Quinn trembled as her husband, Sean, opened the door. He was soaked to the bone and would surely not be pleased to see a strange man in his house, wearing his clothes. How in the world would she explain that the situation was more innocent than it appeared?

But before she could say anything, Ronan approached the door to welcome Sean into his own home, thickly laying on the charm.

“Hello to you, Sean, and welcome home. Your fine lass, Quinn, has been kind enough to take a stranger in from the storm and provide warm clothing, so I’ll not catch my death from the cold.”

Sean eyed the hand that this stranger offered and eyed him suspiciously. “And who might you be?”

“I’m Ronan, a sort of jack of all trades. I arrived in town, hoping to find work, but not a door would open for me. Your considerate wife took pity on me and allowed me to come in for a cuppa and some dry clothes. I’ve started a fire, you see, so perhaps you should change out of your wet things and get warm.”

Quinn held her breath, hoping Sean would be satisfied with Ronan’s answer.

Sean nodded and said, “The people in town are usually far more welcoming. I wonder why no one would take you in?”

Ronan grinned, and the beauty of it made Quinn’s insides weep with need.

“I suppose they were afraid I was a Selkie trying to steal their women for my own.”

Quinn’s eyes flew open wide, and fear prickled at the base of her neck.

Sean frowned for a moment, then let out a belly laugh that left Quinn confused.

“You’re a funny man, Ronan. It’s good that my wife was kind. I can see she was careful, too,” Sean said, noticing the hunting rifle on the kitchen counter. “You’re welcome to stay and get warm. Once I’m out of these wet things, we can discuss what kind of handy work you are looking for. I feel like my search for fish has left my home and wife unattended. I could use a bit of help around here.”

Sean turned and gave Quinn a kiss that made her loins tingle. “Behave with your Selkie lover while I shower. I’ll have some of that tea with a bit of brandy when I’m done. God, you’re a sight for sore eyes! But that will have to wait until later.”

“He’s not my Selkie lover!” Quinn protested a bit too loudly. After all, it was true— no improper act had taken place, at least not yet.

“Darling, I’m just takin’ a piss! I know you’d never stray. Besides, Selkies aren’t real.”

After he left the room, Quinn turned her attention to Ronan.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“How did you put him at ease so quickly?

“I simply used my seductive aura to let him know I pose no threat.”

“Don’t you?”

“Don’t I what, now?”

“Don’t you pose a threat?”

Ronan flashed that gorgeous smile again. “Only if you want me to, love.” He traced a finger along the curve of her face, delighted that she didn’t turn away. “And I believe you do want me, more than you are willing to admit.”

Her face flushed with a mix of annoyance and desire. “You take much for granted.”

“Ah, darling Quinn, I seriously doubt that anyone could take you for granted. Even that man of yours who left you unattended knows he’s feckin’ lucky.”

