The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea - Kerrelyn Sparks Page 0,32
to her at once.
He landed on a nearby cliff and waited while their conversation went on and on. Whatever she was asking was certainly garnering some lengthy replies.
Enough. Wasn’t he the one she was anxious to see?
He took off and flew around the bend. Then he folded his wings and dove toward the water. Just before he hit the surface, he shifted into a seal.
Splash. He swam into the cove and surfaced a few yards from the rock. The annoying seals were still talking to Maeve, monopolizing her time. It’s me she wants to see! But they didn’t hear him or notice him. He slapped the water’s surface with his fore-flipper, and while the water splashed around him, he gave a loud bark.
Instantly, Maeve turned toward him. After giving a quick yip, she plunged into the water. His heart began to pound. She was hurrying to see him! She recognized him! You fool, she only recognizes the seal she used to play with. Not you.
He sank into the water to watch her approach. Ah, Maeve. Even the way she moved was beautiful. Graceful. And sensual, as if she enjoyed the undulating motion of her body and the caress of water against her skin. She circled around him, and he rotated in the water, admiring the view as she came closer and closer. Close enough he could reach out a flipper to touch her.
But he resisted. He wasn’t here to flirt with her. He was here to get rid of her.
Then, to his surprise, she lunged toward him and pressed her nose against his.
Was that a seal kiss? He gasped, a stupid thing to do underwater. Sputtering, he surfaced and gulped down some air.
She surfaced beside him, her eyes glimmering with amusement in the moonlight. With a quick bark, she dove back underwater.
Ah, she wants to play chase. He could do that. For a little while, until he had to seriously chase her off. He followed her as she swam around the flat-topped rock. Thank the goddesses, the other seals were staying put and not getting in the way. Of course, she might have asked them to do that. The thought made his heart squeeze. Did she want to be alone with him?
Putting on a burst of speed, he gained on her. Just as he was about to catch up, she dove straight down, knocking him in the snout with her hind-flippers.
Ouch. Well, two could play this game. He zoomed after her, diving at an angle so he could intercept her. He pulled in front, causing her to halt abruptly as she bumped into his side. He twisted, planning to press his nose against hers.
With a fore-flipper, she slapped him.
What the hell? He watched her swim toward the shore. Why would she kiss him, then seconds later, slap him? And why the hell was he even trying to kiss her? That was not the plan. He was supposed to be sending her back home.
He shook himself mentally. That was the problem when dealing with a siren. With just one look, she could make him forget his plans. Forget all reason and wish for the impossible.
Get a grip. He had to be strong. Resolute. Nerves of steel. A heart of stone.
Oh, hell, she was shifting! Her hind-flippers morphed into feet, then her body split to form two beautiful long legs. His nerves of steel melted; his heart of stone crumbled. As the shift swept up her body, he had a glimpse of a sweetly curved bottom, rounded hips, narrow waist—
He shot to the surface and, gasping for air, turned away from her. You fool. He’d been so obsessed with the dreaded revelation of his secret that he hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to talk to her once she returned to her human form. So close to him. And so naked.
Distance, that’s what he needed. With a push from his hind-flippers, he moved slowly away from her.
“Brody, I know it’s you.”
He spun around. What?
She was fully human and standing with the water up to her shoulders, her long black hair slicked back from her beautiful face. “I’ve always known it was you. Every month you came to see me, either as a seal or an otter.”
She knew? In his shock, he forgot to tread water and promptly sank. Sputtering, he resurfaced and shifted. His feet found the sandy bottom, and he straightened to his full height, the water just below his shoulders.