MERMADMEN (The Mermen Trilogy #2) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff Read Free Book Online

cleared her scratchy throat. “Why. Are. You. Here?”
    His sinfully seductive gaze crawled up her body, leaving every inch of her skin tingling. “Why am I here? I live here, which you already know. So I believe I should be directing that question to you.”
    “The reason is no one’s business but my own.”
    “Bullshit. Who’s the stupid asshole that came to collect you?” His body didn’t move, but his eyes told her he was holding back a tornado of caustic rage.
    Liv’s panic button began flashing bright red. “Roen—”
    “Tell me, goddammit. Who. Is. The foking asshole. That brought you back to the island?”
    Make him believe, Liv. Do what you have to do to make him believe.
    “I’m not sure that matters since I want to be here. I even brought my sister.”
    “I won’t tolerate you lying to me, Liv.”
    She shrugged. “Why would I lie? Even you have to admit that merman charms are pretty impressive.”
    He looked away, grinding his jaw, and ran his strong hand through his silky, jaw-length hair. “Those charms don’t work on you,” he replied so sharply, the words nearly cut through her charade. He knew her too well. She had to convince him she came for some other reason.
    “Doesn’t matter. I’m still a woman and what woman wouldn’t want to be fucked by one of the beautiful men on this island. Personally, I’m hoping to land Shane.”
    Roen’s eyes narrowed on her face, and his chest expanded with rapid breaths. “Shane? You expect me to believe that?”
    “It doesn’t matter what you think or expect, Roen,” she said, doing her best impression of a heartless bitch. “You made it perfectly clear you didn’t want me.” She wagged her finger at him. “And shame, shame on you,” she purred, “because I was left with a craving I can’t seem to satisfy with just any man. And trust me, I’ve tried. Boy, oh boy, how I’ve tried. With dozens and dozens of men,” she lied. “However, I’m betting that my needs can be satisfied by a merman—any merman—since you all have exceptional equipment.”
    Roen stormed across the room and stared down at her with cold, calculating eyes, causing Liv to push her body firmly against the door. “I’m not buying the act, Liv. And I have to believe that somewhere deep down inside you know my rejection was to protect you.”
    “Pah!” She barked out a little laugh. “Roen, dear, haven’t you figured out by now that I used you to save myself? I did it again when we saw each other in Seattle. Your little bitch of an island wanted to come after me because I broke my promise not to tell. And once again, there was big strong Roen ready to come to my rescue.” She laced her fingers together and rested her chin on the backs of her hands, batting her eyelashes. “Oh, save me, Roen. Save me!” She dropped her hands and laughed. “Like I said when we first met: you’re an ass. You’ll always be an ass, and now it’s time for you to leave. I need to get ready. For. Shane,” she added.
    A cold glaze of hostility washed over Roen’s face. Even the color of his green eyes seemed to darken a bit. She had no idea if she’d convinced him, but she was sure as hell she’d wounded him. Would it be enough?
    Roen began unbuttoning his shirt while keeping his hard, angry eyes pinned to her face.
    “Wha-what are you doing?” she asked.
    “What does it look like?” He shed his shirt and threw it to the floor.
    Oh no. Is he calling my bluff? Because no way could Liv hide her true emotions if he started kissing her or touching her or showing her his perfectly chiseled pectoral muscles and hard rippling abs that ended with those teasing little grooves that cut diagonally over his hip bones.
    She drew an unsteady breath.
    He then unbuttoned his pants and slowly unzipped, making a seductive show of it. All the while, Liv felt her body igniting into an erotic blaze. She didn’t need to see him naked to know what was under that zipper. She’d memorized every