Page 35 of Fionn
"I do not believe this contraption will carry both our weight," Fionn said with a quizzical look at the hammock. It seemed big enough to me, but I didn't know what finmen weighed.
"I suppose... my bed is definitely big enough for the both of us."
He didn't reply. He just stared at me.
Had I been too forward? Had I made a mistake?
But then he growled, "Oh, my sweet little Peritan. Are you sure you are ready for this?"
No?
I knew that this wasn't a one-night stand. Fionn wasn't that kind of guy. He'd come to Earth to find a mate, a woman who would stay with him forever. Who would love him, cherish him, maybe start a family.
Could I be that woman?
"I want you," I said, barely a whisper. My throat was suddenly tight. "But will this work?"
"I will find it hard to blend in among Peritans," he said, misunderstanding me completely. "But we could live on this island, where people are used to aliens. Or find a similar place. Buy our own island. Or I could take you to Finfolkaheem and-"
"I meant, will you fit?" I interrupted. My cheeks burned.
His eyebrows shot up. "Will I...? Oh." He laughed. "There are mentions in the Archives of offspring between finmen and Peritan females. The couple I first read about, Ma’vel and Jonet, had children together. They stayed on your planet, blending in perfectly with the local population, so I assume they must have looked more like Peritans than finfolk. I wonder if today, some of their descendants are still alive." Fionn smiled at me. "Maybe you are one of them. It would explain why you are such an excellent swimmer. And why the two of us found each other."
I pushed that thought aside. Something to dwell on later. Maybe Pam could test my DNA for it. But now, all I wanted to do was claim Fionn for myself.
"Bed," I commanded. "Now."
With a triumphant smirk, he carried me back to the resort as fast as he could, sand flying all around us. He burst through the veranda doors, only for us to be face to face with Cerban, Fionn's brother. The alien looked at us with bemusement and surprise.
"You could have told us you found her. Was it the IA as I'd suspected?"
"Yes. Kelon has been captured and will not return here. You can stop the search. Tell the crew to take the day off and relax. Also speak to the Peritans, please, and let them know what's going on. Now leave us."
Cerban laughed. "Don't worry, brother. I don't want to watch this. I will wait until I find my own female." He turned his attention to me. "I am honoured to have you join our family."
The finman left with a smile on his lips. Fionn didn't waste any more time and carried us into the bedroom. The bed had been made in my absence. The windows were open and the curtains were blowing in the breeze. Someone had arranged a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the nightstand. Did everyone know that Fionn was my match?
"Sorry for that interruption," Fionn said as he gently lowered me onto the cool silk sheets. "Cerban was right, I should have called him the moment you arrived back on that beach. But now that he knows, he can deal with everyone else and leave us in peace. You deserve it. Maybe I should let you have a nap to make sure you're fully recovered-"
"No way," I interrupted. "I'm not going to wait any longer. I want you. Here, now. If you want me."
"Want me?" Fionn laughed. "I've never wanted anything more. I have travelled across the stars to find you, Elise. I knew that you were mine the instant I first heard your voice. There may have been a screen between us, but it could not hide your beauty nor your inner spark. I didn't need Pam and her tests to confirm that we are mates. I have always known."
He gently pushed the dress over my shoulders. It slipped down my arms, exposing my naked breasts. I hadn't bothered with a bra after the shower this morning. The fabric pooled around my waist, cool against my heated skin. Fionn’s eyes darkened, his greenskin trembling as if mirroring the shiver running through me. He touched me reverently, fingertips almost hovering over my skin, as though I might vanish if he was too rough.
Up close, he seemed even larger, his broad shoulders and muscled chest framed by the greenskin that clung like kelp to his ribs and hips. He cupped my cheek, careful, as though I might startle.
“You’re so small, so soft,” he murmured, thumb tracing the curve of my jaw. The coolness of his touch made me tremble, though heat unfurled low in my belly. I wanted him so much.
“I don’t feel small with you,” I whispered, sliding my hands across the hard planes of his chest. His gills flared when I reached the perfect lines leading to his hips.
His lips curved, revealing the faint point of sharp teeth, a predator’s smile turned gentle just for me. “Elise… my mate.”
He lowered himself, pressing me into the silk sheets, his hair falling around us in an ink-black curtain. The scent of salt and sea wrapped around me, intoxicating, familiar yet utterly new. His weight, his heat, his alien strangeness - all of it was mine.
I pulled him down to me, claiming his mouth. His kiss was nothing like human kisses - hotter, hungrier. His taste filled me, intoxicating, like diving into deep water and knowing you’d never come up for air. His sharp teeth scraped against my bottom lip, before his tongue teased away the sting, soothing, then diving deeper.
My legs parted around him, and he pressed closer, his harness pushing against me with urgency. One large hand cradled my hip, the other exploring lower, fingertips testing, stroking, making me moan into his mouth. Every touch was reverent yet filled with a hunger barely held in check.
