Call of Water (Madame Tan's Freakshow #1) - Marina Simcoe Page 0,66

there. Desperately drawing more air in my chest, I finished in one breath, “The fact is, we only spent one night together.”

“Would you have liked more than one?”

“Back then I thought I would. You had this effect on me...” I searched for a way to describe the intense attraction I felt for him, the need and the longing, but no word seemed to be exactly right. “Anyway, not seeing you again affected me more than it probably should have. And I wouldn’t want to go through that again. It hurt when it ended...”

“What if it didn’t end? What if it lasted longer?”

What if...

It was so very tempting to follow that path, but I couldn’t allow myself that.

“Zeph,” I was nearly begging now. “That night was a wonderful adventure, and I would like to preserve whatever good memories I have from that.”

A twinkle flashed in his eyes, then his mouth curved into a devastatingly handsome grin.

“Since I don’t remember that adventure, Ivy, would you give me a chance for another one? Just one more night, to create new memories in case the old ones don’t come back.”

The longer I stared into his eyes, the more I wanted to say yes—agree to anything he’d ever ask. His smile irresistibly pulled the corners of my mouth up, too, no matter how serious I wished to remain.

Water Fae?

A siren?

From whatever prior knowledge I had about Fae, faeries or sirens, they all were mythical creatures, thriving on deception. They ranged from playful tricksters to dangerously enthralling tempters who lured people to their death.

Every legend had some truth behind it. The pull of Zeph’s attraction was nearly tangible. I felt it acutely.

Although I didn’t fear for my life around him, my heart wasn’t safe.

“I thought I got to know you a little that night, Zeph, but I’m no longer sure if any of it was real. You never even told me you weren’t human. One thing is certain, you’re not a man I could have just one night with. I’ve tried it once, and I just...can’t. Around you, I can’t trust my heart.”

I was waiting for him to step back, away from me, so I could draw another breath. But he didn’t move, trapping me with his closeness.

Every nerve in my skin came to life, buzzing with awareness. With the wall at my back, I had nowhere to run, waiting for him to release me from whatever spell he’d put me under.

“Now, that I’ve been completely honest with you,” I said carefully, “could you please stop...whatever it is your doing?”

“What exactly?”

“Well, this...magic or power?” I waved my hand between us. “Whatever it is that makes everything inside me flutter when you’re around. My heart races, my face gets hot, and I can’t even look at you without thinking...things I shouldn’t be thinking.”

“You wish for me to turn it off?” He shifted his weight, tilting his head.

“Yes, please. Now more than ever I need to have a clear head, without this...intoxicating haze. It’s distracting. Could you, um, turn it off, please?”

“Sure.” He shrugged a shoulder, his tone suspiciously light. “But only if you do the same.”

“Do what?”

“You have to stop whatever it is you’re doing that causes me to feel all the same things you’ve just mentioned.” He propped a hand on the wall above my head, leaning in even closer. “That would be only fair, don’t you think?”

“You’re feeling the same things?” I repeated, flabbergasted. He seemed so confident, so in control of himself and the situation when he was with me, that night and now.

“The same things and more,” he murmured just above my head. His breath got caught in my hair.

Then, he added with a chuckle, “When I’m this close to you, my pants also get tighter. But the rest is pretty much what you’ve described.”

I huffed a nervous laugh, unsure what to do about his confession. Believe it? Agree to have another night with him? Everything inside me longed to do that.

But then what?

“Listen,” Zeph said in a much more serious tone. “I’ve lost my memories, but not my ability to think or to feel, or to tell right from wrong. The events of my life may have been wiped from my memory, but I still know what kind of person I am. If I ever did you wrong, Ivy, I could not have done it intentionally. Please, give me a chance to make it up to you.”

Was he being honest, this time?

My head was spinning. Maybe if he could just let me