Wanton Little Mermaid

Wanton Little Mermaid Sandra Heath

Sabrina is a virgin mermaid with a secret, fleshly passion for Sir Jake Cranwell, the handsome Regency gentleman she has been spying upon from afar. She wants to give herself only to him, heart, soul and body. She dreams of savoring his lips, his caresses…his penetration. No one else will do. She may get her chance when, on the night of the merfolk’s riverside orgy, where Sabrina alone remains pure, she inexplicably finds herself face-to-face with Jake. His desire matches hers, as his virile body cannot hide, but is he free? Lady Evangeline Bellington, Jake’s cruel former lover, exerts an irresistibly erotic hold upon him—and she will stop at nothing to win him back.

Ellora’s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

Wanton Little Mermaid ISBN 9781419934100 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Wanton Little Mermaid Copyright © 2011 Sandra Heath Edited by Helen Woodall Cover art by Dar Albert Electronic book publication April 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

WANTON LITTLE MERMAID Sandra Heath

Dedication With apologies to Hans Christian Andersen.

Sandra Heath

Chapter One Neptune’s annual riverside orgy for merfolk was always the scene of profligacy second to none, and one that his longsuffering queen, the goddess Salacia, refused to attend. The god’s carnal desire to fuck young mermaids, a feat only possible on this one night, was so insatiable and public that his wife would have no more to do with him. Not that he cared. Faithfulness would never figure in his philosophy. He was tall, muscular, golden and handsome, with black eyes, a tightly curled gilded beard and an inflated opinion of himself. Vanity was his second name and Carnality his third. July nights in England were almost always warm, and this year of 1814 was no exception. The deep River Severn shone silver beneath a full moon, and the orgy was in full swing in a tree-fringed clearing where the Royal Forest of Dean swept down almost to the water’s edge. The clearing was in the grounds of Winterleigh Court, a fine fifteenth-century half-timbered mansion that had been closed for several years now. Winterleigh Court stood on the leafy slopes above the river, and had beautiful, if neglected, stepped gardens that descended to the strip of ancient deciduous woodland that guarded the semicircle of the clearing itself. A mile upstream, on the busy turnpike between Chepstow and Gloucester, was the small town of Blakenham, where even the advent of a large temporary army camp made no difference to the rural seclusion of Winterleigh Court, drowsing in its secret place. So much for the setting, it is time to tell of the orgy itself. Such functions are always popular, of course, but Neptune’s was almost ridiculously so because, for just a few hours, chosen merfolk were granted human legs and genitalia and were able to indulge in all human fleshly excesses. Without a fish tail in sight, they could leave water for solid ground and, well…fuck as often as they pleased.

6

Wanton Little Mermaid

At sundown Neptune had arrived in a pink chariot made from the biggest oyster shell ever discovered. It was iridescently beautiful and commanded attention, especially as it was drawn by a quartet of that rare steed, the greater white hippocampus. The music of the merman orchestra was exquisite, particularly the kelp strings and shark’s teeth pipes, although it had to be said that the conch horns lacked a truly delicate touch. Conversation was ribald, the food was choice, shell lanterns glowed, and the atmosphere was delightfully convivial…and, of course, libidinous. It was the gathering at which to be seen, where inhibitions had to be cast aside and provocative behavior wasn’t merely tolerated but expected. In short, as Sabrina would in future days observe to her best friend Anemone, Neptune’s orgy wasn’t in the least like Almack’s, Carlton House or Brighton Pavilion, but very like the riotous goings-on at certain addresses in St. James’. Not that Sabrina would ever grace such establishments with her presence, of course, she would hear all about them from others. Anemone—being Anemone—would decide that houses of ill repute sounded much more exciting than the stuffy haunts of the human haut ton, but even by mermaid standards, Anemone was of a dissolute disposition. She and purity had long since parted company, whereas Sabrina, a dedicated virgin, had every intention of retaining hers. Annual cocks and pussies notwithstanding, Anemone was in the sulk of all sulks. She had been appointed Neptune’s concubine for the night, but he had ignored her— and, it had to be admitted, every other mermaid too, but that was not the point. Being neglected was not something to which Anemone was accustomed. She was the most self-important and immoral mermaid of all, and considered herself to be superior in every way. As with the rest of her kind, she was green, from her hair and eyes to her skin and even her blood. She was very pretty, and always fragrant with her favorite essence of red clover. Without exception, mermen found her desirable, but tonight she wanted only Neptune. It was something she had set her heart on, and as his concubine it was something she had every right to expect.

7

Sandra Heath

Erotic frissons of anticipation had rippled through her from the moment she’d been chosen. What would it be like to have his splendidly proportioned member inside her? To actually have a god inside her? Although she shivered in delight merely thinking about it, she seemed set to continue wondering, because said divine member, of which Neptune made no secret of being proud, had not been put to use at all, nor had it even stirred with passing interest. It just drooped there against his equally impressive balls and did nothing. It was whispered that he’d had a surfeit of shrimp curry the night before, but no one knew for certain. He seemed well enough as he presided over the proceedings. Seated on a raised golden throne that was adorned with rare water lilies stolen from an ornamental pool at Winterleigh Court, he frequently raised his new jeweled quizzing glass to study the moonlit scene of carnal abandonment before him. But he certainly seemed to be studiously ignoring the little gray-and-white striped awning where Anemone and Sabrina sat together on seaweed cushions. Insulted and annoyed, Anemone found fault with everything about him. “How vain he is to use that stupid quizzing glass rather than wear spectacles. We all know he’s so short-sighted he can hardly see beyond his nose!” “He doesn’t need to for what you want,” Sabrina remarked drily. “I only want what he is supposed to do. Anyway, what would you know? You’re a virgin and will only have to play your silly lute when he sends for me.” It was Sabrina’s duty to play prettily to entertain the god and his concubine, and her golden lute lay in readiness beside her. She watched as Anemone picked up a silver mirror to admire herself. “Oh Anemone, how you have the audacity to criticize him for vanity, I really don’t know.” “Well, I crave milady’s forgiveness for expressing an opinion.” Anemone tossed the mirror down petulantly, and made much of adjusting her pretty blue shell girdle, before parting her new legs in order to show off her pubic hair and inviting little pussy. “Oh, I’m so miffed with Neptune that I’m almost tempted to encourage Derwent.” She glanced at the forlorn figure of the handsome merman who’d been hopeful of her favors

8

Wanton Little Mermaid

for so long now that he’d become a bore to her. He was named after his home river in the northwest of England, and was of an attractive disposition. Attractive or not, the full moon had been shining on his many indiscretions, and Anemone had seen him copulating with numerous other mermaids tonight, and knew that his wistful expression of unrequited love was superficial to say the least. It was impossible to take seriously a merman whose pink backside had been bouncing so busily since darkness fell. “But you can’t abide Derwent,” Sabrina pointed out. “He’ll do if necessary. You know what they say, any port in a storm.” Sabrina didn’t reply, but searched in her sea purse for the little crystal phial containing her precious water lily scent, which she dabbed on her wrists and throat. She liked Anemone a lot but did not share her profligacy. All mermaids were promiscuous, especially on this night, when it was considered dreadful if one failed to take at least four lovers, preferably more. Sabrina was an exception to almost all the rules, especially in her appearance. Not for her the green skin, hair and tail. Instead she had a mane of tawny curls, blue eyes, rounded breasts, upstanding nipples and the pale creamy skin of most humans in this part of the world. And she had legs. All year round. In fact she looked entirely human, but her mermaid mother had bequeathed her the ability to swim like a fish and breathe underwater. Her looks were entirely due to her father having been Sir Andrew Winterleigh, the very human young Gloucestershire gentleman whose family had owned Winterleigh Court for several centuries. She’d been conceived in the house on this very night twenty-three years ago, when her mother, using her temporary legs to explore the house and its grounds, had come face-to-face with Sir Andrew. Their great love had blossomed swiftly. They’d been married according to mer-law as well as the rites of his Church, courtesy of a very understanding, discreet clergyman in Blakenham. She, Sabrina, had been born just over nine months later.

9

Sandra Heath

To return to the orgy, Anemone’s pussy could not have been more on show as she stretched her newly acquired legs, which she always found very awkward indeed. Most mermaids managed the transition without problem, but she always felt clumsy. It wasn’t good for her self-esteem, especially when Sabrina had the unfair advantage of permanent legs—long, shapely, beautiful legs that Anemone envied. Derwent observed lustfully. He had indeed been spreading his virile new cock’s favors, but it was Anemone he really wanted. It didn’t matter to him that she was Neptune’s concubine for the night, just that he, Derwent, might have a chance of getting into her first. Hopeful, and already with a huge erection, he approached the two friends. His extended cock swung heavily, its head glistening from all the fun it had already been having…and the fun it still hoped to have. He paused before Anemone to gaze hotly at the exciting goodies in the apex of her legs, goodies she displayed for Neptune’s benefit. Much good it was doing her. Derwent halted, gripping his cock for fear of committing the social faux pas of dripping upon her. “You seem lonely, Anemone,” he said, as if Sabrina didn’t exist. “Do you want a little male company?” “Oh go away, Derwent,” Anemone replied, waving him off with a languid hand. “And waste this?” He thrust his hips forward until his cock extended right over her. “Come on now, let’s have some fun. Some hearty screwing will do us both good, and might even relieve me for another year of desiring you.” How romantic, Sabrina thought, wondering what effect such a basic approach would have on Anemone. He swung his cock up and down. “Hm? A little fucky-wucky to cheer us?” Anemone glanced up at his quivering member, which really was quite remarkable. Certainly it was a vast improvement on the lesser appendage of last year. Her interest had evidently been aroused, because she stretched up a finger to twiddle his plump balls. Her other hand slid between her legs to the bud from which she derived more pleasure than anywhere else. Hmmm, perhaps a nice little fucky-wucky would indeed 10

Wanton Little Mermaid

be the thing. Temporarily forgetting Neptune, she extended her arms, and in a moment Derwent had leapt upon her, forced his rampant penis into her moist channel and commenced driving in and out with all the finesse of an out-of-control steam engine. He gave her no time to assemble her desires, nor did he pay her the compliment of any erotic stimulation. No, he rammed her with his piston, and it was all over and done with in double quick time. Then he got up again, his spent organ dangling, his expression one of pride in having acquitted himself brilliantly. Sabrina looked on with open-mouthed astonishment, while Anemone lay in an unattractive sprawl, her hair in a mess, her body used and her temper giving off sparks. “You call that a nice little fucky-wucky? What do you think I am? A receptacle? An inanimate object? A privy in which to ease yourself? You were as subtle as a walrus in a rock pool! How dare you treat me in such a way!” He gaped down at her, his cock retreating nervously into its foreskin. “Eh? I—look, Anemone, I thought it was what you wanted—” “You didn’t think! You never do, you selfish reptile! Mermaids need much more consideration. I must have been tide-struck to let you in, and I’ll warrant every other mermaid you’ve fucked tonight is thinking the same. You can count on it that I’ll see you don’t have much success next year!” “Oh come on, Anemone, it wasn’t that bad.” She glanced up at him through her dishevelment. “You’re right. It was much worse!” She seized the mirror and threw it at his genitals, at which point he took flight. Sabrina couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh Anemone, that was the funniest thing I’ve seen in an age.” The other glowered. “I don’t think it’s at all funny.” “Yes, you do, and just think what amusement you’ll have when comparing details with everyone else he’s imposed himself on tonight.” Anemone continued to scowl, but gradually a sleek little smile appeared on her lips. “Yes, that will be pleasant, won’t it? He’ll soon be wishing he hadn’t been so hoggish. It 11

Sandra Heath

takes two to make love, a small fact that seems to have slipped past him.” Then the smile faded and she looked guiltily toward Neptune. Sabrina soothed her. “You needn’t worry. It seems the suspect shrimp curry is a thing of the past, for our great lord is now too busy enjoying a helping of lobster bisque to notice anything.” “Are you implying that I’m of less interest than a dish of fish soup?” Anemone’s eyes flashed. “No, of course I don’t mean it that way,” Sabrina replied hastily, “just that he didn’t happen to glance toward us.” “You’re sure?” “As sure as I can be, for I admit that your over-in-a-trice roll around with Derwent did rather claim my attention.” Anemone’s nostrils flared. “It wasn’t so much a roll as a squashing, a complete flattening.” Then her voice became wistful. “Oh what I wouldn’t do for a true act of love, a romantic, beautiful, tender, exquisitely satisfying coupling of two adoring souls.” Like my mother and father, Sabrina thought. Her mother had always said that her brief time with Adam Winterleigh had been the most joyous and erotic time of her entire life. Sabrina fingered the ivory miniature of her father that was always around her throat. He’d given her the tawny hair and bright blue eyes of the Winterleighs, but had died in a carriage overturn before knowing her mother was carrying her. She, Sabrina, could only know him as the engaging young gentleman in the little likeness. Winterleigh Court had a new owner now, the achingly attractive Sir Jake Cranwell, but after living there all the time at first, he’d stayed away for the past three years. The once delightful house had been closed and shuttered all that time. Sir Jake was clearly a gentleman of ton who preferred the high society of the capital to the rural charms of Gloucestershire. She’d been told that Jake was his nickname, and that he was really Sir James Cranwell. 12

Wanton Little Mermaid

She’d only been fifteen when he first came to the house, but one glimpse had enslaved her forever. With his dark wavy hair, long-lashed brown eyes, athletic figure, natural elegance and infectious laughter, he had always caught her undivided attention. His clothes had to be the work of London’s very best tailor, and his pale gray breeches fitted him like a second skin. He was everything mermen were not, nor ever could be, and his very difference drew her like a foolish little moth to a flame, arousing sensations she had never experienced before, pleasing sensations that brought a bloom to her cheeks and a new light to her eyes. She had spied upon him all she could, adoring him and resenting any pretty woman who happened to be among his house guests. How she missed him, even though they had never exchanged a word. Sabrina fingered her tawny curls dejectedly as she surveyed the orgy. Such unbridled lust was all very well, but she had always wanted what her mother and father had, a love that was glorious, even though so sadly curtailed. Tonight the fleshly ache was worse than ever, and it was all she could do not to satisfy it herself, as she sometimes did in the secrecy of waving water weeds, where no one could see her. In her heart of hearts she knew that her deepest, most enduring desire was to lose her virginity to a human man. To Sir Jake Cranwell. She sighed, recalling how often she’d spied on him. He might have been fashioned to please her, and she wouldn’t change him by so much as a hair on his head. The impulse to run to him and kiss his lips had occasionally proved hard to resist, and the mere thought of him naked was sufficient to send ripples of pleasure through her pussy. She never had seen him naked, but for one fleeting moment she had glimpsed his cock. It happened in the ancient woods between the clearing and the lowermost level of the gardens. He’d been consulting with his head gamekeeper, who had hurried away to attend to whatever order had been issued, leaving him alone. She’d watched from the anonymity of some thick bushes as he’d glanced around and then unbuttoned his breeches to step behind a large, very ancient oak tree. In the split second before he went out of sight, she had seen him take out his cock.

