Merlicious 1 Read online

  "Hear what?"

  Marina dropped her voice to a loud whisper, “That swishing noise?"

  "I didn't hear anything, but what say we high-tail it out of here?"

  Marina swam upward as fast as she could go. She felt a tickling on her tailfin. “Shock, this is no time to play around.” Then something wrapped around her just above the tailfin and held tight.

  "Shock ... something has me. Help!” she screamed. Marina swam as hard as she could but went nowhere. In fact, she felt herself dragged down.

  "Marina, swim up ... hurry!” Shock called from above her.

  "I can't. I'm trying. It's dragging me down. Marina struggled to get loose, but then she felt something cold wrap around her waist and screamed again.

  The water below lit up a little, and she saw Shock throwing himself against a large, thick tentacle. His electricity just wasn't strong enough to make a difference. The lower Marina was pulled, the harder she struggled. When Shock hit against the tentacles again, the water lit up a little more. She saw a frightening sight. A monstrous squid head with horrid black eyes stared back at her and was maneuvering her straight for its mouth.

  "Oh, Poseidon ... help me."

  "It's not working, Marina,” Shock shouted up to her.

  "Move out of the way, eel. I've got something to stop this monster."

  Marina heard a deep male voice order Shock out of the way. She didn't recognize his voice, but boy, was she glad to hear him. Her friends often spoke about different colonies of merfolk, but whenever she asked her parents, they just laughed and said no others lived anywhere near. But then, she had no idea if it was a merman who spoke.

  "Who is that?” Shock asked, puffing and panting beside her. It was still pitch black.

  "I have no idea. But I am glad he turned up. I hope it's a merman.” Marina felt the tentacles around her loosen and swam upward as hard as she could. She felt another swimmer beside her, and it wasn't Shock.

  "Close call there, lady.” The male voice thrilled her, but she kept swimming; she wasn't taking any chances until she could see.

  "I was terrified. Thanks. How did you stop it?"

  "A little trick I learned from my dad. I fed it a Caulerpa. It makes them drowsy. Won't kill it."

  The water went from dark to murky. Soon after the light penetrated enough for her to see more clearly. Marina looked toward the voice and could not believe her eyes. A merman swam beside her, and he looked little older than her. He must have been eight feet long, and he boasted the most gorgeous shade of royal blue for his tail. Her heart skipped a beat, and she swam upwards even harder. Feeling very self-conscious, she wondered if he thought her a total head case for swimming down there unprotected. Shock swam up ahead and glanced behind now and then, presumably to see if she still followed.

  It didn't seem to matter how fast she went, the male kept up effortlessly, winding and somersaulting his way along beside her. The brighter the water became, the more striking his features were. An unusual urge grew inside Marina, and, although she hadn't felt it often, she knew this was the urge to mate. He hadn't said anything else, just tagged along, so Marina thought she should at least introduce herself.

  "My name is Marina. This is Shock, and I think I can speak for us both when I say I'm so glad you happened along.” She held out her hand, and he took it in his. Marina could have sworn she had hold of Shock's tale, such was the buzz she received.

  Instead of shaking her hand as she intended, he lifted it to his mouth and touched his lips softly to the back of her hand. Marina was mesmerized, and together they floated up over the ledge and onto the higher sea bed they called home. His soft lips sent shivers up her spine and made her tail tingle with anticipation.

  "Marina?” Shock interrupted the magic moment, and Marina tried to find some composure.

  "Yes, Shock?"

  "Maybe we should be getting home. It's late afternoon, and you know how your parents are if you miss meal times."

  "You are right, Shock. I think I've caused enough trouble for one day. I'll just say goodbye, if that's okay?” She briefly worried Shock might think she was being silly again.

  "Sure. I'll wait along here. You know we have all that sea lettuce salad left over. There would be enough for a picnic lunch tomorrow. I think I have things to do, but maybe you could ask...” Shock whispered with a grin.

  Marina could have hugged him for his understanding.

  As Shock swam away and waited, Marina turned to her rescuer.

