Part 2The Merman's Forbidden Heat

I licked my lips awkwardly. “Fine, don’t show me then.”

【She’s calling your bluff! Adrian, don’t be a coward!】

【If you push her away now, you’ll just be back in the pool later, crying and hugging that doll of her…】

It was hard to imagine Adrian crying. And what doll?

I was so absorbed in the comments that I didn’t notice Adrian had grabbed my hand.

“Not here… I can only transform in the water.”

I was too shocked to speak, letting him lead me back into his chambers. This was the first time we’d had any physical contact since our wedding day.

As the Clarke family’s guardian deity, Adrian had slumbered at the bottom of the sea. The Clarkes had built their maritime empire over generations, their legends of the mermen growing more fantastical with each telling. But I was a skeptic. I had to see for myself. So, I went diving.

I had no idea. Mermen were real.

Adrian was sleeping among the lush seaweed, his upper body bare, his long, iridescent tail refracting the light into a rainbow of colors. He looked like a god. No, he was a god.

I’ll admit it: I was smitten.

I was so captivated that I almost used up all my oxygen. Suddenly, just an inch from my face, Adrian’s eyes snapped open. They were clearer and more brilliant than the ocean itself.

“You’re about to die.”

That was the first thing he ever said to me.

After he brought me to shore, I begged the clan elder to arrange our marriage. I was blinded by lust at the time, never imagining that after the wedding, I wouldn't even get to touch his hand… but now…

The tips of Adrian’s ears were blood-red, but he obediently slipped into the water, his long, slender tail materializing.

“Come here.”

He was too far away. I held out my hand to him.

Adrian slowly pressed his face against my palm, his voice tinged with a hint of grievance. “A merman is not a pet…”

My heart exploded. He was just like a puppy!

His warm, moist breath tickled my palm. I instinctively pulled my hand back, but he seized the moment, pulling me into the water with him.

I let out a startled cry, my body plastered against his.

“You… are you trying to rebel?!” My tongue was tied in knots.

A cunning glint flashed in Adrian’s eyes. He looked like a predator who, after a long, patient hunt, had finally caught his prey.

“I told you.” His voice was a low growl. “A merman is not a pet.”

My heart pounded. I don’t know if it was the rising water temperature, but my head was growing fuzzy.

Suddenly, a shrill ringing pierced the air. I scrambled to turn off my phone, but my wet hand accidentally hit the answer button.

“Babe, I’ve got something good for you!” my best friend’s voice chirped. “A six-foot-two college hunk, table’s booked. You’re gonna love him!”

I felt an unprecedented wave of pressure from behind me. I quickly hung up. By the time I turned around, Adrian had already wrapped himself in a bathrobe and left without a word.

【He’s so mad. As if he’s not six-foot-two himself, hahaha.】

【Looks like the plot is back on track. A leopard can’t change its spots!】