Page 118 of Of the Stars and Sea

“Miss Rowenya,” he says when he sees me. Collin starts climbing the rigging for the mainmast. “I’m so glad you and the Captain made it back okay.”

“Me too,” I tell him. “It turns out I’m not very fond of long, dark tunnels.”

He shivers. “I don’t think I would be either.” His attention shifts to Collin moving further up the rigging and I reach for his wrist.

“Tommy, I know you want to partake in this fight, but I think you’d be safer below deck with the cook.”

Hurt flashes across his face and I feel my stomach drop. “You don’t think I can fight well?”

I shake my head. “No, it’s not that. I just . . .”

Memory strikes me of having a similar conversation with Grayson in his efforts to protect me despite my own desires to fight. Right now, I’m doing the exact same thing to Tommy. Making him feel caged and that he has no place amongst us. But the thought of something bad happening to him . . .

A wave of nausea claws up my throat.

“Never mind.” I smile at him. “You have as much of a right to fight for this crew as anyone else.”

The hurt I caused is quickly replaced with a confident smile. “I do.” He gives me a curt nod and starts drifting toward the rigging to help Collin.

“Just watch your back, okay?”

“I will, Miss Rowenya.”

Before I turn toward the stairway, I send a silent prayer to the heavens to keep him safe.

When I meet Grayson on the quarterdeck, he pulls me into him. Closing my arms around his waist, I relish in his warmth.

“You tried to get him to stay below deck, didn’t you?” he asks quietly.

Leaning back, I look into his face and he smiles gently. I nod. “How did you know?”

Breathing in a deep inhale, his chest meets mine. “Because I was debating asking you to do the same exact thing. Then I thought it would be most unfortunate when you threw another dagger at my head once I did. So, I refrained.”

“That was big of you.” I wink at him.

Grayson leans his head down, his lips brushing against the cuff of my ear and says, “Little Pearl, there’s nothingsmallabout me.”

A blush creeps up my face as heat gathers at the apex of my thighs in remembrance of just how large he felt inside of me.

“You two do realize that we’re about to be at war with a host of very large ships and our only route for escape is through Dead Man’s Passage, right?” Grayson and I shift our attention to Zaos, who’s staring a hole through both of our heads. His arms are crossed over his chest and one of his brows is raised.

“Zaos, you’re right,” I say, shooting Grayson a withering look before jabbing him in the ribs with my elbow. He doesn’t even budge, but his open palm slides down my spine and over the swell of my rear before he squeezes hard. I swat his handaway. “We should be focused on the task at hand like your quartermaster said . . .” I pause, looking at him. “Captain.”

Grayson’s blue eyes flare and he lets out a guttural growl.

He brings his face so close to mine, our noses touch, and I smirk at him. Another cannon fire blasts through the air, but Grayson’s attentions are fixed wholly on me. His fingers thread through my hair and his thumb caresses the side of my cheek.

“You choosenowof all moments to bring me to my knees when you know there is no time for me to worship you?” His breath is warm against the cuff of my ear as I smile even wider.

When he pulls back, I take in his beautiful face. All the hard planes soften just a fraction, a bit of that stone mask slipping, just to show me the truest version of himself beneath.

“I’m giving you something to live for,” I whisper. “A prize to be won, should we survive this battle.”

His lips brush against mine in a tender kiss that has my legs wobbling. “Simply having you by my side is a prize I’d happily risk everything for.” Then his other hand snakes around my waist, pulling me into him. His hard length presses into my belly and there’s no shame reflecting in his irises. He doesn’t give a damn that we’re surrounded by his men.

He is mine.

And I am his.