Page 51 of Stealing the Merman

“But?” Finn pressed.

“I don’t want to intrude.” Darin stared at his hands in his lap, fingers fidgeting.

Conall’s roaring laughter startled Darin as well as half the people around their side of the tavern. “You’re not intruding. Do you believe I’d let you stay if you were?”

Heat crept into Darin’s cheeks. “No.”

“No,” Conall confirmed. “I need your help with this one.” He gently nudged Finn. “You’ve seen what it takes to keep him satisfied. This is a task for two men.” A smile played on Conall’s lips when he turned his head to Finn. “You exhaust me,” Conall said and open-mouth kissed Finn’s cheek.

The hint of rosy blush graced Finn’s face. “I… need to… need to come a lot,” Finn stammered, “even compared to other mermen. Every few hours this flaming urgency takes hold of my groin, and I can’t think until I’ve found release. It’s sweet agony. And Conall, you satisfy me deeply. When you fuck me to orgasm, it sates me. And you’re strong and virile…”

“But not even I am virile enough for you. And that’s why I’m glad you’re here, Darin,” Conall said, pulling him closer. “I want to be sure Finn is satisfied at all times. When he needs sex, he gets it. And I’d hate for him to have to look elsewhere for…”

“I’d never!” Finn protested.

“I know, but your satisfaction is a priority. You’ve spent your whole life yearning to be fulfilled. Now that you have the opportunity, I want you to enjoy yourself to the fullest. I can’t keep up, not four times a day, every day.”

“I’m more than willing to help if that’s what you want,” Darin said. And oh yes, he waswilling.

“Thank you,” Finn breathed and took Darin’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers in Conall’s lap. “I’m so happy you’re here. It means the world to me.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Darin said. He had to be red as a tomato. What a sacrificial lamb he was, agreeing to have sex with Finn multiple times a day.

“And don’t worry,” Conall said, low and rough, “I’ll fuck you too.”

Darin shuddered in pleasure. It was too good to be true, but a comfortable certainty settled in his heart. He was going to spend time with these stunning men, sharing their bed.

A young man placed two bottles of brandy on a nearby table crowded with eight or nine men, and Conall waved him over. The youth, perhaps the tavern keeper’s son, wiped his hands on a gray, blotted apron as he asked what he could get them. Conall ordered rum, and the young man nodded before he darted away a little too quickly. Did Conall’s impressive build frighten him? Darin could barely stifle his chuckle. He himself had been terrified of Conall when they’d first met. Sometimes, he still was.

A few minutes later, they received their rum. The amber liquid swashed in its tumblers as the youth clumsily sat his tablet on the low table. Darin picked up his glass, and a spicy scent laced with sweet vanilla undertones hit him. He clicked glasses with Finn and Conall, amazed how different this was from getting drunk alone in a dingy San Juan tavern with no one for company but his sorrows.

“To us,” Finn said, and Conall froze for a split second. Finn didn’t notice and took a couple of greedy gulps.

“Slow down,” Conall growled. “You’re not used to alcohol.” He petted Finn’s golden hair. “Last time we came here, he had too much.”

“Did you feel ill afterward?” Darin asked, concerned.

“No…” Finn said. “I… It… My need for sex was stronger than usual. Conall had to work me for hours afterward.”

“Bloody hell,” Darin said. Even stronger. Unbidden, an image popped up in his mind of Finn, mad with lust, grinding against Conall.

“It was no hardship.” Conall took a sip. He closed his eyes and hummed. “Delicious.”

“I’m grateful to be with you two,” Finn said. “You make me feel good, wanted.”

“We’ll look after you.” Darin squeezed Finn’s hand.

“I’ll take care of mornings and afternoons if you do noon and night,” Conall said in a far too serious tone, and they all broke out in laughter.

Warmth bubbled in Darin. All he’d ever wanted was a family, and Conall and Finn were giving him a glimpse of what it could be like. Of course, their arrangement was temporary. Conall didn’t strike him as the type that looked for romance. And when they ran out of potion, Finn would remain unsatisfied.

Darin snuggled against Conall, who stiffened. “I’ll go for a quick walk along the beach,” Conall said.

Finn looked at him with big eyes. “That sounds nice.”

“No, you and Darin stay here. I won’t be long.” Conall extracted himself from their embrace and got to his feet.

What was that about? Darin watched perplexed as Conall, without rhyme or reason, stalked off the platform. The darkness outside the tavern lamp’s halo swallowed him. He looked to Finn for an explanation but got a shrug.

---