Page 37 of Bewitched By the Siren
My worry subsides as we hit the sand, though, because Hali seems to snap back into her earlier happy self. We laugh and joke as we comb the beach for treasure, and Hali squeals when she finds a large piece of blue sea glass and declares I should have it because it matches my eyes. I take it from her and slip it into my pocket while she smiles up at me, and I’m just so happy, I wrap my arms around her and pick her up off her feet.
She squeals and laughs, shouting, “Put me down, you big brute.”
“Big brute?” I snarl playfully. “Rude. Maybe you need a dip in the water to cool off.”
I start trudging toward the water line, then freeze when Hali starts to fight me in earnest. Her eyes are wide and her chest is heaving as I set her on her feet. I take a step back out of her personal space, holding my hands up in supplication.
“Hali, I’m sorry. I was only kidding.”
“You can’t do that,” she says on a shaky breath. “You can’t force me into the water.Ever.”
“I would never,” I assure her.
She searches my gaze, and she must decide I’m being honest because she nods and starts to calm down. I’m relieved, of course, but also confused as hell. I know she can swim. Like a fish, in fact, judging by her nighttime swim the other night. She shouldn’t be scared of the water. At all.
We start walking again, and she stares at her feet silently for several long beats before looking up at me. Taking my hand, she squeezes it tightly before speaking.
“I’m sorry I freaked out on you, Brendan.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I say, and she shakes her head.
“When I was little, I was at the beach with my mom when this older boy––who was a known bully––thought it would be funny to pick me up and toss me into the water when Mom wasn’t looking. I got pulled deeper by a riptide, and if Mom hadn’t noticed me fighting for shore and jumped in to save me, I would have drowned. The whole thing was traumatic, and even though I’m a strong swimmer now, stuff like that brings it all back. The panic. The fear.”
“Oh, God, Hali. I’m so sorry,” I say, feeling like the worst piece of shit.
“You didn’t know,” she says with a shake of her head.
“Well, I do now. I promise I won’t do that again.”
My promise seems to flip a switch inside her, because she shoots me an impish grin before moving in behind me and jumping on my back. I laugh and grip her thighs tightly to steady her, and she cheers me on as I run back toward our bikes.
When we reach them, I’m warm all over from the exertion and Hali’s joy, so when she hops off my back, I feel like I have no choice but to spin around and kiss her. She kisses me back with wild abandon, her earlier fear and anger forgotten, and I feel like all is right in the world.
We smile at each other for several long beats after the kiss ends, then we climb on the bikes and set out for home. I’m glowing like a teenager in the throes of his first crush, and I never want this feeling to end.
Ever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Hali
Fuck,that was close.
That whole song and dance I gave Brendan about a bully on the beach was a lie, but what was I supposed to do? Tell him I was freaking out because if he dropped me in the water, I’d grow a tail right in front of his eyes? He’d think I’m certifiably insane.
But even knowing the lie was necessary, it sits like a boulder in my gut. Brendan’s reaction, full of empathy and kindness, only made me feel worse. He’s just so damnnice.
I’ve never met anyone like him before. And while I know a big part of his efforts to spend time with me this week is so he can convince me to sign with his agency, I don’t think that’s the sole reason. Not anymore. He actually likes me. And I like him, too.
When we get back to my house, Brendan takes both bikes and leans them against the side of the house in the spot I point out to him. Taking the tarp I’d dropped on the ground earlier, he covers them both to protect them from the elements. Then he heads straight for me and pulls me into a tight hug.
There’s nothing flirtatious or sexual about it. It’s a solid hug, one meant to comfort. To show pure affection.
And damn if that doesn’t turn me on.
Unable to stop myself, I rub my body against Brendan’s, twisting and stretching up on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his neck. His arms tighten around me, and he moans something unintelligible.
Pulling back slightly, I meet his gaze. “Do you want me to stop?”