  "So, do you have a name?” she asked, staring at his bright blue eyes.

  "Sure. I'm Ceph ... I live over in Green Waters. You come from Coral City, right?” When he smiled, dimples appeared in both cheeks.

  "Green Waters? I've never heard of it.” She wondered why her parents would keep that a secret.

  "I'd never heard of Coral City either. But then when I spotted you and Shock I asked Dad who you were and he told me where he thought you came from. We were swimming in the area. Normally we wouldn't come this far out, but I felt adventurous today."

  "Ah, so that is how you knew I was down there. Thank goodness you followed me."

  "Those giant squids are quite common in that area. Not big on brains, but they are hungry devils.” He whizzed around, making bubbles that tickled her all over. Marina giggled and then mentally scolded herself for sounding just like the other females.

  "Why didn't you come and tell me not to go down there?” Marina had to ask.

  "Would you have listened? I doubt it. And if you were into doing the sensible thing, you would never have headed down there in the first place. I know when someone tells me not to do something I want to do it even more,” he explained and pushed back his black hair. It reached well past his shoulders and had a blue tinge that matched his tail color.

  "We're just the same.” Marina felt so happy Ceph understood that feeling.

  "Anyway, I couldn't have played the hero if I'd stopped you.” He laughed, and it sounded like music.

  "If you aren't busy tomorrow, I'd like to take you on a thank you picnic.” Please say yes, please say yes.

  "I'll clear my schedule. Nothing could be more important than getting to know you better."

  Marina smiled so hard it hurt. “Meet me a mile on from here, one hour before lunch. You'll see a big orange rock. Wait for me. I might be a little late, but I will be there."

  Ceph moved closer to her and took both her hands. Marina held her breath. Up close, he was massive. Even though she was bigger than most mermaids, she felt tiny alongside Ceph. His upper body was well muscled and so broad, and his tail was one of the most powerful she'd ever seen.

  "I'll be there, Marina, I will be there,” he half whispered as he leant in and kissed her cheek. He lingered, his lips so close to hers.

  She gasped, pulled away suddenly and swam as fast as any sea mammal could. The feelings of need swamped her, and for once she thought before she acted and held back her yearning. Otherwise, she would have fiercely kissed him, and Poseidon only knew what would have happened.

  Catching up with Shock, Marina did somersaults and twirled. “Oh, Shock, he is just so sexy."

  To her surprise, Shock laughed. “I thought you might think that. And you know, I think he feels the same about you."

  "You mean you approve? Should I call the doctor?” She laughed.

  "Of course I approve. He is perfect for you and ... he saved our lives."

  "Shock, I am so very sorry I got you in all that trouble. I would never have gone down there if I'd known. It was a stupid and childish mistake. To think we might both be dead now.” Tears filled her eyes as her emotions caught up with her.

  "You were right about me being a fuddy duddy. If nothing else, I learned that life is precious, and I should be out living it instead of worrying what everyone else will think or say. I envy you that, Marina."

  "I want to be more careful from now on. I almost died, and I nearly got you killed as well. It's just that I feel so frustrated with my life
, and seeing all my friends pair off makes me feel lonely and useless. But now I've met Ceph, everything has changed. I know he likes me. I can feel it, and I don't intend to stuff it up.” Marina felt like she had grown up instantly. More than anything, she wanted to be with Ceph. “So no more stupid stuff."

  Shock gave her a disbelieving look.

  "Okay ... maybe a little. But nothing life-threatening.” She laughed along with him.

  "Just don't change too much, Marina. I really do love you the way you are."

  "But I wonder why my parents never told me about Green Waters—that's where Ceph lives—do you think they know about it?"

  "Marina, I think that is a question only they can answer."

  Marina saw they approached Coral City and wondered how to broach the subject with her parents. Maybe I'll leave it until I know Ceph a little better.

  * * * *

  Marina woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed the next morning. Ceph filled her dreams, and her mood was better than ever. She sang her way out to breakfast and kissed her parents good morning.