13

Sandra Heath

Her slit had clenched wildly in a way she had never experienced before, and she’d had to curl up on the mossy ground among the bushes, her hand working urgently against her intensely aroused bud. The excited muscles twitched over and over, as if she were being invaded by Jake’s cock. It was the most explosive peak she had ever known. But when she recovered enough to kneel up in the hope of seeing him again, he was already walking up through the stepped gardens toward the house. The memory of that tiny moment had rewarded her time and again since then, but she knew that nothing would ever compare with being with him in the flesh. Sabrina sighed again, her gaze wandering across the orgy and coming to rest on the evening’s host, her elderly uncle Nereus. As guardian of this stretch of the Severn, he was fiercely proud of the lavishness of his entertainments. He didn’t like to be naked, however, feeling too old to be comfortable with that. What he and his wives did in private was one thing, but public acts of coitus were not on his personal table d’hôte, and so he was well covered by a shimmering rainbow-hued fish-scale mantle. He occupied a modest seat beside Neptune’s grand throne and there was a satisfied beam on his wrinkled face, for he did not grudge the small fortune the occasion was costing him. His efforts this year—which, although only 1814 to the humans of Britain, was 6777 by merfolk reckoning—were already being spoken of as the best ever. And as always, the peaceful venue was perfect.

The green denizens of the deep did not care that they were trespassing on private land, for the only laws they obeyed were those of Neptune, and so confident was Nereus that Winterleigh Court was unoccupied, that this year he had only posted a few lookouts. However, not only had Sir Jake’s carriage just arrived unexpectedly, but at that very moment he was strolling out of the unlit grand parlor onto the stone terrace that stretched the entire frontage of the house. From here he could look down toward the river.

14

Wanton Little Mermaid

Chapter Two Winterleigh Court remained in darkness from the crowded riverside, because the only lighted lamp was in the entrance hall on the other side of the building. The servants, at present with their families in Blakenham, would be notified in the morning, but for the moment, Jake was content to have the house empty. He’d traveled all day, and most of yesterday, and his body ached, especially his backside, which could surely no longer lay claim to being the most admired in London. As for his loins, well, they must be permanently compressed by his skintight gray corduroy breeches. If he could extricate his dick from between his balls, he’d be a fortunate fellow. God damn all country roads, they were surely created to be instruments of torture for the long-suffering traveler. His ears still rang with the rattle of hooves and wheels, but at least after all the summer heat of recent weeks he could be assured of a well-aired bed. He strolled to the balustrade to admire the moonlit valley. Discarding his wine-red coat, marcella waistcoat and neckcloth, he draped them over the stonework before hanging his top hat on a stone urn. There was only the lightest of breezes, but he felt its welcome freshness through his thick dark hair. Unbuttoning his shirt to the waist, he breathed in gladly as the breeze cooled him. He felt able to relax for the first time since leaving the unbearable oppression of London. Damn London, and damn Lady Evangeline Bellington, the most untrustworthy but desirably beautiful widow in all England. He’d naïvely believed she was in love with him, but Evangeline knew nothing of love. “You bloody fool, Jake Cranwell,” he muttered, “your cock should never be your master.”

15

Sandra Heath

His mind returned to the time he’d first believed himself to be the most fortunate man in all creation. It had started when he’d escorted Evangeline home from Drury Lane. He’d been dressed formally, of course, in a purple velvet coat trimmed with golden embroidery, an elaborately frilled shirt, a quilted white silk waistcoat, white silk breeches, stockings and black shoes. A dress sword swung against his left thigh, and there was a folded, three-corner hat under his arm. Such togs were de rigueur at the theatre, and his appearance was faultless. Hers was divine. Evangeline had long golden hair that was twisted up in the latest mode, and her magnificent body was displayed almost to the edge of impropriety by a very daring sky-blue taffeta gown. She always wore blue. It was her signature. Her diamond earrings were a wedding gift from her first husband, and her sapphire necklace one of many presents from her second. Her silk evening cloak was lavishly trimmed with pure white arctic fox fur sent to her by an admiring Russian grand-duke. She was the sort of woman upon whom gifts would always be showered by admirers, all of whose advances she had otherwise spurned. He, fool that he was, truly thought she was his, and only his. But however gullible he may have been at the outset of that evening, he certainly wasn’t by the end of it. It had been snowing heavily, and Mayfair was quiet as his town carriage pulled up outside her Berkeley Street home. He’d handed her down, and her taffeta gown rustled excitingly, so that he could imagine it whispering against her white silk stockings. He remembered how his cock had twitched and begun to respond in a way that might be embarrassingly evident once they entered the brightly lit house. But then, as she stepped to the snow, her fingers pried where they shouldn’t. In fact they closed around his nascent erection and squeezed it most knowingly. She smiled, the falling snow clinging to her fur-trimmed hood. “I trust your chap is finally going to come out of hiding tonight?” He’d struggled to hide his shock, because until this moment, low-cut gowns or not, she’d been the very soul of propriety. He’d been worshipping her as a devotee worships

16

Wanton Little Mermaid

a goddess, but the feet of this beautiful deity were apparently made of clay. Elegant clay, but clay nevertheless. She smiled again. “Come now, I think we both know what we want. I certainly want you, James, and I see no reason to keep up the polite pretense. My puss has a great need for a good stroking, and your chap is just the one to see to it.” His shock increased. He’d been propositioned in the same way by harlots! “I— Well, I’m sure my chap is up to any requirement,” he’d managed to reply, embarrassed by the speed with which said chap now stood to quivering attention in the silken confines of his evening breeches. “Mmmm, how very much you want me,” she murmured, moving close enough to start undoing his breeches right there on the pavement. Jake remembered how mortified he’d been. The coachman was looking, as was the butler at the front door. Even the horses seemed to turn their heads to observe. He clamped his hand over hers. “For pity’s sake, Evangeline! Have you no shame? I have no wish for the world and his horse to see my old man waving around like a flagpole in a breeze.” Her lovely gray eyes shone as she smiled, and her sweet face was so beautiful, framed as it was by golden curls and the white fur trimming of her hood. Then she put her lower lip out in mock petulance. “Must I wait for the privacy of my bedchamber?” “You must indeed.” “How very vexing.” “There has to be some decorum, madam.” He managed to inject a little lightness into his tone. “That’s not what I’ve heard from Lavinia, Marguerite and Dorothea,” she replied. He froze, for the three ladies in question had numbered among his conquests. He hadn’t realized they were acquainted with Evangeline. “Am I the subject of shameless gossip?”

17

Sandra Heath

She raised an eyebrow. “My darling James, how could a delicious man like you not be the subject of gossip? Especially among close girlfriends.” “I had no idea… Well, they may rest assured that I certainly wouldn’t discuss them with anyone.” “You wouldn’t even mention Lavinia’s double nipples?” He colored. “Certainly not.” “Or Dorothea’s enjoyment of anal buggery?” “Evangeline! Any more of this and I’ll leave you at the door.” “Oh dear, we can’t have that. Be assured that my lips are sealed from now on,” she whispered, and then ascended the steps to the front door, where the butler stood attentively and the lamplight behind him streamed out into the snowy night. The butler bowed sedately. ““Good evening, Lady Evangeline, Sir James.” “Good evening, Johnson.” Evangeline nodded imperiously, and then sailed grandly toward the footman, who waited to take their outer clothes. Jake nodded. “Johnson.” He overcame his cock’s noticeable rampancy by thinking of something boring. The title deeds and other dull documents pertaining to Winterleigh Court fitted the bill very nicely, and he was as limp as a wet rag by the time he’d been divested of his cloak. Another footman waited by the entrance to the kitchen stairs door, and a maid scurried discreetly to attend to the fire in the drawing room. Jake could hear the cook shouting orders in the basement kitchen. The house seemed to positively seethe with an unseen army of servants, all of them intent upon his imminent indiscretions with their mistress. He expected Evangeline to at least go through the motions of etiquette and polite conduct by adjourning to the drawing room for a time, before creeping upstairs when the servants had been dismissed for the night. But no, it seemed she had no shame, for she waved them away and then mounted the sweeping black marble staircase, her sky blue taffeta hem hissing over the treads.

18

Wanton Little Mermaid

Realizing he hadn’t moved, she turned to beckon. “Come, sir, for I have much for you to do.” Mortification seized him, and he knew his face was aflame. He, who’d been the lover of numerous women, had become as awkward as a schoolboy, but it later became clear that Evangeline’s servants were all accustomed to her prolific sexual adventures. It was a mystery how she’d fooled society into thinking she was a lady in all respects. She and her three cat friends presented a gracious, superior front to the world, and there wasn’t so much as a tiny whisper about their morals, but they were all no better than they should be, and their lovers were without exception remarkably reticent. Her bedchamber was a bluebell-hued nest, all velvet drapes, silken net and satin frills, with French furniture fit for Versailles. It was illuminated by a dancing fire and two dainty, crystal-hung candelabra, and a bottle of champagne waited in a bucket of ice, with beside it two elegant glasses. Evidently Evangeline had correctly anticipated the voluptuous outcome of the visit to Drury Lane. The bed, needless to say, was vast, and now that Evangeline had revealed herself to be far from prim and proper, instinct told him it had catered for threesomes and probably foursomes as well. He was now prepared to believe anything. His cock was thoroughly in charge of him, and it wanted to be inside her. Deep inside. Evangeline indicated the champagne. “Please do the honors, sir, and fill the glasses to the brim, for I abhor small measures,” she said, and then whisked away into her boudoir to prepare. There was clearly no need for her maid, he thought, catching a rewarding glimpse of her reflection in a floor-standing mirror as she slipped out of her low-cut gown and then wriggled it down to her feet. She was not one to bother with undergarments, for the gown was all she wore! For the first time he saw her magnificent body. Sweet lord, she was perfection, with shoulders that were just right, neither too short or too wide, and firm breasts that were full and upturned, their erect nipples rosy and in need of a kiss. Her figure narrowed to a slender waist, and then curved out over her hips in an

19

Sandra Heath

almost sinful way. The line of her back was graceful and flawless, and her buttocks pert and rounded, ideal for cupping in a man’s hands, and in the mirror he could see the neat little copse of brown hairs guarding her crotch. Below that, he could only anticipate the charms that were hidden away within the apex of her thighs. And those thighs, dear heaven, they were endless, and as exquisitely formed as the rest of her. Her knees were dainty too, and her calves of just the right curve to flatter her neat little ankles. She was matchless, and his penis agreed, jutting out from his breeches as if it would split the white silk. She caught his eyes in the mirror. “I trust you’ve poured the champagne, sir?” she purred. Yes, purred, for there had been a feline note in her voice. “Er, yes, of course,” he answered, belatedly attending to the single small task he’d been given. To the brim, she’d said, and that was what he did. She sprayed herself with lily-of-the-valley scent, loosened her hair until it cascaded over her shoulders, and then returned to him. Taking the glass of champagne he held out, she sipped it and then replaced it on the tray before pressing the second glass into his hand. “Drink, James. All of it, for I do like to taste champagne on a man’s breath.” He drained the glass, and she refilled it immediately. “Another,” she whispered, stretching up as if to kiss him but then putting the glass to his lips instead. He didn’t hesitate to drink it all again, nor did he notice that she had still only sipped hers. She bestowed a lustrously seductive smile upon him. “Have I shocked you tonight, James?” “Well, it has come as something of a surprise,” he admitted. “But I’m sure I’m making your dreams come true.” He could not deny it, although the crude force of his desire was not what he would have wished to feel for the woman he loved. There was no tenderness, no deep feeling, no anticipation of joy, just a primitive urge to fuck her until his cock was worn out. “I love to undress a man, James, and I’ve been waiting a long time to undress you.”

20

Wanton Little Mermaid

“Hardly that long,” he answered softly, closing his eyes because his cock seemed on the point of igniting. She smiled guilefully. “Longer than you imagine. More than three years, as it happens. For instance, I once drove all the way to your Gloucestershire lair, intent only upon your seduction, but you’d had the ill grace to leave for London the day before. We must have passed each other on the highway. And then you indulged in that irritating liaison with that Italian whore. Most tiresome.” So she knew about that too? “She was hardly a whore, she was the wife of a diplomat at the—” Evangeline waved a hand dismissively. “She was a whore, and must have slept with at least twenty men before she became your latest inamorata, and twenty more afterward. She put horns on her husband at every opportunity.” He wondered just how many men Evangeline herself had slept with. Her two husbands must have sported enormous pairs of antlers. “Oh don’t let’s speak of the whore, for there are much more exciting things we can do.” She reached up to remove his neckcloth, drawing it away with a long, soft, erotic sound. Next she unbuttoned his waistcoat and tossed it away. Then it was the turn of his shirt, which took longer because she kept slipping her fingers inside it to stroke his chest. She sighed, her nipples so pert that when he cupped them in his hands a fresh surge of need lanced through him. She moved from side to side, so the nipples rubbed against his palms. “Oh James, James,” she breathed, “I’m so ready for you. When I think of what awaits me inside those handsome, superbly tailored breeches…” She allowed herself a delicious shiver as, just for a moment, she put a hand against his cock. “Only white silk separates us, my love,” she murmured, grasping the iron-hard shaft. She gave a low laugh. “Oooh, I see that all I’ve heard is true.” “Does the entire female sex of London know the details of my equipment?”

