To Seduce A Siren

by Cousins, Jane

  “Umm.” Still Dave hesitated.

  It cost Charisse a lot to force a low sultry laugh, sending her voice to wrap around Dave and his two sons. “I promise. The sooner you leave, the sooner I’ll call.”

  Nate rolled his eyes as the three men tromped down and out of the house speedily. “One of these days.” He pushed back on the pain. “You’re going to tell me how you do that.”

  “Sure.” Charisse managed a small nod. “One of these days. So Sheriff, you want to fill me in on what’s going on?”

  “Well Cyd, we seem to be at a bit of an impasse…” He clenched his teeth for a moment, as another bolt of energy passed through him. “You want to tell me what the hell this thing is that has you in a choke hold?”

  “You…” Charisse let out a slow breath as the pain from Bettina’s last zap began to recede. “You can see it?”

  “I can see something, that’s for fuck sure, and I’d like to know what the hell it is? And what the hell it wants from you?”

  “I’m not…” Her back arched as a particularly powerful jolt slammed through her, causing Nate to swear one second later as it hit him.

  “This thing is really starting to piss me off Cyd.” He watched as the tentacle slowly began to shrink in width, the pressure on his hand lessening.

  “I…”

  He held up his other hand to stop her. “Hold on, I think it’s retreating.” Yeah it was, the tentacle unfurling completely and slithering back in to the meta-physical nest it had created around her psyche, just below her heart.

  “Yes.” Charisse breathed deeply, twice. Bettina must have exhausted herself expending all that energy, served her right, trying to dominate their bond like that. She relaxed her shoulders, suddenly aware that her right hand was throbbing. Ouch, she’d rubbed it raw whilst she’d be battling Bettina internally, fighting the pull of the rock bitch. “I think… I think you can let go of my throat now.” She wiped a trembling hand over her face as Nate slowly, cautiously, released his hold. Goddess, she couldn’t believe Nate, it was hardly the time for him to be staring at her breasts… no, slightly lower than that. What the hell was he looking at? She glanced down at her tummy, couldn’t see anything different. “Is it still there?” She forced herself to ask, even though she already knew the truth. Rubbing her hand over the spot just below her breasts, she could feel nothing there but a lingering ache from where the bolts of power had originated from.

  “Yeah, it’s still there. Cyd…” He badly wanted to reach out and cradle her gorgeous pale face but he needed answers more than he needed to indulge the urge to touch her. “So help me Maat, if you don’t start talking, I’m going to shake the truth out of you.”

  Charisse chuffed a laugh, wincing as her ribcage protested. Damn, that bitch Bettina had sunk her teeth in deep this time. She must be getting mighty frustrated with her pet Siren.

  Staring down at Nate, seated the step below her, she took in the messy sun-streaked hair falling to his shoulders and into his eyes. Those gorgeous light coloured eyes of his, it was like looking at candlelight through a pane of amber. And Goddess forbid the man wear a t-shirt. Grime and streaks of dirt clung to his rock hard abs, magnificent chest and those arms… Goddess, take a look at those arms of his.

  It was funny, with the black bandanna hanging loose around his neck it made her think of the Sheriff he once was, the warrior he was now. Shake her… right. Even coming out of a trance to find his large hand wrapped around her throat and a fierce scowl on his face, she’d known instantly that Nate had been trying to protect her, not hurt her.

  “I…” She drew in a slightly shaky breath. How could she start? What could she even say? Nate could see the link? Was it a stain? A nightmare? Though she saw neither horror nor disgust in those whiskey coloured depths, just determination and… heat. “Nate…”

  Nate made a grab for her as out the corner of his eye he saw of a flicker of movement. Four whip cord thin tentacles flicking out from her core, encircling her around the waist and upper body and just like that… she was gone. “Cyd!”

  Fuck. What had just happened? One moment she’d been sitting before him, then poof, she was gone.

  He roared her name again. Sprinting down the stairs, he burst out of the house, blinking as the noon day sun blazed down on him.

  Where? Where could she be? Her eyes had widened in surprise and dismay the split second before she’d disappeared. Where ever she’d been taken, Cyd hadn’t wanted to go. Turning his head instinctively, his eyes were drawn to the rock… her rock.

