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H e didn’t want to let her go.

Sera studied him, her puzzle. She was missing a key piece of this man to complete it, and she wasn’t sure she would ever find that piece. There had been something about his tone when she’d asked him about the map—too even, too smooth—that made her suspect he wasn’t being entirely truthful.

It mattered, but not enough.

Not at this moment.

He was a risk she wanted to take. But if she dared… So many things could go wrong, and yet so many things might go right.

Both included her heart.

On the bright side, she knew a little more about this mystery man now than she had an hour ago.

He had a family waiting for him in London.

But what kind of man was he really? The pirate theory had crossed her mind—he seemed too at ease with the sea to be anything else—but then there were the law and those maps.

Was he too gentle for an outlaw? Perhaps he was involved in something more illicit, or perhaps she was letting her imagination run away with her again.

No matter what, there was something thrilling about not knowing where the night—or Alex—would take her.

The hard, heated truth was that he’d burrowed into her heart.

“Have you been with many women like this?” Sera asked, suddenly curious.

“Like this? No,” he said. “I’ve never… not with anyone, actually.”

“Really?” That surprised her. “No time for such things?”

He chuckled. “Something like that. Not the right time, nor the right woman.”

She exhaled, her heart pounding. Could he feel her pulse?

Despite the layers of mystery that seemed to cling to him, he looked undeniably handsome.

Irresistibly so. But then, he must think the same about her, right?

The mystery part. And perhaps the irresistible part as well.

They were opposites, but she couldn’t help but be drawn to him.

I really must update that little book— Matters of the Heart.

Oh, the book! Which reminded her she had a prince to rid herself of.

But now was not the time to think about that.

She would sort out that engagement with him when she arrived in London.

For now, she had another prince before her who held all her attention.

He might even be the dark Prince of the Sea.

Even if he was, it didn’t matter to her.

This is the moment. Take charge.

Yes.

Because she didn’t want to let go of him, either.

“Well, I don’t know whether I’m the right woman or whether this is the right time, but if you don’t let go…” She took in his unreadable yet achingly intense face. He was likely at war with something within him. The same as her. She grinned at him. “Neither will I.”

“Do you promise?” he asked, his voice low.

Her breath caught. There was a teasing note in his voice, but beneath it, something serious lingered. “I promise.”

“This isn’t a promise that you can break or take lightly.” He stared at her unflinchingly, his words weighted with meaning. “It would mean the world to me but turn mine upside down entirely.”

Same here. “I never give a promise lightly,” Sera reassured, her voice steady despite the storm brewing within her. She wouldn’t. Even if she had to run away, she would make sure she stayed at Alex’s side. “So, I will keep you to this.”

“Sweeter words have never been spoken to me, love.” He smiled, then added, “You’re quite good at making promises.”

“That is because I don’t make promises unless I am prepared to do everything in my power to keep them.” She lowered her voice, but she couldn’t help but laugh, too. “Alex, what does this mean? Promises exchanged, terms yet to be negotiated?”

Alex laughed softly. “I wasn’t aware we were drafting a contract.”

“Everything in life is a negotiation,” she said with a shrug. This she had learned. “Even affection.”

His smile didn’t waver. “Not the usual process, is it? Business transactions?”

“No, it’s not,” she bristled. That was exactly what she was trying to escape. “But I suppose given how we met each time, there was no other process than this. Than ours.”

“Ours,” he said softly. “I like that.” His grin widened, slow and teasing. “Then I hope I’m getting a fair deal?”

How could he still be so charming and yet so annoyingly male? “That depends on what you bring to the table,” she paused, her green eyes gleaming, “or should I say picnic?”

His head bent closer to hers. “What would you consider a worthy offer?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, pretending to think. “Loyalty, charm, a certain level of handsomeness—”

“A certain level?” he interrupted, brow arched.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to inflate your male arrogance,” she quipped, her lips twitching with a barely contained smile.

“Have I ever shown you any arrogance?”

“Just because you haven’t doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

“Generous of you,” he said, his tone wry. “And here I thought I had it all.”

“You might,” she conceded, “but that remains to be seen. Explored even…” She let her hand trail up his arm.

He studied her for a moment before saying simply, “I’ll do my best, then.”

“Then I suppose,” she said, poking his chest, “you’ll have to prove it.”

Alex smiled, slow and infuriatingly charming.

Then his lips captured hers again. Sera didn’t hold back.

Her heart spoke a language older than words, urging him onward.

His fingers skimmed down her waist, leaving trails of warmth that tingled in the cool alcove.

As his hands reached her bottom, she drew a sharp breath, a sound swallowed by the sea breeze.

Her body reacted instinctively, leaning into his touch.

The thrill of his closeness unfurled like the sails of their cutter catching a fresh wind.

The cool air brushed against her skin, but his presence banished any chill. Here, in this cave, beneath the vast expanse of the sky, Sera felt an overwhelming sense of belonging.

With him.

