Together, they carried her up the stairs and into the house, laying her carefully on the bed in the guestroom. It pleased him that Jessa laid out the towels exactly as instructed. The woman's hair was damp and water still dripped from under her scales.

"I'll go grab the first aid kit," the nanny said, disappearing out of the room.

He sat down beside the mermaid and moved her black hair away from her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. Her skin was softer than he'd expected from one living in ...