  * * *

  Charisse bit back a scream of frustration. On her hands and knees she glared down at the rock with hate filled eyes. Taking short shallow breaths as pain racked her body, her insides felt hollowed out and raw. Beneath her, Bettina emoted smug gloating satisfaction before sending out a wave of possessiveness and hunger, causing Charisse to sway and almost buckle under its weight.

  With a shaking hand Charisse rubbed her middle, a litany of curses running through her head. It was like being at the mercy of a playground bully, pay up or take another beating.

  “You had no right to do that, you evil, hissy-fit throwing shrew.” Charisse gathered her strength, staggering to her feet. “You aren’t even close to starving yet… but could you wait, be patient? Of course not, because you’re the uber-bitch rock, dragging me around like a fricking tea cup poodle. I swear to the Goddess above, if you ever zap me here against my will again, I’ll invest in a drill and start carving pieces off of you.”

  She closed her eyes, counting to ten and taking several more deep breaths, wondering what Nate must be thinking. Seriously, could this incident get any more embarrassing? Way to tempt fate Charisse, she inwardly flinched at the sound of booted feet approaching rapidly.

  Nate strode across the rock like he owned the damn thing. His trousers plastered to him, his boots steadily leaking water, a grim expression on his face. The man wasn’t even panting but he must have set practically a world record to swim out here that fast.

  “Please tell me you did not just dive off Corkscrew Point again? Do you have a death wish?” She couldn’t believe he’d survived the dive yet again.

  Nate abruptly swung out and down with the crowbar she hadn’t registered he was carrying. It hit the rock, sparks flying high. Through their bond, Charisse felt Bettina actively cringe in fear.

  “I don’t know who I’m angrier at right now Cyd, you, or this blasted rock you’ve let dig its claws into you.”

  “You don’t get to judge me Nate.” She wrapped her arms around her waist.

  “Well someone bloody well should, what did you bargain for? Youth? Beauty? The ability to enslave men? Was it worth it Cyd?”

  “You don’t understand…”

  “I understand perfectly.” His whisky eyes flared with dark heat. “This rock, it owns your ass.”

  Charisse gave a harsh laugh. “It’s much more complicated than that.”

  “Shit…” Nate turned his head, hearing the roar of a fast approaching speedboat. Destiny’s daytime minions, who had been watching and waiting for just this type of opportunity, were making their move. “You can explain later, for now get in the cabin. I’ll deal with these jokers.”

  Charisse shook her head glaring at him. “My rock, my fight. You get in the cabin.”

  “Charisse…”

  The fact that he used her full name, as if she were some child in serious trouble, flipped her switch from angry to seething rage. Turning towards the speedboat she began to sing, sending out notes of wanton desire, burning lust and tantalising promise.

  Bettina twisted their bond in protest, she didn’t want the measly offering of three, she wanted the long boat lifeguard rowing team she could sense practising a few miles away. Charisse straightened her spine, as if she were going to provide a rich tasty snack like that to the controlling mega bitch. No, it was evil daytime minion dickheads or nothing.

  Nate gripped the crowbar one-handed, glaring at her. Just what the
hell was Cyd hoping to prove by caterwauling like that? Did she think she could scare off their attackers? If anything the revs of the speedboat grew louder as it picked up speed. Seems they were just as eager for confrontation as he was.

  They were close now. Three of them, dressed in dark fatigues. Two on the bow gripping swords in readiness, the third driving them full tilt at the rock. Damn they were eager for a fight, good. He could use a little work out to let off some steam.

  As they got closer, Nate expected the driver to cut the engine or swerve, instead the revs got louder, the boat faster. Maat, they were going to ram the rock. Of all the stupid ass things he’d seen, this would have to take the prize.

  The boat hit with a high pitched shriek of tearing metal, one of the men standing on the bow catapulted forward through the air, flying half way across Bettina to land with a sickening crunch. Nate was already moving forward fast to meet the threat, crowbar at the ready. If Cyd wanted in on this fight then she could be on clean up detail and deal with the guy who’d just gone splat.

