As her weight settles against me, the feel of her soft curves molding seamlessly against my rigid frame—Christ, I swear the adrenaline rushing my heart has enough force to tear my atoms apart.
The darkest of energy at play.
Every vertebra in my spine locks into place, bracing as I wait for the inevitable alarm to rattle my bones before I take my next breath. Jaw clenched tight, I haul her away from the rock, my senses assaulted by the onslaught of sensations rising more furiously than the tide.
“Just link your arms around my neck,” I tell her through gritted teeth as I curl her toward my chest.
Feet sinking into the sand, my body planked against the rushing water, I’m struck by the rightness of her in my arms, unable to move. Yet somehow, when her arms gently curl around my shoulders, I take that first step out of the quicksand.
She rests her cheek against my shoulder, and fucking matter ceases to exist. Everywhere her body touches sets off a riot of sparks, a frenzy of heated currents chasing adrenaline through my bloodstream.
All I hear is the harmonic sound of her breath blending with the chorus of waves. The chords of her soft exhales become a tender caress over my neck, her shivers an aesthetic prelude echoed in the hollow of my chest.
The waves lash and batter, breaking against our bodies with each violent swell. We’re nearly rocked under, but I keep her bound in my arms, refusing to lose her to the dark waters.
Like navigating a treacherous maze, I wade through the narrow chasms between boulders until we surface clear of the ripping tide.
The darkness howls around us as we cross the shore, my course guided by the pale light cast from the looming structure atop the cliff. I continue to cross the beach, the ocean a muted roar beneath whipping wet wind, mercifully silencing my very dangerous, diverting thoughts.
Even after I hit the loose sand, I keep her clutched against me, convinced we won’t reach the pier in her weakened state. Ahead, I canjust make out theEventide—the Zodiac research vessel—bobbing near the tall pilings extending over the cresting waves, and I slow my steps.
“You can put me down,” Collins says, and I’m acutely aware of her hand placement. How, if she shifts her wrist even a millimeter higher, her skin will make contact with mine.
My breaths saw through my constricted lungs. “Are you staying at the residence hall?”
I think of her trekking through town in the dark. Wet, alone. Defenseless. And that irrational flame of anger licks through me, hot and violent.
“I can stay in my office,” she says. “I have a change of clothes there and a sofa. It should be fine for tonight.” She tips her head back, offering a concerned glance. “Dr. Night, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I bite off the lie as I climb the steps onto the pier. “What unit is yours?”
Astonishment lights her eyes. “You can’t carry me all the way there.”
“Is that a challenge?” I curl her tighter to my chest and look down into her face, a sly smirk slanting my mouth.
I swear, I would’ve fought the fucking ocean to carry her across if that’s what it took.
“Please don’t make this more awkward,” she says under her breath. “I’m already embarrassed enough.”
Relenting, I lower her bare feet to the weathered planks of the pier.
She slips out of my reach to adjust her clothes, and I take a step back where I can make her out clearly, shamelessly imprinting a visual of her in that havoc-inducing blouse.
“Don’t feel embarrassed,” I tell her. “If you haven’t spent time around the ocean, you can’t be expected to predict its behavior.”
She swipes the tangled strands of hair from her face, taming the wild tresses over her shoulder. “Predicting behavior is typically what I’m good at, but thank you.”
“Oh, don’t thank me,” I say, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “I’m not chivalrous. Saving damsels in collusion with Leo has a price, and I plan to collect.”
She arches a delicate eyebrow. Whatever buoyant relief she may have felt a moment ago vanishes from her expression. “Information I’m sure to regret sharing with you, Dr. Night.”
“Call me Orion.” I fold my arms over my damp chest. “We can drop formalities, given we escaped near death together.”
Despite her exhausted state, a fleeting smile touches her full lips before she levels me with a suspicious look. “Out there—” she nods toward the dark shore “—I’d like to believe that was all just to rile me on purpose.”
“You did ask for a distraction,” I say, not wanting to give her a complete lie. “It was a choice between boring you with ocean tides, or risking your cute fist smashing my face.”
She narrows her eyes, and I send her a wink.
