Rory was lying to himself. Because the thought of that blue bastard fighting off some fanged or tentacled monster in the middle of the ocean actually made him hard as hell. Fionn the fucking warrior merman. With his spear and his proud chin and those thick thighs that Rory rarely glimpsed from the water but which he was certain could crush the skull of any sea serpent dumb enough to get between them. Jesus Christ, to get between them.
It was becoming a lot harder for Rory to think up excuses for his increasingly lewd daydreams. At some point, he was daunted to admit, he might have to recognise that he was actually attracted to the bugger.
During their conversation, Acha had disappeared underwater. She re-surfaced now with a loud, shrieking bark to get Fionn’s attention.
The merman shot to her side. ‘What is wrong, Acha?’
She keened again and Fionn tilted his head to listen.
‘Do you understand her?’ Rory stared at them both with intrigue and concern. Acha sounded like she was in pain.
‘Not as language,’ Fionn replied distractedly, still intent on Acha’s strange noises. ‘More like feeling. She has heard something from the other seals. There is a creature trapped somewhere nearby. I must go.’
‘Wait!’ Rory threw out his hand as though he could stop Fionn from diving. To his amazement, the merman stopped and turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. ‘I… Can I help?’
For a split-second Rory thought he saw a glimmer of delight cross Fionn’s face. It was hastily replaced by an imperious frown. ‘If you can keep up.’
Fionn began to swim west towards Lewis and Harris, the largest landmass of the Outer Hebrides. Rory ran to the helm and pushed theStar’slittle engine up to speed. It was difficult to keep Fionn in view in front of him—his skin blended so wellwith the water—but Acha helped keep him on track by regularly cresting the waves, with her bright fur shining even in the rain.
After around thirty minutes of this Rory guessed they were indeed heading for the far coastline, which was still a long way off. Even going at theStar’stop speed of around twenty knots (and he rarely pushed her past ten) the cliffs were at least an hour away.
He knew this was a problem when he heard the thump of Fionn’s feet hitting the deck. How the merman had managed to grapple his way onto the speeding boat, he didn’t want to contemplate.
‘Can this vessel not go any faster?’ Fionn demanded behind him.
Rory’s skin prickled. Irritation or exhilaration? ‘Not if I still want her seaworthy tomorrow, she won’t.’
Fionn’s hand landed gently on his shoulder. ‘I am sorry, Rory. I must continue alone. It sounds like a creature in great pain. Every second may count.’
You are slowing us down,were the unspoken words Rory heard loud and clear.
‘I get it,’ he muttered and reduced the throttle. TheStarjuddered as he kicked it into reverse gear to start decelerating. No point continuing to waste fuel.
But, damn, he’d been excited to do something worthwhile for a second there.
Fionn lingered. The warmth of his hand burned through Rory’s coat—a ridiculous sensation, because the material was thick and designed to keep out the worst of the wind and rain, so surely it was just Rory’s imagination.
In a low voice that made the hairs tingle on the back of Rory’s neck, Fionn murmured, ‘There might be another way.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘How long can you hold your breath?’
Rory gulped. He stared out at the grey rain pattering over the waves. Was Fionn suggesting he go for aswim?
‘About a minute,’ he replied weakly. ‘Maybe.’
Fionn turned Rory to face him. ‘I can get us there fast. Less than a minute. Through the water. It shall be very cold and you must hold your breath. But I am not asking you to.’ The merman paused, and Rory had the strangest feeling of waves rushing through his chest again. ‘I sense that you want to, so I will bring you with me if you ask.’
Rory’s whole mind glazed over. Did he want to be involved in this that badly? Was he going to risk his own life in the hands of a merman just to rescue some unknown, injured sea creature?
Of course, he knew the answer before he’d finished the thought. The photo of the Great Barrier Reef swung on the edge of his peripheral vision. The place he really wanted to be. The work he really wanted to do. If not now, when?
He stripped off his coat and his waterproof over-trousers, then his boots. ‘They’ll just add drag,’ he said to answer Fionn’s confused stare. He kept his first layer of clothes on.
Inside, Rory felt drunk. What was this madness he was agreeing to? Why did it feel like he was about to step over the horizon he constantly longed to touch?
Fionn had done something to him. Not just the weird stuff like the kisses and the hot flushes and the burgeoning sense that his inner world was tilting. More than that. Meeting Fionn had woken a buried part of him up.
