Night and Day Page 6

  “Oh, that feels so—ohhhh…” Thinking took up enough energy, let alone speaking. “Nobody’s going to see us here, are they?”

  “Let’s hope not. Not in this position, anyway.”

  “Good. Although, you know, maybe that’d be sort of…um…”

  “Exciting?”

  “Well—yeah.”

  Dan laughed. He gave her right orb a light smack. “There’s that little bad girl side to you again. If I can get her to behave most of the time, I don’t think I’d mind seeing her now and then. Like right now.”

  Sadie laughed and gave a gasp. He was still playing with her, even as he slipped his engorged erection into her. It was a delicious, incredible fit, and the sensations only intensified as he began slipping up and down inside her.

  “So you’re giving me permission to be a bad girl?” she teased.

  “Ah, not so fast. You have my permission to be my bad girl, Sadie. A little bit of bad girl and a little bit of good girl.” Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear, “I think that’s what you’re made up of anyway.”

  His movements were like the tide. Rhythmic and powerful, ebbing in and out. Her hands were digging into the sand beneath the water but she didn’t care. His fingers were moving faster, deliberately, at the same time he began moving faster inside her. Sadie’s eyes closed and her head tilted back when he removed his fingers from between her legs, right on the verge of her release.

  But then he began moving a little slower and a little more defined in her. He was reaching parts of her inside that made every nerve ending in her come alive. With his hands closing firmly around her small waist, she moved as best she could in sync with his movements.

  Having teased her sufficiently, he returned his fingers between her legs and continued the caresses nonstop. Sadie again tilted back her head, trying to speak, but all she could manage was a breathless moan.

  And then came the climax. He reached it first, and she could feel him pulsating inside her walls right befonre her own release exploded from within her. The sensations of pleasure seemed to be reverberating through every piece of her body, and she could tell by the way he was holding on to her that his experience was as intense as hers.

  That had to be a man. A full-fledged, red-blooded man. Not even a mythical creature could send a sexual explosion like that through her. He stayed inside her for some minutes, resting against her and stroking her hair lovingly. Eventually he was able to slip his erection out of her, sliding his hands back down from her waist as he lifted himself from around her. On a whim he kissed one side of her bottom, the kiss giving way to a hard, playful nibble.

  “Owww!” Sadie protested, breaking into a giggle.

  “Sorry. Just wanted a little taste. Your pretty tail’s good enough to eat.” Pulling himself to his full height, Dan helped her to her feet. “You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do that. Be with you like that.”

  Geez, her hair was a mess. Sadie combed her fingers through her tresses to tame them. She looked up at him hopefully.

  “How long, Dan?”

  He paused before answering. “Probably right before they took you away. And then after that when…I just couldn’t get to you.”

  That’s why you wanted to protect me, she realized. That’s why you pulled every string you could to be close to me once I got out.

  She knew it was a dangerous thing, letting her guard down like that in front of a man, but she couldn’t help it. Sadie stood before him, taking in the sight of his manly naked body, touching her cool, wet hands against his chest.

  “I’d like to do that again with you,” she said. “I’d like to have sex with you again, Dan.”

  “We will. Later.”

  “And what about our clothes?”

  “They can stay where they are for now. We won’t need them for the next few minutes.”

  “We won’t?” The water was beginning to recede now, though it still reached above her ankles. She shivered at the thought of submerging herself. “I don’t really need to go in with you. Do I?”

  “I’d like you to.”

  “But it’s cold.”

  “That’s all right. That’ll go away.” Taking the necklace from around his neck, he carefully placed it around hers. The aquamarine stone dangled between the swell of her full breasts. “Whatever you do, don’t take that off, baby. Not while you’re down there with me.”

  It took a moment for Sadie to fully grasp the meaning of those words. She clutched the stone between the fingers of her left hand, her right held by Dan as he led her deeper into the water.

  That really was happening. He was taking her into the water with him.

  “Oh—oh, Dan!” He was going to think she was such a baby, a silly goose. But all she could do was stare out at the vast ocean beyond the confines of the pier above them. “Dan, I’m—I can’t do this!”

  “It’s all right, Sadie. Nothing bad’s going to happen.” He shook his head, placing a gentle hand on her back. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. But I need you to trust me.”

  She’d always feared the water. Surely, she enjoyed wading in the ocean, even as a kid. But she’d never been a strong enough swimmer to go in over her head.

  Yet when she looked up at Dan again, she could already see that he was changing. The hand that held hers now had tiny membranes connecting each finger to the next…like webbed hands. His skin, as well, was taking on a darker shade, with a slight blue hue to it.

  Saying nothing, she took a deep breath and continued walking with him. At first the water was cold, but then, as he’d promised, the temperature seemed to change. Or was it her body that was changing? Growing strangely more accepting of the cold water?

  The water came first to her waist. Then to her chest. Then almost to her neck before she felt herself gently pulled beneath the surface. A flicker of panic started up in her again but then dissolved.

  I can breathe. I’m breathing underwater!

  Still, she emerged through the water’s surface. Words escaped her when she saw Dan. Her eyes widened in utter awe and surprise. His hair was longer now, much longer. Sadie noted that it gave him a sort of wild man look.

