It was a day like any other day as Quinn McLaren grabbed the sheets down from the line where they’d been hanging in the bright summer sun to dry. Taking them inside to make up the bed again, she sighed. She wished that Sean would come home soon. The bed was lonely without him in it. But her husband was a fisherman by trade, and in recent months, the catch had been slim pickings. So, he’d gone off with some of the other men in search of more fruitful waters.
It wouldn’t be so bad if she lived within the limits of the Irish coastal town, where there were at least people to interact with during the day. But Sean had insisted on building their thatch-roofed house with its pretty red door about a mile’s walk from the village, leaving Quinn relatively isolated. People were friendly enough when she visited the market, but she couldn’t spend all day lollygagging around town while there were chores to be done, and it wasn’t convenient for other wives to stop by for a cuppa in the middle of the day.
Truth be told, she didn’t mind it so much when Sean was gone fishing all day because she wasn’t outgoing by nature. Still, the lack of interaction left her forlorn at times, though she perked up when he would come home every night to eat supper and share tales about his daily adventures. Then, more nights than not, he would carry her off to bed where their tongues danced, their fingers probed, and their bodies became one as they enjoyed their erotic mating. But with him off for several days, and no one to keep her warm at night till the wee hours of the morn, it was a lonely existence.
As she’d been on her own for three such days, she’d run out of things to clean and figured she’d earned a glass of lemonade and an hour on the porch to read and enjoy the glorious weather. It didn’t take long for her eyelids to grow heavy. Perhaps she’d earned a catnap as well.
She woke to the rumbling sound of thunder. Grateful that she’d already retrieved the wash from the line, she gathered her book and scurried inside. Lightning crackled in the grayish green sky, startling Quinn. She counted off the seconds until the next big boom and knew the storm was right upon the village and the outlying areas. She moved about the house, closing the shutters when she realized she’d left her lemonade glass outside.
A sudden downpour stopped her in her tracks, but, afraid that the wind would knock over the glass and break it, Quinn knew she should go outside and grab it. The wind was whipping, and the rain was coming down in big, heavy sheets. She glanced down at her dress and sighed, then opted to undress completely so her clothes wouldn’t get completely soaked. It wasn’t as if anyone would see her; no one ever ventured out this far.
She opened the door to find an incredibly handsome stranger on the front walkway. He locked eyes with her and gave her a seductive smile that could have charmed the clothes right off her had she been wearing any. She debated for a brief moment whether she should duck back inside and close the door or continue her quest for the lemonade glass. Holding her chin high, she walked out onto the porch to grab it.
“What a fine welcome this is, lass,” he said. His voice was smooth as an erotic elixir, and it made Quinn tremble with desire.
Regaining her composure, she scoffed, “I’ve come to rescue my drinking glass and didn’t wish to get my dress wet.”
“Nor your knickers and brassiere, I see,” he quipped. “Perhaps you’d be so kind as to rescue me as well. I’m a bit lost, you see, and while I knocked on many a door in town, nary a one opened for me. I was beginning to regret my long walk out this way, what with the rain and all. But you’re a sight for sore eyes with those lovely… red locks.”
Quinn cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that he wasn’t noticing her hair. She was about to tell him to keep walking, but there was something about him that piqued her curiosity. Shrugging, she motioned for him to come in, telling herself that it was the decent thing to do considering the weather. She went into the bathroom, wrapped a towel around her naked body, and grabbed another one for the mysterious visitor.
When she went back into the living area of the house, she found him naked. Lust coursed through her veins, causing her shame.
May the God Taranis end this storm quickly, she thought, so that I can send this stranger on his way.
He looked at her and grinned impishly, well aware of her discomfort. “My sincerest apologies, but I was soaked to the bone. I’m happy to start a fire so we might dry our clothes. Perhaps you’d be willing to put on the kettle so we could have a cuppa while we wait?”
Tossing the towel at him, she replied, “Wrap this around you while I find some of my husband’s clothing for you to wear while we wait out the storm. I’ll be a few minutes as I’ll need to dress myself as well.” She had no intention of staying naked!
Quinn put a fresh, dry jumper on quickly. Then she rummaged through Sean’s trunk and found an old pair of dungarees, some boxers, and a T-shirt. Handing them to the man, she said, “If you’re going to be wearin’ Sean’s clothes, I should at least know your name.”
He grinned at her as he donned the borrowed clothing. “I’m Ronan. And what might you be called, lass?”
“I’m Quinn,” she replied as she filled the kettle and put it on the stove. Grabbing two mugs, the sugar bowl, and a couple of teabags, she set them on the counter and went to the fridge to get lemon and milk.
“Ah, tis a fine name, Quinn is,” Ronan said as he pulled the boxers up, covering his impressive manhood. “It means wise.”
Quinn frowned. “I’m not feeling very wise at the moment. I’ve a half-naked man in my house while my husband is off trying to find enough fish to put food on our table and keep the roof over our heads.”
The rich sound of laughter made Quinn tremble with need. It was as though he were the Pied Piper, and every sound that escaped Ronan’s lips was the tune that would lead her down the path of wickedness.
