Wild Irish Heart (The Mystic Cove Series Book 1) (8 page)

"Small Irish towns. Long history. You'll get used to hearing the same stories over and over," Shane said with a shrug.

"I suppose."

"Say, Keelin." Shane leaned closer and put his hand on her leg. "I'd love to take you to dinner sometime if you'd be interested." He smiled and looked into her eyes. His meaning was clear. Her mind wasn't.

"Um, sure, maybe. Well, as friends. I'm not really looking to date anyone at the moment." Keelin saw Cait throw her towel down on the bar and storm off. She looked up and saw Flynn glaring at her from the front booth.

"Friends. Just as friends." Shane smiled. "I'd like that." He leaned over and pecked her on the cheek and Keelin blushed.

"Time to go, Keelin." Fiona grabbed her hand and helped her up. She was softly singing to the music and entwined her arms with hers as she walked out. Stars pricked the sky and a breeze teased the ocean scent to her.

"So you like that young Shane, do you?" Fiona asked as she started the car and drove from the harbor and towards the hills.

"He seemed nice. But I think Cait's into him. He asked me out on a date. My mother would love him – a prosperous real estate owner."

"Hmm, and will you go?"

"No." Keelin sighed. "I learned long ago that if my mother would love him then I will hate him. It just doesn't work. Plus, I'd like to be friends with Cait and it seems like the waters are muddy there."

"That's a good girl."

Fiona pulled the car into the drive. They chattered about the local gossip on the way into the house. Fiona stopped and gave Keelin a hug in the kitchen. 

"I'm so happy you are here. It's been lonely." She smiled and gave Keelin a scone, along with a pitcher of water for her room. "Sleep well, dear."

Keelin wolfed down the scone and then cursed herself. So much for watching the calories. She poured a glass of water and walked to the window, looking out over the cove. It was hypnotizing in the moonlight. The sky spread over the water and the stars looked like someone had tossed a bag of diamonds onto a velvet rug. It was so hauntingly beautiful that she was compelled to go outside to see it more clearly.

Keelin quietly eased the latch open and snuck out of the house. Not that she had to sneak out, she reminded herself. She was a twenty-eight-year-old woman and she could damn well go outside if she wanted to look at the stars.

The sound of waves pulled her towards the cove. The sky was stunning and the moon's light sliced a path through the water. Until the cove. It stopped at the cove. Keelin was determined to see why this was and hurried her way across the hills until she reached the edge of the cove. The waters remained dark though the moon shone brightly above them. Keelin rushed down the path to the shore, slipping and sliding on the rough trail, the cider making her clumsier than usual. At the base of the path, she stumbled onto the beach.

"I don't get it. How does this make sense?" She walked rapidly towards the cove, scanning the cliffs to see where the light of the moon ended. The beach was lit up, yet the water remained dark.

"This just shouldn't be."

She walked towards the edge of the water. Was there something in the water that prevented reflection? A type of reverse phosphorous fish that absorbed the light? She reached down at the water's edge to scoop up a handful of water and sand to check if the water held something unusual…perhaps a dark substance of sorts. A huge crash sounded and she was hit hard with a wave. The force of the water dragged her across the bottom of the sand and her leg sliced against coral. Keelin shrieked and closed her mouth against the onslaught of water and held her breath. She was tumbled across the sand of the beach and scrambled to catch her feet in the fierce undertow. Her long skirt wound between her legs and her boots made her clumsy. She tried to kick for the surface when she was jerked from the water and dragged against a hard chest.

Keelin gasped for air and held on as she was pulled onto the beach. She tripped over her feet and skirt and was scooped up as if she weighed nothing. She coughed out water and nestled into the warmth of the chest. Just for a moment. She knew who had rescued her. She needed a moment.

Unfortunately, a moment she would not get.

Flynn dropped Keelin to her feet.

"Of all the stupid things to do this has to be the dumbest of the dumb. I thought you were some fancy marine science girl and you go into the water, alone, after drinking. In water that you don't know anything about? Could you be any more stupid? I can't believe you would even take a risk like this. I should have Fiona chain you to your bed at night," Flynn raged at her.

"Stupid?" Keelin hated being called stupid. Her Irish temper kicked in. "Who are you calling stupid, you big oaf? What are you doing down here anyway?"

She pounded her fist on his chest and he grabbed her wrist with his hand. His eyes glinted dangerously at her as he held her hand captive.

"Obviously, I'm saving a stupid child from drowning."

"A child? You, you jerk. Leave me alone." She spun away to stomp off and was whipped back. Keelin found herself plastered against his hard chest. She huffed out a breath and tried to calm her hammering heart.

