Josh Lanyon - The Mermaid Murders

Kennedy’s blue eyes seemed to be the only color in the night. His hair looked platinum, his face white in the thin light radiating from the overhang. “Listen,” he said. “You don’t want to be involved with me.”

“You’re right.”

“If you think I’m an asshole now…”

“You don’t have to convince me.”

“I’m too old for you, for one thing.”

Jason folded his arms. “And getting older by the minute.”

“I’m always on the road. Always traveling. I like it that way.”

“Sure. Sounds ideal.”

Kennedy drew a deep breath. “I made the decision a long time ago that this job did not allow for anything other than…this job.”

Jason was silent. “Wow,” he said finally.

Kennedy’s throat jumped as he swallowed. “And even if I could find the balance of work and relationship—and I don’t think that’s in me—this isn’t the kind of job you want to bring home to someone you care about. I would not want to open this door to someone I cared about. Especially not someone like you.”

“ Especially not someone like me,” Jason repeated. “I see.”

“No, you don’t. But I do. And that’s why I think this would be a horrible idea.”

“Kennedy, when you retire from the Bureau, you should go into sales. You’re a natural.”

Kennedy finished quietly, “Because I care about you, Jason. More than I thought I could.”

Jason rubbed his eyes. Pinched the bridge of his nose. He opened his eyes. “Okay. Let me get this straight. You like me too much to ever see me again. Is that pretty much it?”

Kennedy stared at him. There was so much pain in his face. He wasn’t even trying to hide it. Features set and pale, mouth too firm, eyes dark with naked emotion. Where had all that come from? Four hours ago he had been Mr. Freeze.

“Jesus Christ,” Jason said. “I was just asking for a fucking date. But since you’re putting it out there, I didn’t expect this either. And I can’t say it particularly fits in with my plans. I’m not whatever it is you’ve convinced yourself I am. I’m not a civilian, for one thing. I don’t care that you’re an asshole—although you are—and I don’t care how old you are, or that you travel a lot, or that the job comes first. And I don’t even want to know what the rest of it is, though obviously there’s something I should probably know about. I would like to…” He was astonished when his voice cut out.

Kennedy stared at him, watching his struggle.

Jason finished steadily, “I would like to try.” He amended, “I would at least like to try one date.”

Kennedy let out a long breath, like a swimmer who just didn’t have the strength to keep fighting current. The moment seemed to float there, and then he reached out, hand locking in Jason’s hair, pulling him in for a kiss.

Just before their lips met Kennedy said softly, “When and where?”

Watch for the return of Jason West and Sam Kennedy in

The Monet Murders (The Art of Murder Book II)

Coming Winter 2017

Author Notes

Thank you to the following people: Keren Reed, Marilyn Blimes, Dianne Thies, Susan Sorrentino, and Janet Sidelinger. Have I told you lately that I love you?

Those of you paying attention will remember that Sam Kennedy was a Behavioral Analysis Unit Chief in Winter Kill . He has not been demoted. The events of Winter Kill coincide with The Monet Murders , the second book in the Art of Murder series.

About the Author

Bestselling author of over sixty titles of classic Male/Male fiction featuring twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance, JOSH LANYON has been called “arguably the single most influential voice in m/m romance today.” Granted, that was yesterday.

Today Josh’s work has been translated into nine languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Harlequin Mondadori, the largest romance publisher in Italy. The Adrien English series was awarded the All Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. Josh is an Eppie Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for Gay Mystery, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.

Josh is married and lives in Southern California.

Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com

Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

If you enjoyed this story, check the following titles, also by Josh Lanyon:

Novels

The ADRIEN ENGLISH Mysteries

Fatal Shadows

A Dangerous Thing

The Hell You Say

Death of a Pirate King

The Dark Tide

Stranger Things Have Happened

The HOLMES & MORIARITY Mysteries

Somebody Killed His Editor

All She Wrote

The Boy with the Painful Tattoo

Other novels

The ALL’S FAIR Series

Fair Game

Fair Play

This Rough Magic (A SHOT IN THE DARK Series)

The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks

Mexican Heat (with Laura Baumbach)

Strange Fortune

Come Unto These Yellow Sands

Stranger on the Shore

Winter Kill

Jefferson Blythe, Esquire

Murder in Pastel

Novellas

The DANGEROUS GROUND Series

Dangerous Ground

Old Poison

Blood Heat

Dead Run

Kick Start

The I SPY Series

I Spy Something Bloody

I Spy Something Wicked

I Spy Something Christmas

The IN A DARK WOOD Series

In a Dark Wood

The Parting Glass

The DARK HORSE Series

The Dark Horse

The White Knight

Snowball in Hell (DOYLE & SPAIN Series)

Haunted Heart: Winter (HAUNTED HEART Series)

Mummy Dearest (XOXO FILES Series)

Other novellas

Cards on the Table

The Dark Farewell

The Darkling Thrush

The Dickens with Love

Don’t Look Back

A Ghost of a Chance

Lovers and Other Strangers

Out of the Blue

A Vintage Affair

Lone Star (in Men Under the Mistletoe )

Green Glass Beads (in Irregulars )

Blood Red Butterfly

Everything I Know

Baby, It’s Cold (in Comfort and Joy )

A Case of Christmas

Short stories

A Limited Engagement

The French Have a Word for It

In Sunshine or In Shadow

Until We Meet Once More

Icecapade (in His for the Holidays )

Perfect Day

Heart Trouble

In Plain Sight

Wedding Favors

Wizard’s Moon

PETIT MORTS (SWEET SPOT Collection)

Other People’s Weddings

Slings and Arrows

Sort of Stranger Than Fiction

Critic’s Choice

Just Desserts

Merry Christmas, Darling (Holiday Codas)