And she wanted more than she’d intended to take. She wanted more than just her engagement null and void. She wanted to be Alex’s. She wanted to hold on to him.

Forever.

She wanted him with a fierceness akin to the need for air, as if every moment had been leading to this singular encounter. The beach, this night, the man before her—all conspired in a dance of fate that had brought them together. How else? What else?

No, she believed it was the only way her soul would allow, now that it was intertwined with his.

The universe had indeed carried him to her, and she could do nothing else but embrace the truth that had become as essential as the air she breathed. Here, in this sacred space, she was his, and he was hers, as if their fates had willed it so.

Now, all she had to do was grab hold of it and never let go.

*

Could a few kisses truly sway the path of one’s fate?

Alex didn’t know.

But what he did know was that he wanted to risk it all. It wasn’t a calculated risk, nor was it smart. But it was as necessary and vital for his being as the air he breathed. He needed Sera to the very core of his existence.

He brushed a thumb along her jawline, still baffled at how she made him feel both invincible and undone. “You know,” he murmured. “Didn’t your Shakespeare write that a kiss is ‘a seal of love’?”

“That would be problematic for our first kiss, wouldn’t it?”

He shrugged. “Unless it was love at first sight.”

“Was it love at first sight?”

He blinked at her, then grinned. “No, it was more of a rescue at first sight.”

“Also, a seal implies finality, and I think love—real, true love—is anything but final. It’s endless, unpredictable. Ever-changing.”

“Shakespeare underestimated love, it seems.”

“Perhaps he merely oversimplified it,” she said, in thought. “A kiss isn’t a seal; it’s a spark. One that can lead to an inferno—or burn out entirely.”

“Speaking about kisses after a kiss,” Alex mused. “Makes me want to kiss some more.”

“You started it!”

“That I did.” He dropped his voice. “Then let me offer you another line—‘A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart.’”

Her look turned flat. “Are you implying that your own heart is worth such dedication?”

“Would you run through fire for it?” He placed a quick peck on her lips. “I would run through fire for yours.”

She would, too. “Does it have to be fire? Why not fly to the moon?”

“I’ll do that, too,” he said, bemused. “In fact, that might be better?”

“Why?”

“Well, the moon is only one of the heavenly orbs and it controls the tides. Imagine life without the sun. It’s the force that makes this life not only liveable but wondrous.

If the cosmos fashioned a sanctuary for love to flourish, then surely it has mirrored that design in us and shows just how small we are.

” He cradled her face, his gaze falling to her lips.

“Except within your gaze, I find the same quiet perfection that sustains worlds, and in your heart, the power to make life itself a marvel beyond comprehension.”

Sera laughed softly, the sound like a melody against the backdrop of the night. “Such a charming tongue in your possession! But then, if I painted the Milky Way in watercolor, and that is if I could paint, I’d probably pat the paper dry and remove the inky blues to create that effect.”

Alex shook his head gently, deep in thought. “The Milky Way isn’t about removing darkness; it’s about adding light, don’t you think? Each star contributes to that brilliance, turning the night into something breathtaking.”

She looked at him, and he swore her eyes reflected the starlight. “You always see the world in such a different light. I’m simpler, I suppose. It’s one of the reasons I will never be an artist.”

Alex took her hands in his. “You make everything around you more beautiful just by being yourself. You don’t just see the world; you transform it with your presence. Just like the stars in the Milky Way, you add light to my life.”

Her cheeks turned bright red. “You make me sound like some kind of enchantress.”

“To me, you are,” Alex said sincerely. “You have the power to turn the darkest night into something magical, just like the stars do.”

“Thank you, Alex,” Sera whispered, her voice barely audible above the sound of the waves. “For seeing me in such a way. It means more to me than you know. Fisherman, smuggler, or pirate—whatever your station or whether you have none at all—I’ve yet to meet a man who can match your sincerity.”

Alex felt an unexpected warmth rise within him.

For the first time, he wasn’t just the third son, the prince relegated to the shadows, the spare of the spare heir.

With Sera, titles didn’t matter. If being a pirate didn’t matter, neither would being a prince.

She saw beyond all that—to the person beneath.

Something he never thought he’d find. And for that, he was profoundly grateful.

Alex lifted her hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “I mean every word, Sera. You’re a bright guiding star of what’s right in this world.”

Sera’s eyes shimmered. “And you are mine, Alex. In every possible way.”

“How long can I stay yours?”

“What do you mean?” Sera asked, her heart stuttering despite the smile on his face.

“Your family? Won’t they be worried? Should I take you home?”

Sera shook her head, grinning. “Oh, that? Do not fret, kind sir, between my maid and my sister, there shouldn’t be any worries. We at least have until breakfast tomorrow.”

He pulled her closer, fully wrapping his arms around her. “Let’s make another promise,” he said softly. “No matter what the future holds, we’ll always be each other’s light. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Her voice rang with conviction. “Always.”

Always.

And yet, in the back of his mind, the devil on his shoulder laughed. Just how could he keep her safe with danger looming overhead?