"Let me go!" Keelin's eyes met his in the moonlight. Her nipples tightened against his chest. Keelin sucked in a breath as she saw his eyes dilate and narrow. Her heart skipped a beat and the moment held for a second. Flynn cursed and crushed her to him and took her lips with his. He nipped at her bottom lip, angry, yet oh-so-gentle. She moaned. His tongue slipped between her lips, dipping, diving, mimicking a gentle rhythm. Enticing her. She tasted whiskey and the sea. It was a heady mix and much like the sea, it pulled her under. Suddenly desperate, she ran her hands up his strong shoulders and threaded them through his thick hair. His mouth assaulted hers mercilessly, and he hitched her up so her legs wound around his waist, her skirt pushed to her thighs. She sucked at his bottom lip and ground herself against him. She felt helpless, yet impossibly turned on by the way he carried her. Keelin could feel his hard length pressed against her most intimate of spots. He was just as lost as she was.

Flynn kneeled in the sand and laid her down, cradling her in his arms as he pressed a knee between her legs. Craving more, Keelin rubbed against the pressure of his leg as he continued his assault on her mouth. It had been so long since she'd felt such passion. In fact, she'd never felt like this before. Liquid heat pooled in her stomach and she wanted him to touch every part of her. His strong hands slipped beneath her shirt and skimmed up her sides. Her breath caught as he slipped a hand inside her bra, cradling her wet breast that was grainy with sand. His warm hand rubbed the sand against her cold nipples and heat shot straight to her belly.

Keelin moaned deeply as the sensations began to build within her. She writhed against his leg as he continued to rub her nipples, over and over, round and round, his tongue flicking in and out of her mouth, dipping his head to nuzzle at a sensitive spot on her neck. Keelin felt the pressure building and opened her eyes as he pulled her into his lap and trailed his hand up her leg. Flynn pulled back and met her eyes just as he slid a finger deep inside of her. Keelin exploded and buried her face in his shoulder as she convulsed around his hand. Her body shook with the tremors and she raised her head to catch a breath and gasped as the cove glowed blue from within.

"What, wait, stop. Stop!" Keelin struggled for breath and her sanity. She stumbled back off of Flynn. Flynn sat back on his knees and ran his hand through his messy hair, breathing hard. His eyes bored into hers.

"You took advantage of me!" Keelin yelled. She wasn't sure why she said it but she was still reeling from the sight of the now dark cove being lit from within. She must be losing her mind.

"I did no such thing. You wanted that and you know it. It's not my fault you're wound so tight that you go off at the slightest touch."

"You bastard." Keelin gathered what little dignity she had and stormed towards the cliff path.

"Ouch!" She stopped and looked down at her leg. She pulled her wet skirt up and saw blood leaking from a large gash in her leg. Vaguely she remembered the scrape of coral on her leg before muscular arms had wrapped around her.

"Damn it." Keelin heard Flynn curse seconds before she was lifted into his arms.

"Don't! I can walk. I don’t need you to take care of me," Keelin protested, pushing at the wall of his chest as he climbed the path.

"Stop pushing me or I will throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes."

"You wouldn't dare! Put me down!" Keelin was in full Irish temper.

"Damn it, woman, you are nothing but a headache." Flynn unceremoniously lifted her and dumped her over his shoulder, locking his arm firmly under her butt. Keelin blushed in shame and smacked him on his firm behind.

He laughed.

Keelin sighed and stopped. She craned her neck to look at the cove and swore she could still see a faint blue shimmer deep in the water. She focused on regulating her breathing and tried to bring her temper down. Letting her science brain click in, she tried to configure a list of reasons for why the cove would have glowed blue. From within. At the exact moment she lost her senses to his touch.

Keelin flushed. Her insides were still singing and she could feel heat everywhere that he touched her. Why was she so attracted to him? He was surly, rude, and blew her off. Not to mention the fact that he only saw her in awkward or compromising positions. Just once she would like to have the upper hand with him. Keelin squirmed on his shoulder and felt the heat of his hand pressed hard into her legs. Everywhere their bodies touched hummed with energy. It was as though the universal power of attraction was meant just for them.  Keelin wondered if there was some sort of "power" he had that she was tuned to.

She turned and smacked him on the head. "Are you a wizard?"

"Jesus, Keelin, are you drunk?" Flynn muttered about crazy women and reached the front of the cottage. He gently placed her down, though she was sure that he wanted to throw her in the gravel path. He crouched and lifted her skirt, revealing the deep gash.

"Just hold on a minute, okay?" Flynn asked. Keelin nodded quietly. His touch on her leg was taking her mind far from the pain. He opened a small pouch and placed an ointment on her leg. A cooling sensation immediately relieved the pain. Surprised, she sat up and stared at him.