21

Sandra Heath

“Only the exclusive circle that matters, my darling. And tonight I have you all to myself.” “I hope so, unless you have your closest friends waiting in the wings?” “What an intriguing thought,” she whispered, standing on tiptoe to put her soft lips to his. She nibbled his lower lip, and then her little tongue slipped into his mouth. It was a simulation of copulation, he thought, except that he was passive and she dominant. Oh, how skillful her tongue was, moving gently here and there, caressing his tongue, sliding over his teeth, exploring, always exploring, and so slowly that his senses seemed to dissolve. She tasted of peppermint, he noticed, whereas she would find he tasted of cloves and champagne. Her fingers went to work on his breeches, and the moment his cock sprang free, she broke from the kiss and sank down to take the tip deep into her mouth. She moaned with pleasure and her tongue commenced a new exploration. He closed his eyes, because the experience was so intense he feared he would come. He mustn’t permit that to happen! He had to be in command of himself, and exercise restraint until the moment was perfect. Only then would he allow himself to come. And how he’d do so! For the moment, however, there was this exquisite overture. She rolled his head around in her mouth, sometimes sucking it to the back of her throat, sometimes releasing it in order to lick the moisture that welled so freely from the little hole. Her tongue explored still more, moving around the ridge behind which his foreskin had withdrawn. Abruptly she drew back and rose to her feet. “Take off the rest of your clothes, James, for it is time we lay on a sumptuous mattress.” She poured him another glass of champagne. “Let us relax to the full,” she breathed, and put the glass to his lips again. Three glasses in almost as many minutes. The bubbles fizzed all the way down to his stomach, and it felt good. Why hadn’t he noticed that he was the only one drinking? Perhaps the draught that had been put in the bottle had already begun to banish his inhibitions. Yes, most probably it had, for he certainly felt strangely uninhibited. 22

Wanton Little Mermaid

She went to the bed and lay in a graceful pose that displayed her body to best advantage. The soft light moved lovingly over her, caressing the enticing shadows and curves, and shining on every exquisite plane. The light reflected in her gray eyes too, making them glitter as if with diamonds. Her lips were curved invitingly, and she was all that was desirable and enchanting, yet if he’d looked—really looked—he’d have seen the hardened jade there too. But he didn’t really look, he only glanced, and then submitted shamelessly to his urges. Removing his shoes, stockings, breeches and underclothes, he stood there for a long moment. His cock had a life of its own, springing forward from his groin like a thick branch from an oak tree. He was proud of his fitness, especially now, when faced with such an incomparable woman. Her lustful gaze devoured him. “Oh, it is true, you’re beautiful, quite beautiful.” She held out a hand. “Come to me.” He moved in a daze, reached for her fingers and climbed on to the bed. She pulled him down on his side and slid her arms around him, savoring the warmth, strength and firmness of his skin. Her hips were thrust against him, pressing his excited cock, which had become hot iron sheathed in velvet, so tightly that it must leave an indentation in her flesh. Their lips came together, and the fragrance of lily-of-the-valley pervaded him as if in a dream. Her mouth pulled on his, and she gave in to the rich desires that now coursed into her veins. Her kiss was long and slow, long and slow, over and over, and all the time her body writhed against his. And when she brought the kiss to an end, it was to present her breasts to his mouth. He sampled them gladly, exciting her still more by sliding his teeth gently to and fro against her ecstatic nipples, which were so erect and hard they were like tiny phalluses. Then he sucked one deep into his mouth, and teased it again, stimulating it with his tongue, and then with his teeth, but always to give her torrents of pleasure without so much as a split second of pain. Next he squeezed her breasts gently together

23

Sandra Heath

to make a voluptuous cushion in which to sink his face and lick her skin, sliding his tongue luxuriously over it, tasting the femininity that always stirred his senses. She rolled onto her back and he automatically moved over her. She wrapped her legs around him, and clasped him between her thighs. Oh those thighs, so delightfully long and soft, yet so strong as well. She was an active woman, able to raise herself until she could rub her puss against his balls. And she could feel them as he could feel her. She gasped and groaned, rubbing again and again, rolling him to and fro. He felt as if she would squeeze his semen into his cock and then out into the world before he was ready, but the pleasure of her motion was too good to curtail. More and more moisture issued from his head, and he was sure that if it were possible, the little mouth would be smiling. It was being pampered and encouraged, so why should it not smile? He would learn afterward that Evangeline wasn’t thinking of his pleasure, only her own. She was a sensuous woman with a lusty appetite, and she’d been intent upon him for too long to endure any more. She loved the way he walked, and the exciting way his genitals were always revealed by today’s tight fashions. Sometimes it was even possible to see the defined outline of his cock and balls. Oh, when that happened, her pussy clenched into a tight fist of unutterable pleasure. Almost as if his cock were actually inside her. Her crotch was suffusing with pleasure even now, just at the thought. She moaned and writhed again, and he knew she was coming. He maneuvered a little and took his shaft to put his head to her entrance. Then he slid it seductively against her. His liquid spread over the folds of flesh that guarded her entrance, and she cried out as he continued to glide himself against her. But he didn’t enter. Not yet, not yet. He could not know it, but Evangeline was lost in ecstasy, groaning as she came again. This was more than even she had expected. There was something about James Cranwell that stirred her blood as no other. And there was his wherewithal…a cock such as she had never experienced before. She tried hard not to impale herself on him,

24

Wanton Little Mermaid

wanting to prolong everything. She felt him push a little, so that his head stretched her entrance but still did not penetrate. Jake drew back then, and moved until he straddled her fully. Now all he had to do was lower himself until his cock was between her thighs, and then push himself into her. Was she ready? He was, so much so that he felt he needed to come in order to make way for more seed that was already trying to flood his balls. It was there, waiting… Her response showed her thoughts matched his. “Come into me now, James, for we have the rest of the night. Please! Now! For I must have your cock raiding me!” He needed no further bidding, but lowered himself until his equipment rested in the channel between her thighs, and then, as she parted her legs much farther, he was able to push forward until he was at the threshold. She cried out as at last he slid right into her waiting slit. In and in he went, farther and farther again until his head pressed to the neck of her womb. She was wild with joy beneath him, arching and writhing as she took every pleasure she could from him. Not that he wasn’t sharing the pleasure. He drew out again and then pushed again. His balls brushed her, full and heavy with his potency. “More!” she screamed. “More!” For a moment he faltered, knowing that the servants and probably all of Berkeley Street could hear, but he was losing all control now. Need pounded through his entire body, and his soul was concentrated in his prick. He plunged himself in again, then out, then in again, faster and faster until she was constantly screaming with gratification. At last he felt himself coming. The semen sped into his shaft, and then erupted upward until it burst from his head and into her. Oh how he pumped, the seed almost seeming endless. He felt weak with satisfaction and trembled to keep himself above her until he’d finished. But finish he did. Eventually. His cock softened and soon felt deliciously warm and relaxed. He pulled out of her, but she prevented him. “No! Let me enjoy you like this,” she begged, clutching his buttocks to keep him inside her. Then she moved against his penis, clearly able to feel its length and 25

Sandra Heath

plumpness. Her eyes were closed with delight, and the flush returned to her cheeks as she approached another peak. He became gently excited again, and his cock hardened a little and extended toward her innermost places. She cried out again, digging her fingers into his backside and clinging around his penis like a limpet. He felt her muscles contract, not once but several times, and bent to put his lips over hers again as he pushed in again. There were tears on her cheeks, and she returned the kiss with a heat and fervor that, if he had but known it, she had seldom, if ever, felt before. But at last he had to roll away onto his back, dragging his cock out of her. If he expected her to rest as well, he was mistaken, for with a little cry of annoyance, she wriggled until her face was beside his spent dick, and then she pulled it to her mouth, and sucked as if to empty it of every last trace of semen. She slid her tongue inside his foreskin and touched his tip, which was so sensitive that he almost leapt from the bed. But still she clung to him, holding his balls and feasting upon his cock. So hard did she work upon it that she almost stretched it into her throat. She made small noises of pleasure, and gradually, only gradually, his seemingly ever-ready penis began to respond. It filled slowly and richly, not too hard but not too soft, until he could feel her throat. Surely she would choke! But no, she savored it. His excitement gathered and he moved himself in her mouth, in and out, only gently. He closed his eyes with the sheer delight of the sensations that rippled through his genitals, until, quite suddenly, he came again. It wasn’t a shuddering explosion as before, but a lazy pumping that touched upon gratification. After that, whenever he came outside her puss, she drank his semen as if it would save her very life. He lay there, exhausted, letting her do as she would with him. His erotic haze and willingness for her to do as she pleased with him was unnatural, and a suspicion about the champagne had begun to take root. But he didn’t resist her, he just floated in a sea of pleasure. Some of her antics were astonishingly athletic, he’d have said impossible, but she always proved him wrong.

26

Wanton Little Mermaid

She had many more plans for his body, plans in which he could not help but participate. How could he not? What man could resist sipping champagne from Lady Evangeline Bellington’s delightful crease? Or not enjoy it when she produced a bottle of orange liqueur, poured some on his cock and balls, and proceeded to lick it. And she fed upon his cock again, of course, sucking and savoring, because that was something she always liked to do. A cucumber dildo had figured in things, as had a rather choice cream cheese. She’d spread it on his genitals and abdomen, and then sat on him to slide herself up and down. After that she’d sucked his cock dry again. All in all there had been quite a feast, with his body always featuring as the dessert. The extremes may not have been possible or desirable, but he’d become a driven engine of carnality. How many times he came before morning was something he never would remember, but he did know that Evangeline came almost constantly. How she could stay awake, he didn’t know. She was insatiable. All he knew for certain was that the following day his dick felt as if it had been wrung and hung out to dry on a holly branch. Walking with his customary grace had been impossible, so he’d stayed in his Grosvenor Square residence until some semblance of elegance had resumed. In the weeks after she chose a moment in which to impart that he would soon have four ladies to attend to, Lavinia, Marguerite, Dorothea and Evangeline herself. He was filled with horror. Such a mauling, least of all by four of the greatest cats in London, was not something in which he intended to indulge, as he’d told her in no uncertain fashion. She’d pouted and promised to comply with his wishes, but the next time he’d gone to Berkeley Street, there the four ladies were, and he’d only just escaped with his manhood intact. But at least he now knew why the ladies’ other lovers had been so silent. What gentleman in his right senses would wish to have such salacious details broadcast far and wide? Fathers would cut off allowances, heiresses would withdraw from matches, and wives would summon burly brothers to deal with miscreant spouses. Better to hold one’s tongue and still be thought a noble fellow.

27

Sandra Heath

He continued to see Evangeline herself, of course, for she had become like opium to him. She did all the things her friends had ever claimed to do, and much, much more. There was the anal buggery apparently so exciting to Baroness Dorothea von Hochgarten, but the more outlandish included a strange position, apparently from the Orient, which involved the insertion of… Well, perhaps he did not care to recall the details of that one. Suffice it that he wouldn’t be attempting it again, not unless he was prepared to have his cock forever misshapen and permanently stained orange with some awful mixture containing, among other things, vile-smelling herbs, fish scales, goat’s dung and Spanish fly. Exotic and oriental or not, it was something at which he’d drawn a very firm line. The thought of an orange dick was not appealing, but the thought of bedding Evangeline remained very exciting and appealing indeed. Standing on the Winterleigh Court terrace now, Jake could almost have smiled at the memory of his staggering nights—and days—in her bed. Almost have smiled, but not quite, because Evangeline had eventually proved a bitch of the highest order. A treacherous, duplicitous bitch at that. In recent weeks his life had been painful, due to shattered illusions, and he was humiliatingly aware of having fled like a cur to the country to escape the torture. He delved for his cigar case in the coat he’d draped over the balustrade. It was a slender silver-gilt case, engraved with his family arms, and contained two of the fine cigars brought back from Hispaniola by his uncle, Admiral Sir Percival Cranwell. Selecting one, he lit a friction match on the balustrade, but as he raised it to the cigar he noticed pinpricks of light coming from the riverside clearing on the Winterleigh Court side of the Severn. Suspecting salmon poachers, he dropped the match and stamped on it before replacing the precious cigar in its case, resting it on his coat, and then he strode down through the stepped gardens toward the rim of forest that separated the house and gardens from the river.

28

Wanton Little Mermaid

He kept his eyes upon the odd little glimmers that shone now and then through the trees. Something was going on down there, and he intended to find out what it was. If it was illegal, heaven help the perpetrators!

29

Sandra Heath

Chapter Three The participants in Neptune’s orgy had no idea of the imminent danger, indeed Anemone was still caught up with her disappointment over Neptune. Disappointment and anger, both of which centered upon the hated quizzing glass. “Look at him waving that awful trinket around,” she declared pettily. By now Sabrina had become irritated. “For Atlantis’ sake, Anemone, do stop carping! The quizzing glass is hardly an awful trinket. It’s studded with jewels and must have belonged to someone very grand because it fell overboard from a royal yacht at Cowes last summer. It may even belong to the Prince Regent himself.” Anemone resented being criticized again. “If you were perfect, I wouldn’t mind your comments, but you’re not. As Nereus’ niece, you should long since have been Neptune’s concubine, but you haven’t because you aren’t like the rest of us.” She wrinkled her nose disparagingly and glanced pointedly at the miniature around Sabrina’s neck. “I don’t want to be anyone’s concubine, and am truly glad to get away with simply being a lute player, but I still hate being on display. Our merfolk know and accept me, but those from farther away are always shocked. And suspicious. I think they believe me to be a human intruder.” “I’m not surprised. There’s very little of the mermaid about you. You must be so embarrassed,” was the barbed response. Sabrina closed protective fingers over the miniature. “Oh be like that if you want to, I really don’t care.” “You care about it all very much, especially when you swim so slowly and in such an ungainly manner.” “I don’t!” 30

Wanton Little Mermaid

“Yes, you jolt along like a scallop.” Sabrina eyed her. “But on land I can walk gracefully, without waddling like a duck.” Anemone flushed again, but then gave a rueful, disarming smile. “I’m being a pain in the anal fin, aren’t I?” “Yes.” “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m truly upset about having let Derwent seduce me, and about Neptune ignoring me.” “Forget about Derwent. Believe me, he won’t be bragging about the conquest, not when you made it so plain you intended to blacken his name. Or rather, his prowess. As for Neptune, well, he won’t ignore you when you wait upon him at midnight.” “If he sends for me. And even if he does, what if I drop something? Can you imagine how awful it would be if I deposited clam chowder in his lap? Or a glass of barnacle brandy?” Sabrina gave a squeal of laughter. “Hot clam chowder all over the divine male parts of which he’s so proud? Oh Anemone!” “It’s not amusing.” “I’m sorry.” “And you have to play the lute for him at the same time. What if he still ignores me and picks you instead?” The thought dismayed Anemone. “He won’t. He likes mermaids, not strange half-beings like me. Look, I think you’re quite wrong about him tonight. For one thing, he hasn’t taken a single mermaid on his lap. Not one. He’s just teasing you, I’m sure. He’s a very skilled cockle… I mean coquet!” “Do you really think so?” “Yes.”