  "Morning, sweetheart. You seem very happy. Anything we should know?” her father asked.

  "Not really, Dad. I'm just off on a picnic with a friend later."

  "A friend? Anyone I know?” Her father smiled, winking at her mother.

  "No, Dad. It's just a picnic.” Marina raised her eyebrows at her mother, and she smiled back.

  "Yes, that's what started a lifetime of romance for your mother and me. A picnic.” Her dad had that wistful look he got every time he related the story.

  "Really? You never mentioned that before,” Marina teased.

  "Well, you are older now. I trust you won't do anything ... reckless with this picnic partner?” her father asked and stared right at her.

  Marina felt herself blush. “Dad!"

  "Sandy, that's enough teasing. Leave the poor child alone. Have a nice time, darling. Don't be late.” Her mother patted her on the head.

  "Mom, I am not a child anymore."

  "I know, dear ... but you'll always be our baby. Just like your eight brothers and sisters,” her mom replied with a smile.

  Marina quickly packed her salads and threw in some sweet kelp. “Mom, can I do anything for you before I go and get ready?"

  "Have you refilled the store shelves and tallied up the orders for today?"

  Her parents owned the Sea Deli, and at this time of year, it was at its busiest. “Yes, Mom. I did that all before bed last night."

  "There now, how long have I been advising you to do that? Whoever this young merman is, I like him already. Good job, Marina. Then you are free to go. I picked some fresh sea flowers if you'd like them for your hair."

  "I'll be fine. Thanks, Mom."

  Marina was almost bursting as she picked out her best bikini top to wear. Sexy, but not too forward. She settled on a sea-green color to match her eyes. Her nerves spiraled out of control, and she practiced some deep breathing. It's just a picnic.

  With absolutely no experience in anything sexual, apart from a few hot kissing sessions with Moby, Marina wondered how many females Ceph had been with. When she'd spoken about the subject with her mother, she'd been reassured that when she found the right merman she would know. Apparently, mating happened naturally, and the body underwent certain changes, becoming, in fact, more human-like.

  Once the technique had been mastered, merfolk were quite able to walk on land and live normally as long as they swam in the sea regularly. Once the first change took place in the height of passion, they retained the ability to convert to legs, along with the rest of the anatomy. Lily, one of her sisters, went to live on land and returned every year with fascinating stories, but Marina just couldn't imagine not living under the sea.

  Marina did wonder what it would be like to walk on land and have a woman's lovemaking anatomy. Suddenly, she realized the massive change her life could take. Being a child was so much easier, and Marina understood now why her parents worried about her recklessness all the time. Being grown up had a new set of rules. Rules she decided to take on. Ceph was a dream come true, and deep down she knew it was love at first sight and love forever.

  Taking one last look at her reflection, she raced out to meet the one merman she wanted to give herself to completely.

  * * * *

  "So what do you do?” Ceph asked her as he munched on the salad.

  "At the moment, I help my parents out in their deli. But I want to study business. I guess one day I'd like to have my own. Maybe not a deli, but something,” Marina answered happily. It was nice to have someone interested in her dreams.

  "Wow. That's great. All the young females I know want to settle down and have merkids."

  "You don't want a family then?” Marina felt a sudden pang of worry. She did want kids one day.

  He traced his finger down her cheek, “Sure I do. I want plenty of offspring. But not right now. I still have so much to study between the land dwellers and us. Times are changing, you know. I believe in the future we will be able to live in harmony with humans. After all, we are a large part human ourselves."

  "I want kids too, one day. I'm not in a hurry. Right now it would be like a kid having a kid.” Marina looked into Ceph's eyes. Something she had avoided so far.

  He locked her into a look that told her he did not think she was a kid. “Marina ... you are no child. You are beautiful, and when I look at you I see a mature female ready for..."

  "Ready for what...?"

  "This.” He cupped her face in his hands, and as his lips pressed to hers, Marina moved her body against him.

  Opening her mouth, she received his soft and gentle tongue. Her need grew, and her tongue met his eagerly.

