Page 15 of Fionn (Starlight Mermen #1 | Starlight Alien Mail Order Brides #7)

Elise

H e wanted me to get naked. Bloody hell.

It had been embarrassing enough to be carried by him like a baby.

If I'd had even an iota of strength left in me, I would have protested and walked.

But he'd been right when he'd said that Kelon had pulled me far away from the island.

I'd swum for as long as I could, but at some point, I'd had to admit defeat.

I hadn't even been able to see the island yet.

My muscles had cramped, my skin was frozen despite the wetsuit, my throat sore and my eyes burning.

All I'd wanted to do was sleep. It had taken a lot of mental strength to admit to Fionn that I needed his help.

I'd always sucked at that. I was a one-woman powerhouse and hated relying on others.

But he had simply smiled and taken me into his arms, pulling me along.

It had been so different from when Kelon had transported me through the water.

With him, I'd been terrified. I'd had no control, I'd been blind, I'd been exposed to his whims.

With Fionn, I'd felt safe. His grip had been protective rather than controlling.

He'd made sure that my head was always above water.

He'd talked to me while he swam, reassured me, even when I was half-asleep.

He'd told me about his world. I wasn't sure if he knew that I'd heard it all.

I'd been too weak to reply or even to open my eyes, but I had listened to every word.

His world sounded like a beautiful place.

Underwater cities, desolate islands, kelp forests and coral labyrinths.

I would love to see it one day. And I wanted to know more about Fionn and his people.

Why had they come here? Why did they want to date human women?

I didn't know how far his planet was from Earth, but considering scientists hadn't found any planets with life close enough to travel to on rockets, it had to be far, far away.

I felt myself drifting off again. I was so tired.

"Elise. You will need to get out of that suit. Shall I help you?"

I groaned. Just let me sleep.

"Can I have a coffee first?" I mumbled. "So tired."

"I don't know what that is, but here is some water."

A straw was pushed against my lips and I drank greedily. The water had a faint citrus flavour. When I had my fill, I turned my head to the side and opened my eyes. I really didn't want to have to take off my wetsuit.

"Can you just get me to my bed? I don't need a medical exam, I need to sleep. I'll be fine in a few hours once I've recovered from the exhaustion."

My weak, raspy voice belied my words. And Fionn wasn't having any of it.

"I need to know you haven't been harmed. The medpod is the only way to make sure. I will turn around if you if you prefer. I would offer to leave the room but I will have to activate the scan."

Of course he was going to turn his back. I wouldn't let him ogle me.

I tried to sit up. I barely even managed to lift my head before my muscles turned into jelly and I collapsed back onto the mattress. Wow. I hadn't realised just how exhausted I was. How long had I been in the water, fighting the waves and the current?

"Please let me help you." His voice was warm and comforting. "It will be good to get you out of that wet garment and into something dry. I can ask one of my brothers to bring you some new clothes from the fabricator."

"Fabricator?" I asked weakly.

"A machine that can produce any item we require. This vessel is equipped with all the latest tech. It can even create food, although I will always prefer a home-cooked meal. Or a freshly caught fish."

I opened my eyes again just in time to see him grin wolfishly. Now that we were on land and I wasn't distracted by trying to stay alive, I could see that his teeth were a little sharper than mine. Perfect for tearing into prey.

"What do you...your kind eat?"

He chuckled. "I know what you're doing. But I will not let you distract me. I will answer all your questions while you get undressed, not before."

I rolled my eyes. He was turning into a mother hen.

A very fit mother hen. In the sea, his greenish skin had blended into our surroundings, but here, the colour was striking and alien.

His skin ranged from shades of deep emerald to turquoise, with specks of silver dotted around his brows.

His hair had seemed almost black in the water, but now that it was starting to dry, it resembled the dark green of fresh seaweed.

And then there were those kelp-like growths, what had he called them again? Greenskin.

I couldn't see below his chest from my position in the pod. I was almost glad. It hadn't looked like he was wearing anything around his waist. Did his kind always walk around naked? And what did he look like down there?

I pushed those thoughts far, far away. That was not a direction I was willing to go in. I'd been sent here to date, to find a potential match, but that had been before I'd discovered that Fionn and the others were aliens. Surely, Cleo didn't intend me to date an alien?

