Kellan

pulled him to his feet, then wrapped his arms around her waist. But Kellan quickly turned her around in his arms, pressing his softening erection into the small of her back.

His hands smoothed down her belly to rest at the juncture of her thighs. He slipped a finger inside her, gently caressing her and before long, Gelsey felt her knees growing weak and her body surrendering to his touch.

His power over her body was just as startling as hers over his. She dissolved into deep soul-shattering spasms, grasping the bedpost to keep herself from collapsing. Breathless, she leaned back against him, wrapping her arm around his neck.

This had all begun with a simple kiss years ago. And yet, try as she might, she couldn’t imagine a future without him, without this passion they shared. He had the power to give her incredible pleasure. But Kellan also had the power to break her heart into a million pieces.

KELLAN GLANCED OVER at the three men sitting at the end of the bar. Known as the Unholy Trinity, the trio of pensioners were regulars at the pub. Markus Finn, Dealy Carmichael and Johnnie O’Malley stopped by every day for a pint and a chat with whomever was available to listen to their brand of malarkey.

“What are you three gawkin’ at?” Kellan asked from his spot at the opposite end of the bar. He’d been enjoying a quick beer while he waited for the takeaway lunch Riley had ordered for them all.

Markus leaned forward. “We hear you caught yourself a mermaid.”

Kellan groaned. He couldn’t go anywhere in town lately without having to answer questions about Gelsey. “She’s not a mermaid,” he said.

“How do ya know?” Dealy asked. “Have ya ever come ’cross a mermaid before?”

“No,” Kellan said, trying to tamp down his irritation. “I just know. I’ve gotten a good look at her and there are no gills or scales or any such thing on her body.”

“Of course not,” Johnnie said. “There wouldn’t be then. They disappear once she’s on land.”

“She’s not a mermaid,” Kellan insisted.

“I once saw a mermaid. Of course, I was three sheets to the wind, but it looked like a mermaid to me.”

“Supposin’ she was a mermaid,” Markus said. “Just theoretically. Supposin’ our little village of Ballykirk had its very own…what would we call it, lads?”

“Tourist attraction,” Dealy said. “That’s what you’d call it.”

Markus stood and quickly moved to the stool beside Kellan. “Just hear us out, boyo, for it’s an opportunity we’d be offerin’. You might already know that our little town got some money to help promote tourism and they made me head of the committee. And we’ve been looking for something that sets us apart from every other fishing village in Cork. And now we have it.”

“You want to use Gelsey to bring tourists to Ballykirk?”

“In a word, yes!” Dealy said.

“You’re crazy. She’s not a mermaid,” Kellan repeated.

“Well, I know that and you know that. Everyone in town knows that. But the tourists don’t. That silly Blarney stone makes millions every year and we need a share of the money bein’ thrown about. People come to Ireland because of the leprechauns and fairies and all those other silly legends.”

“I realize that,” Kellan said. “But I don’t think Gelsey is interested in that kind of attention. She seems to be a woman who values her privacy.”

“It’s not like we’d be askin’ her to swim around in a giant tank all day,” Markus said. “We just want to explore the marketing possibilities.”

“Yeah,” Dealy said. “The marketing possibilities.”

“Do you have any idea what that means?” Kellan said.

Markus shrugged. “It was in the pamphlet the tourism board sent. But I know what I know. There’s bleedin’ leprechauns all over this island. But nobody has a mermaid.” He shrugged. “You could mention it to her? See what she thought?”

“She has enough going on already. She took a job at Maeve’s shop and-”

“She’s workin’ for Maeve?” Johnnie frowned. “Oh, Jaysus, that’s not good. A few days with her and she’ll be running as fast as she can from Ballykirk. The woman is mad as a hatter, that one.”

“Not necessarily,” Dealy said. “Maeve has been talking about selling her shop. We need to convince the mermaid to stay. What if we talk Maeve into selling the shop to Gelsey? A new retail establishment run by a clever little mermaid. The tourists will flock to Ballykirk.”

“That’s it,” Markus said. “Now we have a plan.” He clapped Kellan on the shoulder. “And just to make certain, we’d like you to hide the clothes you found her in. This whole scheme will go to hell if we lose her. I don’t want to be takin’ any risks.”

“If you three start bothering her, she might decide to leave.”

“Well, then, it’s your job to keep her happy,” Markus said. “She’s…community property.”

“Maybe it is best that he talk to her about our scheme, boys,” Johnnie said. “He’s the one who rescued her. So she is beholden to him.”

Dealy nodded, his expression serious. “Feel her out. Find out what she’s lookin’ for. She could make a real nice home for herself here in Ballykirk. And we could help her out. It would be mutually beneficial.”

“Yeah,” Markus said. “Tell her that. Mutually beneficial.”

Katie appeared from the kitchen with their lunch order. She set the food in front of him, paper-wrapped sandwiches and bags of crisps tucked neatly into a box. Kellan drained the rest of the Guinness from his glass and pushed to his feet. He winked at Katie. “Thanks, love.”

Katie grinned at him. “Bring your girl down to the pub for dinner so we can all get a look at her. We’ve got herring on the menu tonight. And Danny says she’s a right vixen, she is.”

“You, too?”

“Ah, I’m just playin’ with you,” Katie said. “Everyone is talking. We’re all a bit curious about the girl.”

Kellan headed to the door. Their offer was made. But Kellan was willing to consider anything that might keep Gelsey in Ballykirk. He didn’t hold out much hope for her work at Maeve’s-the woman had been a bit daft for as long as he could remember. But with Gelsey’s beauty and charisma, it might just work.

Kellan recalled the phone conversation he’d heard the first night Gelsey had stayed with him. She had at least one person who cared enough to worry over her and maybe a place that she called home. But for some reason, she’d decided to stay in Ballykirk, at least for the near future.

Tucking the box under his arm, Kellan strode toward the waterfront. Riley and Nan had purchased a small cottage overlooking the harbor at Ballykirk. It was about the same size as the Quinn cottage on the hill, but it was in much worse condition. Riley had already replaced the roof and refinished the floors, but both the exterior and interior still needed painting and the windows were a mess.

Kellan had already contacted a few of the contractors who’d worked on Castle Cnoc and they’d agreed to do new plumbing and electricity at a bargain price. He’d decided it would be his wedding present to the happy couple.

When he arrived at the cottage, his brothers and the girls had decided to start work on the facade. The sun had warmed that side of the house and the breeze had died down, taking the last bit of chill out of the air.

“There he is,” Riley called. “Poor Nan is about to faint from hunger.”

Nan took a swipe at Riley with a paintbrush. “Hush.”

Kellan glanced back and forth between the two of them, watching a pretty blush stain Nan’s cheeks. “She’s been working hard,” he said. “She deserves a break for lunch.”

“Oh, it’s not that,” Riley said.

“You said you were going to wait to tell them!” Nan cried.

“Tell us what?” Jordan asked. Danny and Gelsey joined the group with curious looks on their faces.

Riley slipped his arm around Nan’s shoulders and grinned. “Nan is eating for two.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Jordan said. “I ordered two sandwiches, too. All of this outdoor work makes me so hungry.”

“Don’t mind her,” Danny said. “All this fresh air has made her a bit cabbaged.”

“What’s cabbaged?” Gelsey whispered. “Why is she cabbaged? I ordered two sandwiches, too. Is that bad?”