Love Lottery: (Valentine's Merman Steamy Romance)

He drew the short end of the stick . . .

Left with an appalling legacy, Antenor must find his lonely way through the underwater kingdom of Cerkania. Without his knowledge, his enemy places his name in a conch shell and when Antenor’s name is drawn as a winner for a trip to the Upper Land, he’s dismayed. He could never find the woman of his dreams there, could he?

It is only days to Valentine’s, but Kira Piros, who reads other people their fortunes, doesn’t believe in her own. She is even a matchmaker, and yet she couldn’t find a man who interests her. Then she bumps into Antenor and suddenly her love life looks much better. Or does it? With evil following the man she cares about, can she escape the darkness?

Excerpt:

Iridescent seahorses glided by effortlessly in the turquoise blue ocean of the underwater kingdom of Cerkania. Tiny, the playful dolphin, attempted to upset Merleau, the seductive queen of mermaids, bumping into her from the side and bowling her over. Laughing, she turned around, hugged him and slapped a wet kiss on his blunt nose. Antenor watched the proceedings and wished he could return to his work. Wretchedly unhappy, he drew away from the edges of the small crowd cheering Merleau on.

“Why aren’t you joining in the fun?” Rian taunted, raising a thick golden-brown eyebrow.
“What do you care?” Antenor retorted sharply, suddenly desperate to get away from the gathering onlookers. He had few friends here. He knew that. Why had he thought he could come and at least share a laugh with one of the mermaids? The idea had been utter foolishness. He didn’t belong here.

“Now what makes you think I don’t care?” the other merman asked, assuming a mock fatherly tone. He was the archetype of the merman females chased after and feted on this special day. Antenor didn’t have the bodybuilder physique his tormentor had. Normally, he wasn’t bothered by that fact. Today, he felt left out and lonelier than usual. He shrugged, trying to make the gesture as careless as possible to throw Rian off.

Nude, the other merman puffed out his lightly furred chest and flexed his muscled biceps. “Everyone should have fun on Heart to Heart Day.”

“That’s your privilege,” he said, keeping his voice low.

“Does that sound like a jibe?”

“You know very well I didn’t intend it that way.”

“So the little man can’t have a bit of fun?”

Antenor gave him an ugly frown, not wanting to pick a fight but feeling he wouldn’t have much choice if the other merman persisted in ridiculing him.

“Ah, look at that,” Rian continued maliciously. “He’s getting all wound up.”

“I’ve got work to do,” Antenor replied, repressing a shudder. He hated being waylaid by Rian who thought he knew what was best for everyone – as long as the knowledge served his own interests first.
Antenor examined the mermaid. Her black hair flowed gently back and forth. She had outrageously large breasts and her hips were well rounded. He wanted a mermaid, a companion who would be more than a one-night stand. With his family name, he wasn’t likely to ever get someone like that. His father had left an appalling legacy when he had been executed by the Cerkanian Lords ten years ago.

Rian’s arm snaked out and seized Antenor’s forearm before he could march away. “Your jewelry business can wait. Look at all the mermaids who are looking your way with that hungry, sexual look. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll fix ourselves up with one or two?”

Antenor couldn’t stomach the thought of sharing something so personal as sex with someone as reprehensible as Rian. “I told you. I’ve got work to do.”

“Come off it, Anty. Loosen up a bit. There’s always tomorrow for polishing those worthless stones of yours and stringing them together. Heck, you could give one of your charms to a lucky lady here and they’d be head over heels in love with you. Look at the pretty one with the luscious big breasts. Wouldn’t you love to get under her fin