“You’ve nothing to fear, darling Quinn. I’m only after shelter from the storm and a hot cuppa to warm my bones. I’ll not touch what belongs to another man unless she desires my hands on her.”
“Which I do not,” Quinn lied. What was it about this man that had her damp between her legs? Sure, he was as handsome as they came, and his voice was seductive and powerful, but Jay-sus, she needed to get a grip on her lusty emotions!
Trying to keep the conversation light and proper, she asked, “What does Ronan mean?”
“It’s an old Celtic name that means little seal,” he offered as he pulled the T-shirt over his head. “There now, I’m fully clothed. Should your man come home while I’m still here, he won’t catch your eyes drinking in the sight of my chest.”
Her brows furrowed. “You must be daft. I’ve only eyes for my husband, Sean. He is the love of my life.”
“And yet, he’s left you here, alone, to fend for yourself. What if I were a less virtuous man?”
Quinn tilted her head, reached beneath the counter, and grabbed the hunting rifle her husband kept hidden there in case of trouble. “Then I’d have to shoot you.”
Ronan’s eyes grew wide for a moment, then he smiled. “You’ll not need to use that, darling Quinn. As I said before, I have no ill intentions. I’ve never forced myself upon a woman; I have no need of such despicable behavior. I won’t say that I’ve never bedded another man’s wife, but it’s been because she’s offered herself to me willingly.”
“I’ll not be making that offer,” Quinn scoffed. “Sean is the only man I’ve ever lain with. I took a vow to be only his. I intend to be faithful to that promise.”
“I believe your intentions,” Ronan said thoughtfully. “Most women mean to be true to their mates.”
The kettle whistled loudly, allowing Quinn to change the subject. “Do you take sugar, milk, and lemon?”
“A little sugar and lemon would be fine. No milk, thank you.”
Quinn poured the hot water over the tea bags to let them steep while she put the milk away, and felt Ronan watching her as a tiger would its prey. There was a sexual hunger in his eyes that made her wonder if he’d eat her up in big, greedy bites or nibble at her slowly. She felt her cheeks grow hot as her nipples hardened and her sex grew slick.
“Biscuits!” she blurted out. “You’ll want biscuits with your cuppa, no doubt. I have some freshly baked this morning.”
“Aye, darling Quinn, I could use a biscuit or two. My travels have left me hungry.”
What would it feel like to have his fingers trace the curve of her face? Or to have his hand cup a supple breast? Every fiber of her being was aroused, and she prayed again to the Celtic God of Thunder, Taranis, to make the storm let up before she lost her resolve and found herself begging for Ronan’s touch.
With a Cheshire Cat grin, he sipped his tea and looked her over with an obvious wanton lust.
Damn it! Change the subject, her mind pleaded silently.
“Why did your parents select a word that means little seal for your given name?”
He gazed into her eyes as if looking inside her soul. “Because I’m a Selkie, darling Quinn.”
“You’re feckin’ with me, Ronan. Selkies are female, and anyone with eyes can see how very male you are,” she blurted out inadvertently.
“I find it interesting that you don’t doubt the existence of Selkies, but are convinced there are no males among my kind. Most folks consider Selkies to be a tale of legends, mythical creatures of Irish and Scottish folklore. But you believe. Is it because you’ve seen one before?”
“I think the rain is letting up. Perhaps you’ll be so kind as to finish your tea and biscuits and be on your way. Keep the clothes, they’re old, and Sean won’t notice they are gone.”
“Have I made you nervous, darling Quinn? Will he notice that you neglected to put your undergarments back on after the rain? Will he wonder why your cheeks are flush? Or why your nipples ache to be fondled and you are slick and ready for sex?”
“Stop it! I want you to leave this instance!”
Lightning flashed, immediately followed by the loud boom of thunder.
“You’d send me out into the storm? It’ll be the death of me, Quinn. I’ll stop noticing your desire for me, but I’ll not be leaving just yet.”
“Why not?” Quinn asked exasperatedly.
“Because your man, Sean, is walking up the road toward the house, and it would look suspicious if I ducked out now.”
Quinn’s eyes flew open wide. Though she’d done nothing wrong, she felt guilty as sin, and that was something Sean would be bound to notice.
Then she hung her head in shame as the lie she told herself burned her tongue. She had done something wrong. She had imagined Ronan throwing her down on the bed and penetrating her with his manhood.
Aye, Sean would notice this forbidden seduction, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
“Damn you for coming here and seducing me!” she chided.
“For what it’s worth, I did tell you that I knocked on many a door, but no other woman was discontent enough with her life to open the door for me.”
“I didn’t open the door for you! I opened it to retrieve my forgotten glass!”
“True enough, but you did so naked, and you most certainly invited me in. But no worries, darling Quinn, I’ll not be mentioning your lack of clothing when I tell your husband how grateful I am that you were kind enough to give me shelter.”
Quinn felt a bit of the panic in her belly subside. Still, she knew that Sean would be less than amused at the sight of a man in his home alone with his wife. She’d never been dishonest with her husband, but if he asked if she had welcomed the attention of a strange man, she would need to lie through her teeth!