  Ouch, Charisse studied the guy who’d sailed through the air and landed badly, broken ribs, left arm shattered with half his face swollen and shredded. The one eye he could open was fixed on Charisse.

  “You’re so pretty.” He managed to mumble through shallow pants. “You called…” With his good arm he began to drag himself across the sand and rock to get closer to her.

  Goddess, okay she knew she was a lightweight. This man had been sent here to hurt her but she couldn’t bear the sight of him dragging his broken body any further. Moving to crouch by his side she laid a hand on the undamaged skin of his forehead and let Bettina drink her fill. In less than a minute the man had slipped into blissful unconsciousness, his last words before he’d gone under were to compliment her on having shapely knees. She hadn’t heard that one in a while.

  Glancing up she was surprised to see Nate striding towards her, his face set in grim mode. “That was fast.” She looked behind him for signs of a struggle.

  “The driver is too hurt to provide us with any useful Intel.”

  Charisse could imagine, hitting the rock at that speed, the driver would have slammed into the steering wheel at crushing speed. “And the third one?” She looked around.

  Nate shook his head. “Gone, screamed some abuse at the driver before diving into the water.”

  Charisse found herself frowning. Someone had heard her sing and chosen to leave? That was unheard of… unless. “Was it a woman?”

  “Yeah.” Nate ran fingers through his hair. “What about your guy? Anything?”

  Whoops, she hadn’t even thought to interrogate the damaged guy, and now thanks to her letting Bettina feed he wouldn’t be of any use for two to three days. “Unconscious.”

  Nate heaved a frustrated sigh. “They were all heavily armed. The woman is either swimming to get reinforcements or to report back to Destiny.” Nate eyed the position of the sun, still plenty of time before sunset. “We’re too exposed here. We should head back to the Folly. Where are you going?”

  “To put some bathers on. Unlike some people, I’m not in a habit of swimming in my clothes and shoes. Plus, I need to make a call and get these people medical help.” Charisse swept past him.

  Nate heaved an impatient sigh as she disappeared into the cabin. Tapping his boot he eyed the rock beneath his sole. Charisse had been genuinely hurt when he’d accused her of selling out to this thing… whatever it was. And he was pretty sure she was telling him the truth when she said the situation was a lot more complicated than the rock owning her and punishing an unruly serf.

  So what the hell was the connection between the two? What did the bloody thing need Cyd for?

  He glanced up; swallowing hard as Cyd emerged from the cabin wearing a raspberry coloured bikini. Maat, the woman was lethal.

  “Some of the enforcement team will swing by and pick up these two. They also said they’d look into who the boat is registered to.”

  “Great.” Nate swept his arm out wide. “After you.”

  Charisse eyed him warily for a moment, he was up to something, she was sure of it. But Bettina was fed and she had no more excuses to stay.

  Nate admired Cyd’s dive off the rock, the girl had style. “So it looks like it’s just you and me now.” He gave the rock a kick with the heel of his boot. “Let’s get something straight. If you ever… ever, put Charisse in a dangerous position like that… or hurt her ever again, I promise I will find a way to end your existence. And in case you think I’m bluffing.” Nate gripped the crowbar with both hands and heaved downwards with all his strength, embedding it a good two feet into the rock where it stuck fast. Nate nodded at it with approval. “I’m going to leave this behind as a reminder. Behave, or next time it’s a couple of packets of carefully placed semtex.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Charisse unconsciously rubbed her waist as she walked out of the shallows onto the soft white sands of the small private beach below Kaleidoscope Folly. Something was different. It was like Bettina had been placed on mute. “What did you do?”

  Of course Nate had managed to reach the shore before her; the man was a damn machine.

  “I just laid down some ground rules for the rock and now I’m going to lay down some for you.”

  “Really?” Charisse stomped past him across the soft sand, headed for the steep path leading up to the house. The warrior might have Bettina momentarily cowed but no doubt she’d come roaring back with a vengeance to exact a hefty pound of flesh out of her own perfect porcelain hide. “And who died and put you in charge?”

