What are you doing down here? How did you get here? Were you in the water?
She reached out and smoothed her sand-covered palm over his cheek, her gaze studying the details of his face. And then, without warning, she leaned forward and touched her lips to his. She tasted of salt water and smelled of the ocean breeze.
The kiss was so surprising, he jerked back. But she was determined and slipped her hand around his nape, pulling him closer, drawing him down into the sand with her. Kellan normally exercised a great deal of self-restraint around women. But the moment her lips touched his, his control dissolved into an overwhelming need.
Her lips parted on a sigh and he took the chance to taste, his tongue delving into the sweet warmth of her mouth. She responded immediately, writhing beneath him as if trying to get closer. Her body trembled and when he finally drew back he realized it wasnt from the impact of their kiss but from the cold.
Are you all right? he asked again. Whats your name?
Her eyes fluttered and then closed as she went limp in his arms. Kellan grabbed her chin and turned her head. She was still breathing, but just barely. Cursing, he scrambled to his feet and picked her up, hoping that shed regain consciousness. She was dead weight in his arms, like a rag doll.
Kellan looked up to the top of the cliff. The only way to get her up was tossed over his shoulder. It wouldnt be comfortable, but there was no other option.
The dress she wore was barely enough to keep her warm in midsummer much less late autumn. Just a thin layer of green silk. He shrugged out of his canvas jacket and struggled to get her into it, buttoning it up once he had. I dont know who the hell you are, but you should count yourself bloody lucky I came along.
He bent down and grabbed her thighs, her body folding over his shoulder. The path was narrow but navigable, even with a passenger. He had to be cautious of her head, careful not to bump her against the rocks. When he finally reached the top, Kellan set her down in the grass and took a deep breath.
Her eyes fluttered again and for a moment she opened them. Can you stand up? he asked.
Her lips curled into a sleepy smile and she shook her head and closed her eyes again.
What the hell am I supposed to do with you? he muttered. If the hike home doesnt kill you, it will probably kill me.
He couldnt leave her here alone. But he could probably run home and fetch his car in less time than it would take to carry her. The hike to the road was only about half a kilometer. Home was nearly five.
He had his mobile. Hed ring the pub and see if one of his brothers could drive out. Meanwhile, hed try to get her warm and awake. He flipped open his phone and to his relief, Danny answered almost immediately.
I need your help, Kellan said. I need you to drive up the coast road and park your car just around the bend by the dry stone fence, before you get to Castle Cnoc. Right where we used to leave our bikes when wed come down to the cove.
Why? Danny asked.
Just do it. Ill explain when you get here.
Riley and Nan have me stuffing invitations for their engagement party. This is important stuff Im workin on, Kell. I cant just be hopping off for no good reason.
Its an emergency. Maybe even life or death. Leave now. Ill meet you there in a few minutes.
Im on my way.
This time, when Kellan hefted her over his shoulder, she groaned and fought against him. Thats right, he said. Its not so comfortable, is it? Maybe if you could summon the energy to walk, we might both be spared the trouble of me lugging you through this meadow like a lumpy sack of potatoes.
Ow, she said.
What were you doing on that beach, anyway? If I hadnt come along, youd be on your way to dead right now. Dead and washed away by the tide. Thats no way to leave this world. What about your family? They might never have known what happened to you.
I Oh, sick, she muttered. A few seconds later, she retched and he felt the back of his leg go damp. After that, she seemed to settle down.
Lovely. Brilliant. Kellan tried to calm his own stomach. If there was one thing he couldnt handle it was He felt a wave of nausea overtake him and he stopped and drew a deep breath through his mouth. I dont know if youre drunk or just crazy, but youll be thanking me for this later.
By the time he reached the road, Danny was waiting in his battered old Land Rover. His brother jumped out of the drivers side and ran up to him. What the devil! Where did you find her?
On the beach at the cove. Shes cold and I think she might be drunk. Or sick. I dont know.
What are you going to do with her?
Take her back to the cottage. Ill get her warm and call Doc Finnerty.
Maybe we should drive her directly to the hospital?
All the way to Cork? Lets get her out of these wet clothes first and warm her up. If she doesnt come round, Ill take her.