  Rather than be frightening, that was outrageously appealing. More shockingly, she noticed that from about his abdomen down, his skin was now covered by bluish scales. The lower part of his torso had completely transformed in a matter of minutes. Gone were his legs.

  And in their place was the long, powerful tail of a large aquatic animal.

  Some legends, it seems, were true.

  Chapter Five

  “Nope. Sorry, doll. You’re not wheedling out of this.” Dan paused thoughtfully. “But considering the circumstances, this one’s just going to be a warning.”

  “Ohhh. Okay.”

  With her lower lip jutted out in a little pout, he couldn’t hold back a chuckle in time.

  “Here?” Sadie sounded panicky.

  In reality, he could have taken her over his knee on one of the wooden benches scattered along the boardwalk. It was even later now, so there wasn’t a soul around. Still, the boardwalk was right out there in public view, and even though he’d spanked her in front of the boarding house, that had been with her rear fully covered. This would be a warning spanking, but he intended to bare her bottom for it.

  “No. In the car.”

  Sadie dropped her hunched shoulders in relief. “Whew! At least there’s no switch this time.”

  For those last few steps to the car Dan said nothing, only grinned mischievously. But once in the backseat with her, the closed door providing some modicum of privacy, he brought a large, oak brush with a handle out from under the front seat. Sadie took one look at the brush and exclaimed, “Where the heck did that come from?”

  “I found it at a store today. It’s a bath brush. Good, sturdy one, too. Thought it’d come in handy.”

  “But, Dan! I thought this was only supposed to be a warning!”

  “It is. A strong warning
, Sadie Lou.” He eyed her sternly, letting her know he wasn’t permitting an argument. “Now take down your bloomers for me. We’re not going anywhere until I know you’ve been soundly spanked.”

  Dan noted that they were making some progress. Sadie was still a headstrong imp, but she obeyed him without protesting. He rolled up his right sleeve and helped her climb over his knee. It was roomy in his car’s backseat, but it was still awkward for her, reaching back to tug up her skirt.

  Awkward—and pretty cute. He’d decided to have her bare her behind herself to make it part of disciplining her, but he hadn’t expected it to be such a doggone fun endeavor. Because that wasn’t the easiest of positions for mobility, that shapely little ass had to do a whole lot of wiggling and jiggling to free itself from the constraints of the undergarments.

  When he’d set out that night, knowing she’d be out there on the beach after her conversation with Ed Gage—unless Dan had miscalculated and she would have gone to the marina instead—he didn’t know he’d be paddling her again. Seeing those full, chubby cheeks perched on his knee gave him a rise. Besides, he liked the way her ample breasts looked, pushed up against his legs that way. In just moments they’d be jiggling quite nicely, too. Nothing would have given him more pleasure than to take her, to have his way with her right there in the backseat of his car.

  But first, there was a young lady in dire need of a good spanking.

  Somewhat composing himself, Dan asked, “You do understand why you’re over my knee again, don’t you, Sadie?”

  She craned her neck to look back at him. “Uh-huh. Because I went out by myself late at night and it’s dangerous for a lady to do that.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Even if she’s going fishing?”

  He didn’t take offense to her jesting. He almost laughed, in fact. A pretty, enticing little lady with great legs, a naughty behind, and a sense of humor to boot. Talk about a good catch!

  “Very funny, young lady. Let’s see how amused you are when I’m through using this brush.” At mentioning the implement, he rested it across her bottom. “And you know this spanking’s just a warning?”

  “Yessir. And if I don’t listen to it, I’ll be eating my breakfast standing up again.”

  Dan suppressed another chuckle. “Good girl!”

  Evidently, he didn’t need to lecture her. With no further delay, he raised the brush as high as he could in that limited space and brought it down hard on her creamy white bottom.

  “Ohhhhhh!” Sadie let out more of a groan than a cry in responding to the assault on her pretty tail.

  A warning for next time—or rather, that there shouldn’t be a next time. Dan figured a couple dozen smacks with the brush should do it. And the brush was really proving itself to be a good investment, too. He found it necessary to keep a firm arm around her waist to keep Sadie still. After each whack of the brush, she did some serious wriggling around on his lap, trying to avoid the next one.

  “You coming out late at night by yourself again?” he asked.

  “Nooo! Uh-uh! Owwww! Please stop, Dan!”

  It might have been just a warning, but he made sure those two dozen or so spanks got his point across about her safety mattering to him. He applied the strokes evenly, turning one cheek a rosy shade of pink and then the other, saving some for giving her sit spot a good sting.

  “I’m warned! I’m warned, already! Owww! Dan, stop, that really smarts!” Sadie arched her back and reached back her arm, trying to protect her bottom from the wooden brush’s potent stings.

  Luckily, he stopped the implement in mid-air before it could do damage to her delicate hand and arm.

  “Sadie, don’t you ever do that, you hear?” Promptly, he took her hand by the wrist and pinned it to the small of her back.

  He considered adding some extra spanks for that, but he knew that was just a natural reaction. Paddling her a good five times more, he tossed the brush beside him and placed his hand over her glowing behind. He was satisfied by the amount of warmth permeating through her skin. Just touching her that intimately had him aroused again.

