Ocean's Surrender by Denise Townsend Read Free Book Online Page B

asked, stalling.
    “Fun, yes. I thought we could go swimming.”
    Well that put a whole new spin on things.
    “What?” she demanded. “That’s ridiculous, we can’t go swimming. Well, I can’t at least.”
    “Why not?” That sexy smile remained, although now amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes.
    “I’d die, you nut. It’s freezing out there.”
    “River, you just watched me change from a seal into a man. We talked about how I’m magic. You don’t think I have my ways?”
    “How do I know you’re not just going to drown me?” she asked, even though she could feel he had no intention of drowning her.
    “That’s sirens who like to drown people, and you’d know it if I was a siren. They’re part fish, first of all, and they sing a lot.”
    “Oh,” she said, flabbergasted that there were, indeed, killer merfolk out there.
    “I just want to take you swimming. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
    There was something about the way he said “enjoy”, and the way he felt when he said it, that made River desperately want to take him up on his offer at the same time she wanted to run away.
    She eyed Fen, in all his golden, inhuman beauty. Then she looked out toward the sea. She’d always loved swimming.
    “Okay,” she heard herself whisper, before she knew she’d made a decision.
    Fen’s happiness radiated into her, and he leaned forward to cup her jaw in his strong hand.
    “Thank you,” was all he said, before his lips brushed hers in a feather-light kiss.
    When she opened her eyes, he was still smiling at her. Then he stood, pulling her up to her feet.
    “Now take off your clothes,” he said, as he strode away towards the water.

Chapter Seven
    River couldn’t believe she was standing there, buck naked, ready to plunge with a stranger into the freezing cold Atlantic.
    First of all, there was the whole swimming-in-a-freezing-ocean-that-could-kill-her thing. But even bigger than that, really, was the fact of her scars.
    She never let anyone see her scars.
    But it was dark out, the moon lighting everything in a soft way she told herself wouldn’t reflect her damaged body. Indeed, as she’d slowly pulled her clothes off, she’d been delighted to see that was almost true. The burn and slash marks that covered her were almost invisible in the unearthly light.
    Almost.
    But Fen, sensing her trepidation and seeing the slow, watchful way she took off her own clothing, wouldn’t have commented on those terrible markings if his life depended on it. All the same, his eyes noticed every one, his need to know what happened to her tempered only by his sensitivity to the fact she was nowhere near ready to talk.
    Now, Fen squeezed her hand encouragingly, pulling her gently towards the water.
    “Trust me,” Fen said, knowing full well the weight of what he was asking her to do.
    Even he was a little surprised when she did.
    But Fen had seen it before–mortals who’d grown up with the idea of magic permeating their lives, only to become convinced as adults that their dreams had been lies.
    And yet a deep, secret place inside of them still believed and, more importantly, still wanted to be proven correct.
    River haltingly walked forward with him, her eyes wide with a mixture of adrenaline and natural fear. The ocean before them was relatively calm, but the waters around Maine were never gentle. Plus, as every inhabitant of Eastport knew, the Old Sow–fifth largest whirlpool on the planet–lurked just off shore. It could easily sink the largest boat, and yet it kept itself hidden, marking its presence with only an occasional swirl accompanied by the slurping noise that some said had given the Sow her name.
    When their feet hit the water, Fen paused, speaking to River gently but firmly.
    “Feel that, River? Does it feel cold?”
    River had been prepared for a blast of ice over her naked feet, and the early spring air around them was, indeed, nippy. But the water washing over her skin was warm, as it had been