I’m frozen in place while the black blob sways from one side to another, then collapses. A gust of wind picks up some of the black cloth, pulling it back to reveal a face.
Every protective instinct I thought I’d lost comes rushing forward, choking me as I leap over the ledge and land on the pebbled shore with a thud. My left leg screams at me, but I ignore it, picking up my speed.
I fall to my knees in front of the woman, noting her deathly pale face and blue lips. Her eyes flutter, but then close, as if she’s trying to wake up. She’s wrapped in dark clothes, which are soaked. I check for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when I pick up a steady thrum against my fingers.
My field medic training kicks in, and I assess the woman for damage. Scanning the shoreline, I look for a boat that might have crashed or anyone else that could be with her. I don’t see anything. I’m not sure why the tightness in my chest loosens. It can’t be because I’m glad she’s alone. That’s just cruel. I don’t care if she has someone with her. A man, or whatever. I don’t know her.
Jesus, not the time, I scold myself.
Looking down at the woman in front of me, I notice the delicate curve of her lips, the slight upturn of her nose, and soft, round cheeks that make her look adorable and cuddly.
I mean, seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?
Carefully, I slip one arm under her shoulders, lifting her slightly before sliding my other arm under her knees. I stand with the woman in my arms, shocked when she stirs slightly and curls her body around mine. She buries her nose into the side of my neck and clutches my jacket like she’s trying to burrow into me.
The absolute batshit crazy thing is… I want her to.
Nope.I’m no prince saving a damsel in distress. I’m more like an ogre trying to do the right thing and praying I don’t scare the crap out of this sweet creature when she wakes up.
Eyeing the stairs I’ve neglected to fix, I curse myself and hike up the steep incline without their help. Looks like that project just got bumped to the top of the list. If I had functioning stairs, I could be at the lighthouse that much faster. For some reason, this woman’s comfort and safety have become my new number one priority.
Running as fast as I can without risking falling and hurting my precious cargo, I finally make it to the lighthouse. I bound up the stairs, taking them two at a time while ignoring the lightning bolts of pain shooting up my left leg.
I make it to my loft and head straight to my bedroom, laying the woman on my bed. I check for a pulse again, nodding to myself when I feel it. Brushing her hair out of her face, I notice the woman has a cut on her forehead, right below her hairline. It’s not deep, but head wounds bleed a lot.
I’m about to grab my first aid kit to clean her up when she shivers and heaves out a shuddering breath. Her teeth clatter, jarring me out of my daze. Shit. She’s freezing in those wet rags.
I don’t hesitate to strip her of her clothes. There’s no time for propriety where hypothermia is concerned. I can’t help but notice how tiny she is. This woman has curves, even though I know I shouldn’t be looking, but she’s so short, I feel like wrapping her up and sticking her in my pocket.
Where the fuck did that thought come from?
I grab a towel from the bathroom, quickly drying her inky black hair and cleaning up her wound before removing my clothes. I pull on a clean pair of boxers, but that’s it. She needs my body heat. She doesn’t need to see my cock getting hard for the first time since moving out here. Fucker must be confused.
I take a second to calm the hell down, giving my unruly dick a talking to. This is about saving the siren who washed up on my shore, not satisfying my base needs. I’m not a good man by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m not a monster.
I crawl under the blankets with my mystery woman, turning her so her back is facing me. I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to my chest. Fitting my legs up against hers, I press us as close together as possible.
She fits perfectly in my arms. Her head is tucked under my chin as her curves melt into the hard slats of my muscles. I know this woman doesn’t belong to me, and that I’m only doing this to warm her up, but for one moment I let myself pretend she’s mine.
After a few minutes, I feel the heat returning to her core. I rub my hand up and down her arm to encourage blood circulation. I stay curled around the little siren until I’m satisfied she’s nice and toasty.
It takes far more effort than I’d like to admit to untangle myself from her. Digging through my dresser, I find a gray t-shirt and sweatpants. I know they’ll be huge on her, but I don’t want the woman to wake up naked and assume the worst.
After dressing her, I grab another blanket from the couch and tuck it around the woman, making sure she’s safe and secure.
I stand over her for a few breaths, studying her beauty. Already, her cheeks are a peachy pink instead of ghostly white, and I’m unreasonably satisfied that I helped warm her up.
Remembering the cut on her forehead, I rush to the bathroom to grab my first aid kit. I gently sit next to the woman, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear so I can get a better look at her wound.
I take my time applying ointment and a gauze pad, making a note to check on it in a few hours. She doesn’t need stitches, but if the cut is still open, I might have to use some butterfly bandages.
My thumb traces over the outer edge of the gauze pad, meandering down her cheek before brushing across her soft, full lips.
Precious.
There’s that word again. I’ve only ever thought it around this woman, and I’m not sure what that means. I should leave her be. Let her rest. It’s not like she’s going anywhere when she wakes up.
Even as I tell myself that, I grab a wooden chair from my small dining room table and place it right next to the bed before plopping down. There are a dozen projects I need to get done, but I can’t seem to bring myself to move from my seat. In fact, I can’t even look away from the enchanting sleeping beauty in my bed.