Damarian carefully lowers me on our bed and climbs on top of me. It’s a little hard because of my dress, but he manages to win the battle.

“Don’t ruin your tux,” I say. “It’s a rental.”

“I cannot promise that I will not.” He opens the jacket and lays it over a nearby chair. “I hope I will not damage your dress. But I find it ever so tempting to take it off, bit by bit.”

My stomach throbs, making my fingers and toes grow numb.

Damarian bends his head to take my lips with his. “I cannot ever truly understand what it means to be mated as humans, but I am very glad that you are Mrs. Sapphire.” He nuzzles my nose with his. “Now I will begin to kiss every part of you, removing any clothes that get in my way.” He takes off his shirt and pants. “These garments are too stiff to my liking.”

I laugh. “Next time, we’ll make sure to order an extra soft tux for a spoiled merman.”

He licks the skin between my nose and lips. “Next time? Is there something you are not telling me?” he teases.

“Yes, that I had so much fun bonding to a merman that I want to do it again with another one.”

He grins and brings his lips to mine, keeping them an inch away. “Is that so? Well, then perhaps you do not deserve this kiss.”

Every part of my body yearns to feel his warm lips against mine, to be consumed in the fervent feeling I always get when our lips touch. “I…I want it,” I rasp.

“You do, do you not? But maybe I do not wish to give it to you.”

I raise myself off the bed so I can smash my lips to his, but he’s quicker and pulls away. “A valiant attempt, my love.”

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can be a tease.” My hand moves to his bare chest. “Is this a naked chest? I wonder what will happen if I gently run my hand along these hard muscles.”

His body stiffens as my hand treks down the length of his torso. He catches my hand before it can move another centimeter. “You are quite the tempter.”

“Temptress,” I say, lifting my chin.

He licks my nose. “You are quite the temptress.”

I giggle as I wipe my nose. “Enough with the games. Just kiss me already.”

“With pleasure.”

He starts off with the top of my head, pressing small kisses to my forehead and eyebrows, then sweeping his lips across my eyes and the bridge of my nose. His movements are so gentle, so loving, so passionate, that it feels like I’ve been transformed into a cloud and am floating high in the sky. His hands roam over my body, but he can’t touch my skin due to my dress. He hikes it up my thighs so he can caress my leg.

All thoughts leave my head. The only thing I feel is the throbbing in every part of me.

“I never tire of witnessing how your body reacts to my touch, my Cassie,” he murmurs,

I would torture him in the same manner, but my arms have turned into noodles.

“What have we here?” Damarian asks when his lips stop by mine. “One of the areas on my love’s body that brings her an immense amount of pleasure. I shall return to this area later.”

“Total tease,” I say.

“Yes, indeed.”

He struggles to unzip the back of my dress so he can slide one of my straps off my shoulder. He pops more of those gentle, loving kisses on my skin. It’s so slow and erotic that I no longer feel like my body is attached to me.

“Do you enjoy this, my love?” he whispers.

Unable to talk, I nod and moan.

“Like I have promised to you many times, all I wish is to make you happy. Now I am fulfilling my promise.”

He slides off the other strap and the top of my dress, kissing every bit of skin that gets exposed. More of my dress is removed and more areas get kissed. By the time he reaches my toes, I feel like I have died and gone to heaven.

“Did you enjoy that?” he asks.

Again, I only manage to nod.

“But we are not yet finished,” he says as he brings his lips back to my face. “I believe I have saved the best part for last.” Slowly—once again, agonizingly slowly—he touches his lips to mine. My head lifts off the bed so I can swallow his lips in mine and kiss him like I’ve never kissed him before. Damarian’s hands clutch my waist and I grip the back of his head as our lips continue devouring each other’s. I once again don’t feel anything but the throbbing that has overtaken every single part of my body. The soft moans coming out of my mouth seems to fuel Damarian.

I am so wiped out when he’s done that my eyes close.

“No, my love,” Damarian says gently. “You cannot sleep. I have a wedding present for you.”

My eyes slowly open. “You do? We said we weren’t going to exchange any gifts.”

“It is not a gift, exactly.” He swings his leg off the bed and bends to open the drawer of the night table. He produces his journal.

I sit up. “You’re going to read to me?”

“Yes.”

I pat the spot next to me. “I can’t wait.”

He settles down and flips through the pages. It’s been a while since he’s read any of his entries to me. He doesn’t write in it as often as he did in the past. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“More than ready.”

“My beautiful Cassie lies next to me, two nights before our human bonding, what they call a wedding. It is not the night before, for we are to sleep in separate homes in order to feel excited for the special day. I watch my sweet Cassie sleep, watch the way her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm. Her eyes flutter sometimes and at times she releases a few satisfied sounds. I believe it is because she is truly happy. As I watch her sleep, I am filled with a love that is so thick I am certain I can bottle it. Perhaps I can even sell it for a hefty price, because I am certain that the kind of love I feel for her is so rare that it is not easily found, not on land or in the sea.”

He smiles at me before turning the page. “Only last week, she and I were parted from each other. I felt our bond slip away every hour. I felt a fear I have never felt in my life. It was not fear, but terror. Yes, I was terrified that I would lose the love that is so rare in this world. But I did not give up that we would find the means to restore it. For when you love someone as much as I love my Cassie, you do not surrender. You fight until you win. My Cassie loves me dearly, but she sometimes feels that she is not deserving of my love. I have felt this way many times in the past. My journal can attest to that. But I have learned that I do deserve it, as much as the next person. Because of that, I never wish to take her or what we have for granted.”

He turns another page. “In just two days, we shall be mated as humans. I am not certain how our lives will change, but I know that it will. I cannot wait to see what lies in store for us. I cannot sleep as I write this because every part of me is filled with excitement and joy. I do not believe there is anyone out there who is happier than me. I wish to read this to my Cassie. I want her to know that I will strive to be the man or child of the sea who is worthy for her love. She is the most important being in my life and I look forward to the family we will create together. Cassie, my love, I know that these past few days have been extremely difficult and has caused us to feel a fear we never wish to feel ever again in our lives, but I hope it will not hold you back from living your life to the fullest. Please do not carry around the fear that we will constantly fight to be together. I will not allow that to happen. We are meant to be together for all eternity.”

I scoot over to fling my arms around him. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to live life in constant fear that I’ll lose you. I know that whatever happens, we’ll do everything we can to be together.” I squeeze my cheek to his. “I love you to death, my merman.”

“No, Cassie. We love each other to life. Because that is what we have to look forward to in our future: our life together.”

“Thanks.” I kiss him. “You’re so amazing.”

“No, you are the amazing one.”

“Before we start arguing who is the more amazing one, I have a present for you, too. It’s from Mom and Louis. It’s not amongst our other gifts because we need to open it right away.” I hand him an envelope.

Curiously, he opens it and withdraws a printed piece of paper. “This is a hotel…near Disney World?”

“I know we discussed not going on a honeymoon yet, but you’ve always dreamed of going to Disney. I spoke to my mom about it and she and Louis have paid for all expenses for a whole week. It’s my wedding gift to you, and theirs, too.”

He takes me in his arms. “Yes, I have always wanted to explore this Disney World so many of you have spoken of. But what of my job? I cannot abandon the whales.”

“Don’t worry, I took care of it. For the next week, we are going on our honeymoon.”

He kisses me. “How much love I have for you, my human and child of the sea. I cannot say this enough: I will love you for all eternity.”

I hug him tighter. “That’s all I want to hear.”