Selkie's Song (Fado Trilogy)

by Clare Austin

  His skin was warm, his hair was wet, and his smile devastating. Muireann thought he had an unusual vulnerability just now. It gave her a sense of power but reminded her he was the kind of man who could be easily hurt by callousness.

  “Come back to your bed with me, Muireann,” Ty said as his hand glided down her back and caressed her hip, triggering an electrical sizzle that shot to her core.

  She tried to quickly weigh and measure her next move and the consequences before he completely toasted her wiring.

  He was the man who held title to the land she wanted. Would he simply roll over and give it up? Likely not. And was her goal here to romance it out of him? That would be slimy and not her style at all. Blood rose in her cheeks at the thought of such duplicity.

  “You’re blushing,” he said and pressed a little closer. Tynan’s fingers took a ramble across her jaw, behind her right ear, and combed through her hair. The touch was familiar, intimate and made her tingle in all the places he had explored only a short time ago in her bed.

  “I don’t blush,” she said. Her voice came out thin and unrecognizable to her own ears.

  “And I don’t argue.” He brushed her lips with his.

  Once again she was in his arms, wet, warm, and dizzy. She threw out her rule about being in control. It seemed foolish now and a waste of effort when all she really wanted to do was give herself up to Tynan’s hands, lips, and body.

  Sated, Muireann dozed, her limbs interlaced with his. Sleep seemed the best solution to the nagging question of where this tryst would take them.

  While the moon traveled toward the western horizon to be usurped by the high summer sun, she awoke to his soft breath on her neck, kissed his shoulder, stroked his back, and drifted off again. And for this brief respite, Muireann allowed herself to ponder if this was what being in love might feel like.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Muireann was not sure if it was the golden dapples of early sunlight playing on her eyelids or the odd sense that someone was watching her that woke her from her dream.

  “I wondered when you’d come ’round,” Ty whispered.

  Muireann’s pulse picked up to beat in double time. This time it wasn’t a rush of passion, but indecision that set her blood rushing.

  Unfortunately, she had more than enjoyed their intimacy. She had let him take her to places she had avoided in the past. It was too easy to imagine him in her bed long after he should return to Boston.

  They were going to end up hurting one another. She was certain that could be the only outcome. He held title to her heritage. Now, there was a risk of his holding title to her heart.

  Caution told her she was simply overlooking some flaw in Tynan that she would discover at a later date. She had made this mistake before when passion took the place of practicality and knew it wouldn’t be a pretty sight when her brain cleared.

  She wished this would be different. Perhaps there was no harm in allowing herself to believe for another day, another night. Believe he really came back only to find her. Lying here with his arms cradling her felt safe and, oh, so right.

  If only she could trust that he was not in league with that devil Feeney. Was it wise to believe what he had told her last night? Or was it only desire talking?

  Muireann knew she was standing on a precipitous edge. This drop was worthy of a second thought.

  “Umm, what’s the matter?” Ty asked in a sleepy voice.

  “Not a thing,” she lied. “I need to put some clothes on.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “You taste good. Salty and sweet.”

  “Like Chinese food?” she joked, but a hot bolt of yearning shot through her and sizzled the lines of communication to the rational part of her thinking. In defense, she pushed away from his embrace.

  Ty rolled to his side and even in the dim light Muireann could see the worry crease his brow. She didn’t want to hurt him, but it would happen eventually.

  She forced herself to stand. HHer legs felt shaky. She rummaged through her bureau until she found a pair of jogging shorts and an old hoodie with a Guinness logo emblazoned on the front.

  The blood in her ears was so loud she didn’t hear him step up beside her. His hand touched her arm. He turned her to face him. “I’d like to stay with you today.”

  Of course he’d like to stay, she thought. He’s just had his bell rung…more than once. No man was capable of thinking clearly at this point. He hadn’t had time for the rush of sex to settle out of his brain long enough to admit this was all temporary.

