she kicked him away. “Don’t. You’ll make me fall.”
“No one is falling. Let me help you.” He stretched, reaching for her foot again.
“Leave me alone!” she commanded.
“Happy to, once you’re on the deck.” He grabbed for her foot, and she shoved him, releasing the line with one hand. Another gust of wind hit the sail, twisting the lines tighter. Her other hand came loose, and her eyes widened.
Fuck. She was about to fall. He wound the ropes around his leg as he had countless times during storms and released the lines with his hands, catching her wrists before she fell. The force of her weight pulled him down, but the line held, the rope biting into his leg. He hung from the lines, upside down, while keeping her right side up.
She looked up at him, a flicker of panic in her eyes. “We’re going to fall.”
He shook his head. “Not tonight.”
The fear in her eyes cooled the heat of his anger over the kiss and lured out a guardian inside him. Although she’d played him and pissed him off up in the crow’s nest, he’d never drop her.
Below, Colton raced up the lines toward Aura. He came up on her other side, untangled her leg, and placed her foot back in a rung.
“Yer stable now.” Colton’s voice was calm and firm. “Take a breath and center yourself.”
Back when they’d been mortal pirates forging their destiny, the crew had voted Colton to be quartermaster, which made him second in command to the captain, as well as the magistrate, settling arguments when they arose. Even though lifetimes had passed, his commitment to the crew and the ship was unwavering, and his power to defuse aggression and calm panic in the eye of the storm were unrivaled.
Colton tipped his head, looking at Greyson hanging above them. “You all right up there?”
“Aye,” he shouted, but his gaze remained locked on Aura’s. “Now let go of me and grab the line. One hand at a time.”
“Don’t let go.” Her eyes flicked to his hands tight around her wrists. “I can’t move.”
Greyson couldn’t, either, until she did. If he lost his grip, he’d live. He couldn’t say the same for Aura. Greyson glanced over at Colton. “You better hit the deck and catch her in case she slips.”
Colton gave an almost imperceptible nod to Greyson, but aloud he said, “She’s not going to slip, but I’m watching the wheel tonight, so I better get to it.”
Greyson focused on Aura again. Her eyes were tightly squeezed shut. “You need to open your eyes.” He waited for her to look at him. “That’s it. Now let go of me with just one hand. I’ve got the other one. You’re safe. You can do this.”
Another gust hit the sail. She gasped, closing her eyes.
Greyson tightened his grip on her wrists as the lines groaned with the strain. Fuck. A storm was brewing, and he couldn’t hold her much longer. Gravity and the winds would win this battle.
“Look at me,” he commanded. She opened her eyes, her gaze peering directly into his soul. He swallowed, struggling to find his voice. “We’ll do this together, but I need you to hang on.”
He guided her hand to the rope. Her fingers stretched, reaching for the rough line.
“That’s it,” he said as she gripped the tether. “Almost there.” He moved her other hand. Her breath hitched, but she latched onto the lines. “Good.” He released her other wrist, watching her for a moment. “Hold tight.”
She nodded, and he clenched his abs, pulling his torso up to where the ropes bit into his calf. He untangled his leg and slid his feet down into the rungs. His muscles ached as he made his way down to her.
Colton shouted from the deck below, “I’m right here. I’ll catch you if fall.”
Greyson grunted, keeping all his attention on Aura. Her eyes were shut tight again, her knuckles white around the ropes. He stopped next to her. “We have two choices. I can move onto your line and you hold on to me while I climb us down, or…”
She opened her eyes, turning to look at him. “Or?”
“Or you move with me and we go down, side by side.”
She pressed her lips together and finally said, “Side by side.”
Her face was pale and her hands trembled, but her determination was plain in her eyes. Gods, she was strong. Gradually, she forced her body to respond. He made pointed moves, keeping her moving one rung at a time.
Colton