"What is that?" Keelin demanded. She knew that coral cuts typically stung for far longer than a normal cut, as coral would often have a poison that could irritate the skin for days.

Flynn smiled as he pocketed the jar.

"Ask your grandmother."

"Ah, I see." Keelin looked at him quietly. What was there to say? The day caught up with her and exhaustion hit. Part of her wanted to weep. It was just too much. Weird powers, a new family, a foreign country, and now Flynn.

"Don't. Are you going to cry? Does it hurt? Come on now. Where's the feisty girl that was spitting like a wet cat just moments ago?"

Flynn ran his hands through his hair and managed to look supremely frustrated and concerned at the same time.

"I just. This. All of it. What am I even doing here? This is too much. I can't have family that I didn't know about. And I know Fiona looks at me to carry on her legacy. And this. You. What, I don't even know what is. And why did the cove glow blue? Did you see that? That's not even normal. I think I'm losing it." Keelin babbled on, wringing her hands in her lap. She reached to her hair and began braiding it, an old habit of hers to calm herself when she was stressed.

"Glowed blue? You saw the cove glow?" Flynn cut through everything else and focused on that one point.

"Yes, it was blue. Right when I, you know. When, um." Keelin blushed.

"When I slipped my hand into you and you lost yourself?" Flynn supplied helpfully, moving towards her slowly, a predatory look in his eyes.

"Yes! No. I mean yes, but no to you coming any closer. I mean it, Flynn, back off." Keelin had had all she could take. "I should really just go home. This is all ridiculous. Thanks for carrying me up but I need to go to bed."

Keelin turned away without looking at him. She wasn't prepared to answer any of the questions he had. She needed to ask Fiona about the light in the cove. But for now, she needed to be alone. Closing the door quietly behind her, she tiptoed to her room. A small light was switched on by her bed, along with a tray on the table. The tray held a scone, cold tea, and a pile of bandages and ointment.

"How did she even know?" Keelin whispered. Exhausted, and beyond trying to figure out the events of the day, Keelin stripped and showered the sand off her. Leaving her hair bundled in a towel, she bandaged her leg and crawled into bed. She would look into flights back to Boston in the morning.

Chapter Eleven

Keelin awoke to
bright light. Her shades had been opened and the sun was far from the horizon. Dizzy, she patted the bed for her phone. She clicked it on and saw it was already late morning.

Keelin sighed and sat back as the events of the night before washed over her. She blushed as images of Flynn's mouth and the taste of him flashed through her. The man had the mouth of a god. She tried not to think about how quickly she had gone off in his hands and thought it was best not to dwell on it. It was probably just a fluke. It had been a long time for her was all. Adding to that some whiskey, the adrenaline from the cove being insane, and Flynn rescuing her, she supposed it would make her more susceptible to his touch. She wouldn't be able to look him in the face anytime soon, of course, but as she planned to go back to Boston anyway, she doubted that it mattered much. They were consensual adults. Mature people. No biggie, right?

Keelin examined her cut and was amazed to see how healthy it looked. The bright red and puckered skin of the night before had faded to a light pink and the skin had healed up nicely. Witch or no witch, Fiona clearly knew her stuff when it came to ointments.

Keelin pulled out her iPad and looked up flights home. There were flights that flew to Boston almost daily from Shannon. She hesitated before purchasing one. She owed Fiona a conversation first. And, Keelin thought, she might have a little more to learn about healing. The thought of fully embracing her healing abilities intrigued her and she would be stupid not to try to learn from the best. Keelin thought of her mother. Margaret had denied what she was and only used her ability to read people to make sales. Part of her was very happy with her success and part of her seemed deeply unhappy. Keelin had to wonder if it was because Margaret had never fully explored what she was.

Mulling over these thoughts, Keelin pulled on walking shorts and a tank in acknowledgement of the bright sunshine poking through the window. She checked the waters of the cove. It looked peaceful this morning and Keelin was determined to take her dive gear down to the cove today and begin some studies of the underwater life. If the cove accepted her, that was. Keelin had been sincerely shocked last night when the huge wave had hit her. There was no possible way that gentle waters had turned into a freak wave. There was no science to explain what had happened and it didn't sit comfortably with Keelin. Not to mention that blue glow. Keelin shook her head and headed into the kitchen to make a much-needed cup of tea.

Keelin found a note by some fruit and brown bread. Fiona had gone to the village for some supplies and would be back in early afternoon. Probably for the best, Keelin thought. She needed a morning to wallow in thoughts about her additional family members and what she should do with her life direction.