  Years from now, she only hoped she could laugh over the stupidity of it all. Tynan would shed himself of ties to this village, return to his life, settle in, have a family. He wouldn’t even give her a passing thought.

  Tynan pulled his jeans up his long legs and over his slim bum. She thought of stopping him, taking him back to her bed, and not letting him go.

  Brakes in her mind squealed to a stop so fast she felt the whiplash up her spine. Tynan needed to go. Sure, that is the way it would be. It was inevitable.

  Fine then. No harm, no foul. No one need get hurt. And along the way he might be able to help her get what she wanted.

  She needed to focus on that ultimate goal. Bertie’s land. Right. That was it. That was all she would ever want or need from Tynan Sloane.

  Obviously he liked her. A smart woman would use that to her advantage.

  Muireann took a deep breath and steeled herself. She would have what she wanted. She would raise her shield of pragmatism. Any feelings of guilt or remorse were not as important as the final outcome.

  Ty called from the kitchen, “I’ll be getting the tea.”

  Muireann closed her eyes to stop them from rolling around in her head. This was the other thing about Tynan that confused her. He knew how to make the tea and, unbelievable, he knew how to do the washing up after.

  He was obviously too good to be real.

  Muireann was seated on a bench in her front garden when Ty came out the door with a tray of tea and biscuits. He stopped in the doorway and watched her. The only sound was the ubiquitous sway of the sea and the buzz of bees as they worked a honeysuckle bush that trailed up the side of the cottage.

  Her eyes were closed. The morning sun shone bright on her upturned face and her hair fell in a dark curtain over her slim shoulders.

  The air was seasonably warm. Her legs were naked and he couldn’t help but admire the smooth, muscled curvature of calf and thigh. Muireann had a book open in her lap, the pages turning in the breeze as though by an invisible hand.

  His lack of doubt should have worried him. This was the woman he loved, had loved and waited for without admitting it to himself. He dreamed of leaving a kiss on her lips before she closed her eyes each night and for her to awaken beside him every morning for the rest of his life.

  “Are you going to stand there watching me all day long?” she said, stirring him from his reverie.

  “You look sporty,” Ty said. “Not to complain, but I liked you better in what you were wearing ten minutes ago.”

  “I wasn’t wearing anything ten minutes ago.” Muireann furrowed her brow at him.

  “Exactly.” Ty set the tray on a little table and sat next to Muireann. “Breakfast is served, my sweet.”

  She picked up her mug of tea and took a careful sip. “Hot,” she said and smiled in satisfaction.

  He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips. They were warm from the sun and tasted of honeyed tea. “I thought all the activity would mean you’d have a hearty appetite.” He could eat an entire cow about now. “How about we go to Mary’s and have her fry us up a real breakfast?”

  Muireann leaned against his shoulder and slipped her hand down his thigh. “I absolutely love a man who knows the difference between his appetites.”

  “Keep your hand there much longer and I might have to have dessert first.” He kissed the top of her head and it hit him again how, even though she was a tall woman, she fit right into him with ease. “Let’s
go before it’s too late.”

  “Wait,” she stopped him with a hand on his chest and pushed him back onto the bench. Muireann took a long appreciative look at Ty.

  He had put his shirt on but the top button of his jeans was still undone. Muireann couldn’t help but wonder if it had been out of haste or an intentional attempt at seductive attire. She drew her index finger down his chest and felt him shiver.

  “Chilly?” she asked but already knew the tremor in him did not come from any external temperature change. She found it hopeless to focus on what she knew she needed to say when she could feel his sexuality as palpable as if he were in her body.

  “Why are you wearing your boots? Cú isn’t hungry for shoes anymore.”

  “Quick getaway?”

  Muireann loved his off-beat sense of humor. Her heart tore at the thought of pushing him away after last night, but it was time to get down to business. If she waited much longer to settle the details of Bertie’s land, she would be too lost in Ty to think clearly. “Tynan, it’s time to be honest with me.”

