A Mermaid's Kiss - CAPA Nominee

I’m honored to be a double CAPA nominee (sounds like a coffee, doesn’t it? grin), and wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a summary and excerpt from A Mermaid’s Kiss. I’ll post one from the Unlaced anthology, in a little bit – as soon as I can figure out an excerpt from my contribution that doesn’t have “adult” content (laughter). Best wishes to all nominees! Oh - unfortunately, when I tried to put in my cover art, it changed all the colors, so I just deleted it, but you can see the beautiful artwork in the sidebar or on my website. Many apologies for my lack of technical savvy! Joey W. Hill

* * * * *
As the Prime Legion Commander for the Goddess, Jonah has been battling the Dark Ones for centuries. He has led countless angels into battle, and has seen too many of them slaughtered. Now, his noble spirit has begun to tire with the weight of endless war—which allows a Dark One to strike a blow that severs his wing and knocks him into the sea.

Anna is a daughter of Arianne — a direct descendant of the mermaid whose poignant legend and lore is much darker and more complex than the human-made fairytale. Despite that, Anna’s longing for love compels her to risk her very life to protect and hide the fallen Jonah.

Anna knows that Jonah’s destiny lies beyond her desire—and that if she repeats her ancestor’s mistakes, heartache will be her only reward. But as she falls more in love with him, Anna wonders if she’s destined to lose her heart and her dreams to save Jonah’s soul…

* * * * *

“Did you hatch this plan with the seawitch?”

“No, my lord.” Anna’s jaw took on a stubborn set. “I didn’t know of Mina’s plan, but yes, I did help her when she told me the Dark Ones would be there any moment.”

Jonah snorted. “I don’t suppose it would have occurred to either of you to advise me of her plan before she executed it?”

Anna shook her head. “She didn’t think you would agree. They were coming,” she repeated.

Was he mistaken or was she…gritting her teeth? Her words were coming out clipped, measured. He dropped his touch. “It would have been wiser for the two of you to leave. So I could deal with them and you would have been safe. You were utterly foolish.”

“You would have been dead.” Her gaze shot up to his face and he saw a surprising flash of fire. “I won’t allow that. Not while I live. Not while I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

“Anna—”

“I won’t allow it.”

Her shout reverberated up and down the beach, stunning him into silence. She stood there in her human form, actually quivering with fury, her hands balled into fists, despite the fact he loomed over her like a mountain.

“You won’t allow it, little one? Who do you think you’re talking to?”

By Hades, she took another step forward, tilting her head to come almost nose to nose with him. “You wanted to die. You want them to kill you. You think I don’t see it? That Mina and I don’t recognize it? Well, I’m sorry, my lord, but it’s your misfortune to have landed in the clutches of the two people in the whole ocean who know what it is to feel that way.”

His rage struggled with his astonishment. She was standing fully in the blast zone of his fury, and not backing down a bit. He had captains smart enough to stay out of range when he was in a temper only half this fierce. No one of his own Legion had dared anything but respectful dissension with him for as long as he could remember.

From the shifting of her eyes, he could tell she knew the ground beneath her was quicksand. And yet the little idiot wasn’t done yet.

* * * * *

Anna couldn’t stand it. She’d sat there, watching him vomit and struggle, his horror and disorientation when he realized his wings were gone, an intrinsic part of who he was. Knowing she’d done this to him, agreed to this transformation. Even wounded, as an angel, he’d been so fully in command. So perfect. He was an angel, the Prime Legion Commander, and she’d reduced him to this.

She’d known she wasn’t in any way prepared to deal with this situation. But that never seemed to stop her from doing what she shouldn’t do. Now she found herself well over her head, with only one compass to guide her. Mina’s dark vision of what could happen if he fell into the hands of the Dark Ones. She had to do what she could to protect him. And since she had ridiculously little power of her own for such a task, she could only follow Mina’s instructions. Trust the one being Jonah thought she was a fool to trust.

“You don’t know anything.” His jaw was still rigid. “You’ve lived for barely a blink of my life. You know nothing.”

He could destroy her. At sunset, he would return to being an angel who could extinguish a life without a thought. Goddess, even as a human he could snap her neck. And he was, as the humans liked to say, tremendously pissed off. But even beyond her self-doubt, she knew she was right about this one thing, and she told herself she wouldn’t back away from it, no matter how much her stomach was quaking with nerves.

“Let me die. That was one of the first things you said.” Anna took a breath, and reminded herself of how he’d been inside her, overwhelmed her with his mouth alone. She was part of him in her own mind, whether he cared to nurture that illusion himself or not. “I don’t know the shape or reason for the darkness you carry in you, my lord, but I do know it’s there, and that it’s likely a greater danger to you than a Dark One. I won’t let you throw your life away. Not if I can do anything to prevent it.”

What could she do?

Touch yourself to draw his desire… That’s what Mina had suggested, but Anna had never been…well, obviously she had no experience in seducing a male. But she needed to try something different than arguing with an ancient being who would consider her measly twenty years of wisdom inconsequential. Knowing she was risking a humiliating rebuff or worse, with an awkward jerk she rose on her toes, aware the motion dragged the full softness of her breasts against his chest, as well as his knuckles, for his hands came up in reaction, locked on her wrists again.

It was a stretch, but she managed to reach his lips. Not a shy kiss this time. Leaning into him, she opened her mouth and sought the inside of his, tasting his tongue, wishing her hands could be free so she could bring his head down, grip his hair, delve deeper. Draw his desire…

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