31

Sandra Heath

Anemone was a little mollified, and turned to something else to worry about. Wriggling her new legs, she heaved a huge sigh. “I must be the only mermaid who doesn’t get on with these awkward things.” “You aren’t. I’ve seen much more ungainly visions tonight. The secret is not to hurry. Just try to relax and then just, well, walk.” Sabrina paused as she remembered how her own walks had taken her to see Jake. “Sabrina?” Anemone tilted her head curiously. “Is something wrong?” An unanticipated confession suddenly fell from Sabrina’s lips. “Anemone, sometimes I’m so drawn to the land that I can hardly bear to stay in the water. Being out here like this is wonderful to me.” Anemone eyed her knowingly. “And you come ashore rather more frequently than you’d want anyone to know, don’t you?” Sabrina paused. “How do you know that?” she asked then. “Because I followed you to the riverbank one hot evening. You came right here to this spot, climbed out of the river, and went behind those bushes over there. When you came out again, you were wearing a gown made of what humans call sprigged muslin. You hurried up the gardens toward Winterleigh Court. I only saw you when you reached the terrace at the top, because I had to stay in the river, but I’ve learned since that it’s something you often do.” Sabrina was dismayed. “I-I hope you haven’t told anyone else?” “No, of course not.” Anemone studied her. “How long have you been doing it?” “Just over three years.” “That long?” Anemone was astonished. “What do you do? How did you get the clothes?” Sabrina shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I just like to see the world my father came from. At first I only went at night, because I had nothing to wear. Then one night, while I was watching the comings and goings in the yard of the Red Dragon inn at

32

Wanton Little Mermaid

Blakenham, a fine traveling carriage came in. I learned later that it was coming to Winterleigh Court, but the house was already closed because Sir Jake had gone up to London. The lady inside was in a terrible temper even before discovering her journey had been in vain. She was furious because one of the horses had cast a shoe, and she had to wait while the blacksmith attended to it. Anyway, when she left, a valise fell from the back of the carriage. No one else seemed to notice, so when all was quiet I grabbed it and ran into the forest to see what it contained.” Sabrina looked uncertainly at her friend. “That was very wrong of me, wasn’t it?” “Well, if Neptune can find and keep the quizzing glass, then it must be all right for you to find and keep the valise. So, then what?” “Well, it contained a blue-sprigged muslin gown, very modish, a dark blue leghorn bonnet and matching velvet spencer, some shoes, and white silk stockings. The lady would have worn such clothes for walking, and that was how I decided to wear them.” Anemone was impressed by her friend’s knowledge of such things. “How do you know which human clothes are fashionable and which aren’t? Or where they’d be worn? I wouldn’t know something like that even if I lived to be a thousand.” “Oh I’m not being amazingly clever, nor is it due to my human blood. I happened on a London journal one day. Someone had left it behind after an alfresco lunch by the river, and since humans in this country speak English just as we do, I could understand what was in it. There were some pages about the latest styles, for men and women.” “How does it feel to wear such clothes?” “Very good,” Sabrina admitted. “Very…right.” “That’s your human side.” “Probably.” Anemone was highly interested. “Have you seen inside Winterleigh Court? Maybe you’ve been right inside?”

33

Sandra Heath

“No, I’ve only looked through some windows.” Sabrina remembered looking into the great hall. The view had been restricted to just the beautifully carved wooden griffins guarding the foot of the grand staircase, and the full-length portrait of her father on the oak paneling where the staircase divided in two. She’d felt as if he were looking at her, smiling in welcome because she was family too. “If you’ve been doing it for over three years, you must have seen Sir Jake. Did you?” Anemone asked curiously. Sabrina flushed with guilty color. “Yes, a number of times. The last time, just before he left, was when he instructed his gamekeepers.” When I saw more of him than I should. “Is he as handsome as everyone says?” Sabrina glanced away. “Yes,” she said softly. Anemone looked intently at her. “Sabrina? Did he make that much of an impression on you?” There was no answer, so she prompted again. “Sabrina?” “Yes, he did. Oh Anemone, he stole my heart. I went ashore more and more, just to see him, but I was afraid to let him see me. I mean, humans just don’t believe in us, do they?” “Your father did. And you don’t even look like a mermaid.” “I know, but… Oh well, you know. As soon as he realized the truth, he’d shun me. But I would love to surrender to him. If my virginity is to be given to anyone, I want it to be him. I long for him, Anemone, and feel such desire that I cannot sleep for its torment.” Anemone gaped at her. “I—I can hardly believe I’m hearing you say such things. Not you, the most pure and untouched mermaid in all the rivers and seas. I thought you had ice for a heart and weren’t interested in fleshly things.” Sabrina smiled ruefully. “Oh I’m interested, believe me, but only in this one man. I crave him, imagine being with him, doing all the things I can see going on around us right now. You see those two over there? The merman is from Scotland and always

34

Wanton Little Mermaid

wears that tartan hat with the woolly ball on top. Well, I’d adore having Jake do that to me.” Anemone craned her neck. “I see them. My, what are they doing? Oh I see, he’s, well, to put it crudely, sucking her juices. Mmm, if her ecstatic expression is any gauge, he’s doing it rather well. I wouldn’t mind a little of that myself.” She squirmed a little and then slid her fingers between her legs, stroking herself expertly until her face went quite pink and her breathing became heavy. Sabrina glanced at her. “You’re incorrigible, Anemone. I trust you’ve finished now?” Anemone drew a long, satisfied breath. “Oh, that was pleasantly unexpected. Now, if Neptune were to pay me such a compliment, I’d—” “Probably faint with shock,” Sabrina interrupted. Anemone glanced at her. “You’re cross with me again, and I don’t blame you. All I think about is copulation of one sort or another. Tell me about you and Sir Jake.” “There isn’t anything to tell. I haven’t even spoken to him. And that’s the whole agony of it. I’ve been seeking fulfillment through imagination, thinking about being with him and then hiding away to do the sort of thing you’ve just done. But I’m still a silly virgin, yearning for the impossible.” “It’s hardly impossible. After all, your mother and father did it.” “Yes, but my father was actually here. Sir Jake is in London, and has been these three years.” Anemone leaned across to put a gentle green hand on Sabrina’s pale forearm. “Oh my poor friend. I had no idea you were in such torment. I really don’t know what to say. Are you sure it can only be him? I mean, most of the mermen here tonight would gladly give you the fuck you need.” “I’m sure they would, all of them a variation on Derwent. But I don’t just want any old fuck, I want a fuck with Sir Jake, a really fiery, pounding, ecstatic, wanton coupling

35

Sandra Heath

that will make my whole body vibrate for a week.” Her nipples prickled even to think of it. Anemone was bemused. “I’m shocked, truly I am. You always look so cool and collected. I wish you’d confided in me before.” Sabrina smiled. “I didn’t know I was going to tonight. It’s something too private, and embarrassing. I mean, can you imagine the teasing I’d have?” “Not from me. I’m not that insensitive. I know I whine a lot and get silly, but I wouldn’t tell anyone else something like this. You must believe that.” “I do.” Tears suddenly stung Sabrina’s eyes. “Oh Anemone, I love him so much, and I know he’s beyond my reach. I’m so desperately unhappy.” “Oh my poor darling!” Anemone scrambled to her side and pulled her close. “I’ll pray to the goddess Salacia for you.” “Neptune’s queen? I hardly think she’ll listen to you. She must know that you’ve been hungering for Neptune since this time last year.” Anemone smiled. “No, she doesn’t care about the likes of me, she’s had too much of Neptune, but I think she’ll care about the likes of you and your heartache. She’ll listen to me. I’ll pray to her right now!” “Without a shrine? Or an offering? You can’t do that.” “I can, and I am. See?” Anemone knelt up and put her hands together in prayer. Sabrina couldn’t hear what she said, but all of a sudden, as if in direct response, conch shell horns blasted a summons into the night. Anemone gasped with a mixture of dismayed realization and excitement. “It’s midnight! Oh my comb! My comb!” Sabrina handed the mother-of-pearl comb to her, and rescued the discarded mirror. Anemone did what she could in a few moments, and then looked anxiously at her friend. “How do I look? Is my hair all right? Is my belt as it should be?”

36

Wanton Little Mermaid

“You look wonderful,” Sabrina said soothingly, taking the comb and mirror from her. “You’ll conduct yourself superbly, and before the night is out you’ll have spread your new legs for Neptune.” Anemone smiled and handed Sabrina her golden lute. “Then you had better hope I charm him, because if I don’t, and you play a false note, we’ll both be in disgrace.” The orchestra and the entire gathering fell expectantly silent as the two mermaids approached the throne, and as usual there was much whispering from those who had never seen Sabrina before. But as she sat with the lute, all eyes moved to Anemone and the god. After its mystifying inaction, his phallus had suddenly become upright, and was a very impressive sight to behold. Certainly it was ready for anything! He gazed lustfully at Anemone. It would have been more pleasant to describe his expression as adoring, but the look in his eyes and the alertness of his loins told tales on him. He had an itch for the saucy little temptress who’d been displaying her neat little crotch to him all night, and it had amused him to seem to ignore her. Officially, her first duty was to wait upon him from a table that groaned with delicious fruit, but he halted her. “I have no appetite for that, my dear. Come here.” He patted his thigh, coincidentally in time to the lute. Coloring, but clearly excited, Anemone went to him. His cock was enormous, she thought apprehensively. How on earth could it squeeze into a little mermaid like her? He smiled and took his penis in his hand to masturbate until the head shone with moisture. Then he put his knees together. “On my knees, my dear. There, that’s better. Now, we are so different in size, my little sweetheart, that things have to be done a little unconventionally, but just follow what I say, and we’ll both have a fine old time. Right, it’s time to have a little ride, but don’t imagine this will be like a jaunt on your seahorse. Lean right forward now. No, don’t worry, for I have you tightly by the waist.” Anemone did as he asked, although she felt unsafe as he slowly parted his thighs until she slipped gently down until her genitals were tilted toward his. Then, gently but 37

Sandra Heath

firmly, he extended one arm around her waist and used his other hand to manipulate his cock to her entrance. “Now then, sweetheart, Neptune’s knob is about to slip homeward. There, gently does it, for I don’t want to hurt you.” Her lips formed a startled O as his firm tip pushed just inside her, stretching her private flesh in a most extraordinarily exciting way. It was quite a squeeze, but such a one. Her eyes widened and she squirmed against him, unable to control the waves of pleasure that were already washing through her. Neptune was inside her, a god was copulating with her! She was so swept along with pleasure that she began to bounce against him, squealing all the time, and her nipples were so hard and outstanding that she felt sure they would suddenly fly off like one of Mr. Congreve’s newfangled rockets, of which she’d heard two officers speaking as they stood on the little quay at Blakenham. Neptune laughed with his own pleasure, holding the base of his cock so that it wouldn’t be jolted out and spoil the reward. Sabrina tried to keep playing the lute, but it wasn’t easy. Anemone didn’t care that the crowd was watching or how much noise she made, nor was she concerned that many of the mermen were masturbating. Most of the mermaids stared in fascination, while those who’d occupied the god’s lap previously were more wistful. Anemone was oblivious to everything but the hefty phallus upon which she was pinned. She was having Neptune, and it felt good, good, GOOD! “Yes!” she screeched. “Oh stop! No, keeping doing it! Oh, oh, oooooh!” Neptune laughed again. He’d had too many mermaids to remember, but this one was entertaining. His dick was being pleasured most rewardingly, and in a moment she would find out what happened when a god came. “Hold on, my dear,” he gasped, his laughter dying away as he felt the moment approaching. “No, no, keep bouncing. That’s it! Yessssssssss!” He bellowed as the first pulse shot up his shaft. It was so forceful and strong that he had to hold on to Anemone more tightly for fear she’d be catapulted away.

38

Wanton Little Mermaid

For a moment Anemone’s face was a picture of shock, but in a second she was squealing again, exulting in every divine, jerking pulse. The likes of Derwent would never do again, not after this! Sabrina gave up trying to play. The lute was lost in the carnal racket, so there was little point.

39

Sandra Heath

Chapter Four Meanwhile, Jake was making his way cautiously through the ancient woodland, climbing over moss-covered fallen trees, and around the gnarled girths of those still standing. He could hear many voices and was wary of happening upon a band of armed salmon poachers. The lights were still visible now and then, but they weren’t moving. Lanterns on the ground and on poles, he thought. The scoundrels were brazen, he thought, but then halted in alarm as the blasts of the conch shell horns sounded midnight. What in the name of Hades was that? He’d never heard such horns before. He kept listening, but silence had fallen, and if it weren’t for the glimmer of lanterns he might almost have thought the riverbank was deserted. Then the most awful screeching carried on the still air. He was reminded of Dorothea von Hochgarten’s almost operatic peaks, which would surely have eclipsed the most shrill, daunting, fullbosomed, tremulous soprano at Covent Garden. Then there was a great cheer, and a gabble of voices until all were silenced again by a stentorian male voice that seemed to boom through the night. Some great fellow was making a speech! What impudence, damn it! Jake’s indignation mounted as he neared the edge of the trees, but then he stepped on a tinder-dry twig that snapped very loudly. In the clearing, Neptune broke off as he was about to toast the gathering, and there were uneasy gasps all around as everyone turned toward the sound. Only then did one of the god’s lookouts raise a belated alarm. There was instant pandemonium. Valuables were snatched up as the whole herd stampeded for the river, where the combined splashes sounded like an immense waterfall. The throne, tables, cushions, numerous belongings, and the telltale remains of a meal were left on the grass. As Neptune leapt into his shell chariot, taking Anemone with him, he realized the quizzing-glass was still

