than he had realized. He had never been afraid of the water. There was no other reason for his sudden panic.

As he stood, he once again got the feeling he was not alone. Maybe he was just tired.

Chris shrugged it off, gathered his clothes, and headed back to the house. He just needed a good night’s sleep.

“If you say it, I swear I’ll fillet you.”

       “Oh, such violence from a sweet young thing.”

       “I am not a sweet young thing. I am a mature female, ready to breed at any given moment. And I would’ve been breeding if that slimy eel hadn’t swum off with that red-tailed sea cucumber.”

       “Sea cucumbers don’t have tails, and you better not let your parents hear you talk that way.”

       “You know what I mean. And what do my parents know? I fully matured five hundred tides ago, and all they want to do is hide me under a shell like some sun-baked moron.” Marina swished her tail in annoyance at her best friend’s apparent humor over her losing her one true love.

       “I’ll have you know that hiding under a shell has its merits. Some of my friends are hermit crabs. Besides, eels are not slimy, it’s a common misconception.”

       Marina screwed up her face and stuck her tongue out at Shock. Seeing as he was an electric eel, she probably shouldn’t have referenced slimy eels.

       “Oh, yes. That face will certainly convince your parents about how mature you are.”

       “Why are you always on their side? You are supposed to be my friend, but you never support me. I’m heartbroken here.” Marina sulked.

       “Marina, being a good friend doesn’t mean I just agree with everything you want to do. I care for you, just like your parents do, and I don’t want to see you make a silly mistake. Besides, that Moby is just a rogue fish.”

       “He’s not a fish… He’s a mammal.” She weakly defended the young merman who just ran off with an older, more experienced mermaid.

       “That is a matter of opinion. The right merman for you will come when the time is right. Moby isn’t the only choice. Why don’t you just concentrate on your studies and forget males. Your father would be so much happier, and, as I always say, there are plenty more fish in the sea…”

       “Argh! I told you not to say that!” Marina picked up a sea snail shell and threw it at Shock. After a short blue buzz, the shell dropped to the sea bed, and a snail popped its head out.

       “Ouch…what did I do?” it asked.

       “Sorry, an accident.” Shock apologized to the snail and swam over to Marina. “Don’t do that. You know how dangerous it can be.”

       “Sorry. I forgot.”

       “See, missy, this is half your problem. You are far too impulsive, and that leads to reckless behavior. You not only endanger your life, you completely disregard the safety of others. You need to think before you act, Marina. Then your parents might take you seriously.” Shock waved his body back and forth in front of her.

       “It’s not like your zap can kill anything. You are too young.”

       “That’s not the point. It will be one day soon, and when do you take care, after you have barbequed some innocent sea dweller?” Shock’s squirming became more agitated.

       “Bet you wish you had arms to wave around right now, huh?” she asked, lifting her arms up and down and shaking her finger at Shock, finally planting her hands on her hips. She loved to tease him when he became passionate about something.

       “Yes I do. Don’t change the subject. Now, life would be so much easier for you if you just listened to those older…”

       “I’m two-thousand and fifty-tides old. I know what I am doing. I’m sick of everyone making my decisions for me.”

       “Well, your parents are fifty-thousand tides old, and I’m sure they have learned a thing or two by now,” Shock argued.

       “You might be too scared to live your life, always wanting to do the right thing, but I want to really live. I want to feel love. I want to live happily ever after. Can’t you just lighten up a little, Shock?” Marina gave him her most pleading look.

       “I am not scared to live my life…” Shock replied, looking defiant.

       “Yes, you are. You are a scaredy-catfish.”

       “I am not!”

       “Prove it.” Marina knew she had Shock right where she wanted him now.

       “All right, I will…how?”

       “Let’s go down into the dark waters.”

       “Marina…that is just downright dangerous.”

       “I knew you’d be too scared to do it.”

       “I’m not scared…just careful,” Shock defended.

       “Fraidy-catfish.” Marina taunted and swam off. “I’ll go on my own then.” She knew he would follow; he always did.

* * * *

“Do you know who that is…?” Ceph asked his father as he peeked around the large rock at a mermaid he had never seen before. His father took a long look and shook his head.

“Nope, no idea… There must be plenty of merfolk in Green Waters you haven’t met yet.”

But Ceph knew his father too well, and that tone meant, ‘I know, but I’m not telling you.’

“Dad…I know every single mermaid in Green Waters, and she isn’t one of them. If you don’t tell me, I’m going to ask her myself.”

“No…don’t. I don’t know who she is. I only know who she belongs to, and that is enough.”

