waist and he’s dragging me closer. Like I belong to him.
My heart pounds against my ribcage.
I ignore the captain’s shouts as he tells us to go inside. Wind whistles around my ears as I walk toward Theo, catching myself on any available railing as the boat heaves beneath me. The storm is approaching, but I only have eyes for the Prince.
I’m powerless to do anything but make my way toward him.
Theo’s deep, blue eyes darken as he watches me. His grip tightens on the railing behind him as his eyes drop the length of my body again.
I can’t take much more of this. I’ll either have to act on these urges or walk away from Theo forever.
Walking away forever would be the smart thing to do. Up until twelve hours ago, I’d have said it was the easier thing to do.
Now? I’m not so sure.
When I reach him, the Prince’s tongue slides out to lick his lips. Heat spatters across my face as a blush spreads over my cheeks. My insides are burning up.
“We should get inside,” he says, his voice a low growl. I feel his voice in the depths of my body, below the howling of the wind. The captain yells something behind us, but I don’t listen to a word of it.
My hangover has been stripped away by the wind. The smell of the sea air reminds me of Theo, and my eyes are stuck on his lips.
Does he feel this electricity between us? Has it always been there?
Theo shifts his weight, turning his back on the captain and sliding his gaze out to sea. The waves are getting higher, and the wind is whistling. The ocean is black.
“Looks like it’s going to be bad.”
Before I can answer, my ears register a panicked shout from the captain. I turn my head in time to see the boom swinging out of the captain’s grasp. Part of the sail is still unfurled, and a violent gust of wind has caught it. The other crew member leaps over to grab a rope, halting the swinging of the boom. The two of them shout again, struggling against the wind that threatens to rip the rope out of their grasp.
If the boom swings all the way around, it’ll come straight for us. A death trap. A hurtling metal rod, four inches in diameter, swinging at head-level toward the Prince and me.
My heart stops. The captain screams again, letting out a few inches of rope as he stumbles over the deck.
“Theo—” I gasp as the captain trips again, the other sailor struggling to regain control. I let out a sigh as the two of them grasp the rope together and start to reel the boom back in. The captain’s face is red with effort as the boat rocks in the waves.
The Prince’s eyes are still staring out to sea. Either he hasn’t heard the captain’s shouts, or he’s choosing to ignore them.
Figures.
Another thing about royalty? They’re not very good at following instructions.
My heart is still racing. Ever since I stepped outside and felt the power of Theo’s gaze, it’s been thumping uncomfortably.
This is different, though. I taste danger on my tongue. Electricity dances over my skin. We shouldn’t be out here on the deck.
“We should go inside,” I scream above the whip of the wind.
“In a minute,” Theo replies, leaning against the railing. “Look at the lightning!” A wave splashes against the side of the boat, dousing us both in salty water.
Then, I hear it.
Another scream from the captain.
I don’t have to look over my shoulder to hear the panic in his voice. He doesn’t need to say any words for me to know something’s very, very wrong.
I don’t have time to think. I can almost sense the long, metal boom coming whipping toward the Prince and me. I can feel it swinging toward us without needing to look.
It’ll hit the Prince before it hits me. We’ll be knocked unconscious, or worse. Tossed out to sea like two rag dolls, flying into the black waters toward our deaths.
At this moment, it doesn’t matter that Prince Theo is royalty. It doesn’t matter that there are years of history between us, or that forbidden desire has sparked to life inside me overnight.
All that matters is saving the Prince’s life.
If that boom swings over to us and hits him over the head, he’ll be thrown overboard with his skull cracked open.