Page 15 of The Nymph Prince
“It’s complicated,” Lorcan answered, gliding a hand through his silver hair. “And I’m much too tired to explain it all.”
He lay down and faced away from me. His green tunic fit his small body well, but his trousers were a little baggy. Having spent days with him, I’d gotten the impression he tried hard to feel like he belonged amongst humans. Maybe it was because of what he’d said about wanting to be free, and somehow being human gave him that freedom. He hadn’t changed into his merform in days, and it was a pity really.
He was at his most beautiful when he wasn’t hiding away.
***
Lorcan wasn’t in the cave when I woke that morning. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and looked around. I’d been in so deep of a sleep that not even dreams had been able to find me. It took me several confused glances around my surroundings before I remembered where I was.
The mornings all seemed to be running together.
More days had passed. We’d left the town of Naporia and had traveled farther north by gaining passage on a merchant vessel. One town had turned into another, and we were now in Stonebridge. Unlike Naporia—that’d been fairly nice—Stonebridge was home to the worst of the worst: thieves, murderers, and whores. It was the sort of place where men could kill each other in the street and no one would even bat an eye.
Staying there wasn’t ideal, but it was necessary. At least for a day or so.
We’d found another cave to sleep in for the night, sure to put some distance between us and the busier part of town. Lorcan and I’d talked more, and it was becoming more difficult to hide my attraction for him. Perhaps it was the past year of seeing him from afar and wishing I could actually speak with him, followed by the strange connection we seemed to share, but I felt that our paths had crossed for a reason.
A leaf was beside me and on top was a handful of berries and slivers of dried meat. I smiled at the care Lorcan had taken before rising and starting his day. It was such a small action, but one that affected me all the same. The pull I felt toward him strengthened.
I popped a few of the berries into my mouth and savored the burst of tart and sweet. Usually, I ate fast. On theCrimson Night,my days had started early, and I’d quickly scarfed my food before beginning my daily duties.
Everything was more relaxed now. There weren’t men screaming to tie off the rigging or for me to mop the deck. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
Once I finished eating, I stood and stretched. My joints popped, and I chuckled. I was seventeen going on seventy. The thought of age made me remember that my eighteenth name day was soon. Days were running together, and I was unsure of the date, but I knew it was almost upon me.
Splashing water reached my ears, and I left the confines of the cave and stepped out into the sunlight. Ahead, in the cove, Lorcan was in the water. His blue and green tail came down on the surface with a slap before he dove under. His silhouette glided beneath the sapphire water.
I stared in awe.
He breached the surface before ducking back under, and the smile on his face did something to my chest. He looked so happy and carefree as he played in the water, dashing beneath the waves, twisting and turning in the tide.
When he surfaced again, his eyes found mine and his pale cheeks darkened a shade. “Oh. Good morrow.”
“You seem to be having fun,” I responded, finding his embarrassment endearing. “Mind if I join you?”
Lorcan shook his head and kept his eyes on me.
I pulled my shirt up and over my head before tossing it aside on the rocks. I then unfastened the ties on my breeches and pulled them down. His green eyes lingered on my face before moving down my naked form.
Heat spread down my abdomen and gathered in my groin. My dick twitched and filled, and my heart increased in its beating. Strange how in all my times visiting brothels I’d never been so aroused. I’d wanted the men and women I’d bedded, but my desire for the sweet nymph was greater than that.
I stepped into the water, releasing a small sigh at how wonderful it felt—not hot or cold, but a perfect balance of both.
Since the day I first saw Lorcan, I imagined what it’d be like to be so close to him. Sure, I’d been close to him for the past week or more, but it was different when he was in his true form. I moved my arms through the water and made my way toward him.
He visibly tensed upon realizing I was approaching him, but he didn’t flee.
He looked much the same in his merform, apart from the tail, arm fins, and dusting of blue scales along his shoulders. But his face had minute differences. The sharpness of his cheekbones was greater and his eyes glowed a different shade of green. The soft plumpness of his lips and the sleepy set of his eyes somehow looked different, too, making him look less innocent and more like a seductive male siren who was waiting for a sailor to answer his call.
“Why are you staring?” Lorcan asked once I was in front of him. His insecurity was baffling to me.
Did he think I wouldn’t find him as appealing in this form?
“Because you’re stunning,” I answered, trailing my gaze down to his scaled shoulders before returning to his face.
An odd sound filled the air, and it took me a second to realize it was coming from him. A rumbling purr.
He’d made the noise before when he’d been taken captive on theCrimson Night. He had thrashed around, baring his sharpened teeth at the crew, but once seeing me, the hostility had left him and he’d hummed deep in his throat, looking into my eyes with a tenderness that still made my heart thrum like a well-played harp.
