Page 12 of Lured By the Siren

But this impossibly beautiful man is just sitting there, staring at me, with a sliver of what looks like hope in his eyes. I practically melt beneath his gaze and smile softly at him.

To my surprise, he returns the smile and I think maybe we can spend just a few more hours alone before I tell him his new fate.

6

Kai

Sirens are real.

My mind lurches, practically reeling to understand what my eyes are seeing. I blink several times just to make sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, but even the crack in my spectacles doesn’t keep me from seeing clearly what's in front of me. She's solid and real, staring at me with large, unblinking violet eyes.

I should be scared.

Every single story I’ve ever heard about sirens ended in death or bloodshed, but for some reason I’m only transfixed. She doesn’t look like she’s about to eat me or rip out my heart. Sheseems nervous and she saved me from drowning in the sea. If she wanted to harm me, I don’t think she would have saved me and tended to my wounds first.

I let my eyes roam, inspecting every inch of her. Long golden waves cascade down her shoulders. Her skin looks smooth. It gleams with a slightly purple hue that shifts green when the sunlight hits it just right. She’s breathtakingly stunning, and the iridescent shift of her skin reminds me of my favorite flower from back home, the Dahlia. It’s always in bloom, but its petals change colors with the shift of the seasons. It’s absolutely magnificent.

A memory suddenly emerges from the haze of my mind, and I remember my hands splayed across her back, holding her tight against me. I remember the warmth of her body and how it fit perfectly together with mine.

“A–are you alright?” she stutters, and her voice is soft with a lyrical rhythm, each word flowing into the next. My gaze shifts to her lips, plump and parted. She bites her bottom lip, and I move uncomfortably, quickly adjusting my growing arousal under the thin blanket and reaching up to run a hand through my hair. I wince as pain flares, just below my hairline, and I feel something slimy on my forehead.

“It’s to help heal your wounds.”

Nodding, I look back up to her eyes. She's waiting for a response, and I clear my throat. The growing bulge in my pants is making me more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment.

Gods, I haven’t felt this instant of an attraction since, well never.

“Right,” I finally manage, “I’m indebted to you, Evelyn.” I try saying her name, and I’m not sure if it’s my imagination or if she actually physically leans in at my words. I frown and have the urge to reach out and touch her, desperate to feel her delicateskin again. I want to know if it feels the same as I remember it from my hazy memory of the night.

“Do you think you feel well enough to try standing?” She asks and rises to her feet, giving me a full view of her svelte body. I almost groan, shifting against the lust rushing through me, and grit my teeth.

Tiny scales cover her entire body like a mesmerizing mosaic glistening under the light, making it look as if she just emerged from the water. Her blonde silken hair falls just below her waist, which I now clearly see is uncovered, and what scant clothing she has on leaves little to the imagination. A thin purple top clings to her ample breasts, and a light-colored skirt hugs her hips, teasingly short and delicately close to revealing what might lie beneath.

Heat begins to spread through me, sweat beading my brow, and I want to throw the blanket from my lap, but then the evidence of my sudden desire will no longer be hidden.

Against my better judgement, I let my eyes travel past the gentle curve of her hips to find perfect, slender legs, and I bite my lip to stop the groan of pure arousal threatening to push free. Finally, I reach her feet, and although they look fairly similar to a human's, I notice that her toes are slightly webbed.

Gods, but there is something about her that is alluring. All of the blood in my brain seems to be rushing further down my body, straining for release.

What is wrong with me?

She’s something that, until today, I only thought existed in fairytales. A sudden thought occurs to me, where is her tail? Aren’t siren’s supposed to have tails?

I rub my hand along the back of my neck and mumble, “I can’t believe that bastard was right.”

If sirens are real, what other fairytale creatures are?

Slowly, I begin to stand, grunting at the tightness in my back. There is a dull ache there, but it's not bad. Evelyn rushes to my side, helping me up, and I clutch tightly to the blanket, holding it firmly in front of me. Now, at my full height with her in front of me, I can see that I tower over her. I look down at her, and my spectacles slide along my nose. I push them back up, unable to look away from her.

She is exotic and intoxicating, offering a different kind of beauty, like that of a rare flower, delicate and beguiling. The thought makes me take a step away from her, because as it is so often the most extraordinary of flowers are usually the most deadly.

“You saved me, why? Sirens are supposed to be terrifying, bloodthirsty creatures that lure sailors to their watery graves. And aren’t you supposed to have a tail?” I clamp my mouth shut as soon as the words come out. That was unnecessarily rude, but I have to know why.

Luckily, she just chuckles, her chest bouncing with the effort, and I swallow hard, feeling seconds away from bursting with the primal need I have for this woman. She has captivated me, and the urge to claim her is overwhelming. I suck in a deep breath and try to focus on the waves cresting, the birds chirping overhead, and the gentle breeze that whispers across the stones of the cavern we’re in.

Clearing my throat, I look away from her, “Sorry, that was rude of me. I… It’s just all I’ve been told.”

“We aren’t all bloodthirsty, and we only have tails when we’re in the water. When we’re on land, we have legs just like you…well, almost like you,” she says with a small smile, and I curse under my breath.

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