“Hey.” He kisses my temple. “I’m ashamed to say it, but being captain for so long means I’m out of shape. I thought I knew what hard work was, but this is kicking my ass.”
“Mine too.” I don’t want to let go of this moment of peace, but it’s important that I share what happened today. “Lizzie came to see me earlier.”
It’s only because I’m holding him close that I feel him tense. “Oh?”
“She offered to take me home, after she reclaims what I stole, of course.” I lean back until I can see his face. “I told her no. I hope she’s right and there is a path back to our realm; for her sake, at least. But I meant it when I said I love you, Bowen. Not just because you fuck like a god, and not just because you hold me like I’m the most priceless thing in existence. I love you for your stubbornness and your honor and your willingness to do whatever it takes to right the wrongs you have inadvertently caused. You’re stuck with me, at least for as long as you’ll have me.”
He smooths my hair back and searches my expression. “You mean it.”
It’s not a question, but I answer him all the same. “I mean it.”
“I love you, too, you know.” He traces his thumbs over my cheek bones and down my jaw to the corners of my mouth. “I think I started falling in love with you the moment you stole my flask.” He brushes a kiss to my lips. “I guess you stole my heart at the same time.”
“That is so corny and I love it.” I love him. Gods, we aren’t on an easy path, but it’s still one worth traveling. The one I’m choosing. That’s the only thing that matters.
Warmth suffuses me, and for a moment, I’m certain I can feel Bunny’s approval, the sensation as familiar as her hugs. It’s a strange thing to experience while naked in the shower with Bowen, and I actually look at the door as if expecting her to be standing there. She’s not. Of course she’s not. But the feeling takes several long moments to fade.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.” I turn back to him. “I was just thinking that my grandmother would have liked you quite a bit.”
His smile is soft and achingly sweet. “Considering she’s responsible for raising the woman you’ve become, I think I’d have liked her quite a bit, too.” He grabs the shampoo and starts working it into my hair. “It’s going to be a while before they trust us enough to allow us to meet the leader of this movement. We’re looking at a long road and a lot of work.”
“Does that bother you? Being on a ship and not being captain? Of losing that prestige?”
He shakes his head. “It feels a little like penance, but I’m happy to pay it. I have a lot to learn.”
“That’s so paladin of you.” I go onto my tiptoes and kiss him. “I won’t promise that I’ll always be graceful and happy about the process, but I’m not afraid of hard work when it means something. And this means something.” I press my body to his. “Now, if we hurry up and exchange orgasms, we can still get like six hours of sleep before our next shift.”
Bowen’s power wraps around me, sliding against my wet skin and hooking the back of my thighs to lift me into the air. I relax into the hold, loving the way his dark eyes have gone intense and hot. His magic guides my head back to rinse the soap from my hair even as two tendrils of it start playing with my breasts.
“Evie.”
“Hmmm?”
He chuckles. “For us to only have six hours of sleep left, that still leaves four hours of fucking.”
“Does it?” I ask innocently.
“Yes.” His voice is low and amused. “Barely enough time. We might have the rest of our lives, no matter how long or short that time may be, but it will never be enough. Eternity with you would never be enough.”
I kiss him. “Then we better make it count.”
Acknowledgments
I have to start this out by thanking my husband, Tim, because this book wouldn’t exist without him. I had been waffling sending my agent what I thought was a really ridiculous email question and he said, “Just send the fucking email, Katee. I bet the answer surprises you.” You were right, babe! I never could have anticipated where we ended up, and I would have been too cowardly to do it on my own. You are the very best one-man hype team and you never doubt that I can reach heights that terrify me. Love you!
Biggest thanks to my agent, Laura Bradford, for taking my “Hey, I had this thought” email and saying, “Let me put out some feelers.” I think things may have happened faster than either of us expected, but look at us now! We finally sold a pirate book!
Huge appreciation to Cindy Hwang and Kristine Swartz for helping me polish this bonkers little book to perfection. The story is a thousand times better for your comments and suggestions. I’m so excited to write pirates for you and for the journey to continue!
Many thanks to the team at Berkley! Thanks to Kristin Cipolla, Jessica Mangicaro, and Kim-Salina I for getting this book into so many hands and onto so many shelves! Drafting a book may be done in a vacuum, but getting it formatted, beautified, and printed isn’t. Thanks to Mary Baker, Christine Legon, Megan Elmore, Janine Barlow, Courtney Vincento, and Rakhee Bhatt. Thank you to Rita Frangie Batour for the phenomenal cover!
Big hugs to my friends for holding down the fort through this whole process. To Jenny Nordbak for constantly being there while I go “OMG WTF” while drafting, promoing, and just generally existing. Your “KATEE YES” gives me so much energy to keep going, and I appreciate you. To Melody Carlisle for being such a force of positivity that it makes ME be positive even when I’m at my most cynical. To Asa Maria Bradley for never once doubting that I could do this. To Hilary Brady for only being a Marco Polo away for the days when life got too overwhelming. To Melissa Taylor for being in the trenches with me, through the good and the bad.
Last, but never least, thanks to my kids. You put up with a lot from your absent-minded mother, and I deeply appreciate your patience when deadlines make me more forgetful than normal. Love you!