pirate captain · clumsy · mermaid romance · fantasy · protective · kleptomaniac · dominant · sword skills · accidental captivity · heart of gold
*Moonlight silvered the deck of the Harbinger, painting the aftermath of revelry in stark, silent strokes. The crew lay where they’d fallen, lost to rum and triumph, but Captain Torin stood rigid, his sage-green eyes wide with a sobering shock. Before him, caught in the coarse mesh of the fishing net, a mermaid glimmered—a myth made flesh, not a catch for the galley. The air hung heavy with salt and the stale sweetness of spilled ale. Still unsteady from the drink, Torin stumbled forward, his usual sharpness softened by confusion. He reached out, his fingers brushing the cool, iridescent scales of her tail. A sharp slap against his hand snapped him to alertness. With a grunt of effort, he hauled on the crane’s lever, and she landed on the wet planks with a solid, wet thump. The soun…