ULA
It’s been five days since Ronan washed up on the shore. Five days of caring for him, talking to him, sharing his space. Five days to fall in love with him.
Because, yeah, I think I love the solid man with the broken body.
The first few days he was here, he slept restlessly as he fought off the fever. I gave him drafts to help ease the pain and fed him Gram’s chicken soup recipe with plenty of healing herbs.
As the fever broke, he became more cognizant, more aware of me. His gaze follows me around the room in a way that sets my entire body on fire.
Ronan doesn’t talk much, and I don’t ask questions.
I know he’s hiding from something, but I don’t want to know what it is. If he talks about it, he might make plans to leave. And I don’t want him to leave.
For the first time since Gram left, I have a purpose. A man to care for. The only man I’ve ever met who I want to care for, whose eyes I don’t mind following me around.
It only takes one swish of my hips and the bedsheets twitch, his sea snake coming to life.
I pretend not to notice, but my body grows hot, his gaze like scorching flames across my skin. My knees tremble and heat pools in my belly, my core tugging with a need only he will be able to satisfy.
At night, I touch myself, knowing Ronan’s in the next room.
Now that he’s stronger, his looks have become more demanding, more penetrating. They make my panties damp every time I feel his eyes on me.
I long for him to touch me, and I don’t know what he’s waiting for. But the more he waits, the deeper my ache. It deepens until my entire body is a ball of nerves, ready to come apart as soon as he rests his stormy eyes on me.
I’m rubbing the antiseptic salve on his cut, and every press of my fingers against his skin sets a fire under my fingertips as I smooth the lotion slowly over his wound and around the red skin surrounding it.
He takes a sharp intake of breath.
“Sorry.” I pull my fingers back.
“You didn’t hurt me.”
He turns his head, and his eyes are hooded and intense as they rake over my body. My nipples pucker under his gaze, and there’s a gush of wetness between my legs.
The room’s suddenly too hot, and I need some air. While I long for him to touch me, I’m terrified of the intensity of my feelings, how easily I’ll come undone by him.
“I need more rosemary.”
In my haste to get out the door, I knock against my jar of salve, sending it spinning onto the floor. I pick it up quickly and stumble out of the room.
Throwing open the caravan door, I breathe in big gasps of air.
My body’s on fire and I can’t think straight. No one has ever made me feel the way Ronan does. It’s like my body is out of control just from the way he looks at me.
My back presses against the cool wall of the trailer and I close my eyes, sucking in deep breaths.
Suddenly, a greasy hand touches my face. My eyes fly open. Jeremy’s standing in front of me, his hand grazing my cheek.
“Don’t touch me.” I slap his hand away, and he takes a step back, offended.
“Didn’t mean to scare you. Christ, it’s only me.”
His eyes rove over my breasts and heaving chest.
“You look good today, Ula.”
I can’t hide my disgust. “Go away, Jeremy.”