Read Online Claimed by Desire by Kristin Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kristin Miller
Ads: Link
out.
Misty was his.
He didn’t need a formal claiming ceremony to tell him so.
When the surge finally subsided and Misty’s arms went loose and limber around Rafe’s shoulders, she unstraddled his middle, then slid in place beside him. Like a warm blanket, Rafe drew her into his chest.
Yes. Rafe could drop dead a happy man.
“It’s an exciting feeling, isn’t it?” Misty said, nuzzling into him. “I feel like we might get the chance we never had.”
“No matter what happens, you’ll be all right.” Rafe pulled her close, kissed the top of her head. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“You mean we’ll be all right…right?”
“Sure.” He dragged his duffel to his side, unzipped the bag and pulled out a blanket barely big enough for two. After he draped it over her, there was a sliver left for himself. “You have to understand that I can’t think about the future. Not yet. All that matters is here and now. And right now there’s nowhere I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be with.”
“I get it. Complete the mission first and move on from there.” With a yawn, Misty curled into Rafe’s side. “And there’s nowhere I’d rather be, either. It’s just too damn bad I didn’t bring a change of clothes. I’m gonna be soaked through.”
“A set of dry clothes is the least of our worries.”
“I guess I’ll live without it.”
Misty was right. She would live. She’d live a long and happy life far from the Isle of Feralon. Rafe racked his brain—thought about if he should tell Misty the truth about his future, or lack thereof. He came up blank. Do you tell the woman you love—your soul mate—that today could be your last day in her arms? And it’s all because you want a larger, brighter life for her? Or do you let her wander the world never knowing…
Rafe thought about his conundrum as shadows and eerie streams of light skipped across the ceiling, lulling them to sleep.
*
Rafe woke up a short time later. He could feel a pair of eyes watching him and a gut clench told him they weren’t Misty’s. He sat up and scanned each corner of their cramped cave.
There, in the glowing light of the waterfall, was a face. A petite little face, with big blue eyes, chubby cheeks and a heart-shaped mouth. Her hair was a golden aura, framing her face, glowing like the sun. She was stunningly beautiful, but Rafe knew better than to be distracted by her beauty.
Mermaids, the female merfolk, were descendants of the Sirens of Greek mythology. They lured sailors into their home harbors with the promise of lust and love. Distracted by their flawless beauty, the sailors inadvertently crashed their ships on treacherously rocky shores, only to be swamped by hoards of merfolk.
It’s not that merfolk were evil—Rafe knew better than to think any creatures’ race could be entirely good or entirely evil—they were simply opportunistic. Gold from ships during pirating days funded underwater castles and villages that’d make Poseidon jealous. Merfolk were able to use those stolen riches to trade with Draco clans and werewolf packs for wider boundaries at the turn of the century. Now, though, with the shortage of gold found in crates on ships passing through, they’d become particular to certain types of shipments.
Diamonds and weapons, mostly.
As Rafe cleared his throat and checked to make sure that he and Misty were properly covered, the mermaid retreated into the waterfall. All Rafe could see was the mischievous curve of her lips. She looked like she wanted to say something.
“What do you want?” He kept his voice low. “I don’t have anything of value in here.” He nodded at the half-open duffel at his side. “But if you insist on looking, you may lose a fin.”
The mermaid pressed over the edge of the cave, letting the water hit her shoulders and roll down her back. She was topless, her long layers of slick straight hair barely covering the swell of her breasts, though Rafe didn’t seem to have
Misty was his.
He didn’t need a formal claiming ceremony to tell him so.
When the surge finally subsided and Misty’s arms went loose and limber around Rafe’s shoulders, she unstraddled his middle, then slid in place beside him. Like a warm blanket, Rafe drew her into his chest.
Yes. Rafe could drop dead a happy man.
“It’s an exciting feeling, isn’t it?” Misty said, nuzzling into him. “I feel like we might get the chance we never had.”
“No matter what happens, you’ll be all right.” Rafe pulled her close, kissed the top of her head. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“You mean we’ll be all right…right?”
“Sure.” He dragged his duffel to his side, unzipped the bag and pulled out a blanket barely big enough for two. After he draped it over her, there was a sliver left for himself. “You have to understand that I can’t think about the future. Not yet. All that matters is here and now. And right now there’s nowhere I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be with.”
“I get it. Complete the mission first and move on from there.” With a yawn, Misty curled into Rafe’s side. “And there’s nowhere I’d rather be, either. It’s just too damn bad I didn’t bring a change of clothes. I’m gonna be soaked through.”
“A set of dry clothes is the least of our worries.”
“I guess I’ll live without it.”
Misty was right. She would live. She’d live a long and happy life far from the Isle of Feralon. Rafe racked his brain—thought about if he should tell Misty the truth about his future, or lack thereof. He came up blank. Do you tell the woman you love—your soul mate—that today could be your last day in her arms? And it’s all because you want a larger, brighter life for her? Or do you let her wander the world never knowing…
Rafe thought about his conundrum as shadows and eerie streams of light skipped across the ceiling, lulling them to sleep.
*
Rafe woke up a short time later. He could feel a pair of eyes watching him and a gut clench told him they weren’t Misty’s. He sat up and scanned each corner of their cramped cave.
There, in the glowing light of the waterfall, was a face. A petite little face, with big blue eyes, chubby cheeks and a heart-shaped mouth. Her hair was a golden aura, framing her face, glowing like the sun. She was stunningly beautiful, but Rafe knew better than to be distracted by her beauty.
Mermaids, the female merfolk, were descendants of the Sirens of Greek mythology. They lured sailors into their home harbors with the promise of lust and love. Distracted by their flawless beauty, the sailors inadvertently crashed their ships on treacherously rocky shores, only to be swamped by hoards of merfolk.
It’s not that merfolk were evil—Rafe knew better than to think any creatures’ race could be entirely good or entirely evil—they were simply opportunistic. Gold from ships during pirating days funded underwater castles and villages that’d make Poseidon jealous. Merfolk were able to use those stolen riches to trade with Draco clans and werewolf packs for wider boundaries at the turn of the century. Now, though, with the shortage of gold found in crates on ships passing through, they’d become particular to certain types of shipments.
Diamonds and weapons, mostly.
As Rafe cleared his throat and checked to make sure that he and Misty were properly covered, the mermaid retreated into the waterfall. All Rafe could see was the mischievous curve of her lips. She looked like she wanted to say something.
“What do you want?” He kept his voice low. “I don’t have anything of value in here.” He nodded at the half-open duffel at his side. “But if you insist on looking, you may lose a fin.”
The mermaid pressed over the edge of the cave, letting the water hit her shoulders and roll down her back. She was topless, her long layers of slick straight hair barely covering the swell of her breasts, though Rafe didn’t seem to have
Similar Books
