Aidan stretched out again, stroking
himself again. “Show me.”
His submissive side picked that moment
to raise its head.
Do it. You know you
want to. He’s not going to be your patient for much longer. And it’s not like
you even have a license to practice medicine in Florida. Just do it. Touch
yourself for him.
“No,” he said, strangled.
“Why not?”
Nick clenched his teeth. “I already told
you, it wouldn’t be appropriate,” he said.
“Nobody’s watching,” Aidan said
reasonably. “And we’re not even touching each other. We’re just touching
ourselves. That’s not wrong, is it?”
Nick gritted his teeth. “Aidan—”
“Nick.” The mer rolled towards him,
green eyes wide and impossible to resist. “Come on. Show me. Please?”
It didn’t help that he had a bit of a
kink about sex outdoors,
thank you so
much for that, Aaron.
And he really,
really
wanted to reach over and touch Aidan, curl his fingers around that warm
heaviness, bend closer and lick off the salt at the tip.
Growling softly, Nick turned and peered
at the blue and white cottage. The porch was empty, and he couldn’t see anyone
in the windows.
“Son of a bitch.”
He let himself flop
back onto the sand. “Okay, fine. Just … let me get ready.”
Lifting his ass, he pushed down his
suit, pulling out a leg and leaving the fabric wrapped around his right thigh.
His left hand snaked down, cupping his balls and rolling them roughly with that
slight ache he liked. The water kept flowing back and forth, foaming over his
lower legs, but it wasn’t enough for lube. He licked his right palm, coating it
with saliva, and wrapped it around his cock. It was easy enough to set up a
familiar rhythm where he could tease the sensitive flesh just under the ridge
on each upstroke.
He turned his head and saw Aidan
watching him, pupils blown wide even in the sunlight. The mer’s hand moved
quickly over
his own
shaft, using the foreskin to
massage the now-bright red head.
“Gods,” Aidan said hoarsely.
“That’s—yeah. Do you always play with your balls like that?”
“Yeah.
It feels good.”
Nick could feel drops of wetness pearling in his slit and scooped them up,
using them as additional lubricant. “I like it a little rough.”
An odd smile crossed the merman’s face.
“I know what you mean.” His hand sped up. “Nick, I’m close.
You?”
“Getting there,
yeah.”
They both stroked themselves faster, the
soft slapping noise of fist over cock lost under the sound of the waves. “Come
with me,” Aidan said, choked. “Please, just come!” He grunted loudly as his back
arched, muscles flinching. Ropes of pearlescent semen jetted into the air,
splatting down onto his abs and the upper edge of his tail.
Watching Aidan come was more than enough
to kick-start Nick’s own orgasm. He gritted his teeth, riding the electric surge
of pleasure through his balls and dick. Thick wetness spurted over his fist, splashing
against his skin. “Fuck!
Jesus, yeah!”
Aidan said something in that other
language,
then blew out a breath. He laughed softly.
“Gods.
I don’t know about you, but I needed that.”
Nick sagged back onto the sand, smirking
stupidly at the perfect blue sky above.
“Yeah.
I think
I did, too.” Idly he scooped a hand of seawater over his groin, washing away
the semen. “Okay, so mermen and human men come the same way. Is that what you
wanted to know?”
“Yeah.”
Aidan came up
on his elbows, idly flipping his tail in the shallow water. “Thanks for showing
me.”
A few faint prickles of guilt poked at
him.
He’s still your patient, doctor.
He stared at his toes, wiggling them in the warm water. “You’re welcome. Just
don’t tell anyone we did that, okay?”
Silence.
He glanced over
at Aidan, who was frowning at his tail. It did the magical splitting thing
again. Once he had feet again, the mer got to them and walked naked onto shore.
“Aidan?” Nick stood up, kicking off his
trunks and scooping them up. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
The mer trudged
back towards the cottage.
“Oh, come on.” He struggled to jog
across the sand, catching up. “Don’t walk away from me. What’s wrong?”
Aidan stopped at the rudimentary outside
shower, a concrete square set in the sand that held an upright pipe with pull
chain and shower head. “I shouldn’t have made you do that,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
Nick boggled at that. “You didn’t make
me do anything. I’m an adult, I could have said no. It just—happened, I guess.”
He tried to get a reading on the merman’s mood. “Look, it’s not like I’m
ashamed or anything. You’re right, we both needed that.”
“But you said not to tell anyone about
it. And Lord Aphros said I should wait, and I didn’t. I’m sorry, Nick. You
weren’t ready.”
Aphros told him he should wait? Now Nick
really wished he knew what they’d been talking about before he came in the
kitchen. “Look, I don’t know what Aphros told you, but I liked what we just
did. I just...” He cut off the words “need to slow down”. Maybe the damned sea
god was right, after all. “You’re still my patient, and I feel responsible for you.
And I don’t want anyone thinking I’m taking advantage of you.”
Aidan’s jaw dropped a little. “
You’re
taking advantage of
me
? I’m the one who had to talk you out
of your swim trunks.”
“I never said it made sense. It’s just
how I feel.”
The mer sighed, scrubbing a hand through
his hair. “No, I think I understand. You’re a good person, Nick. You’d never want
to hurt someone in your care.” He scuffed at the sandy concrete with the ball
of his foot. “But once my leg is healed, you won’t be my doctor anymore,
right?”
Nick had to smile at that. “No, I
won’t.”
Aidan nodded. “So we’ll wait. And after I’m
healed, we can—I mean, if you want to—”
It was a struggle not to take the
gorgeous mer in his arms and kiss him stupid. “I want to, believe me,” Nick
said, voice low.
“Good.” Aidan took a deep breath. “So,
what do you want to do now?”
That was a damned good question. “Why
don’t we get rinsed off,” Nick suggested, “then go inside and, I don’t know,
bug Ian or something.
