He swept her suddenly into his arms, making her squeak in protest and cling to his neck. Then he proceeded to carry her the entire way to her cottage, never pausing with his kisses.
He only almost dropped her once, during a particularly long, breathless kiss when he was climbing stairs at the same time, and Saina laughed and begged him to put her down.
“You are my treasure,” he told her, and then they were at the door of her cottage and he finally had to put her down for lack of a free hand to open it.
She let him in almost shyly, and shut the door behind him as he shucked off his shirt and dropped the first aid kit he was wearing on a table.
He was so gorgeous, she thought, feeling weak. Her mouth was swollen with his kisses, and her heart was pounding.
His chest was like a sculpture, perfect tanned skin over muscles like mountains. Saina wanted to put her hands on it, but was suddenly, unexpectedly nervous.
“My treasure,” Bastian repeated, looking adoringly at her.
Saina wanted to be that treasure he saw, she realized. She wanted it so badly.
And it was utterly wrong.
She didn’t know how or why her enchantment had taken such a hold on him, but it had to be her magic that made him look at her that way. If she slept with him now, she was no better than any of her siren sisters... and he made her want to be better than that.
She stared at him, wrestling with the fire in her belly that urged her to do what they both wanted so badly, and the little voice that told her she would regret it forever.
He was waiting, invitation and tension in every plane of his amazing body, and she was just staring at him in growing consternation.
“Saina?” he said gently, when she didn’t come to him.
“I can’t do this,” she said miserably.
He swallowed hard.
Saina opened her mouth. This was where she would sing him to sleep and make her escape. She could swim again; her shoulder barely ached at all.
Then she closed her mouth again.
That was the easy way. The siren way.
But it wasn’t the right way.
Chapter 14
Bastian watched Saina struggle, fascinated and heartbroken by the array of emotions that crossed her beautiful face: guilt, pain, resignation, frustration, fear. He wanted to close the distance between them and gather her into his arms, to assure her that whatever crisis she was facing, he was hers. But something told him that would only make things worse, so he waited, leashing his desire and protective instinct to the best of his ability.
“I’m sorry,” she said achingly. “I’m sorry you found me. I’m sorry I am who I am. I’m sorry I let you think this was something more than it was for so long. I’m just… so sorry.”
Bastian blinked. “I’m not sorry I found you,” he said at once.
“Don’t,” Saina breathed miserably. “Don’t be so perfect.”
Perfect? She thought he was perfect?
“Saina...” Something occurred to Bastian. “Have you ever been with… er, am I your first?”
Her face was a kaleidoscope of emotion.
It wasn’t an obvious guess. She was lushly curved and exuded sexuality like a cat in heat to Bastian’s senses. She had perfect flirtations that she could turn on in an instant, and she clearly knew exactly how to walk and smile for just the attention that she didn’t seem to want. The clothing she had arrived in suggested the exact opposite.
But Bastian believed her when she sighed and admitted, “Yes. You would be.”
She dropped into the chair and Bastian settled on the bed opposite from her.