40

Wanton Little Mermaid

on the throne. He shouted an order to Derwent, who pretended not to hear, and dived into the water, which seethed and boiled with the sheer number of escaping merfolk. Sabrina was a little behind everyone, and cried out to Neptune that she would go back for the quizzing glass. The god waved gratefully before urging the four nervous hippocampi away from the bank. But as Sabrina ran back to the throne, Jake walked into the clearing only about thirty feet from her. She froze, the quizzing glass forgotten. They stared at each other, and he recovered first. “Hey! You!” Panic-stricken, she began to run away, but in the heat of the moment made for the trees, not the river. Dashing through the fringe of ferns into the shadows, she flung herself into the bushes and ferns where she’d hidden the valise of clothes in an old rabbit hole. There she lay still, trying not to breathe heavily, for the night was suddenly as silent as the grave. Jake was rooted to the spot, so shocked that she was the only thing he noticed about the clearing. Whatever he’d expected to find, it hadn’t been a solitary young woman as delightfully naked as the day she’d been born. From the noise and number of lights, he’d thought to come upon a considerable number of people, but instead had heard their escape into the river. Except for her. Perhaps he’d imagined her? No, he hadn’t, for the ferns were still trembling where she’d passed. He began to pursue her, still unobservant of the throne or anything else, but as he reached the spot where she’d disappeared, everything was now so still and motionless that he knew he stood no chance of finding her. He paused, listening, but all he heard was the distant hooting of an owl. Who was she? He could almost fancy she’d been a naiad, for there had certainly been something otherworldly about her. Yes, surely she had to be a water nymph. Sabrina parted the leaves and fronds to peep out at him. No, to gaze adoringly upon him for the first time in what seemed a lifetime. Was this how her mother had felt on seeing her father? She watched how the delicate breeze fluttered his shirt, and how the rippling cloth showed the dark hairs on his chest. How good it would be to be close enough to pull the shirt out of those tight breeches, and to slip her arms around him to

41

Sandra Heath

kiss his chest and then his lips. His mouth would be soft but knowing, skilled but true, and his kiss would be like the breath of life itself to her. She longed to feel the warmth of his body and the hardness of his cock, which she dreamed would rise for her. It would…until he discovered she was half mermaid. The sting of salt told of her tears. She loved him with all her heart, which was still tender, even though it was only half human. He suddenly sensed the secret scrutiny and turned sharply to look directly toward her. “Who are you? What are you doing on my land?” he demanded. Convinced he could actually see her, Sabrina scrambled to her feet. He certainly saw her then, the moonlight revealing round, yielding breasts with nipples that cast little shadows. So too could he see the rest of her, the gentle curves, sweetly formed thighs, and the seductive little brush of hair at her loins. He tore his eyes from her body to meet her eyes. In spite of the darkness he knew they were blue, just as he could tell that her tumbling curls were that delightful shade called tawny. His cock was awakening, for he thought her the loveliest woman he had ever seen, lovelier by far than Evangeline. He felt the tightening in his breeches, and wanted to enclose it with his hand in order to squeeze it and enjoy the sensation. But he didn’t. Not for anything on God’s own earth would he be crass enough to play with himself in front of her! “Who are you?” he asked again, more civilly this time. She didn’t answer. A thrill of desire delved between her legs and clutched her breasts. She fought against her craving, which urged her to run to him and kiss him with all the pent-up passion of the past years. But if she did that, he would capture her, which was something she dared not risk. So instead she gave in to the fear and fled again, this time disappearing completely among the trees. Jake was spellbound by her haunting beauty, which lingered with him like a dream on waking. There was something about her that was almost bewitching…. He drew himself up angrily. His pretty nymph was a trespasser, and clearly up to no good or she wouldn’t have made a run for it! But oh how he’d like to sample that exquisite little

42

Wanton Little Mermaid

body. He would imagine the delight of her warm flesh enclosing his cock, and of the acute gratification of coming inside her. Now that she’d gone, he felt able to clutch his genitals and squeeze them tightly. Waves of excitement washed through him, but were they enough? No, they weren’t. She had aroused him too much, and he needed relief. Ashamed of himself, but unable to extinguish the ferocious need she’d generated, he moved in the cover of the trees, leaned back against a trunk and unfastened his breeches. His cock sprang out into his hand and he took it firmly between fingers and thumb, moving his hand with the same urgency as his craving. He didn’t want it to take long, he simply needed to alleviate the fleshly agony she caused him. Soon he felt his semen rising, and closed his eyes, imagining her again, imagining her coming to him, ready for his seed. He gasped as he came, the semen arcing from him with a shuddering force that was the most gratification possible without actually coming inside her. His eyes were closed as his imagination prolonged his peak, and as it gradually came to an end, he continued to massage his head, shuddering at its tenderness and sensitivity. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes again. Dear God, he hadn’t been taken like that since he was thirteen, watching a naked housemaid washing outside in the moonlight, thinking herself unseen. The craving was slaked for now, and had been replaced by a lazy warmth. After wiping his cock with a convenient leaf, he eased his equipment back inside his breeches and closed them again. Then he bent to wash his hands in a tiny rill that meandered toward the river. Yes, he felt relaxed and easy again, but at the same time his blood still seemed to race. He wanted the nymph who’d brought him to this sudden hunger. How he wanted her. As Jake brought himself to a peak, so did Sabrina. She lay in another secret little place, her fingers at work between her legs. She had him fixed in her mind, everything about him, especially the enticing mound at his loins. That other memory flashed into her reverie, the moment she’d seen his cock. Suddenly there was so much moisture

43

Sandra Heath

running from her that her hand was wet as she dwelt upon that moment, seeing it ever more clearly. Now she imagined she had seen him from much closer, and that he’d been cupping his cock in his palm and teasing back his foreskin. Her breath caught as her flesh contracted violently with her first peak. She clung to the vision her mind had engendered, fixing upon that one portion of his anatomy, the portion that could satisfy her as nothing else. He was inside her now, pumping his desire into her. Another wave of gratification contracted through her, and another, and yet another, but gradually they became less urgent, and as they ceased altogether, she curled up tightly beneath the ferns to hug him to her as if in the flesh. But she could not hold him for long, and soon the reality of the summer night returned. Jake went back to the clearing, sure there must be something there that would identify her. Emerging from the trees, he surveyed the scene in astonishment. What the hell had been going on here? Certainly not salmon poaching! He moved bemusedly among the scattered seaweed cushions, fallen coral lanterns, and platters of some of the most recherché dishes he’d seen in a long time. Prinny himself could not have served better fare, he thought, dipping a finger in a crab mousse that melted deliciously in his mouth. Someone very audacious had presumed to hold a fine old junket on his land, and from the look of it he began to wish they’d had the courtesy to invite him! How much better to eat, drink and be merry here in the moonlight than attend a grand overformal function in London. But then anything was better than London at the moment. The reason for his flight to the country swept over him again. Nothing could have been more hurtful and bitter than the moment he’d discovered Lady Evangeline Beaufort in the arms of his best friend, the feckless Harry Fenton. They’d both been stark naked on her bed, so there wasn’t much scope for misinterpretation. The pain of such a double betrayal had almost been too much, but for several weeks he’d managed to pretend he didn’t care. But he did, and so here he was, in the leafy depths of Gloucestershire.

44

Wanton Little Mermaid

He noticed Sabrina’s golden lute on the grass and picked it up to pluck a note. The pitch was perfect, and seemed to vibrate gently through him like a lover’s call. A ridiculously fanciful notion, he thought, replacing it on the ground before approaching the throne. He recognized the water lilies that adorned it, for they were a rather rare species that could only have come from his own pond. So, the revelers at tonight’s little alfresco junketing had ventured that close to the house, had they? Damn it, maybe they’d even been inside! Then he saw the quizzing glass, and quickly picked it up, turning it so that the diamonds flashed with cold fire in the moonlight. What on earth was such a costly item doing here? The most likely explanation seemed that it was part of the proceeds of a robbery. Had his unexpected return caused a gang of thieves to abandon their celebratory feast? Yes, that had to be it, because Winterleigh Court was the perfect lair. And a convenient source of ill-gotten gains! Had the house been looted in his absence? All had seemed well when he’d arrived, but he’d only briefly entered the great hall and great parlor before going out on the terrace. A sense of premature outrage stung him but was followed very closely by a pang of disappointment, because if his guesses were right, his wood nymph was certainly no innocent. He continued to inspect the quizzing glass, and his brows drew together as he realized he’d seen it before somewhere. But where? Then he remembered. It belonged to the Prince Regent, who’d created a right royal fuss when he’d apparently lost it overboard from one of the royal yachts. Well, it seemed it hadn’t been lost overboard after all, but stolen. Jake pocketed it and, after a final glance around, set off quickly back up through the trees toward the house. The relevant authorities would have to be alerted immediately, for heaven alone knew what other stolen items might be scattered around. Then he’d be having a word with his gamekeepers, who had quite clearly ignored his parting instructions about nightly patrols. As he made his way back through the woods to return to the house, a dismayed Sabrina crept from the bushes. She’d watched him in the clearing and knew he’d taken

45

Sandra Heath

the quizzing glass. Now she couldn’t return it to Neptune. Why, oh why hadn’t she snatched the horrid thing while she had the chance? Now she’d have to try to get it back again. With a sinking heart she turned to run back to her hiding place, and the hidden clothes. As Jake reached the lowermost of the stepped gardens, he was greeted by his coachman hurrying down to meet him. “There you are at last, sir! You have a visitor!” Jake was thunderstruck. “A visitor? At this time of night?” Who even knew he was here? The coachman, ruddy-faced and wiry, clearly felt awkward. “She, er, wouldn’t give her name, but she’s very London, very London indeed.” Could it possibly be… “Is she blonde, and dressed in blue?” Jake asked. “Yes sir.” Evangeline! “Is she alone?” “Yes sir.” Evangeline, but not Harry? Was the great affair over already? “Where is she now?” “Waiting in the grand parlor, sir. I’ve lit candles and done what I can, but I’m no fancy footman, and she sent me away because I reek too much of horses.” That sounded like Evangeline, Jake thought, glancing up and seeing the lights for the first time. Why, after all that had happened, should she follow him from London? “I’ll go to her directly, but first… Have you found any evidence of someone having broken into the house?” The coachman’s eyes widened. “No, sir, none at all.” “Good. Now, I want you to ride one of the carriage horses to the army camp at Blakenham to inform the commanding officer that he and some of his men should ride here immediately as I have reason to believe a large gang of thieves is using my land.” The coachman’s eyes widened still more, and he glanced at the woods as if a rabble of brigands might burst forth at any moment. “A large gang, sir?” 46

Wanton Little Mermaid

“I believe so. After that, I want you to go to my head gamekeeper at his cottage by the turnpike. Tell him that unless he and his men are here without delay, they will be dismissed!” “Yes sir.” “Well, go on, man!” Startled into action, the coachman ran back up through the stepped gardens, but Jake remained where he was. Looking at the west wing of the house, he saw the candlelight now illuminating the armorial glass window of the grand parlor. First thieves and an illicit outdoor banquet of some sort, then his nymph, and now Evangeline. What else might this eventful night have in store for him? He’d come here for peace and quiet! What could possibly be of such importance as to bring Evangeline all the way here? The last time had been when she’d first decided to win him, but he’d left for London. Later she’d complained bitterly that Gloucestershire was the dullest of counties. Now she was here again, and under very unlikely circumstances indeed. Whatever her reason, it was bound to be to her advantage, that much at least he’d learned! He continued reluctantly up the gardens, passing weed-choked cascades, bowers, topiary, and on the top level, the large rectangular lily pond, deep and shining, where he now noticed the water lilies had been virtually ransacked to decorate the robber chief’s throne. At last he mounted the wide stone steps to the terrace, where his clothes and top hat were as he’d left them. Shoving the cigar case in his coat pocket again and looping the neckcloth around his neck, he picked up his coat and waistcoat and put them over his arm. Unhooking his hat from the urn, he was about to approach the door that gave directly into the grand parlor, but something changed his mind. He needed another minute or so to collect himself for a confrontation with Evangeline. Turning, he went around to the front of the house, where her dusty traveling carriage was drawn up at the porch.

47

Sandra Heath

He entered the great hall, which was dimly lit by several candelabra placed on the dust-sheeted refectory table ranging down the center of the flagged floor. The handsomely carved stone fireplace was painted with the coat-of-arms and griffin badge of the Winterleighs, still bright after nearly three centuries. There were two fine wooden carvings of griffins guarding the bottom of the staircase, and suits of armor stood at regular intervals all around the oak-paneled walls, as if living knights were guarding the house. Portraits gazed from all sides as well, and one in particular suddenly arrested his attention when it never had before. It hung where the staircase divided, and was that of a handsome young man whose distinctive tawny hair marked him as a Winterleigh. Jake smiled, for this was the second time tonight he’d noticed tawny hair! Events at the riverside made him glance around again. Had anything been taken from here? No, he was sure all was as it always had been, but he’d still have to send for his agent and the house inventory, which would have to be gone through very carefully. Turning, he looked at the grand parlor. The iron-studded door was ajar, and the room beyond candlelit, but instead of feeling the excitement and hope of a reunion with Evangeline, he sincerely wished her back in London. He had never imagined the day would come when he could honestly say he was out of love with her. But if she really wanted to weave her spell around him again, would he be able to resist?