A knock at the door startled her. Grumbling, she pushed her unruly bed hair from her face, and opened the door. A large basket sat before her with a bow. She quickly looked up. Flynn's dog sat on the ridge overlooking the house, watching her. Flynn was nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was nobody to be seen anywhere. Keelin strained her ears but did not hear the sounds of a car leaving.

"Hmpf," Keelin said. She jumped as a series of yips came from the basket and it upended on its side. A puppy tumbled out, roughly six months or so, a roly-poly black-and-white setter. It saw her and excitedly yipped and ran in circles around her. Charmed, she leaned down to pet it. A note was attached to the basket. Keelin unfolded it and read the words out loud.

"My sincerest apologies if I "took advantage" of you last night. Though I don't think that was the case, I would like to offer you a gift that will keep you company and watch out for you, as you clearly need watching over."

Keelin flushed. She felt ashamed. She shouldn't have said that Flynn had taken advantage of her. Once he had kissed her she had all but crawled all over him. It hadn't been fair of her to accuse him of that and it was clear his honor was offended.

She looked down at the dog. It wriggled towards her on its belly in the grass. Keelin couldn't help but smile. It was a really cute puppy.

"But, a dog?" Keelin said. She knew the responsibility that a dog carried. Flynn was forcing her to make a choice. If she kept the dog she would need to stay here. If she didn't, she was free to go home. Damn that man for forcing her hand. How could someone she had just met annoy her and intrigue her as much as Flynn did?

Keelin watched the dog, charmed despite herself. She was a little pissed at Flynn for forcing this choice on her, especially the morning after the emotional events of yesterday.  Thoughts of her life in Boston wound through her head – an empty apartment, her friends, school, the aquarium, and her mother. Her mother would want her to come home, finish her master's degree, and settle down with a nice boy who was either a doctor or a lawyer. Keelin sat in the grass and pet the puppy. He yipped excitedly and rolled on his back, begging for stomach scratches. She smiled at his enthusiasm and allowed the sun to warm her back. It was peaceful here, the quiet crash of the waves a constant song in the background.

"Oh, you're a real pushover, aren't you?" She laughed down at the pup. Keelin thought about how empty she had felt in Boston. Maybe not empty, but just unfinished. A part of her had always felt set apart, as though she didn't fit there no matter how hard she tried. Keelin had experienced more true feelings in one week in Ireland than she had in years in Boston. She felt like a Band-Aid had been ripped off. It was like she had been emotionally stunted and everything was pouring out now. The intensity scared her, yet at the same time challenged her. Keelin rarely resisted a challenge. She imagined her mom's reaction when she told her she would be turning her summer vacation in Ireland to an indefinite stay. She shook her head. That would be a difficult conversation she would have to shelve for later.

Sighing, she picked the puppy up.

"Okay, boy. Looks like you are for me. Let's get you some food." Keelin looked up to see Flynn's dog bob its head at her and disappear over the ridge.

"This is just weird." Keelin shook her head and picked up the basket to find a blanket, a supply of food, and a dog brush. That man thought of everything. A small smile tugged at her lips. She'd always wanted a puppy.

She carried the puppy inside and laughed as it ran around the room, sniffing corners and barking at imaginary threats. She hoped Fiona would be okay with their new companion. Keelin dug through some drawers and found a long piece of rope and went to change into her swimming suit. Picking up her fins and snorkel gear, she called to the pup.

"Let's go for a walk, buddy." She'd have to think of a fine Irish name for the puppy. Leaving a note for Fiona, she latched the door and made her way across the fields towards the cove. It was time to get in the water and begin her research. The puppy raced ahead of her, yipping and jumping at bugs. She whistled for him and he circled back to her, yapping ecstatically at her feet. Smart dog, she thought.

"I'm going to name you Ronan," Keelin said. Having take care of that matter, she made her way to the cliff's edge. The puppy stopped at her feet and trembled, looking down. It was a big hike for a little guy, so she picked Ronan up and headed down the path. Ronan licked her face happily and then, as puppies do, fell asleep in her arms.

Reaching the bottom of the cliff path, Keelin looked around for an appropriate spot to get Ronan set up while she was in the water. She started across the sand towards a small tree that was sheltered in a rocky outcropping. She could tie Ronan to the tree and he would have shade while he slept.

Keelin cursed. Stopped. And walked back a few steps. She laid Ronan gently down on the sand and pulled out a few flowers and pretty stones she had gathered on the walk down. Tracing a circle around Ronan and herself, she cleared her throat.

"Um, hi, Grace's Cove. I'd like to offer you these gifts that I have brought for you today." She placed some flowers on the sand and hurled the pretty stones into the water. She tried desperately to remember everything that Fiona had told her about entering the cove. Purity of purpose, she remembered.

