Saving Grace by Bianca D'Arc Read Free Book Online

“See?”
    Georgio stopped short. “I wouldn’t have
believed it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes. You really are
a mermaid.”
    She smiled, but Jack could tell she felt a
little uncomfortable with Georgio’s scrutiny. Still, she was being
a good sport about it.
    “If it’s okay, I’d like to swim a bit more,”
she said. “This pool really is lovely.”
    “Be my guest,” Georgio replied, sounding more
courteous than Jack had ever heard.
    With a flip of her tail, Grace went back
below water, swimming lazily against the fast current. Georgio came
up beside Jack, his gaze trained on the mermaid in his pool.
    “She really swims just like a fish,” he
murmured, watching her as if mesmerized.
    Jack said nothing, simply watching the
graceful way she moved through the water. She really was named
appropriately. Jack had never met a more graceful woman—up to and
including the Russian ballerina he’d briefly had a fling with while
on a protection detail in Moscow some years back.
    “Did you put this pool in yourself?” Jack
turned, asking his friend and neighbor. That started a discussion
about the pool itself. Jack took mental notes, thinking already
about building something like this on his property.
    If he was going to be entertaining
mermaids—or at least, one in particular—he wanted to make his place
comfortable for them. He could also put in a much larger swimming
pool, but he had figured the ocean was close enough to swim in when
he’d built his home. Now, though, that there was so much danger
lurking in the ocean…
    He started thinking about where he could put
a pool, not just for Grace, but because he liked to swim too. He
missed his dips in the ocean.
    Although it was pretty clear Georgio would
stay in the pool area all day to watch the visiting mermaid, Jack
realized, at some point, Grace would want to get out and shift back
to her human form. Her naked human form. When that happened,
Jack’s inner bear would go nuts if another male was around to
witness it. Jack started guiding Georgio back into the house,
promising to help with gathering refreshments and cajoling him into giving the lady some time alone .
    Georgio was a good guy and took the hint. He
also started looking at Jack with suspicion. Well-founded
suspicion, Jack knew, but he wasn’t about to reveal his attraction
to the mermaid to anyone but her. Georgio would just have to go on
speculating. At least for now.
    If, and when, the time came that Jack was
able to fully claim Grace as his mate—and he still didn’t know how
that would work with her being mer and all—then everyone would
know. He’d be proud to introduce her to his Clan as his mate.
    Jack helped Georgio set out some snacks and
drinks, including a tall pitcher of pure water for Grace, if she
wanted it. They sat comfortably in Georgio’s living room, but Jack
kept one ear tuned to Grace’s movements in the pool. He could hear
her splash as she got out and the tiny rustle of her clothing as
she dressed.
    A few moments later, she joined them in the
living room, her hair damp and her shoulders relaxed. She looked
tired, but happy.
    “How are you feeling?” Jack stood when she
entered the room and ushered her to the chair right next to
his.
    “I think the worst of it is healed now. All
that’s left is to rest up a bit and regain my strength. The swim,
and the shifts, did the trick.” She leaned around Jack to catch
Georgio’s eye. “Thank you again for the use of your pool.”
    Georgio waved away her thanks with a casual
smile. “Happy to help,” he murmured before lifting his beer and
taking a long sip.
     

Chapter Seven

    Jack was happy to leave Georgio’s. The guy
was a friend, and Jack had every sympathy for the badly injured
shifter, but Jack found he didn’t want to share Grace just yet. He
wanted to keep her to himself and secure their
relationship—whatever that turned out to be—before they hung out
with any more of the Clan.
    He parked his Game