48

Wanton Little Mermaid

Chapter Five The grand parlor of Winterleigh Court was long, low and oak paneled, with an elaborate plasterwork ceiling that was yellow with age and candle smoke. Richly carved Tudor furniture was dark and shadowy in the candlelight, the dust sheets having been tossed hastily aside by the coachman, but there was more modern furniture too, like the crimson brocade sofa from which Evangeline rose in a whisper of bluebell silk. Golden ringlets tumbled almost girlishly over her left shoulder, even though she was thirty now. She was as flawless as a porcelain doll in her matching gown and pelisse, but there was nothing sweet or dollish about her. She was the personification of carnal enticement, a woman to whom lovemaking wasn’t simply enjoyable, but a vital necessity of life. Her flesh hungered for constant gratification, and this fact glowed around her like an aura. Tonight, however, she seemed oddly pale and nervous, Jake thought, trying to gauge his own feelings as well. “This is most unexpected, Evangeline,” he said, advancing a little into the room and draping his clothes over a chair. He felt indifferent, detached, as if she were a complete stranger, and it was a gladsome realization. He wanted her gone. “I-I had to see you, James,” she replied, gazing earnestly at him with imploring gray eyes. It occurred to him that her refusal to address him as Jake had always been irritating. “How’s Harry?” he inquired dryly. She flushed. “Well enough, I believe.” “You only believe? Don’t you know?” Jake sensed there had been a rancorous parting. “He’s gone to his estate near Dublin. Some boundary problems, I gather.” She avoided his eyes. 49

Sandra Heath

Boundary problems? Fiddlesticks! Dear, unreliable Harry had bolted, just as Evangeline had been warned he would. She’d come here to save face. A reconciliation would enable her to claim that Harry had run off due to a broken heart on losing her. Jake couldn’t help a feeling of deep sense of satisfaction as he made a point of being the polite host. “I’d, er, offer you some refreshment, but I fear there’s neither food nor drink as yet.” She glanced around. “Why on earth didn’t you send word ahead to your servants?” “Because I only decided to come here on the spur of the moment.” “And now I find you in your undress?” She looked at his unbuttoned shirt, and he saw how her tongue passed over her lower lip. Clearly the sight of his naked chest was appealing to her. “Let’s get to the point, Evangeline. Why are you here?” Tears suddenly filled her eyes, those lovely shimmering tears that she could always summon at will, and she turned agitatedly away. “Oh James, I made a terrible mistake when I allowed Harry to seduce me.” She paused, awaiting his glad response, but he remained silent, so she quickly faced him again. “You’re the one I love,” she whispered. “I doubt that very much, Evangeline. We parted because you made patently clear your preference for Harry.” “I didn’t realize what a fool I’d been until you’d gone.” Until Harry had gone, you mean, he thought. She came closer, and her lily-of-the-valley fragrance drifted seductively over him. “Forgive me, James, take me back, and let us begin again,” she whispered, making sure he could see her sumptuous bosom. Then she reached toward him, her arms trembling like butterfly wings, her lips moist and parted, her eyes melting like a fawn’s. If she’d expected him to be rapturous, she was disappointed, for his only response was to move away. “No, thank you, Evangeline. I’m no longer interested.” “How can you be so cruel? After all we’ve been to each other, we—”

50

Wanton Little Mermaid

“You were the cruel one,” he broke in. “You meant every hurtful word in London, and now expect me to set that aside and welcome you back? You’re deluded if you do.” She turned away slightly, the better to display her lovely profile and her adorable way of tilting her head. “I love you, James,” she repeated yearningly. “Evangeline, forgive me if I take this apparent change of heart with a very large pinch of salt.” “You-you don’t believe me?” she breathed, closing her eyes in pain, and then before he knew it she’d flung her arms around his neck. “I do love you, James!” she sobbed, “I adore you with all my heart, and if I could turn the clock back I would. You once offered marriage, and—” “So you tell me, but I have no recollection of such a proposal.” “Well, perhaps you were a little in drink at the time, but it did happen.” In drink? More bloody likely he was deep in her bloody champagne concoction! “I turned you down, James, but if you were to ask me again now, I’d accept. There’s nothing on this earth I wish more than to spend the rest of my life with you! And if living here in the country is what you want, I’ll gladly share your seclusion.” The Queen of London was prepared to bury herself in the sticks? It was an amusing thought. “And would our marriage bed also provide comfort for your three fellow witches?” She flushed. “That was uncalled for.” “Was it? If by some chance I once asked you to marry me, I’m wiser now and will not be repeating the mistake. So please, stop this, Evangeline. But far from stopping, she slipped a hand down to his loins and worked her knowing fingers against his slumbering cock. “Let’s make love again, James. Here, on the floor.” His traitorous penis was awake, damn it!

51

Sandra Heath

She felt the response too, and smiled like the temptress she was. “Oh, what’s this? You have something for me, my darling?” In a trice her fingers had slipped inside the flap of his breeches to probe his cock. She found the foreskin and slid a single finger to caress the head. He gasped as wild sensations darted over him. But the image that flashed momentarily through his mind was that of his desirable little nymph. She was the one he desired, so much so that thoughts of her were like a sweet heartache. He pulled swiftly away Her interest sparked. “Mmm, how deliciously moist you are already.” Because I haven’t long since come by my own hand, he thought. If only she knew why. “Let me lick you, my love, let me remind you what a clever little tongue I have.” She began to sink to her knees in front of him, but he caught her by the elbows and raised her again. “No, Evangeline. Can’t you understand that I no longer want you?” “Please take me back, James! Please!” Her fear of failure was raw. He wasn’t moved. “No! I no longer love you.” “Is there someone else?” “If there were, it would be no more than you deserve,” he replied guardedly, because yet again he thought of the exquisite creature he’d seen by the river. “So there is?” Evangeline’s gray eyes sharpened suspiciously. “No, Evangeline, there isn’t.” But he knew he lied. He’d fallen for a beautiful chimera. “So you don’t have the honor to give me a second chance?” “Your transgression was too great, Evangeline. And so was Harry’s. You and my best friend were lovers behind my back, and for that I can’t forgive either of you. If Harry were here now I wouldn’t bother to call him out. Neither of you is worth the trouble. So there isn’t going to be a reunion. If the truth be known, at this moment I’m finding it difficult to even be civil toward you.”

52

Wanton Little Mermaid

“I don’t believe you!” she cried, and stood on tiptoe to put her lips yearningly to his. It was a kiss filled with passion, experience and art. He unlinked her arms again and stepped firmly away from her. “You’re no longer part of my life, Evangeline,” he said quietly, marveling at his own calm. A few weeks ago he’d have been in the seventh heaven to have her come to him like this, but not now. Not now. “But, James—” “Have done with it, Evangeline. I’m not fooled by your story of Harry’s boundary problems. We both know he’s cut and run, just as I told you he would. You’ve only come here to repair the damage to your vanity, and to your reputation as the lady every gentleman would give his entire fortune to possess. I’m right, am I not?” Her face hardened. “How very shrewd, to be sure.” “You’re a Siren, Evangeline, but this mariner has safely passed you by.” At that moment his coat slipped from the chair back and fell to the floor. The quizzing glass slipped out of the pocket, its diamonds twinkling in the candlelight. Evangeline stared, recognizing it in a moment, because Prinny had admired her through it only a day or so before it was lost. “How do you have this?” she demanded, pouncing upon it and brandishing it before Jake. “I found it tonight.” How lame the truth sounded at times. Her gaze, shrewd now, held his. “Tonight? Where?” “Down by the river.” He took the quizzing glass from her and put it on a table. “By the river? How can that be, when it was lost at sea?” Her voice rang with disbelief. “I know the Severn is tidal, but I can’t imagine it washes all the way around Cornwall from the Isle of Wight!” “I don’t know how it came there, except that I have reason to believe thieves are using my land.” He glanced away as once again his elusive nymph flitted through his mind.

53

Sandra Heath

There was malice in Evangeline’s eyes. “I always wondered if Prinny really did lose it, or whether in fact it was…stolen.” Jake’s anger ignited. “Are you implying that I took it?” “Well, did you?” “Please leave, Evangeline, for I’ve had enough of you,” he said tersely, feeling an almost irresistible desire to manhandle her to the main entrance and apply his boot to her posterior. “You’re going to regret your decision tonight, James, I’ll make sure of that!” she cried. “I can ruin you in society, all I have to do is choose the right ears into which to mention the whereabouts of this royal bauble.” “Do as you damn well wish, madam, but for the moment please get out of this house!” She raised a hand to strike him, but he caught her by the wrist and turned her toward the door. “If you don’t leave this instant, so help me I’ll throw you out!” he breathed, releasing her. “You’ll be sorry for this,” she breathed. “So much for your undying love,” he answered drily. She whirled about and stalked out, blue silk hissing like angry cats, but as she emerged into the great hall she halted with a furious exclamation. “So there is someone else!” Jake hurried to see what she meant, and halted in amazement on seeing a young woman at the foot of the staircase. She was fully clothed now, but he recognized his ethereal nymph. She was dressed in a navy-blue leghorn bonnet and a velvet spencer of the same color, with a white muslin gown that was lavishly embroidered with delphinium blue sprigs. Her unruly tawny hair had been twisted up beneath her bonnet. She had clearly hoped to get into the house unseen, but her gown had caught on one of the carved wooden griffins at the foot of the staircase, and Evangeline had

54

Wanton Little Mermaid

emerged from the grand parlor before she could free herself. She was still struggling to pull the muslin free, but the griffin did not relinquish its hold. Evangeline faced him, her lips thin, her eyes hooded. “No wonder you wish me gone, sirrah!” “I don’t even know who she is,” he replied truthfully, unable to take his eyes from the beautiful intruder, who in candlelight was even lovelier than he remembered. Evangeline was disdainful. “I don’t believe you, Jake, and I’m going to make you pay dearly for spurning me in favor of this-this demirep!” “She is not a demirep,” he retorted coldly, feeling oddly honor bound to defend the fair trespasser, who for all he knew might be a demirep of the lowest order! Evangeline’s fury was almost tangible. “Your reputation isn’t going to be worth a jot by the time I’ve finished. I’m going to brand you a thief and libertine, and the whole of society will believe me! I—” Something dawned on her suddenly, and she broke off to whirl around once more to face Sabrina. “Those are my clothes! I recognize them!” “Yours?” Jake stared at her, and then at Sabrina, who had given up the struggle with the griffin and now just stood there like a frightened doe. Evangeline’s nostrils flared. “It seems they were purloined in the same way as Prinny’s quizzing glass! You’ve been keeping this pretty little secret very well hidden, Jake, indeed I almost admire your skill! I suppose she is the actual thief? She certainly looks the part.” Sabrina was stung out of silence. “I’m not a thief! My name is Sabrina Winterleigh, and that is my father.” She pointed at the portrait on the staircase. Winterleigh? Jake turned to the painting. It’s wasn’t just the tawny hair, there were other likenesses too. There could be no doubt she was who she claimed to be, although surely she had to be from the wrong side of the blanket, because the Winterleigh name had died out. Sabrina. The name suited her. It was the old Roman name for the Severn.

55

Sandra Heath

Evangeline was venomous. “Winterleigh? Well, you’re the fellow’s byblow, and no mistake, my dear, but whatever you are, I want my property back, and I want it now.” “For heaven’s sake, Evangeline, can’t it wait?” Jake asked. “I want what is mine, sir.” Jake strode to Sabrina, freed her, and then looked into her big blue eyes. “Go into the grand parlor and undress,” he said gently. “You can wrap yourself in one of the dust sheets.” “Undress? Oh but—” “Do as I ask. Please, or I’ll never be rid of her.” Their eyes met, and Evangeline immediately interrupted the moment. “And be quick about it, girl!” Sabrina did as he asked, and saw the quizzing glass on the table the moment she entered. Her response was reflex. Seizing it, she ran to the door that gave to the terrace, but it wouldn’t open, and in her frantic efforts to get out she was afraid of being heard from the great hall. The only other way of escape was past Jake and Evangeline, and she knew she’d be caught. She was frightened and trembling, partly due to being trapped, partly because it didn’t seem possible to retrieve Neptune’s prized belonging…and partly due to the exhilaration of being so close to Jake, the only man she had ever desired. The door stubbornly refused to budge, and she gave in. Putting the quizzing glass down again, she removed her bonnet. Her mane of tawny curls immediately tumbled down, and she glimpsed herself in a wall mirror. How silly and unsophisticated she was. She could never be a match for a sophisticated beauty like Evangeline, who obviously wanted Jake very much indeed. A mere half mermaid—a completely inexperienced virgin—could only be at a complete disadvantage. With a sinking heart, she began to remove the rest of her clothes. “Oh do hurry up, you tiresome little slut!” Evangeline’s imperious tone echoed from the great hall, as did Jake’s reaction. 56

Wanton Little Mermaid

“Enough, Evangeline, for there’s only one slut here, and I’m speaking to her.” Sabrina pulled a dust sheet around herself like a cloak, and then took Evangeline’s clothes out in the hall, where she flung them defiantly at that lady’s feet. “Pick them up and give them to me this instant!” Sabrina’s chin rose mutinously. Evangeline looked to Jake for support, but he shook his head. “If you want your out-of-date clothes so badly, you pick them up,” he said. Nothing on heaven or earth would have moved Evangeline to so demean herself, and she stalked from the house with fire and brimstone crackling from her very shoes. A moment later her carriage drove away at speed.

57

Sandra Heath

Chapter Six Jake retrieved the clothes and took them to Sabrina, who shrank back into the grand parlor again, clutching the dust sheet as close as she could. But even as she moved away from him, what she really wanted to do was go into his arms. Her whole being was conscious of him, and her body was so awake and sensitive that she felt its pain. He closed the door and held out the clothes. “Please, put them on again, for I do not want you to feel such embarrassment. Or humiliation,” he added, erotically aware that beneath the sheet she was utterly and sublimely naked. His mind whisked back to the riverside clearing. What he’d seen then was only a few feet away from him now. Dear God, his desires had never been as stoked as this before. He wanted to seize her, toss the sheet aside, and fuck her until his dick hurt. So great was the urge that he had to turn away and put the clothes on a little table. “Well, they are here. I-I’ll leave you to dress and—” “No!” The word was blurted without warning, and a deep flush suffused her cheeks. He looked at her. “I think propriety would be best served by my absence, don’t you?” “I know little of your propriety.” “My propriety?” He smiled. “I can hardly lay sole claim to it.” He came closer and stood by the table on which the quizzing glass lay. “In your world you can.” His brows drew curiously together. “My world? What a strange thing to say. Look, I accept that you probably are Sabrina Winterleigh, but who exactly are you? I know of no living Winterleighs, indeed if there had been such a person, this estate would never

58

Wanton Little Mermaid

have come on to the market. Was Evangeline right? Are you from the wrong side of the blanket?” “Certainly not!” Her eyes flashed indignantly. Her parents had been properly joined in marriage, according to the rites of both their worlds. He gazed at her, unable to stop drinking in every delicate feature of her face. Her draw was magnetic, fiercely so, and the effect was like a shock running through his veins. The way her incredible hair tumbled over her shoulders to her waist, the lustrous blue of her eyes, the flawless sheen of her skin, the way her lips trembled just a little… Oh to kiss those lips. His penis was erect, but at least the fashion for skintight breeches kept it firmly against his thigh, and in this dim light it was unlikely she could see. But if he moved his leg just a little, the gray corduroy tightened against his head in a most pleasing way. The secret little satisfaction almost had the better of him, until he made himself remember that she was probably a thief, one of a gang who had had the effrontery to use his land! He picked up the quizzing glass from the table beside him. “By what right do you come after this?” he asked, holding it up before her. She didn’t reply. “Surely you don’t deny this is what you want? I interrupted you just as you were about to get it from that damn throne, or whatever you call that seat, which, incidentally, was draped with my water lilies.” She colored a little. “I—I’m sorry we took your flowers.” “And this?” Once again he held up the quizzing glass. “It-it belongs to someone I know.” “So you’re acquainted with the Prince Regent, are you?” he inquired dryly. “Come on, Miss Winterleigh, you may as well tell the truth. Someone stole this from the prince, and you clearly know who that someone is.”

