“Kara!” a familiar voice shouted again.
I twisted, coughing and spinning in the water until I saw Lev. He was already reaching out, his expression carved in pure, ruthless determination.
“Grab hold!” Lev shouted. “I’ve got you!”
I tried, but my strength was slipping. The drag of the ship kept pulling me down, my legs cramping as panic clawed up my throat. Just as my body went under again, a hand shot through the dark and caught mine.
Lev’s grip was solid and I was grounded by his strength. The boat pitched hard as he hauled me up, muscles straining, jaw clenched. “I’ve got you,” he growled, his voice confident.
And then I was airborne, crashing against his chest as he pulled me over the side. The deck was slick and cold beneath me, but Lev was warm, his arms locking around me as I trembled. I clung to him, gasping against his soaked shirt, the steady beat of his heart the only proof that this was real.
“You’re safe now,” he whispered against my hair, his breath ragged. “I’ve got you, princess.”
For a moment, all I could do was breathe him in. The delicious scent of salt, gunpowder, and Lev, the smell of a home I didn’t know I had until now. My body shook from exhaustion, but I tilted my face up anyway, my voice barely a whisper.
“You came for me.”
His hand cupped my cheek, thumb brushing away a mix of seawater and tears. “Of course I did.”
Without thinking, without planning, I reached up and kissed him.
It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was frantic. A collision of relief and need and every unspoken word we didn’t have time for. He made a low sound in his throat and kissed me back, his hand sliding to the back of my neck, holding me like he might never let me go.
The boat rocked violently, and the moment broke as another wave slammed against the hull.
“Enough,” a voice snapped behind us, deep, rough, and familiar.
Roman.
Lev released me slowly, though his hand lingered on my back, reluctant to relinquish the touch. I turned toward the sound of my name, my breath catching.
Roman stood in the cockpit, soaked and furious and heartbreakingly alive. The moonlight painted him in silver, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes burning with too many emotions to name, but anger, relief, and fear seemed evident.
When he saw me move, some of that fire cracked.
“Jesus, Kara,” he said, voice quiet, shaking slightly. “That was a bit of a dramatic exit, don’t you think?”
I laughed and before I could think, I stumbled toward him. He caught me, arms closing around me so tight it hurt, but I didn’t care. His body was solid, strong, and warm.
“I thought I lost you,” he muttered against my hair.
“You almost did.” My voice wobbled. “I wasn’t about to let ARCHEON win, though.”
His hand came up, fingers sliding into my tangled hair, forcing me to look at him. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“I aim to please,” I whispered, a shaky smile tugging at my lips.
He made a sound—half laugh, half growl—and then his mouth was on mine.
The kiss was nothing like Lev’s. Lev’s had been all strength and raw emotion. Roman’s was all chaos—hot and wild and hungry. His hand fisted in my hair as if he needed to remind himself that I was real, and I melted into him.
When he finally broke the kiss, his forehead rested against mine, our breaths tangled. “You’re never doing that again,” he said softly. “I don’t care what the mission is, what the plan is—you jump into the ocean again, and I’ll tie you to my bed next time.”
“Promise?” I teased weakly, my lips brushing his.
He smiled, that dangerous, crooked smile I’d missed more than I wanted to admit. “Don’t tempt me, Kara-with-a-K.”
Behind us, Lev cleared his throat, that rare flicker of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You two done?”