  “You almost did for a start!” If Cyd thought she could distract him by twitching her gorgeous rear in his face the entire trail leading up to the house, she was sadly mistaken. He was mad. The woman had all these damn secrets and she seemed willing to go to foolish lengths to keep them. “Those weren’t fake swords those people were carrying out there just now, and last time I checked, I’m the only thing keeping a bloodthirsty vampire Queen nursing a grudge from ripping out your throat.”

  “Oh, don’t give me that crap. I was the one coming to your rescue the other night and don’t you forget it.” She was huffing by the time she reached the top of the path, from a combination of exertion and anger. Stomping through the weeds and scraggly bushes she headed for the house. “And I was perfectly capable of dealing with those daytime minions out there today.”

  “Cyd, if the motor on the boat hadn’t gone postal; it would have been whole different story.”

  Charisse flung a disbelieving look over her shoulder, after all he’d seen? He still hadn’t put it together? Pausing at the side of the house she noticed the hose twining up a post, perfect, twisting the knob she went and stood under the stream, ooh, shampoo, even better.

  “Cyd, are you listening to me?”

  “Not really.” She scrubbed the salt water from her hair first before lathering up with shampoo, turning her back on Nate, ignoring him.

  Nate bent over and began pulling apart his boot laces, another pair of shit kickers ruined. Thankfully he had dozens. He glanced up to continue trying to talk some sense into Cyd but she was already wringing out her wet hair and skipping off into the mudroom, picking up one of the towels there to rub dry her hair and bathers.

  “Cyd, this conversation isn’t over.” He stepped under the stream of water, dunking his head. “Cyd?” She’d disappeared from sight. Damn it.

  Dropping his trousers he picked up the body wash, scrubbing at some stubborn sand. Why would the woman not listen to reason? Making quick work of the clean-up he grabbed a towel, where had all his clean clothes gone? No matter. Wrapping the towel around his waist he headed upstairs. This conversation was not over.

  * * *

  “You need to start carrying a weapon.”

  Charisse gasped and whirled. Nate had followed her upstairs to the master bedroom. By the Goddess, why was he only wearing a towel? Focus Charisse, what had she been doing? Right, trying to find som
e clothes to put on so she could get out of her wet bathers.

  “I’m serious Cyd.”

  “Don’t you get it yet Nate? I am the weapon. That motor boat didn’t just conveniently crash today, I caused that.”

  “By singing at them?”

  “Seriously?” She turned from her suitcase to look at him, hands coming to rest on her hips. “You can’t have survived this long and been this obtuse. What don’t you get Sheriff? You’ve seen for yourself the effect I have on people. I made that vamp minion walk to his death before your very eyes but still… still, you question my ability to defend myself.”

  “You bet I question it, you can’t guarantee me that this mumbo jumbo mysterious magic of yours will work on everyone. Vampira sure as hell shook it off fast. You need to start carrying a weapon, and you need to know how to use it.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve survived thirty years without carrying one.”

  Nate held up a long thin dagger, seemingly having pulled it out of thin air. The man was only wearing a towel for Goddess sake. Where had he been keeping the dagger?

  Grrr, focus Charisse. “You want me to carry a knife?”

  “Yes.” Nate nodded, his gaze travelling from her bare toes to her mussed damp hair. Damn the woman was beautiful. “For protection and because I have this whole Ursula Andress, you rising from the ocean in a bikini with a knife strapped to your thigh fantasy.”

  Charisse’s eyes widened in surprise for a split second before she laughed reluctantly. “Men.” She rolled her eyes. “You know I grew up with enforcers. For Goddess sake, Hadleigh is my best friend and you know what she’s like with sharp objects. You think I don’t know how to use a knife?”

  “Prove it.” He challenged.

  Charisse gave him one of her best knee melting smiles before sauntering towards him with an eye catching sway added to her hips. Coming to stand directly in front of him, she raised a languid hand, letting her fingers graze ever so softly over the skin at the base of his throat before she trailed them lightly down over his chest and abs to rest on the towel wrapped around his waist. “I’ll tell you what Sheriff, I’ll prove two things to you.” She promised throatily.