Free The One That Got Away by Megan Hussey Page A

surface, fanning gracefully from side to side.
    “You—you’re the one that got away,” Cecily murmured, eyes flying wide. “No way!”
    “Yes way.” A garbled, bubbled voice arose from the waves, capturing her curiosity—not to mention her abject shock.
    Immediately she had to learn the full identity of this mysterious, surreal stranger. So she took a deep breath and broke the waves, plunging beneath the water’s surface to get a better look at the man who so intrigued her.
    And never, she mused, had she seen anything more beautiful.
    While the man’s upper half appeared planed and muscular, as reflected in a broad, massive chest and flawless abs, his lower half took the form of a contoured fin; yet far from being rough or scaly in appearance, this shiny appendage was smooth, contoured, and downright…
    “Beautiful,” she breathed, swallowing a mouthful of water in the process.
    Jutting herself upward above the water’s surface, she released a sharp, rough cough as her concerned companion joined her.
    “Are you all right?” Flying to her side, the stranger gathered a shivering Cecily in his arms and warmed her with his caress; gathering her up in a nurturing embrace that soothed and heated her soaking limbs.
    “And, as it turns out, one limb seems warmer than the others.” Cecily’s heart and clit pounded in strong, demanding accord, driving her farther into his arms.
    For a moment, she sat silently, reveling in his tenderness; a quality she rarely saw in her rude, irritable significant other. Laying her head against the broad chest of this sweet, loving man, she lingered in his embrace, seeming to savor both the divine strength and the gentle clasp of his arms.
    Finally, she stared deep into his eyes and asked in an awestruck tone, “Just what the hell are you?”
    She felt his chest vibrate with laughter as he guffawed his response.
    “Sorry,” she bit her lip. “Let me amend that question. Who are you?”
    “No, no, you were right the first time.” He squeezed her shoulders. “The questions that you pose are separate and distinct. Who I am is Logan, a man who spends part of his time onshore, living in a small cavern and guarding and cleaning the sands of Port Emerald Beach. I also love to read and have a weakness for Xbox.” He grinned, but only briefly. “What I am, dear lady is a merman.” With this, he graced her gaping lips with a hard, impulsive kiss. “And you have saved this merman’s life.”
    In an impulsive move Cecily threw her arms around his broad shoulders and pulled him closer than close. 
    “You were the one that got away,” she released on a sob. “My boyfriend could have murdered you.”
    “He thought I was just a fish, darling.” Logan took her in a tender embrace, kissing away her errant tears. “Even so, it’s good that you stepped—or rather, dove—in to help me.” He drew back to grace her with a devastating smile. “You saved my life, Cecily.”
    Cecily nodded.
    “I never have had much of a taste for Dallas’ hobbies.” She cringed in spite of himself. “Hunting, fishing, ogling and comparing me unfavorably to every bimbo who crosses his line of vision…”
    She took in her breath as Logan cut her off with a long, warm kiss. She sighed as his hands rubbed her shoulders, moving in smooth and luxurious synch with his soft, moist lips.
    “You deserve better,” he hissed against her mouth, his citrus-tinged breath falling soft onto her lips. “Let me show you, baby. Let me make you feel better.” He ran a long, wet tongue down the length of her ivory-skinned neck. “Let me make love to you, Cecily.”
    “What? Huh? Hold up.”
    Breaking abruptly from his embrace, she met his advances with a glance and a gape that bespoke her total shock.
    “We so cannot have sex.” She shook her head, planting her hands on hips.
    “Why, darling?” He seared her with a seductive leer.
    “Why?” she repeated, cocking her head. “Where do I start? I have a