When they got her settled in the backseat, Kellan slid in beside her, resting her head on his lap. Danny turned the car around and raced back toward town. At the fork in the road, he turned up toward the cottage.
Kellan had been living in Ballykirk for the past couple weeks, taking a break from life in Dublin while his family planned for the upcoming wedding. The small, whitewashed cottage had been his childhood home, set on a high rise above the seaside village. On occasion, it was let out to tourists, but when it wasnt, Kellan often stayed there.
When Danny pulled the car to a stop, Kellan got out and carefully scooped the woman up into his arms. Do me a favor. Give Doc Finnerty a call and if he doesnt answer, see if you can find him.
I know where he is, Danny said. Hes having a pint at the pub. He was there when I left. He ran up the garden path and opened the door for Kellan. Ill go get him, then.
Kellan turned toward the bedroom, then realized that the sofa was a better choice. He could light a fire and it would provide the warmth she needed. He set her down, then hurriedly laid peat and kindling in the hearth. A few minutes later, a flicker of flame licked at the sod, smoke curling up into the chimney.
There, he said. He leaned back on his heels, then realized the fire would do only half the job. He had to get her out of her wet clothes and into something warm. Though he didnt relish undressing a woman without her permission, Kellan figured if he didnt look at her in a sexual way, it would remain a purely practical matter.
He strode into the bedroom and grabbed the quilt and a wool blanket off the bed, then returned to the sofa. She was so still, curled up in front of him. Kellan gently sat her up, then slipped his jacket off her shoulders.
If she were conscious, he could put her in a warm shower. But there was no way she could stand unless he joined her.
Her hair was tangled with sand and bits of debris from the beach. He managed to skim her damp dress up along her legs, but was forced to pull her to her feet to get it over her head. To his relief, she seemed able to stand on her own for a few seconds.
He tossed the dress aside, then grabbed the quilt, wrapping her up in it and trying not to dwell on the fact that she wasnt wearing any underwear. Why should that surprise me? he murmured.
She had a beautiful body, slender and long-limbed. Her skin was pale and soft as silk, but so cold to his touch. His gaze slipped lower, to her lovely breasts, the curve of her hips and the junction of her legs.
He drew a ragged breath and pulled her against him, rubbing her back with his palms until the friction created warmth. What she really needed was a long, hot bath. But the cottage had only a shower. A bath would require hauling in the old tub that theyd used as kids.
A sharp knock sounded on the door and a few seconds later, Danny stepped inside followed by Jimmy Finnerty. Dr. Finnerty was the closest thing the town had to a local doctor. He had retired from his practice in Cork three years ago and now lived a quiet life with his wife in his vacation home on the bay, spending his days fishing and only coming out of retirement for the occasional emergency.
What have we here? he asked, setting his bag on the end of the sofa.
I found her on the beach, Kellan said.
The beach? What beach?
A little spot I know just up the coast. She was lying in the sand.
Naked?
No, she was dressed. I took her dress off to try to get her warm. I think shes a bit better. I had her standing. But she hasnt really opened her eyes.
The doctor reached into his bag and pulled out a small vial, then cracked it and held the smelling salts under her nose. She jerked back, then waved her hand in front of her face, moaning softly. Well, shes not unconscious. She seems to be under the influence.
Of what? Danny asked.
Pills. Liquor. Cant say for certain. Why dont we start with some nice hot coffee and see if that helps. He glanced over at Kellan. You say you found her on the beach?
Kellan nodded. She threw up while I was carrying her out to the road.
Thats a positive sign.
Not for me, he muttered.
You dont suppose shes a
A drunk?
No, a mermaid, Finnerty said with a chuckle. She could be a mermaid washed up onshore.
Look at her, Danny said. She has that look about her.
Kellan stared at the woman, frowning. She looks I dont know. Pretty. But she has feet. Dont mermaids have fins?
Naw. Not after they come ashore, Finnerty said as he slipped on a blood pressure cuff. The skin is so pale and the hair like spun silk. Ive seen pictures. This is what they look like. Otherworldly. Was she combing her hair when you first saw her? He looked up. Thats how they cast their spells, you know.
