Page 15 of Time to Stirrup Love
“I was cruising around under the waves,” Phineas remarked. “Saw your boat go by. I didn’t think fishing season had started. Certain species are still spawning.”
“I know. There’s a marine biologist here tracking the populations for the next year. Also monitoring the health of the water too.”
“Ah, that explains it. They said some human was tromping around their spawning grounds.”
“They?” Finn asked, raising an eyebrow. “Since when do the fish talk to you?”
“I listen in.” Phineas grinned. “Before they see me and they scatter. It’s just something to do.”
Finn shook his head. “Eaves dropping on fish is just something to do, huh?”
“Whoa, who is that?” Phineas asked, elbowing him and pointing at the door. “She’s new.”
Finn looked up, knowing that it was most likely Margaid who had walked in, and he wasn’t wrong. Her red hair was down, brushing the top of her shoulders. She was in a cute sundress that hugged every inch of her voluptuous curves. She had a few curls in her hair, pinned back from her face. She looked completely different from the outdoorsy biologist he’d seen earlier.
Even the one who had been curled up practically naked on his couch. When those big baggy pants she wore dropped to the floor, he got to admire her long legs and he knew underneath that oversized shirt, there was nothing.
When he went to wash the clothes and the towel she’d borrowed, he’d drank in her scent and it made him hard as a rock. It made him think a bunch of naughty things about her and him.
Mine,a little voice purred inside his head.
He’d managed to get control of himself, but now, seeing her dressed up and trying to make a good impression on the people of Harmony Glen, made his hard heart melt a bit.
“That’s the biologist. Dr. Davis,” Finn said, finally finding his voice and hoping that Phineas didn’t notice how now he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.
“That’sthe marine biologist? Wow, the fish never mentioned anything about her.”
“Would fish really notice that?” Finn asked dryly.
“Nope, but Magnus certainly has,” Phineas said, nodding in Magnus’ direction.
Instantly, he sat up straighter and noticed Magnus materialize and stride his way through the crowd, making a beeline straight for Margaid. He clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
Mine,the voice said again, a bit more ferociously.
That ancient beat in his blood seemingly wanted to take over and claim his woman, because that instinct coded into his DNA was telling him that Margaid was his and only his.
“Has he?”
Phineas looked at him. “Why don’t you step in? It’s clear you want to.”
“Why would you say that?” Finn snarled.
“You have literal smoke curling out of your nostrils. Thought only dragons did that? Apparently glashtyns can too.”
He touched his face and saw remnants of smoke. Huh, apparently, he did breathe smoke when he was a bit riled up.
“Oh look, she’s turned him down,” Phineas whispered. “He’s coming this way.”
“I’m going to get a drink.” Finn stood, because he didn’t really want to talk to Magnus right now and didn’t need the colorful play-by-play that Phineas was whispering in his ear because it was just fuelling the fire that was burning in his blood. The last thing he needed to do was give in to his ancient tendencies, run off with the new human in town, and let everyone in Harmony Glen see him completely unhinged.
Finn ignored Magnus as he walked by, somewhat defeated, and headed straight for the table that had a line of punchdispensers in a row. He grabbed a glass and picked one, unsure of what he’d picked. Right now, he didn’t care.
“Hello, Captain Clague.”
His spine stiffened, his heart hammering between his ears hearing her voice behind him. His fist curled around the glass and he tried to collect his composure. “Hello, Dr. Davis.”
He turned and tried not to stare at her, but the low cut of her bright-green halter dress gave him a nice bird’s-eye view straight down her ample cleavage. Instead, he took a drink out of his glass and realized he was drinking down basically pure lemon juice.