"I am simply here to observe your beautiful waters and to document the plants and animals found underwater for my thesis. Research is just part of what I do. I, um, ask the universe and my angels for protection while I am here, oh, and to protect Ronan too!" Keelin made the sign of the cross for good measure. She squinted at the cove but nothing had changed.

"Well, here goes nothing." Keelin hoped that she had made the appropriate gestures and headed towards the rocky outcropping. She tied Ronan up and laid him down on her towel, along with a small hunk of rope to chew on. The exhausted puppy curled up and watched her through one eye.

Keelin pulled her mask and fins out of the bag and made her way to the water. Today would be a free diving day without tanks. Tanks were too heavy to lug down here anyway, she thought. She would need to bring them on a boat if she wanted to do any serious diving. Spitting in her mask to keep it from fogging up, she entered the water and cleared the mask out. Keelin scooped some water in her hand and tamed her hair back from her face and adjusted her mask over her head. She turned her back to the water and walked backwards against the waves, bending over to tuck a fin on each foot. She squinted through her mask and could have sworn she saw Flynn's dog racing across the cliffs above the cove.

That's weird, she thought. Didn't his dog typically go fishing with him? She shrugged and rolled facedown into the water. A kaleidoscope of colors flashed before her as a group of fish swam past her. She smiled into her snorkel. This was home to her.

Breathing easily, Keelin allowed herself to just float. She had no agenda with this dive other than to get her bearings, examine the ocean floor, and begin to learn the pattern of the cove. She stayed in the shallow waters and examined some of her favorite things, small mounds of coral that housed the tiniest of crustacean and fish communities. They always made her laugh and she entertained herself by imagining personalities for all of the small creatures that thrived on these bits of living rock.

A glimpse of light caught her eye, and Keelin turned towards darker water. She could have sworn that she had seen a flash of gold. She kicked with her powerful fins and quickly propelled herself towards where she had seen the glint. In deeper water now, Keelin strained her eyes as the light struggled to reach the bottom of the ocean. Visibility was less here as the waves hitting the rocky outcroppings of the shore churned sand back up. Taking a deep breath, Keelin dove down to get closer to the lump of coral that lay below her. She hovered around it and examined the coral for unusual lumps. Typically, any type of metal or lost "treasure" would have coral grown around it or have a small community of mussels attached to it. It would be easy to miss. Unable to hold her breath any longer, Keelin swam towards the surface and caught another glimpse of gold further out. Swearing, she broke the surface and dove down immediately without checking her position, as she didn't want to lose her bearing on the gold.

She swam further out and the bottom grew more distant. Where had she seen that gold glint? Suddenly realizing just how far the bottom was from her, Keelin gasped. She had unintentionally violated the number one rule of diving – plan your dive and dive your plan. She could see the particles in the water moving fast past her and realized she had crossed into a current. Cursing herself, Keelin popped her head out of the water and could see Ronan barking hysterically at then end of his rope – a tiny dot on the beach. Looking up, she saw the curve of the entrance to the cove rapidly passing her. She was being swept out to sea.

Keelin swore and forced herself to breathe slowly. She put her face back in the water and made herself horizontal. She was a trained diver and had handled currents before. The key was not to panic. Struggling against the current, Keelin kicked against it, trying to cut across the current and not into it. If she could just make it across the current, she would be out of it and fine. It seemed to be coming at her from all directions and she struggled at finding which way to kick. Panic began to grip her.

Dimly, she heard the sound of a motor. Keelin popped her head out of water and raised her arms in the universal sign for help.

"Help! Help me!" she screeched, and then shoved the snorkel back in her mouth as water clogged her throat. Breathe, just breathe, she thought. She kept the snorkel in and continued to yell through it, waving her arms. The boat turned towards her and quickly picked up speed.

Keelin placed her head back in the water to make her breathing easier and held one arm out of the water so the boat could see her. She stared at the bottom of the ocean and could have sworn she saw a dull blue light. She must be hallucinating.

The motor cut and strong arms grabbed her. Huffing out salt water, Keelin dragged herself over the side of the boat and collapsed facedown. Her body shook with small tremors and she allowed the adrenaline to hit her. Her teeth chattered and she pushed the mask off of her face and stared into Flynn's blue eyes.

"I suppose I should thank you," Keelin stuttered. She tried to regain her composure as she lifted her chin at him.

"Of all the…how do I end up with the woman that is stubborn as all get-out?" Flynn said to himself as he started the motor and whipped towards shore. Keelin pulled the towel that he had handed around her and tried to get warm.