She huffed and went back to the kitchen to pour a cuppa for her husband, complete with a healthy spot of brandy.

~~~~~

The rain continued to soak the earth while Sean and Ronan chatted like old friends by the fire. It irked Quinn that they should get on as if they’d known each other all their lives. But admittedly, it was a far cry better than her husband noticing that this visitor made her pulse race. She left them to their conversation while she put together a hearty stew to simmer on the stove for their supper.

“Quinn, my love, come sit with us. I’ve missed you so,” Sean called to her.

Though she wasn’t sure she could trust herself being closer to Ronan, it would raise suspicion if she sat across the room from Sean. She hoped the brandy and whatever magical powers this Selkie had were enough to cloud the obvious lust that coursed through her veins. But rather than sitting between the two men, she nudged her husband and said, “Move over, then, and make room for me if you want me near you.”

He moved without question. “I was just telling our new friend that I could use his help framing that greenhouse you’ve been pining for. I’ll pay him a fair wage, plus room and board, so after supper, I’ll need you to fix up the guest room for him. You can put some of my older clothing in the chest of drawers.”

“Aye, Sean, I’ll take care of that,” she answered sweetly. But inside, she was furious! How on earth would she be able to suppress her wicked desires with Ronan staying under their roof?

“We’ve plenty to keep him busy, and I can afford the help since the lads and I managed to find an area where the fish are bountiful.”

“Oh?”

“Aye,” Sean said with a gleam in his eye. “It’s a bit of a way out, beyond where the seals bask on the rocks.” Standing up, he added, “I’ll grab a pad and pen from the other room so we can make a list of things we’d like done.”

Quinn felt her heart squeeze; she had been to the seal rocks before. They’d been trying to have a baby with no luck, and Sean had whisked her away on his boat to take her mind off her disappointment. He wasn’t worried; he was convinced that she’d get pregnant all in good time. But not oblivious to her sadness, he attempted to cheer her up with a picnic lunch near the place where the seals lay. She recalled their curious eyes staring at her as she cried bitterly near the shore, while Sean did his best to comfort her. Only later did she realize they were Selkies in their seal form.

Oh God!

Suddenly, Quinn realized that Ronan’s being here was her doing! She’d cried seven tears into the sea and had accidentally summoned a Selkie! But that had been ages ago!

“Darling Quinn, you know very well that if an unhappy woman wishes to contact a male Selkie, she must shed seven tears into the sea. And you did cry, my love, and I heard your plea. I can only apologize for taking so long to answer your call. I was otherwise… occupied.”

“I wasn’t trying to beckon you! And I wasn’t unhappy!”

Ronan placed his hands on hers, “It’s impolite to lie, even to a Selkie. You were beyond miserable; the grief was so thick I could feel it in my bones. And though you may not have meant to call for me, I can give you what you want, Quinn.”

Her face burned from shame. “Since you appear to be able to read my thoughts, I’ll admit to imagining how it would feel to mate with you. But it’s not what I want, not really.” She looked at him, misery swimming in her eyes. “I love my husband; satisfying my wanton curiosity is not worth the cost of losing his love.”

“You misunderstand. Though I assure you that you’d be thoroughly delighted in my bed, it’s not just fulfilling your carnal desires that I am offering.”

Quinn frowned. But before she could ask him to clarify, Sean returned, patted Ronan on the back, and said, “Ronan, it looks like the weather has cleared. Let’s walk the property and see what you think of my proposed tasks and whether they are in your wheelhouse. Then we can come back and enjoy that hearty stew that has the house smelling delicious and wash it down with some Irish whiskey.”

They spent about an hour discussing the projects that Sean wanted done while Quinn tried to discern what Ronan meant by his comment.

At supper, the sexual tension was thicker than the stew, but Sean seemed to pay no heed to it. Quinn, on the other hand, felt the slickness of her sex as it ached to know the feeling of Ronan’s manhood.

Ronan was secretly pleased as hell that this voluptuous redhead with eyes that sparkled like sapphires was so flustered by his presence. He wanted her and imagined her panting and moaning beneath him. His loins stirred as next he envisioned her riding him, her breasts and copper locks bouncing as she squealed in ecstasy. Oh yes, he thought, with his fully engorged prick pressing against the dungarees and aching to be set free, he would have her. He would taste her, touch her, smell her… he would…

“So, would you be amenable to that?” Sean asked, unaware that Ronan hadn’t heard a damn thing.

But Ronan was quick. “Whatever you think is fair,” he commented, hoping his answer made sense.

“And you don’t mind keeping an eye on Quinn while I’m gone? I hate to leave her alone again so soon, but I don’t want to miss out on the fishing while the waters are so plentiful.”

“I don’t need looking after,” Quinn said crossly.

“I know you can handle yourself just fine, my love. But it pains me to know you have no one to keep you company and that you’re so isolated,” Sean said, pressing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly.

“But…”

“Please, Quinn, humor me. I dislike having to leave you again so soon, but I promise, I’ll come back an even richer man with the catch. And it would ease my mind to know you’re not out here alone.”

Quinn nodded and cleared the dishes from the table as Sean turned to Ronan. “I can trust you to be a gentleman with my wife, aye?”

“Aye,” Ronan replied. “It’s the least I can do to repay your hospitality. I’ll keep an eye on things and keep Quinn safe and sound.”

“Then it’s settled; I’ll be off again in the morning.”

“But you just got home!” Quinn protested.

“Ahh, missed me, have you now? Then let’s turn in early tonight,” Sean said, winking.

Ronan and Sean continued to chat while Quinn made up the guest room. When she was finished, she poked her head out and said, “The room is ready. I’m going to bed.”