59

Sandra Heath

She was stung into indiscretion. “It’s against our law to steal! Lord Neptune found it on the seabed, and that is allowed!” He stared at her, wondering if he could possibly have heard correctly. “I-I beg your pardon?” She bit her lip, knowing she should have held her tongue. Jake went nearer, his erect cock still concealed by the shadows. He was immediately conscious of her floral perfume. What was it? Lilies? Water lilies! The fragrance was cool, delicate and elusive, but had a searing effect on his already strained self-control. He swallowed, trying not to show the disarray of his senses. “Who is this Lord Neptune?” he asked, thinking it must be the gang leader’s nickname. “You haven’t heard of him?” she replied in amazement. Surely even humans knew of the god of the sea! He waved an arm at the room. “As you can see, I haven’t exactly been in residence recently, so I’m not well informed about the neighborhood villains.” She was horrified. “You cannot call the god of the sea a villain!” Jake was taken aback. “The god of the—” He would have laughed had he not seen how earnest she was. “You really mean it, don’t you?” “Yes, of course I do.” Oh this was dreadful. She shouldn’t have come to the house, but she had, and now things were going from bad to worse. Yet still her body wanted him, and the sensations writhing so voluptuously between her legs were small peaks of gratification. And it was all just for him. There was moisture down there too, ready to ease his path inside her. Ready for his cock. Now she was the one who had to turn away, certain her face was a page upon which her carnal dilemma was written large. He longed to stretch out a hand to touch her, but he didn’t know how she felt, only how he did. She hadn’t wanted him to leave, but there was no knowing why. Occasionally he thought he saw desire in her eyes, lighting them with such a seductive glow that he could almost have drowned in their exquisite blueness. But then, how could he possibly understand someone who spoke of Neptune in such a way? “You 60

Wanton Little Mermaid

said something earlier about ‘our law’,” he said then. “What exactly did you mean? Whose law?” She turned to him again. “Mer-law,” she replied frankly, knowing she’d already said too much and might as well be frank. “Mer-law?” The word conveyed nothing to him. “The law of merfolk. You know, of mermaids and mermen.” His lips parted incredulously. “Are-are you telling me you’re a mermaid?” Involuntarily his glance moved toward her toes, which peeped from beneath the dust sheet. “I’m only half mermaid. My other half is Winterleigh,” she explained, withdrawing her toes a little self-consciously. “Please, you won’t tell anyone else about this, will you?” She was thinking of the odious Evangeline, who would take spiteful delight in trumpeting such an unlikely tale far and wide. Jake was too shaken to speak. He wanted to laugh. Dear God, if he’d been drinking cognac all night he could understand all this, but he was stone cold sober! She couldn’t be a mermaid, she had toes! “Miss Winterleigh, I cannot possibly believe such a claim, after all, you have feet.” She met his eyes. “I did say I was only half mermaid. Because Andrew Winterleigh was my father I look human, but I can breathe underwater and swim like a fish. Well, perhaps not as well as other mermaids, but I can stay underwater for as long as I choose.” She searched his face urgently. “You aren’t going to tell, are you? We’re not supposed to speak to humans or even let them know we exist.” “It would seem your mother did more than just speak to Andrew Winterleigh.” As I wish you would with me. She smiled. “They fell in love. It had never happened before and hasn’t happened since.” Until now, she thought, still fighting the urge to discard the sheet and go to him. Especially now that she’d glimpsed the outline of his hard cock, and realized that he was by no means indifferent! What would Anemone say at a moment like this? What 61

Sandra Heath

would she do? Both questions were foolish, because Anemone would do whatever was needed to satisfy her desire. Jake gazed at her. Such love hadn’t happened since? He was experiencing such an eruption of emotion that he was sure he was spellbound by his own desires. But it was emotion as he’d never known before. His cock was on fire for her, and his veneer of civilization seemed stretched so thin he felt more animal than human. He wanted her in the most primitive of ways, so much so that he was hardly conscious of his own world, just of a sudden recognition of hers. “Sabrina, I—” Suddenly his voice failed, and he could only gaze at her with such longing that it was almost tangible in the air around them. “Jake?” His nickname fell as easily from her lips as if she’d always known him. Intimately. She smiled a little smile, all hesitation evaporating into the recesses of the room. “Oh Jake, you have no idea how long I’ve been yearning to know you.” “You have?” He was lost in her eyes, and his balls were suddenly so tight it was agony. “I’ve spied on you most unashamedly, and I’ve missed you so much since you went away. I can’t believe you’ve returned, or that I’m here with you like this.” She allowed the sheet to fall slowly and sensuously to the ground, because she knew that it was what Anemone would do at a moment like this. “You cannot hide your desire from me,” she whispered, glancing down at the front of his breeches. Instinctively his hand went to conceal his rampant penis, but then dropped away again, for what point was there in hiding the truth? “I want you to make love to me, Jake. I want it so much that I’m consumed with craving. Love me. Come inside me.” She was startled by her own audacity, but there was more mermaid in her than she’d realized. She wasn’t as unlike Anemone as she’d thought, although her wantonness was directed solely at this one man. Jake knew he’d do as she wanted. He’d only just met her, and now he was about to fuck her? What in God’s own name was happening to him? Was he dreaming it all? But 62

Wanton Little Mermaid

no, as she came closer he again breathed the elusive fragrance of water lilies. This was no dream, it was fact, and never before had he been so glad to be here, now…and so completely awake. “I have been with you a thousand times,” she whispered, “each one more exciting than the one before. I’m obsessed with you, I love you to distraction and need you as I need to breathe.” She stretched on tiptoe to brush her lips softly over his. A brush, an endearment, no more, but the first sweet communion. The blood rushed in her ears and she trembled like reeds in a current. She loved him, how she loved him! Suddenly he caught her around the waist, pulled her close and supplanted the caress of her lips with the carnal passion of his own. He couldn’t help himself, his blood was pounding, the urges of his cock were almost violent, and he needed all his willpower not to drag her down to the floor and give her the fuck of all fucks. She shared his fervor. Her little fingers slid down over his erection, and her tongue pushed gladly into his mouth. His breath was exotic with the tempting taste of cloves, and his ardor was irresistible. As was her own need. The tentative squeeze of her fingers on his pounding cock made him start and gasp. “No!” The need for control swept imperatively over him. She wasn’t to be used without thought, she was far, far too precious for that. He cared very much that their first joining had to be a sublime moment of sharing and adoration. Which meant trying to temporarily cool his blood. “I cannot and will not make love to you with my boots on,” he said gently. “Such things are important.” Were they? “I don’t know, I’ve never done this before,” she answered. He paused, for the statement was unexpected. “You haven’t?” “I’ve been waiting for you.” She smiled. “Ever since you bought this house I haven’t been able to desire anyone else.” He’d been on the pointing of removing his top boots, but halted in consternation, for it wasn’t his habit to take virgins.

63

Sandra Heath

She read his thoughts. “Please, for I want you more than you can possibly realize. I have been waiting for this moment, truly. It will break my heart if you turn from me now.” Turn from her? He would almost rather die. He looked intently at her. “But I will be robbing you of your virtue.” She shook her head. “I had no virtue from that first moment. I saw you, and my chastity ceased to exist. I could not possibly think the things I did and still claim to be virginal.” His reservations slipped away, perhaps because he wanted her so very much. It went against his principles, but it was hard to cling to such things when she wanted him as much as he wanted her. “I want to do the things I’ve thought of for so long,” she said softly, and with such seduction that he gave in willingly. “I think I will enjoy finding out what those things are,” he said softly. Her blue eyes shone. Balancing against the back of a heavy chair, he took off his boots and hurled them away before dragging down his breeches and then tossing aside his shirt. Then he came to stand before her again, utterly naked, his cock so needful that it moved to the racing of his heart. His balls were now so drawn up and urgent that he felt they would burst his scrotum, and his foreskin had peeled back to reveal his shining head. The little eye had become a tiny spring, shimmering with liquid desire, and his pulse was racing so much his heartbeats could no longer be counted. She feasted her eyes upon him. How perfect he was, how virile and exciting. His warmth drifted toward her, as hers did toward him. She already knew he tasted of cloves, but this was something else. Something on his skin that seemed to quicken her blood. Cinnamon? Yes, possibly. Whatever it was, it wound around her with invisible, relentless tendrils, binding her to him still more. As did the darkness of his eyes, which

64

Wanton Little Mermaid

were now almost black with desire. Were hers black too? Surely they must be, because his desire could not possibly exceed hers. The moment hung as they looked at each other, and the air itself seemed to pulse with emotion. They moved together at the same moment, their mouths meeting again in a kiss more white-hot than the one before. Their lips burned, their flesh was ablaze and their hands seemed about to ignite as they explored each other’s body, smoothing, stroking, searching and adoring. Their tongues touched, and then touched again, before sliding sensuously together, imitating the act of love itself. He cupped one of her breasts, which fitted neatly into his hand, the hard little nipple pressing his palm as if to pierce his skin. He closed his fingers gently, and she moved against him, a moan low in her throat as they continued to kiss. Next he took the nipple between his finger and thumb, and rolled it in the way he knew would pleasure her. Unbelievably rich feelings flooded through her, reaching the secret places between her legs and suffusing them with a tumbling passion that made her feel weightless and more alive than it seemed possible to be. She had to touch his cock, to slide her longing fingers around the base of the shaft and then up, up to the wet, compelling head. Maybe even to toy with the tiny spring of moisture that heralded the semen to come. Something deep inside her wanted to taste that spring, to kneel to take his penis into her mouth, but she wanted it in her pussy as well. She had to achieve a peak as he came. They must come together, his seed to her womb, for nothing less would do. He pushed her back against the table and leaned over her, kissing her lips, her throat, her shoulders and her breasts, while his penis slid quite naturally between her legs. At first she closed her thighs around it, just to enjoy its hardness and length, and in a vain endeavor to control the torrent of little peaks that made her squirm with gratification. Then, slowly, she parted her thighs again, inviting him to enter. He pressed forward until his quivering head touched her threshold, and held his breath as untamed sensations rioted through his penis and then through the rest of his body.

65

Sandra Heath

He raised her arms above her head and slid his hands up them until he clasped her fingers. She stretched beneath him, her skin warm and damp, the scent of water lilies further bewitching his already spellbound flesh. His cock was still pressed to her entrance, still held back from the moment of penetration, because he knew that once he entered her, the full flood of his desire would be released. His arousal was too raw, too new, too overwhelming for him to be able to hold back. “Oh Sabrina,” he whispered, his lips moving against her cascade of tawny curls. Her very name was a caress, and just to say it at this moment was to bring salt tears to his eyes. He was in ecstasy such as he’d never felt before, and the force of it threatened to finally breach the dam that needed to burst from his balls and surge up his shaft. She was far back enough on the table to lift her hips and wrap her legs around him. The action allowed her to feel the pressure of his balls, and the way the hair of his loins tangled with hers. Above all, it allowed his cock to glide against her most intimate flesh. She slid herself up and down against it, gasping as his lubricated head glided against the little bud that always increased her pleasure. He closed his eyes as his consciousness threatened to melt away. He was nothing but the spirit of fleshly delight in human form, and he knew that no other woman would ever impart this carnal joy to him. The tides of rapture flowing through his penis became just too much, and slowly, still with infinite consideration, he at last maneuvered his tortured cock to enter her. She gazed up into his eyes, knowing the moment had come when they would truly be one, and when she would receive his seed. His seed. Jake’s. She smiled. “Now, please, now.” She held her breath for penetration. He pushed gently, not wanting to hurt her, but there was nothing to obstruct his path. Her intimate flesh closed around him like a warm sheath, and the sensation was sublime. Again he pushed, little by little, until he could go no farther, and there he felt himself flexing with luxurious delight. He had surely been born for this moment. He didn’t care what she’d said of herself, just that he was one with her. It did not matter

66

Wanton Little Mermaid

how fantastic or outrageous her words, only that the words she whispered now were of loving him. Her senses soared with delight, and with peaks that were no longer small, but swayed and undulated through her like unstoppable ripples on water. No merman could have satisfied her like this, or made her flesh ring with this happiness. It was more than she could have hoped, and well worth the years of yearning. To have him at all would have been reward enough, but to have him like this… She exulted in every movement he made, and especially the way he stretched her virgin flesh. He kissed her again, almost bruising her lips with his passion, and then he withdrew his penis before driving it in again. He couldn’t stop the kiss, he needed to taste her, experience her in every way. Again he withdrew and then plunged in. The pleasure almost racked him. He tried to prolong the moments, but he was no longer his own master. His cock ceased to obey him, and had to be fully rewarded. They moved in unison, and then he felt his semen begin to rise. “I’m coming, Sabrina,” he breathed, and closed his eyes as the first pulse jolted through him. She clung, her legs still holding him, aware of the power of his peak. His body shuddered and his cock seemed to twitch with the force of its release. She felt his semen spurt into her, and her core convulsed in an orgy of voluptuousness. More spurts followed, each one as gratifying as the first, and the final one seemed to thrust him into more ecstasy than its predecessors. She cried out as her pleasure matched his, and her legs tightened as she feared he would soon withdraw. He sank down against her, seeking her lips in a more gentle and loving kiss, one that was free of the carnal urgency of before. Unlinking his fingers from hers, he slid a hand down to caress her buttocks. Her breast was within reach of his lips, and he sucked it deeply into his mouth. The intimacy affected his still-aroused cock, so that it swelled and then settled again, swelled and then settled yet again. The delicious motion thrilled her to another peak, and she writhed beneath him. “I love you, Jake, I love you so much,” she breathed. 67

Sandra Heath

“And I you,” he answered, raising himself on his hands to look down at her. It was true, he did love her. There was no room for doubt. Tonight he had met the other half of his soul, and nothing would ever change his feelings. He smiled, and flexed his cock inside her again. The excitement told him he was ready to fuck her again. Sweet God, he felt as if he could fuck her all night without rest. But not here. The next fuck had to be in the comfort of a feather bed.