I dont believe in mermaids, Kellan said. And neither do you two. She was unconscious when I found her.
Finnerty listened to her pulse, then removed the cuff. Well, shes here. And her vital signs are strong. What are you going to do with her?
I thought you could take her. To hospital, if need be.
She appears to be slightly hypothermic and possibly hungover. Now that shes getting warm, shell probably wake up and be just fine. I expect the best place for her is right hereat least until shes feeling better. Then you can take her back where you found her.
What? I cant put her back on that beach.
Well, Im sure youll sort it all out, Finnerty said as he rose from the sofa. Youre a smart lad, Kellan. Now, my wife has dinner waiting and Im late. If you need me, give me a ring and Ill come back. Danny, lets be off and leave your brother to nurse this pretty merrow back to health.
Danny gave Kellan a shrug and followed the doctor out the door. Bring me up some soup from the pub, Kellan called. And a bottle of whiskey.
No problem, Danny said. And Ill fetch a bushel of kelp and some herring, too. He was still chuckling as the door slammed behind him.
Kellan stared down at the woman lying on the sofa. He reached down and brushed the flaxen hair from her eyes, taking in the perfect features of her face. Finnerty was right. She had a look about her, something extraordinary. Otherworldly, he murmured.
And familiar. Kellan couldnt shake the feeling that hed seen her somewhere before. And yet, he certainly would have remembered meeting her. A woman this beautiful would have stuck in his mind.
If you are a mermaid, he murmured, smoothing his hand over her temple, then were going to have a very interesting conversation when you wake up.
GELSEY WOODSON SNUGGLED into the warm recesses of the blanket wrapped around her naked body. Her head ached from the bottle of champagne shed drunk the night before and her skin itched from salt water and sand, but she couldnt bring herself to open her eyes.
She listened distractedly to the male voices, realizing they were talking about her. The one man was obviously a doctor and she stifled a moan as he took her blood pressure. There was another voice, her rescuer. The man whod carried her up from the beach. She liked his voice. It was like liquid chocolate, smooth and dark and just a bit sweet.
Their conversation turned to mermaids and for a moment she was confused, until she realized that they thought she was a mermaid. That nearly made her laugh out loud. Shed always been one to indulge in fantasies. From the time she was a child, shed woven a rich imaginary life for herself where she was a princess one day and a fairy queen the next, or a sorceress or an elf or a pixie with powers that could change her world in the blink of an eye.
And now she was a mermaid. Maybe that was for the best, she mused. For she certainly didnt want to be Gelsey Woodson anymore.
Her stomach growled and she winced, remembering the humiliation of vomiting over the mans shoulder. Though she was used to overindulging, bouncing around as he carried her had been a recipe for disaster.
She pulled the blanket up more tightly around her nose. Just a few more hours of rest would be enough. Then she could face the world again. But even though she wanted to sleep, she couldnt help but be curious about the man whod plucked her off the beach.
When the house went quiet, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. A fire flickered on the hearth and the acrid smell of peat teased at her nose. She glanced under the quilt. Though she was certain she hadnt undressed herself, she couldnt remember who had.
Her mind wandered back to the previous night. Though shed done her share of stupid things, especially when it came to her relationships with men, this might just top the list. A late-night phone call, an argument with her ex-fiancé and too much to drink had ended with her tossing a nine carat diamond ring into the sea before passing out on the beach. It seemed as if all her problems had become too heavy to bear. Not just the breakup, but the everything that had come before itthe fights, the paparazzi, the Italian police and the incident.
Thats what shed taken to calling it. Thats what her Italian attorney called it. And that made it sound so benign. But punching a photographer was a serious offense, even if shed done it while under the influence of another very expensive bottle of champagne and the misunderstanding that the photographer was trying to grope her.
And so shed run away to Winterhill, to lick her wounds and await her hearing scheduled for late January. Her grandmothers country house in Ireland was a place shed remembered so fondly from her childhood. The windswept cliffs and brilliant green meadows had been her playground every summer, creating fantasies for a girl used to a solitary existence. Shed come back to find the center in her life again, to hide from everything that confused and frightened her. Though shed lived all over the world, Ireland had always felt the most like home.