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She didn’t miss a beat. “I want you to kiss me.”

Her permission ringing in my ears, I claimed her mouth. She tasted of chocolate, sweet and decadent, with a hint ofsomething darker underneath. What started as a gentle kiss turned into a frenzied collision, driven by hunger and need.

Breaking apart, I cupped her face in my hand. “Do you trust me?”

“Not as far as I can throw you.” Serena smirked. “But if you mean sex, then yes. I do.”

She would learn in time to trust me in those other aspects.

I backed her up to a pile of nets and other supplies. Taking one, I continued to kiss her, to fuck her mouth with my tongue, as we moved to the stern where a lower deck hovered right over the water. Dropping the net, I tugged her to me.

“Take off your dress,” I said against her throat.

She moved her neck and looked. “Is that net clean?”

My little princess....

“Take off your dress,” I repeated, slow and hard.

This time, she obeyed without hesitation. The sunlight shimmered against her tanned skin. I ran my fingers along her front, snapping the straps of her swimsuit, enjoying how it formed against her body with strategic pieces cut away to tease glimpses of her flesh.

“Your turn.” She pulled on my shirt. “Off.”

She’d never seen me, not in the light of day.

Gathering my mental shields, I braced myself and shucked the shirt. Her gaze roved over my mottled torso.

“Your tattoos are impressive,” she breathed, tracing the designs with the tip of her finger. I shivered. There was no disgust, no pity as she explored my scarred body. “I don’t have any ink. You make me want to get one.”

Serena leaned forward and pressed her lips against my chest. As she kissed me, running her tongue over the compass with the needle pointing toward the word that replaced the typical N for north, she pushed the linen pants off my hips.

“And here I expected to find your Speedo,” she teased, finding me naked.

“I’m not swimming in public, prinkípissa. Why would I cover up?”

Her throaty murmur was erotic. I responded with a growl and lifted her. Those strong legs wrapped around my hips. My plan to take her gently alongside the water faded as a primal need overshadowed everything.

Turning my back to the waves, I fell.

Serena yipped, but I cut off the sound with my mouth. The ocean washed over us. With a few strong kicks, I took us back to the surface, where I angled us to the side of the boat.

“Hold here,” I instructed, guiding her hand to a handle.

She pressed her fingers against my shoulder with her other hand. I mirrored her, clasping the boat. But my other hand slid between our bodies. I pressed a finger against her pussy. Serena moaned, dropping her head back.

“Look at me,” I growled, sliding the material aside.

Those deep brown eyes focused, her breathing turning hard and desperate.

Fuck...and I wasn’t even inside her yet.

“Before we go any further, I need the truth from you,” I rasped and stroked her clit.

“What do you want to know?” she panted.

A myriad of questions tumbled through my head. Which to ask her? What would clear her without dispute?

“Your name,” I demanded. “What is your name?”