Ronan patted Sean on the knee. “That’s your cue! You’d best not keep your redhead waiting.”

Sean grinned. “No, I’d best not. She makes me a happy man, for sure. The least I can do is show her how much I’ll miss her again.”

When Sean said goodnight, Ronan finished his whiskey and retired to the guest chamber. As he lay in bed, he envisioned his hosts making love and delighted in thoughts of what it would feel like to touch her and taste the very alluring redhead. It wasn’t too hard to conjure the picture in his head, as the walls were thin. A mix of Sean’s low growl and Quinn’s soft, high-pitched mewls only served to ignite the fire of need that rested low in Ronan’s belly.

When she cried out, begging her husband to fuck her, Ronan stripped off his clothes, letting his stiff shaft spring free of the boxers. The sounds of passionate sex were titillating, and he knew he’d need to find his release by way of eavesdropping tonight. As Sean’s cock entered his wife, Ronan gripped his own and stroked it, imagining he was taking her as his own.

“Oh, fuck, yes! Fuck me, Sean!” he heard Quinn plead.

Ronan grinned. He liked a woman who wasn’t afraid to talk dirty, nor to ask for what she wanted. Tonight, she wanted Sean, but tomorrow night? He’d be patient; he’d let her come to him, and she’d beg. She wouldn’t be able to resist him; she craved what he could give her.

Ronan quickened the pace of his hand and came hard, shooting his semen on his belly as Sean cried out from the next room, “Oh, fuck, yes!” and emptied himself into Quinn.

The next morning, after sending her husband off with a basket of food and a kiss that made his toes curl, Quinn hummed a happy tune while she set about the business of cleaning the kitchen. Though she missed him already, he’d left her completely sated. She was sure that the Selkie wouldn’t tempt her.

Her confidence waned by mid-afternoon as she watched from the window while Ronan stripped off his shirt and wiped his brow. He picked up the pitcher of water she’d set out for him. But rather than filling the cup provided, he gulped the cool liquid from the side of the picture, then dumped the rest over his head.

The sight of his uncovered chest with its mix of water and sweat glistening in the sun mesmerized her. She didn’t notice that she was unconsciously cupping her left breast until he made eye contact with her and raised an eyebrow while he grinned. She scowled at him and scurried away from the window, ashamed by her wanton behavior.

Though it was tempting to go inside and seduce her, he truly wanted to get this project finished for Sean in case the man came back sooner than later. Best to wait till his work was done, then he could shower and smell like a proper bedmate.

With all the roughing in completed by the first sight of dusk, Ronan removed his work boots and left them on the porch. When he entered the house, Quinn was busy in the kitchen, so he went straight to the bathroom to clean up. He noticed fresh towels and a clean set of clothing waiting for him there, which made him smile. Despite her prickly disposition toward him, she still had impeccable hostess manners.

Supper time proved to be awkward, as her demeanor was annoyingly polite, with short, clipped responses any time he tried to get a conversation going. So, they finished their meal in silence.

Still, Ronan found himself enamored with Quinn and considered just scooping her up and running off with her. But the sea was no place for a woman without a seal coat. And, as much as he enjoyed his excursions on land, the water called him home time and time again.

After the dishes were cleared, Quinn surprised him by joining him in the living room with a mug of ale for both of them. She sat down and spoke softly, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

“Yesterday, you said I craved something that you could give me beyond abating this forbidden desire.”

His conscience poked at him a bit. What he was offering would most certainly lure her into bed. But he hesitated, wondering why he should feel guilty for wanting her to the point of proposing something she wanted so desperately. It was probably because she was the first human woman who honestly tried to resist him.

“Aye,” he said, pushing any thoughts of remorse away. “I know why you cried those tears along the shore, darling Quinn. You want a baby to stir inside your womb.”

Tears streamed down her face. “Aye. Sean and I have tried many times. We came close once, but the babe was stillborn.”

“Give me one night, Quinn, and I’ll plant my seed in you. You’ll have a fine son, and Sean won’t be the wiser as he emptied his seed into you last night.”

Her face turned crimson; it hadn’t occurred to her to be quieter last night in her quest to reconnect with Sean.

“How can you be so sure?” she said, her voice wavering.

“I’m a Selkie, Quinn. Surely you know that I can grant you a wish.”

“But why would you do this for me?”

“Because you’d be giving me your body for one night. It seems like a fair trade.”

She bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether she could justify breaking her vows to spread her legs for her heart’s desire.

“Can I think about it for a while?” she asked. “What you ask of me is more than I can…”

He cut her off and said, “If you truly wish to pass the child off as Sean’s, it would be best to let me bed you tonight. The timing won’t be suspicious that way. Besides, you're fertile now.”

“How do you know this?”

“Darling Quinn, the scent of your ovulation is intoxicating, especially to a male Selkie.”

She was silent for a moment, embarrassed by his crude honesty. Then she looked into his eyes earnestly and asked, “You won’t come back and try to claim the child as your own, will you?”

“He’ll be Sean’s son, but my son also. Someday, when he’s a man, he may wish to know the truth. That will be up to you to decide whether to share it,” Ronan explained.

Though her conscience struggled with the notion of allowing this man to be with her intimately, the desire he stirred in her, and the gift mating with him would bring, were both too great to be denied.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she nodded. “I’ll strike the bargain that you ask for; I’ll spread my legs for you. But know this, you’ll not get but one night, so make it count—for both of us.”

Ronan grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”