No, it was because right now all she could think about doing was letting her hands roam over the intoxicatingly touchable expanse of his smooth, muscular, naked chest. She snatched her hand back before she humiliated herself by giving in to the temptation. Sweet Halla, it was as if his entire body was a weapon—one specifically designed to smash through her defenses.
“You have every right to expect better from your mate.” His voice held an edge of irritation. “My only excuse is that you are the first Siren born in thousands of years. I didn’t recognize the signs. But I will atone for my initial blindness, Gabriella. Before these next two months of courtship are done, I will prove to you that I am a mate you can be proud of, anakuayou will never regret claiming.”
The muscle beneath his so-soft skin looked hard as stone. The layered textures of him fascinating. She visually traced the outline of one swirling blue tattoo, aching to trace it with her fingers as well. What was he saying? Something about two months? That was far too short a time. If she spent a lifetime exploring him, it would not be enough. Then the rest of his words started to register. “Wait... what?”
He frowned at her. “What?”
“Two months of what?”
“I vowed to spend the next two months of our courtship proving myself to you.”
“Courtship? You had no interest in courting me before, and as far as I’m concerned nothing has changed.”
“Everything has changed.”
“Not for me. So I suggest you focus your attention back on my sisters, because my answer, Sealord Merimydion, is no.” Yet even as she said no, she found herself swaying forward. His scent—fresh, tropical fragrances, underlaid with the warm musk of man—filled her nostrils, dizzying her senses. The long ropes of his obsidian hair gleamed with rich health in the sunlight. And his skin... that endless expanse of warm, bronze skin shimmering with the mysteriously compelling patterns written upon it in iridescent blue ink. There was a story there... a story meant for her... a story she would understand if only she could touch it, trace each curving line and symbol with her hands... her lips... her...
Gabriella caught herself just before her empty, reaching hands landed on his body. She practically leapt backwards to put more distance between them.
“Summer Sun!” she snapped, driven beyond endurance by his inescapable presence and the terrible, burning ache he roused in her. It was like every part of him was a drug designedexactlyto intoxicate her senses and addle her wits. “Don’t you have some actualclothesyou can put on?”
Shocked silence surrounded them both.
Then, in a voice that sounded oddly choked, he said, “My manner of dress... disturbs you,Myerialanna?”
“How could it not disturb me?” she cried. “You’re running around half naked, for Halla’s sake!”
“My garb is no different than that of all my countrymen. Or are you saying they disturb you as well? Do my cousins Ryll and Ari disturb you? I have seen you speaking with them on more than one occasion.”
The last statement ended in a growl that sent tremors racing across her body. The lightning that had sparked when she’d touched his flesh struck all over again at the audible sign of a territorialism he couldn’t hide.
Later she would tell herself that running full bore into Dilys Merimydion’s hard, naked, shockingly seductive chest had made every rational part of her brain seize up and cease to function. That was the only explanation. Because if the rational part of her brain had been working properly, she would have died before admitting what she admitted next. Especially to him.
“Of course they don’t disturb me! Why would they? They’re completely different than... than...”
“Completely different than what?”
“Than this!” Her hands flung out, indicating his chest, his shoulders, his arms, everything beneath that colorful scrap of cloth wrapped around his waist. “Than you!”
His scowl cleared, replaced by the first hint of a smug, male smile. “You are saying that onlyIdisturb you,moa halea?”
His voice had dropped to a low, husky note that sent fresh shivers shuddering up and down her spine. Her skin pebbled. Oh, yes, he disturbed her all right. Far too much. And she was having none of it!
“This conversation is over.Don’tfollow me anymore. There will be no courtship between us.” She spun on one heel and took off towards the eastern garden gate. This time, to her surprise, he didn’t try to stop her.
Dilys watched Summer’s retreat with narrowed eyes. The beautiful, blue-eyed Season had spent the weeks avoiding him like the plague, and it was clear she thought he’d let her keep doing so. He watched her hurry through the garden gate and down the path that ran alongside the fjord, trying to put as much distance between them as she could.
At least now he understood why she had been avoiding him. Understood why she’d been so cold and standoffish to him, while treating his cousins to her generous warmth. At least now he understood why she flinched from his touch and trembled in his presence.
Summer Coruscate hadn’t spent the last month trying desperately to escape his presence because she feared or disliked him. She hadn’t avoided him at every turn because he left her cold or because she hadn’t forgiven him for insulting her that first day.
No, Summer Coruscate fled from him because hedisturbedher.
Ryll, the tough, stern, often scary sub-commander of the Seadragons didn’t disturb her. Ari, the cousin who was Dilys’s mirror image, didn’t disturb her. The thousands of other Calbernans wandering about Konumarr in theirshumasdidn’t disturb her.
Just Dilys.
And he didn’t just disturb her a little.