"Why are you here?" I asked weakly.

"Because you need a scan."

"No, I mean, why are you on Earth? Why did the dating agency set this up? It makes no sense. Why don't you just look for a woman among your own species?"

That sounded almost racist. I instantly regretted my words.

But Fionn nodded sadly. "There is a good reason, but again, you are delaying the inevitable. May I help you get you out of that very tight garment?"

I knew the wetsuit left very little to the imagination. At least the neoprene was thick enough not to show my nipples through it. After thinking of what he might look like naked, they would be hard and pointy. I hated when that happened. It was embarrassing.

"You can help by unzipping it at the back," I grudgingly conceded. "I will do the rest."

I couldn't quite see that happening yet. I was barely able to hold my head up.

Fionn came closer, watching me cautiously as if searching for hidden injuries.

When I didn't move any further, he gently reached for my shoulders and pulled me into a sitting position.

In my current state, I had as much core strength as a rag doll.

I tried to stay upright, poured all my remaining strength into it, but I wobbled and then I was falling forward and-

His strong hands pulled me back. He kept one hand on my shoulder to steady me while he climbed into the pod, kneeling behind me so I could use him for stability. I gratefully leaned against him. His chest was broad and hard. He smelled of the sea. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent.

Fionn fumbled with the zip at the back of my neck.

"There's some velcro at the top," I mumbled. A yawn interrupted me. So tired.

"What is.... ah. Yes. That is curious material. It seems inspired by nature."

I didn't have the strength to start a conversation about velcro.

I let him hold me upright, let him pull the suit down my arms, and tried not to fall asleep.

He paused when he'd managed to free my arms, but when I didn't protest, he pushed the neoprene suit down further, exposing my skimpy bikini top that revealed more than it hid.

I didn't care any more. I just wanted to rest.

"You asked me why we came to your planet," he said in his velvety voice. He continued to undress me while I simply let him do it, listening to his story, swaying at the edge of unconsciousness.

"Generations ago, we wouldn't have needed to.

The ratio between males and females was even and anyone who wanted a mate would find one, eventually.

But then our climate changed. The warmer the water became, the fewer females were born.

In my generation, only one in ten hatchlings was female.

And with so few mated pairs, our birth rate is going down every mooncrossing.

That's why the Matriarchs implemented a new law just before I was born.

They would choose only the strongest, most promising males to pair with females.

They would no longer leave our survival to chance.

All matches are made based on genetics rather than love.

" He sighed deeply. "My clutch-brothers and I were not found worthy to have a mate. We were not strong enough."

The sadness in his words touched me deeply. He seemed to be such a kind man and he had proven his strength by rescuing me from the ocean, carrying me through the waves as if it was nothing. Plus he was hot as fuck.

"No partner... ever?" I croaked.

"No. Some males decide to enter a partnership with other males, even if they do not have such a sexual preference.

Others save all their credits to spend their holidays on pleasure planets where they can at least satisfy their physical urges.

But until recently, we did not think that any other species in the galaxy was compatible with us to have a real mating bond.

Sex is possible with many other species, but my brothers and I are looking for more than that.

We want the connection that only true mates have. "

He pulled the wetsuit down my legs. It landed on the floor with a squelching sound. Good riddance. I wasn't going to wear one again any time soon. And my next trip to the beach would involve a hammock and a book rather than swimming.

"Now the scanner will be able to do its job," Fionn said, but he didn't leave his position behind me. I was secretly glad. I loved how warm and safe I felt leaning against his chest. I could have easily fallen asleep like this.

For some reason, I trusted him. Not just because he'd saved me from Kelon's clutches. He just felt...right.

He sighed. "I don't want to move."

"I don't want you to either," I whispered.

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me.

This wasn't sexual. It wasn't so he could feel my boobs against his arms. It was a simple gesture, one of warmth and protection, and I never wanted it to end.

His salty scent reminded me of gentle waves rolling over the beach on a summer's day.

I smiled as I imagined myself lying on the sand, fully relaxed, happy and content, safe in the knowledge that Fionn was going to watch over me as I slept.

And with that smile on my lips and his scent on every breath I took, I finally surrendered to sleep.