  Dan clicked his tongue. “Well, glad that’s done. So far, I’ve been protecting you mostly from yourself.”

  “Ohhh, can I lay down across the backseat for the ride home?”

  “No, ma’am. If I hit a bump or something, you’ll go flying off. You’re sitting up front with me. And if I keep having to give you these late-night spankings and you sneaking into Miss Johnson’s door every morning, you’ll have tongues wagging.”

  “Aw, shoot, I don’t care what people say. I just care about my poor butt.”

  “Listen, ma’am, if you care about your butt, you’ll quit getting yourself into trouble!”

  He’d spoken gruffly to her but the admonition was really more of a tease, though he punctuated it with one good, hard spank from his hand that brought a miserable little yelp from her. He lifted her gently off his lap, chuckling and how quickly she scrambled to get out of the car and rub her hot pink fanny.

  “Better cover up that bottom,” he advised.

  “What? Oh, yeah.” Sadie eased her boxy underwear back up and smoothed down her skirt.

  “I’m not the only merman that returns from sea around now. I wouldn’t want to have words with somebody I meet over the waves because he admired your sweet little bare rear end.”

  “You’re…not the only merman?”

  “No. The full ones don’t come in. They don’t give one hoot about the folks on two legs. Mermaids do; they like humans. But full mermen usually stay out at sea.”

  “So it’s true. Your father was a merman and your mother was human.” Gingerly, she sat herself in the front passenger seat and waited until Dan had come around the front of the car and sat behind the wheel to ask, “If he didn’t care about us mere mortals, why did he and your mother…?”

  “Because he himself wasn’t full merman. That, plus he rescued her. She was out swimming by herself in the bay and got a cramp in her leg. She told me she was in about fifty feet of water when he saved her from drowning.” Dan started up the car. “But as for full mermen, the ones born to a merman and a mermaid, they can take the form of a human when the moon is full. He can remain human for about a week, then he has to return to sea.”

  “Oh. Well, you’re out a lot longer than that.”

  He glanced at her. “That’s because I have a lot of my mother in me, too. A merman with human blood in him is the opposite. Every full moon, I need to get out to sea, take my fish form. And for about seven nights I can return. I need to return.”

  “What happens if you don’t?”

  “If I don’t return to the sea, ever, I’d die.” Dan appreciated the look of concern etched across her face. “It’s that simple. The longest I ever went without returning was over a year. That was hell. I never want that to happen again.”

  “Oh, Dan, but what if something happens to you in the ocean?”

  “In the ocean? I’m safe there. It’s here on dry land where it’s dangerous. Especially with people like that damn reporter.” Grudgingly, he added, “I’m kinda glad you went to see him, though. At least I know what old Gage is up to.”

  “So you trust me? You know I won’t run back and tell him what I saw tonight?”

  Again he took his eyes off the road long enough to regard her. Sadie looked at him with such sweet expectancy, as if the wrong answer from him would be heartbreaking to her. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and leaned closer to her.

  “I trust you, baby. I know you wouldn’t double-cross me. Edward Gage means to make a name for himself, but he’s also out for revenge. If he had his way, they’d lock me away in some tank and study me—or worse. You wouldn’t let that happen to me.”

  “No, never!” she agreed emphatically. “And I know he’s wrong about you, Dan. I don’t know what happened before, how you got yourself in trouble when you were younger, but I know that’s all in the past. I know you’ve got a good hear
t. You’re a good man.”

  He took her face in his hand, nearly overcome by emotion. “And…what about…”

  “Your life as a merman? Well, it’s—uh—a little different.” Sadie laughed. “I don’t mind. As long as I can have you here on land with me most of the time, days and some nights. You’re only a merman for some nights, right?”

  “Wrong, doll. I’m a merman night and day. Every night and day. But I only take the form some nights.” He smiled tenderly. “And you’d be in my heart all that time, too. Night and day.”

  Sadie wrapped her arms around his neck. “But what about mermaids? You said they come to shore?”

  “Some of them. Miss Johnson’s a mermaid. An older mermaid, but she’s an honest-to-goodness mermaid,” he said with a laugh.

  “She’s a mermaid? Geez!” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Any pretty, young mermaids out there?”

  “I happen to think all mermaids are pretty. Miss Johnson, included. But not one of them is you. And you’re a knockout, baby.” He shook a finger at her. “I guess I gotta trust you while I’m out at sea. And you gotta trust me.”

  He accepted a quick, moist kiss from her mouth. Then she asked, “Eddie Gage wants revenge? For what?”

  “For getting his girlfriend put away behind bars. She’s doing time for embezzling from her employer.” Dan sighed. “Smart girl. This blonde, Rebecca Swinton. Me and Martin almost couldn’t catch her. Stole over ten thousand dollars from the company she was working for. The day the judge threw the book at her. Gage was waiting for me outside on the courthouse steps. Threw a punch at me but I restrained him, and he spit at me and told me he’d get me.”

  He had to grin at the fire in that gal’s eyes. Sadie was a handful, no doubt about that. But she was also a great girl.