68

Wanton Little Mermaid

Chapter Seven Jake wondered if his own eagerness to continue was all that considerate. Sabrina’s needs had to be thought of too. He drew back, and her thighs surrendered, allowing his cock to pull right out. It fell away heavily, and not without a pleasant sensation to him. He reached for his coat pocket and just managed to pull out an initialed handkerchief, which he held out to her. “Making love with such vigor is inclined to be a little messy,” he said, smiling. But she ignored the handkerchief, and instead sank her fingers into her vagina and drew them out again, thick with his semen. Then she licked them clean, before repeating the exercise. He had to grip his penis because her action was so erotic to him that he was already standing to attention. She watched and then looked up to his eyes again. “I have never been so happy and fulfilled in my life, or so sated, warm, desired and caressed. I’m so glad I waited for you, so glad you want me as I want you.” The love in her eyes was too much, and he sank down into her again. She sighed, as if the strength of his cock expelled the air from her lungs, and then she clung to him as he made love to her again. It was another urgent coupling, hot with new love, and when he came he felt as if his very life was being drawn from him. His prick ached and was so sensitive that it seemed to burn. Jet after jet came out of him and plunged into her, and he cried out as his entire body was overtaken with immeasurable pleasure. When he recovered sufficiently to look into her eyes again, he saw that she was crying. Fearing he’d hurt her, he pulled away and seized her hand. “Forgive me, have I caused you pain?” “No,” she whispered, smiling through the tears. “I’m just so happy.” 69

Sandra Heath

“You know how to flatter a man’s vanity,” he said lightly. “I don’t seek to flatter.” He smiled. “I know,” he replied as he pulled her from the table and then led her to a sheet-draped sofa. Pulling the sheet aside, he sat down and then drew her down on to his lap. She immediately reached down between her legs, found his now flaccid penis, and pulled it up against her secret places. Then she closed her thighs around it again, so that the head, peeping from his foreskin, was just visible. When she moved, his soft shaft was against her bud, and she could steal more little pleasures. He leaned his head back. “Have you no shame?” “I may never see you again, so I must make of this what I can.” His arm move tightly around her waist. “You will see me again. You have my vow upon it.” “But I’m… Well, my mother was a mermaid. I know I don’t look as if that could be true, but it is true.” “It’s also true that I love you, and will never willingly let you go. Certainly I will never reject you.” She slipped her fingers between her legs and smoothed them against his penis, wanting it to respond. Just a little, so that she could glean still more gratification. He leaned his head back and smiled as his manhood showed itself more than willing. “I will die of exhaustion,” he murmured, arching just a little as she slid a finger inside his foreskin and then against the little hole through which he’d surrendered his entire soul. Or so it felt to him. He was so intensely sensitive that he gasped. “You only need to breathe upon me to have the effect you seek.” “Breathing is not enough.” She gazed down at the way his aroused cock had now emerged between her thighs, partly nudging into her thicket of hair. Her secret muscles contracted, and he felt it.

70

Wanton Little Mermaid

“You are a very sensuous woman, Sabrina Winterleigh.” “Only with you, Jake Cranwell,” she answered, rocking on to him. Then she moved until he pressed to her entrance. “Be inside me again,” she begged. His cock needed no encouragement, and he sank sweetly within her again. With a sigh of contentment, she leaned to link her arms around his neck. “Will we both awaken soon?” she asked. “We are already awake,” he replied enclosing her in his arms as he moved his hips up and down to pleasure them both. Surely he couldn’t come again so quickly, but yes, he felt the familiar gathering in his balls. Not even in the first throes of his love for Evangeline had he come three times in so short a time. He gathered her closer and she wrapped her arms around him. Their lips joined again, but just for the taste and warmth as his motion imparted more and more delight. She moved too, riding upon him and tearing her lips away in order to offer her breast to him. As he drew her nipple deep into his mouth he knew he was close to coming again. His cock was ablaze with his passion, and his breath caught as he felt his semen rising. They clung together as if they were one entity with but one heart, and as he pumped into her again he knew that if he never made love again, this time with her would endure for the rest of his life. Afterward they sank back in the sofa, linked lovingly together, both fully sated for the moment. He inhaled her perfume. “Now, we must talk, for I know so very little about you.” “You know more than enough. I am someone you can be with like this, but can never take into your society.” “Sabrina, the society in which I’ve moved isn’t worthy of you. Believe me, I find you refreshingly different from any woman I have ever met before. You’re certainly much more fascinating than Evangeline likes to think she is. I love you—we love each other—and that is all that matters. Now, tell me about your world.”

71

Sandra Heath

She knew he wasn’t patronizing her. He’d accepted all she’d said so far, and had a lover’s interest in her life away from him. “Well, you must promise not to tell anyone else,” she warned. “I promise.” She told him everything, omitting nothing, no matter how preposterous it seemed, and when she’d finished, he gave a wry laugh. “If your parents had made their church marriage known, you’d have inherited this house, you know that, don’t you?” “But they didn’t, and now Winterleigh Court belongs to you.” She paused. “I wish…” “Yes?” “I wish you’d look after it properly again.” He smiled. “I’ve already resolved to do that. I intend to live here from now on.” With you as my wife. The hope shone through him like a beacon. “I’m glad. For myself as well as the house.” “And for the other merfolk? They’re welcome to continue using the clearing.” “I don’t think they will, not if your gamekeepers start walking the grounds again as they should.” Gamekeepers! Damn! The thought jarred through him that he’d sent the coachman to arouse the gamekeepers and bring the army! And heaven alone knew what Evangeline might have done since leaving. Setting Sabrina aside on the sofa, he leapt to his feet. “We must get dressed again. I’ve sent my coachman for the gamekeepers as well as an army detachment!” Fear lightened her eyes. “I have to leave!” He handed her the clothes again and began to pull on his shirt, breeches and boots. But even as they hastened about it, they heard voices and hooves approaching the house. Sabrina was still trying to do up her spencer and had to grab the bonnet as he ushered her toward the terrace door. Even then, when danger approached, she had the wit to retrieve the quizzing glass.

72

Wanton Little Mermaid

“It belongs to Lord Neptune now!” she said imploringly, still fearful of returning to the god without it. “Take it. I’m sure Prinny already has another.” He went to open the door, which offered no resistance, and they were out in the cool night, but as they dashed across the terrace to the steps, figures and lanterns appeared around the end of the house as gamekeepers and soldiers spilled on the terrace. Someone shouted, “Hey! Stop!” Sabrina saw the lily pond in the garden below, and knowing she couldn’t escape pursuit, she flung herself into the water and dived down among the water lilies. There she kept still, and almost immediately the water ceased to churn and ripple. Jake hesitated. He didn’t even know why he’d run away. It was his house, damn it! How in the dickens was he going to explain to the army commander about a gang of thieves that no longer existed? Then his heart sank further as he saw red-coated soldiers, and Evangeline hurrying determinedly beside the commanding officer. Oh, with what joy she’d have related that Sir James Cranwell and his strumpet had stolen the Prince Regent’s quizzing glass. She was intent upon revenge, but he, Jake, was going to deny her any such victory! He sat on the stone parapet of the pool, his boots dangling in the water, and proceeded to splash and laugh as if very much the worse for drink. The figures on the terrace came to a startled halt as they pressed to the balustrade to look down at him. It was his guess that the gamekeepers were hopeful that his being so much in his cups would spare them the punishment their laziness and inefficiency deserved. Evangeline watched him as well, her eyes quick and sharp. She’d seen Sabrina with him, but there was no sign of her now. The trollop must be hiding somewhere in the garden! The commanding officer turned to her. “With all due respect, my lady, it would seem that at the moment Sir Jake is unlikely to provide us with any sensible information.” 73

Sandra Heath

“It is all an act! He was as sober as a judge when I left him, and he hasn’t had time to get in this state. Besides, we all saw a woman with him a moment ago, although she has most conveniently vanished now. She’s here somewhere, and so is the Prince Regent’s quizzing glass!” Jake scrambled out of the pond, making such a fuss about it that the head gamekeeper felt obliged to go down to assist him. Swaying from side to side, and grinning foolishly, Jake wended his way up to the terrace. “Why, Evangeline, how nice that you’ve come back,” he said, speaking very slowly, as if finding it difficult to enunciate. Then, after a loud hiccup, he wagged a finger at her. “You’re very naughty, you shouldn’t run off when we were about to snuggle up together.” There were a few sniggers, and she drew back with a furious gasp. “How dare you!” “But it’s true.” Jake grinned around at all the watching faces. “Oh dear, no snuggying-up for me now.” The sniggers became open chuckles and Evangeline felt her revenge slipping away. “Don’t believe him! This is all pretence! He does have the quizzing glass! For heaven’s sake, you have the evidence of your own eyes! Two people ran from the house, so you know he’s lying!” Jake hiccupped again. “And I see two of you, Evangeline, but thank goodness I know there’s only one.” This was greeted with open laughter, and he swung an obliging arm to the commanding officer in general. “Search all you want, you won’t find any glizzing-quasses,” he declared. The officer decided that a search was probably advisable, if only to silence the clearly vindictive Lady Evangeline. He gave the necessary orders, and for the next hour the house and gardens were combed for any sign of the quizzing glass, or indeed of Miss Sabrina Winterleigh. Evangeline’s face remained aflame throughout as she realized she wasn’t going to emerge victorious. Instead she was being made to look a fool! 74

Wanton Little Mermaid

Chapter Eight It was almost dawn when everyone departed, Evangeline in the foulest temper imaginable, the army officer heartily sick of her, and the gamekeepers glad they hadn’t been dismissed on the spot. No estate in England would be better patrolled after this. Not so much as a cockroach would pass unnoticed! When all was quiet again, Jake returned to the lily pond, put a hand under the water and beckoned. Sabrina swam up to him with the quizzing glass, and he pulled her lovingly from the water. As she stood dripping, with Evangeline’s sprigged muslin clinging to her figure in a manner to bring his base male urges to the fore again, he took her face tenderly in his hands. “Don’t leave me, Sabrina,” he implored. “Don’t go back to the river, stay here with me.” “But I don’t belong on the land.” “You belong here as much as you do under water, so why not enjoy the best of both worlds, Sabrina? Visit the river whenever you choose, but live with me. Become my wife, and mistress of your father’s house.” She stared at him. “Your wife?” she whispered. “I’ve known you for a few hours, but it’s long enough to be sure how I feel. I love you, Sabrina Winterleigh, I adore you with all my heart, and I will do anything to keep you with me.” “It’s forbidden for merfolk to live with humans.” “But you’re only half mermaid,” he reminded her. “And what of your own parents? Neptune didn’t punish them, did he? If you were to explain to him that history has repeated itself…” He paused. “It has repeated itself, hasn’t it? You do love me? You haven’t had time to change your mind?” “I still love you,” she whispered. 75

Sandra Heath

He kissed her again, his fingers sliding sensuously into her wet hair. Then he looked adoringly into her eyes. “Please be mine forever,” he begged, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. He saw the answer he sought in her eyes, and gave a glad laugh. “Oh my darling, I vow I will adore you every minute of every day!” Then he took her hand. “Come, Lord Neptune awaits his quizzing glass, and I will be at your side when you return it.” She smiled, and her fingers curled in his as they walked down through the gardens toward the Severn. There was much consternation at first when a human appeared on the bank at Sabrina’s side, but everyone eventually came out of the river to stand on the land again. Lord Neptune’s stern visage turned to a smile as the quizzing glass was returned. “Eh? It belongs to the Prince Regent? Well, that knowledge makes my pleasure even greater. I, er, hope you don’t expect me to return it to him?” He eyed Jake. “Certainly not, sir, for I’m sure he would be flattered to know you wish to keep it.” “I doubt that. You have something else to say, I can tell that much. So, what is it?” “I wish to make Sabrina my wife,” Jake replied, and a great stir of whispers immediately spread around the crowded clearing. Crowded with merfolk, he thought, and he was speaking to a god who had hitherto been entirely mythical. He found it hard to comprehend, although he knew it was all true. Neptune turned to Sabrina’s uncle Nereus. “What do you think, my friend? She’s your niece.” Nereus smiled. “I’m all in favor. Her father could always be trusted, and I see no reason why Sir Jake cannot be as well.” As Sabrina ran to hug him, Neptune spoke again. “Well, young Sabrina, I was disposed to be lenient with your mother, and cannot in all honesty be any different now. Provided Sir Jake gives his solemn word he will remain absolutely silent about us.”

76

Wanton Little Mermaid

Jake nodded. “Of course.” “Very well. And now, we have an orgy to finish.” The great god rose from the throne and spread his arms. “Let the fun recommence.” There were delighted cheers as the orgy was resumed. Neptune turned to Anemone, who had been laughing with delight at Sabrina’s happiness. “I require you, young mermaid, for you have given me much pleasure tonight, and will, I trust, give me much more before dawn.” Anemone giggled. “Oh yes, my lord,” she answered, and then hid her hand in front of her mouth to whisper to Sabrina. “I’ve been the only mermaid he’s fucked all night! It’s been wonderful.” Then she eyed Sabrina. “You’ve been fucking too, haven’t you? I can see it all over you. We must talk. Soon!” As Anemone returned to Neptune, Sabrina glanced around a little ashamedly. “Merfolk are, well, a little abandoned for this one night,” she said to Jake. “I’m quite happy to be equally as abandoned,” he replied, catching her into his arms again.

***** They were married twice, once according to mer-law, and once according to the vows of Jake’s church, the clergyman at Blakenham being more than ready to perform the ceremony, as he had for Sabrina’s parents. And so Winterleigh Court came to life again, and soon rang with the laughter of children who adored playing in the lily pond. They swam like fish, of course.

77

About the Author Sandra Heath is British, and has settled in the English West Country after living in Wales, Ireland, Holland, Germany and various locations in England. She is a multipublished, multi-translated, award-winning author of romantic fiction, and her titles cover everything from chaste romances to furnace-hot sex scenes that singe the reader’s senses. Places as different as St. Petersburg, Switzerland, Athens, Egypt, India and Peru have been thoroughly researched, and so have many actual historical figures. Great medieval magnates, real and imaginary, have had their lives—and often their bodies!— laid bare in her books, as have elegant 19th-century lords, Russian princes, Prussian officers, brilliant Polish pianists and Egyptian Pharaohs. British folklore and legends have crept into her writing, as have ghostly happenings, magic, the Little People, and Mediterranean mythology. Her fervent imagination is overflowing with new stories, new settings, new characters and…new ideas for sexual enjoyment! All of which she is more than willing to share with her readers.

Sandra welcomes comments from readers. You can find her email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at [email protected].

Also by Sandra Heath A Winter’s Tail Love Pursued Pharaoh’s Beloved

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer ebooks or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com