Trade cultural references.
Whatever you want.”
“Okay.” A wicked twinkle appeared in
Aidan’s eye. “Can I wash your back?”
“Please don’t,” someone else said.
Nick spun. A tall, older woman in a
tropical-weight jacket and skirt combo stood next to the shower. She gave them
a look worthy of a nun staring down a room full of first graders. “Gentlemen,
while this is a private beach, it isn’t zoned for nudity,” she said crisply.
“So how about you put your swimsuits back on?”
“Oh, shit. Yes, sorry, I’m so—" He
turned away,
then
realized he was showing the woman
his bare ass.
Shit shit shit.
Hopping
on one foot, he struggled to get into the wet, clinging trunks.
“I don’t have a swimsuit,” he heard
Aidan say cheerfully.
“Really?” the woman drawled. “I suggest
you look into this wonderful thing called a mall. I’m pretty sure you can find
swimsuits there. And as the manager of these cottages I would appreciate it if
you wore one the next time you went swimming.”
“Why?”
“He’ll get a suit, I promise,” Nick said
quickly, yanking up his trunks and turning back to her. “Aidan, go back to the
cottage.”
“But—”
“Just go. Please.”
Aidan shut his mouth with a click. With
a confused nod for the woman, he headed back to the cottage.
Nick launched into damage control,
pulling up his best bedside manner. “I am so sorry about that, ma’am. We didn’t
think anyone was going to be here—”
She held up a stilling hand. “I take it
you two are guests of Mr. West?”
He didn’t want to throw Ian under the
bus, but getting hauled into the local police station for public nudity wasn’t
a good option either.
“Uh.
Yes?”
Her lips pursed thoughtfully.
“Hm.
Well, since there are no other residents here we’ll
forget about it.
This time.”
“Thank you, thank you so much.” He
grabbed the towel he’d left at the shower stall,
then
paused. “Wait. You said you manage the cottages here?”
“My rental agency does, yes.”
An idea bloomed. “So if I wanted to rent
one of them, that would be possible?” he said, trying to look like a
responsible, upstanding citizen. “Say, for two weeks?”
Dark eyes widened slightly. “Right now,
you could have your pick of them for the rest of the summer,” she admitted. Her
expression turned dubious. “Assuming you pass the credit check, of course,
Mr.—”
Nick grinned, sticking out a hand. “Dr.
Nick Gardiner.
Nice to meet you.”
“Marcia Kuttner,” the woman said, taking
his hand in a firm but not painful grip. “Doctor, huh?
Family
practice?”
“Emergency
medicine.”
One expressive eyebrow shot up. “Well,
that explains the skinny-dipping.”
Nick’s grin widened. ER doctors were
known for being adrenaline junkies. “You were saying something about a credit
check?”
****
Five minutes later he strolled into the
cottage, rubbing the towel over his newly rinsed hair and whistling. Aidan was
in the kitchen talking to Ian. To his relief, Nick saw that his friend had
found a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt for the mer.
They looked up as he walked in. “So, do
I need to get bail money for you two?” Ian asked.
“Nope, it’s all cool. But I need to go
into town.”
“For what?”
“To sign a
rental agreement on a cottage.”
Ian blinked in surprise. “You’re moving
out?” he asked. “Look, you don’t have to do that. You’re welcome to stay here
as long as you like.”
“I appreciate that, but you and your
guys need some privacy,” Nick said, glancing at Aidan. The mer was positively beaming
at his announcement. “I still haven’t gotten those earplugs, if you know what I
mean.”
Ian blushed. “Shit,” he muttered. “Yeah,
move out. Better yet, take one of the cottages on the end of the beach.
The far end.”
“Nope, I’m taking the yellow one next
door. We’re gonna be neighbors again.” He turned to Aidan. “You want to come into
town with me? We can pick up some supplies for the cottage after I get the
keys.”
“Yeah—uh.”
The mer glanced
at Ian. “Can I?”
Still red, Ian held up his hands in
dismissal. “Don’t look at me. I’m not your boss.”
“Yeah, but you’re mate to the sea lords.
Plus you’re a—”
“Okay, fine,” Ian said quickly. “Behave
yourself, don’t tell anyone you’re a mer, and for God’s sake don’t show off
your tail.” He glanced at Aidan’s bare feet. “The guys keep flip-flops next to
the front door. You can wear those until Nick gets you some shoes.”
“Clothes shopping,” Nick said.
“Yeah, good idea.”
First
and foremost, a set of trunks...
****
The traffic into nearly Olympic Beach
was relatively light. Nick guided the Audi down the two-lane blacktop, noting a
variety of state license plates on the other cars. “I think we’re doing this at
just the right time,” he commented.
“Looks like tourist
season is about to start.”
Aidan watched the passing scenery in
fascination. “I’ve never been in a car before,” he said. “Liam said he got carsick,
but this is great.”
“Liam?”
Something flickered across the mer’s
face. “He’s a friend. He had to get a ride in one of those yellow cars once. He
said he’d rather dry up and die than ride in one again.”
Nick mentally translated “yellow car” to
“taxi”. “How often do mers go ashore, anyway?”
“Depends on the mer. Li’s going to be an
Elder, plus he has special permission because—” He broke off, staring out the
window.
“Because?”
“He’s looking for something that only
exists on shore,” Aidan said slowly. His voice lowered. “When he can pull his
head out of his damned texts, that is.”
Aidan’s annoyed tone piqued Nick’s curiosity.
“Sounds like he’s some sort of student.”
“Kind of.
The Elders,
they’re—I guess you’d call them judges? They keep track of mer history and
lore,
advise
on new laws, and settle disputes. Liam’s
apprenticed to the Elder Council of our pod—our community—so he has to study
all the time.”