acknowledge what she already knew. The man in the boat was Talvas of Boulogne.
She should have been relieved; at least this man wouldn’t cut her throat. But her courage shrivelled; the urge to throw herself to the inky depths once more threatened to overwhelm her. Powerful hands grabbed her shoulders, turning her over roughly, knocking her head against the wooden bottom of the boat.
‘Come on, sit up!’ The harsh cadence of his voice bit into her as he shoved her to a seated position. As the moon came out once more from behind the swirling cloud, Emmeline’s delicate features were revealed. He sucked his breath in sharply. She had lost her hat in the jump to the sea, and now her braids clung to her scalp. As his gaze raked her frozen face, the proud set of her neat head, the slash of his dark brows drew together at the sight of her, shivering uncontrollably. For a moment he forgot where he was, what he was supposed to be doing, transfixed by the sight of this dishevelled water sprite, by the sight of the water-darkened braids tumbling over her shoulders, the pearl-like gleam of her neck against the stark white of the linen chemise. The deep ‘V’ of the chemise gaped at her throat, hinting at the sensual curves beneath as the wet material clung to her slight figure, highlighting the soft curves of her breasts. His groin tightened; he cursed under his breath, surprised at the physicality of his reaction to her. Not since…nay, he would not, could not think of that woman now!
‘Mayhap you would like to tell me what you are doing?’ he said softly, letting out his breath in a low whistle. ‘It’s not every day I pull a mermaid from the sea.’
‘It’s not every day I jump into it!’ she retorted, wishing that she was anywhere but here. ‘W-w-what in the name of Mary are you doing here?’
‘Maybe I should ask you the same question?’ Talvas responded. ‘You, mam’selle, have an uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ How dare he! He made it sound that it was all her fault that he was on her ship. Setting her mouth in a mutinous line, she refused to acknowledge her relief at seeing Talvas as opposed to some gap-toothed, snarling criminal with a knife in his hand.
‘I own that ship,’ she spluttered angrily, ‘and have a perfect right to be on it. You, however, have no such right!’
‘You misunderstand me, mam’selle, ’ he replied slowly, as if talking to a dim-witted child. ‘Only a fool would have jumped into waters such as these.’ He began to row to shore with practised efficiency.
‘I’m no fool,’ she responded automatically, vaguely aware that she had lost all sensation in her feet. The oars dipped and plashed rhythmically.
‘Then why do such a thing?’ His tone smoothed over her like velvet, neither critical nor concerned. ‘The temperature is enough to finish a full-grown man, let alone a chit of a girl like you.’
‘I thought you were going to kill me! I thought you were a thief, a robber, or worse!’
‘And you didn’t stop to find out?’
‘I didn’t want to wait around and have my throat cut!’ Emmeline shook uncontrollably now, her teeth chattering loudly together. Hunching her limbs into the core of her body, she tried to warm herself. Talvas caught her movement.
‘You were in the water for too long,’ he muttered, almost to himself.
‘Through no fault of my own,’ she retorted. ‘I would never have jumped in, never swum away if you hadn’t been on board my ship. What were you doing there?’
He shrugged his massive shoulders, the wind riffling his short dark curls as he turned his head to assess his direction. ‘Just looking around.’ She sensed rather than saw the intense ferocity in his eyes as he stared at her. ‘I admit, I mistook you for a trespasser.’
Within moments, the boat had crunched up on to the shingle, and Talvas sprung out in a single, easy movement. With her cumbersome garments clogged around her, Emmeline
She should have been relieved; at least this man wouldn’t cut her throat. But her courage shrivelled; the urge to throw herself to the inky depths once more threatened to overwhelm her. Powerful hands grabbed her shoulders, turning her over roughly, knocking her head against the wooden bottom of the boat.
‘Come on, sit up!’ The harsh cadence of his voice bit into her as he shoved her to a seated position. As the moon came out once more from behind the swirling cloud, Emmeline’s delicate features were revealed. He sucked his breath in sharply. She had lost her hat in the jump to the sea, and now her braids clung to her scalp. As his gaze raked her frozen face, the proud set of her neat head, the slash of his dark brows drew together at the sight of her, shivering uncontrollably. For a moment he forgot where he was, what he was supposed to be doing, transfixed by the sight of this dishevelled water sprite, by the sight of the water-darkened braids tumbling over her shoulders, the pearl-like gleam of her neck against the stark white of the linen chemise. The deep ‘V’ of the chemise gaped at her throat, hinting at the sensual curves beneath as the wet material clung to her slight figure, highlighting the soft curves of her breasts. His groin tightened; he cursed under his breath, surprised at the physicality of his reaction to her. Not since…nay, he would not, could not think of that woman now!
‘Mayhap you would like to tell me what you are doing?’ he said softly, letting out his breath in a low whistle. ‘It’s not every day I pull a mermaid from the sea.’
‘It’s not every day I jump into it!’ she retorted, wishing that she was anywhere but here. ‘W-w-what in the name of Mary are you doing here?’
‘Maybe I should ask you the same question?’ Talvas responded. ‘You, mam’selle, have an uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ How dare he! He made it sound that it was all her fault that he was on her ship. Setting her mouth in a mutinous line, she refused to acknowledge her relief at seeing Talvas as opposed to some gap-toothed, snarling criminal with a knife in his hand.
‘I own that ship,’ she spluttered angrily, ‘and have a perfect right to be on it. You, however, have no such right!’
‘You misunderstand me, mam’selle, ’ he replied slowly, as if talking to a dim-witted child. ‘Only a fool would have jumped into waters such as these.’ He began to row to shore with practised efficiency.
‘I’m no fool,’ she responded automatically, vaguely aware that she had lost all sensation in her feet. The oars dipped and plashed rhythmically.
‘Then why do such a thing?’ His tone smoothed over her like velvet, neither critical nor concerned. ‘The temperature is enough to finish a full-grown man, let alone a chit of a girl like you.’
‘I thought you were going to kill me! I thought you were a thief, a robber, or worse!’
‘And you didn’t stop to find out?’
‘I didn’t want to wait around and have my throat cut!’ Emmeline shook uncontrollably now, her teeth chattering loudly together. Hunching her limbs into the core of her body, she tried to warm herself. Talvas caught her movement.
‘You were in the water for too long,’ he muttered, almost to himself.
‘Through no fault of my own,’ she retorted. ‘I would never have jumped in, never swum away if you hadn’t been on board my ship. What were you doing there?’
He shrugged his massive shoulders, the wind riffling his short dark curls as he turned his head to assess his direction. ‘Just looking around.’ She sensed rather than saw the intense ferocity in his eyes as he stared at her. ‘I admit, I mistook you for a trespasser.’
Within moments, the boat had crunched up on to the shingle, and Talvas sprung out in a single, easy movement. With her cumbersome garments clogged around her, Emmeline
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