  He groaned into her mouth and pulled her to him tightly. Ceph broke away from the kiss and breathed heavily. “Have you ever...?” he asked.

  "No."

  He pushed away from her a little and said, “Phew! We've only just met, and I don't want you to think that's all I'm interested in."

  "Ceph, just the fact that you stopped to say that proves you aren't. I know we just met, but I know many mermen, and I have never had the slightest urge to have sex with them."

  "Me neither ... not mermen,” he gave her a lopsided grin. Marina laughed at his crazy humor.

  "I want you to be my first, Ceph, whether it's today or later on.” She ran her hand along the length of his tail and the hard rippled muscle fuelled her desire.

  "I want you to be the last woman I ever make love to. Marina, I know I will never want anyone else."

  Again, he captured her mouth with his, and Marina felt thankful she had brought him to her secret cave. Inside it was quite bright and a soft bed of grasses covered the sand. Today, she wanted to make love with Ceph. Pressing her body to his, she moved her tail against his. Their mouths still locked in oral embrace, Marina shivered as a surge of pleasure shot along her tail. Then she felt a strange tingle and something that was almost painful but so much more pleasurable. She felt as if her tail had split in half and she could wave each half back and forth.

  To her surprise, smooth legs wrapped around Ceph's hips. Her legs. This moment just kept getting better and better. In her wildest dreams she could never imagine how true passion would feel. When she looked down, she saw his tail transformed into muscular legs. Something hard pressed to her newfound center, and Marina knew she just had to stop and look at him. Pushing away from him, she kicked her legs one at a time and looked at Ceph's new anatomy. His legs were strong, but what was above them took her attention. He looked truly gorgeous.

  "Marina. Oh, you are just magnificent. Are you still sure this is what you want?"

  "More than anything.” She ran her hands over her legs and across her smooth center. Pleasure rocketed through her, and she gasped. Ceph pulled her close and held her as they floated down to the grassy bottom.

  "Have you had other mermaids,” she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

  "Two. Neither of them
serious. Heat of the moment."

  "Like this?"

  "Oh no, my beauty. Nothing like this. Nothing like you."

  "I'm glad."

  Ceph undid her bikini top. It did seem a little redundant to still be wearing it with the rest of her naked. When he ran his hand over her rock-hard nipples, she cried out. He squeezed one between his finger and thumb, and Marina arched in a reflex action. Looking deeply into her eyes, he held one of his hands against her back and supported her easily. Still tugging at her virgin nipple, he kissed down her belly and lingered just above her mound. Marina ran her hands through his blue-black hair and groaned loudly.

  He gently lowered her to the ocean floor, and she rested comfortably on her back as he pressed a hand on each knee and parted her legs. “Oh, you are so beautiful. Look at this wonderful sight before me."

  Marina did not feel the slightest bit embarrassed being spread before him. She wanted him to look at her with those hungry eyes. Then he dipped his head and ran his tongue inside her pussy lips. It was a totally new feeling and so much better than any of the magazines described it. She knew the hardened nub he now flicked was her clitoris. What she didn't know was how intense the pleasure would be.

  Over and over again, his soft tongue rubbed and massaged. Marina had read she should try and prolong the pleasurable feelings, but her body reacted before she could even try. She fisted his hair with her hands, and a vibration of ecstasy hit her center and radiated to her outermost parts. Ceph held her close, his tongue still pressed against her most sensitive place. Marina called out his name over and over, riding the waves of pleasure.

  "Ceph. I want you ... Now.” Marina knew she had to have his hard shaft inside her, although she wondered how it would fit. Still, she was sure they'd manage.

  He moved up and rested his cock at her opening. Marina looked down and touched it, running her fingers over the smooth head. Tracing along the slit. She thought it a wonderful thing. Ceph growled, and she moved her hands away and wrapped her legs around him. Gripping his powerful biceps, Marina leveled his gaze. The head of his cock pressed to her and with a short thrust, he entered her. He stopped.