  “Absolutely. You’re honestly the most amazing woman.”

  Muireann was tempted to kiss him for that comment. “No, I mean we need to be open—”

  “Oh, open? Yeah, sounds lovely.” His hand wandered to the top of her thigh. “No knickers? I knew we were made for each other.”

  This was not going where she wanted. She tried to back a few inches, but he just leaned in closer. “Shouldn’t we discuss...” She gulped back a sigh. “…why you’re really here?”

  “Not now,” he mumbled and nuzzled her neck. “I was going to play you a tune, but maybe you’d like to play me instead.”

  “Answer me this first.” Muireann decided to stick her neck into a noose and broach the subject of what he planned to do with the fortress. “What do you really want, Tynan?”

  He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “What we had right after the shower last night was grand. Did you have something else in mind?”

  Men could be thick as a ditch when they had sex fogging their minds. “I was thinking a bit more globally, you might say.” Muireann hoped she wouldn’t have to lose all subtlety and draw him a picture.

  His mouth pursed. “Hmm…well, since you ask.” Ty took a deep breath as though preparing to jump headfirst into the tide. “I’m not sure how to tell you this, Muireann.”

  Why was it so hard? Had he lied to her back at the pub last night? Had he already signed the land over to Feeney? Put the check in the bank? She tried to be patient as he sorted out his explanation.

  “I realize, though we’ve known one another for years, I feel like we’ve just met…well, sort of,” he fumbled on. “But I have this…don’t know what you’d call it…a feeling about us.” Ty took her hand in his and traced the bones with a light touch. “I see my sisters happy, settled, and I want the same for myself. Seems everyone around me has found—”

  “Wait a minute, Ty.” She didn’t want the history of his family. She wanted his assurance that he wasn’t prepared to sell the O’Malley heritage down the river in Ian Feeney’s boat.

  “Huh…okay, it’s hard to say this simply.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “I haven’t…until recently…found anyone I felt comfortable with, like I feel when I’m with you.”

  Hold it! He’s not talking real estate here. “Tynan, I didn’t mean—”

  His fingers went to her lips. “Wait, let me finish.”

  “But—”

  “When I arrived here, in your village, I thought my goal was clear.” An expression akin to pain crossed his face, and she bit her lower lip to keep from speaking. “I’m not good at lying to myself.” He looked at his hands as though seeking knowledge, closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “Muireann, I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  No. No. No. This isn’t going to work! Muireann’s heart sank to her feet. She forced a smile but retracted her hand from his grasp. “Jaysus,” she said with what felt like her last breath. “Jaysus.”

  This was all wrong. Not that she didn’t like him too.

  She did.

  He was grand. He was kind, polite, handsome, and great in the sack. The problem was she couldn’t seduce, cajole, or otherwise wheedle property, or anything else, out of a man who thought he was in love with her. That would be cruel, unconscionable, and frankly, no fun at all.

  “Are you going to say anything other than ‘Jaysus’?” Ty gave her that sexy one-eyebrow half grin. “Think of it this way—we were meant for each other from the start. I know you must think I’m completely mental.”

  “No,” she yelped and then realized how startled she sounded. “No. Not at all.” Get a grip. There is more than one way around another pothole in the twisted road of my life. “It’s just…we hardly know one another and—”

  “True, but you’re not the kind of woman who randomly takes a man to her bed. So, I thought—”

  “Well, I generally don’t…do that…like, on the spur of the moment.” Oh dear, he thought what? That she fancied him? Well, of course she did. But love? She fought the urge to scream, you don’t understand…it was a dare, the worst kind of stupid, childish joke.

  She didn’t. She couldn’t. The words refused to form. Because it wasn’t the full truth.

