Page 15 of Lured By the Siren

Each step seems to be slower and more painful than the last, as I wait for him to break the silence. I can feel myselfthrumming with the urge to reach up and kiss his soft lips, slip my tongue inside, and taste him again. I want nothing more than to lower him to the sands and peel off every layer of sandy clothes to show him exactly how much I appreciate his form.

“So, how long have you all lived here?” He asks, interrupting my thoughts.

Feeling my face flush, I turn away before answering. “The sirens? For centuries, as far as I know. This island has always belonged to us. I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“And how long has that been?”

“Are you asking how old I am? Don’t you know it’s not polite to ask a siren’s age?” I joke, pushing against his arm. Our eyes meet, and my breath nearly vanishes completely as I say, “A hundred and twenty-seven years.”

Kai’s brows raise and his mouth is slightly ajar, “I—my Gods, what’s a normal age range for a siren? I didn’t realize that creatures…” He stops, rubbing anxiously at the back of his neck. “I mean, well, I just didn’t know that mythical beings such as yourself lived so long. But I’m no expert, clearly. Since I didn’t even know you existed until today.”

I offer him an amused smile to show I’m not offended by his surprise. “No one really knows how old the head Elder of our village, Yvette, actually is. She’s the oldest of us all, but Katarina and I suspect she's nearly five hundred years old.”

“Gods, that's a long time,” he muses. “Well, we are sort of the same age…minus one hundred years. I’m twenty-seven.” He laughs, and his entire face lights up in a way that causes a spark of desire to shoot through me.

There is a silence between us again as I try to reign in my feelings for this man, and then he goes and asks something that has the heat coursing through my veins, turning to ice.

“When we were on the beach before your sister came, you said you had to tell me something. What was it?”

“Oh!” My voice is far too loud, and I cough, regaining my composure. I was going to tell him that this island is his new home, but now I’m not so sure this is the proper time. There is so much I want to learn about him, do with him. If I told him his fate, he might get scared off, resent me, and never talk to me again, then I would never be able to explore the connection I feel with him. “It was nothing.”

He gives me a curious sort of look that shows he doesn’t fully believe me, but doesn’t question it further.

Our hands are still clasped together as we walk, something that seems so intimate, yet natural. I think back to last night, and the question is out of my lips before I can stop it.

“Do you remember anything from last night?”

He stops abruptly, pulling me to a halt beside him. Our gazes meet, and his eyes shimmer in the sunlight filtering through the edge of the forest. They are like the rare pieces of seaglass I find along the beach, green and captivating with their vivid color. I could stare into them forever and never get bored.

His voice is shaky as he says, “I—I thought it might all be a dream. I was so out of it, I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.” He takes my other hand in his, brings it up to his mouth, and turns it over, placing a delicate kiss on my palm. “I remember everything.”

Words catch in my throat as he gingerly brings his hand up to my chin and tilts my face towards his. “You’re exquisite,” he whispers, moving his hand to my cheek, grazing it with his thumb and trailing down my neck. “The way your skin shifts in the sunlight takes my breath away. It’s so smooth, so delicate. It reminds me of a flower from home. My favorite flower, the Dahlia.”

His lips part as he studies every curve of my face, his wandering thumb caresses along my lower lip. I want more than anything to kiss him.

“My sweet little Dahlia,” he whispers as his hand drops away from my face, but he doesn’t move away, and I can’t tear my gaze from his.

A curl falls into his face, and I move to brush it behind his ear, biting my lower lip. Not wanting to lose the chance, I push up on my toes, feeling the warmth of his lips brush against mine just before I kiss him.

Magic erupts around me. I’ve never felt anything like this before, and I wonder if this is what I’ve been so desperate for all along. Kai doesn’t pull away, but instead leans further into me, deepening the kiss, as his hand slides to the back of my neck, gripping my hair. His fingers weave through my strands, while his other hand snakes around my waist. A soft moan escapes him as he claims me with each slip of his tongue between my lips.

My fingers move through his tousled curls, and I pull him closer to me, burning with an insatiable need to feel every inch of him. I press my hips into him and can feel his growing erection just above my belly button.

While I haven’t lain with a man in quite some time, even I know he’s large.

Wanting to feel exactly how large, my hand slowly travels to the waist of his trousers, and I brush my fingers along the waistband. One tug on the buttons and his considerable length springs free. He sucks in a sharp breath and breaks our kiss, looking down at me. His impassioned gaze rakes over me, hungry, wanting.

“Evelyn,” his voice is hoarse with need. “This is so fast.”

“Is it?” I murmur and I grip his cock.

He groans, grasping my elbow and moving to pull my hand away from the smooth planes of his pulsing length. Grabbing his trousers with his other hand, he adjusts himself back into his pants.

I frown, almost hurt by his reluctance. “Do you not want this?”

His jaw twitches and his eyes close tightly before opening again and looking at me, “I want this more than anything, but what kind of gentleman would I be if I just gave into my savage passions and ravaged you right here in the open for everyone to see?”

“Who exactly is everyone?” I say, chewing my lower lip. I try not to laugh at his modesty. “We’re miles from the village, and no one ever comes to this side of the island. Besides, what if I want you to ravage me?” I pull him closer, pressing myself against his chest.

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