“Oh, she has a mate. I can see why.”

“I don’t mean a mate. I mean her father. See the double fins at the end of her tail. Only one man can pass that on. Trust me, you do not want to go there. Her father has been a rival of my kingdom since I was a youth.”

“Really? Why?” Ceph was now very curious and completely taken by the blue-green tailed female.

“Because he is a stubborn idiot. They are different from us. That is all.”

“But we are all merfolk. Did he kill someone or something?” Ceph hadn’t taken his eyes off her. None of the females he knew captured his interest this way.

“Ceph…forget you saw her. There are plenty more fish in the sea,” his father stated.

“I can still see the pain in her eyes!” Hansen paced the bowery floors, careful of where he stepped because of the water that still dripped from his wings. “I’m telling you she’s real. She was as real as you are to me now!”

“Fish people have been a legend on the Selion continent shores since the dawn of time! I heard about an elaborate city under the sea where fish live like royalty. But, you were running through the naval docks ranting about a fish woman!”

“In all the times you were sailing, Father, you never once saw a woman in the waters?”

“On a boat?” The King of Farnal stood proud, unshaken by his son’s adamant questions. His white, perfectly groomed wings didn’t flutter, nor did his stance offer any suggestion that he might be concealing information. However, Hansen also knew all royals were taught to reveal nothing.

“Father, it wasn’t a dream.” Hansen continued, “I heard cries for help. I ran out, afraid that the storm had soaked one of the guards, or they could have possibly been hit by a branch and injured a wing.”

“It wasn’t a bad storm.”

“If someone needs help, would you turn away just because you are the king?” Hansen demanded.

“No.”

“Neither can I.” The young prince took a deep breath. “The cries I heard were the sounds of strangling. I heard the waves crashing over the rocks of the breakers near the lighthouse, and the screams came all over again. I thought one of the citizens had fallen in the water and the waves were pushing them against the rocks.”

“Where were the guards?”

“They sought the safety of castle walls, just as you ordered,” Hansen eyed the man warily, “…even though it wasn’t a bad storm.”

The old man nodded.

“I heard the cries from my window. The shutters blew open under the force of the gale and I had to go around to the veranda to secure them again. The cries were agonizing. I could imagine broken wings and twisted legs from the way the sobs sounded.”

“But you found something else.” The king paced the floor during the tale. “You could have been killed!”

The admonishment fell on deaf ears. “Father, she was at the base of the lighthouse. Her skin was the same color as ours, but she possessed fins along her limbs and on her back. Her hair shone a brilliant golden red, but it was tangled with seaweed. She couldn’t speak, her mouth kept opening and closing until the next wave came. When the water washed over her, she screamed again and then held her hand out. She pointed at the water.”

“So, you picked her up and took her into the waters pummeled by gale force winds and crashing waves that could have carried you out to sea in seconds?” The old man rapped his cane on the marble floor. “You could have drowned!”

There was no point in trying to describe the rescue efforts. Hansen could see the selfishness in the old man’s comment. In his anger, he felt it wasn’t real concern for his safety; his father worried over the throne. Hansen was the firstborn of seven children and the only son, first heir in a lineage of kings that stretched back a thousand years. His father’s protective streak was countered with his adamancy in insisting that he marry. “Father, I am still Captain of the Fen Fleet. I will sail, just as you did. I will fight the Gordwok when they breech our borders, and I will still lend assistance if I think a citizen is in distress. Do you ask any less of me?”

“No.”

“Have I ever given you reason to distrust me?”

“No.”

“Then hear me loud and clear. The woman I saw on the rocks was not capable of breathing air. She clung to the rocks, her wounds bled, and the only thing I could do was return her to the water. I watched her swim in the protected area. She spoke to me. Whether you choose to believe it, or not, doesn’t make it any less real to me.”

“Could you please stop spreading talk through the guards? They all think you suffered a head injury when you started talking about sea creatures.” The king sagged against his walking stick.

“Very well, but I would like one week’s leave, with no questions asked about how or where I spend my time.”

“As you wish. I will have an entourage arranged to escort you.”

“No! No spies, no entourage, not even a valet!”

The outburst caught his father by surprise.

“Father, I said ‘no questions.’ I mean that I don’t wish to report, and I don’t wish to have any staff that would report to you about the way I have enjoyed my leisure time. I think you have heard the details of every lady that has ever caught my eye, or sat on my loins. I want to enjoy a bath and not worry about the valet watching over me when my penis gets hard.”

“But the girls should service…”

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