  Muireann was a poor liar when she had time to plan a deceit and completely incompetent on the fly. “You seduced me,” was all she could think to say. She did not dare look into his eyes or she would be lost in him. “I was just a dreamy kid and you seemed so much older, wiser, more experienced.”

  “That was then. This is now. We’re not children anymore,” he said rubbed his finger across her jaw.

  He held her captive with a mere touch of his index finger on her chin, but she struggled free of him as though chains secured her. “Look in my eyes and tell me you don’t feel the same…whatever…magnetism.”

  Muireann could stand in front of him naked as the day she was born and not be tentative, but letting him see into her eyes, her soul, that was terrifying.

  He tipped her face and studied her with the intensity of an art critic deciding if she was worthy of his consideration.

  She was stripped of all defenses. “I…well, I think you’re grand,” she said and a little squeak of fear invaded her usually calm voice.

  Ty reached for her and stroked her shoulder with such tenderness Muireann thought for a moment she might bag all the noble bullshite and take him right back to her bed. “You really shouldn’t…” she started to say.

  He grinned and her tummy did a back flip. Muireann turned to the only defense she had left. “I need to go for a swim.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  She fancied him. Ty knew it and the realization made him jubilant.

  Muireann had indeed gone off for her swim. She hadn’t invited Ty to join her and that was a huge relief to him. He watched her jog off toward the strand and decided to take a stroll in the other direction, so he could think without his thoughts being prejudiced by the sight of her stripping off for her plunge.

  She was a bit hesitant about commitment. That was understandable considering he’d only come back into her life a few days ago. It didn’t worry him. They had all their lives to get to know each other. It would be an adventure.

  This changed his plan somewhat, but he believed in a simple hypothesis. A person can walk away from fate or choose to walk toward fate. He knew it was not in his nature to walk away when providence was in his favor.

  Tynan had never taken love lightly. When his sister, Kerry, had suggested that he’d never been in love, he discounted her opinion. But now he knew he’d been waiting, biding his time until this moment.

  The moist air of the soft morning filled him and he knew exactly what he would have to do. Muireann deserved to be courted, romanced, and won with words, songs, long walks on sunlit beaches. He would do whatever it took from flowers and chocolate to promising the moon.

  Ty wasn’t sure how he knew she was the one, but he wa
s convinced he had never been so determined to win a woman’s heart.

  He was born for this, Ty decided. Romance was in his blood. He could write a book, teach a class at university on the subtleties of the art of love…this was his forte.

  The irony hit him that until a few days ago he had little recollection of an Uncle O’Malley, chieftain to a clan of folk who’d only known him as a dotty old gent.

  Ty believed in serendipity, karma, and destiny. Now he was beginning to understand that providence awaited him here, in this little Irish village. His plan for the pub was in ruins…but plans had to change with the times. Right?

  Amazing.

  How to handle the disposition of the land was another question. Offering it to her outright wouldn’t work. Muireann was the prototype of the independent woman. She would feel bought. No, let her rescue the O’Malley namesake on her own. Let her have pride in it.

  Brilliant! He was brilliant.

  His heart sang and his voice followed the prompt.

  “Though I am old with wandering,” he began. “Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone…” His words echoed and stopped.

  Silence.

  As he continued softly, he heard it again. “And kiss her lips and take her hand.”

  A voice, though faint, still clear and familiar.

  Muireann’s voice.

  He visualized her, fresh from her dip in the sea, wet with droplets of salty water, energized by the pull and sway of the tides.

  Ty didn’t turn around. He kept singing the words of Yeats.

  “And walk through long green dappled grass

  And pluck till time and times are done

  The silver apples of the moon

  The golden apples of the sun.”

  After a moment only long enough to take a breath, he turned, thinking he would scoop Muireann up in his arms and kiss her.

  The field was empty. No rock or tree to hide her and no sign anyone had stepped behind him in the soft, sandy road surface.

  Ty shook his head to clear it. His imagination was high on the events of the day. It must have been the wind singing through the field of barley grass.