I thought the current would never stop. My body ached, and I had managed to swallow copious amounts of water. Each time I coughed some up, it was replaced by more. My throat burned, and the sensation only got worse each time.

The water tasted bitter— not like salt water, but more like an artificial sweetener gone wrong.

My eyes were closed tight; the darkness was more complete than normal, as if my mind had gone dark too. I momentarily forgot where I was and instead was inundated with memories I remembered in some deeper part of my mind, yet were still foreign to me. Most of them were about James—some intimate ones, some even passionate. Others were about a frozen lake, a boy with the most twisted smirk I had ever seen, and a girl with bright blue eyes. I remembered running through the woods, and I remembered why I was in the woods. I remembered the darkness James was fighting against. And strangest of all the memories, l remembered what I was about to do when the soldiers were heading toward us.

Then just as suddenly the memories stopped, the intense blackness receded from my mind, and I remembered exactly where I was.

I panicked. I was going to drown.

James squeezed my hand, and my panic diminished. He had that effect on me. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before—except I had in my memories. He sent waves of comfort and strength that I clung to desperately.

We were drifting about with nowhere to go. The water moved us as if were were in an ocean or fast moving river. We couldn’t be in the lake anymore. My eyes were closed shut so my vision couldn’t provide any clues, and the only noise I heard was what sounded like the howling of the wind. But we shouldn’t have been able to hear that: we were underwater.

I remembered the initial moments after the water took us under. Focusing on leaving was hard to do when I wanted to talk to my father more. I had so many more questions, so many things I needed to know. Meeting him had been a tease, mean even. How could I meet him only to have him pulled away forever? My mind kept going to him instead of focusing on leaving, even when I knew I was putting myself in danger. Elron made leaving sound so easy, but it was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do. I had to fight myself to think the words, and even then I knew I wasn’t being truthful. I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to leave my father forever. But James had pulled me through, and eventually I’d fallen into the blackness.

My body turned cold, then hot. Then cold again. The only constant was the feel of James’ hand around mine.

I wanted to open my eyes, to be brave and discover where we were, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It wasn’t fear as much as inability. It was much like being stuck in a nightmare at that moment you realize it’s a dream, yet still can’t wake yourself up.

Time passed. I had no idea how long, but finally I felt something solid beneath me.

James still held my hand, but there was something warm underneath us. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times at the bright sun above us. The sky was blue. We were no longer in the world of grey.

James still held my hand firmly in his own. I coughed up more water as we lay on the sand.

My clothes were soaked through, but I didn’t care. We were alive, though I wasn’t sure what that meant or where we were. I glanced around without picking my head up. I didn’t see Elron.

“You okay?” James sat up beside me on the warm sand. I looked out at the endless ocean and took a whiff of the salty air. We were on some sort of beach. I probably should have cared more about where exactly, but I was happy to be alive and out of the water. I also had a need so strong I wasn’t sure how I was going to deal.

“Fine.” I struggled to sit up. “I think.”

He put his arm under my head. “Just relax. I am here.”

I looked around for Elron. I didn’t see him anywhere. I didn’t see anyone but James. We were all alone. I should have worried more about Elron, but my mind was focused elsewhere. It had been focused elsewhere from the moment we washed ashore. There was only one thing I wanted. James. The feeling was all encompassing, and it pulsed through me. My body needed him the way I needed oxygen.

I put my hand over his and closed my eyes. This was insane. I wasn’t supposed to want a guy this much. Especially not in the situation I was in. I don’t need him, I said over and over again, but much like saying I wanted to leave the realm of the dead, it was easier said than done.

“Ainsley?” His voice came from right next to my ear. It was light and sweet and made everything so much worse.

I whimpered. “James, I need you.”

“I’m right here.” He ran his hand through my hair.

I kept my eyes closed shut. “No, I need, need you.” Was he really going to make me spell it out? Could things get more embarrassing?

“Oh.”

“What are you thinking?” I still couldn’t bear to open my eyes. ‘Oh’ was not the response I was hoping for.

“I am thinking I want the same thing.” His voice was deeper than normal.

“See this isn’t want though.” I finally opened my eyes. “It’s need. You get that?” I sat up.

“Wow.” His eyes widened.

“Wow what?” I pulled my hand from his. That wasn’t the type of physical contact I wanted.

“Your eyes. You mean what you say.”

“Great. I look like a sex addict.” I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything at the moment except having him.

“No. That is not what I meant.” He shook his head. “I just did not want to presume until I knew you were serious.”

“I’m serious.” I usually was a ‘wait for the guy to make the move’ girl, but not this time. I stood up. I pulled my wet shirt over my head and tossed it beside me.

His eyes widened, and he waited motionlessly. I moved on to my jeans, struggling to pull the wet denim off of my legs. Suddenly they were gone, and James was right in front of me. He had his own shirt off.

I kicked the jeans off my ankles, grateful to have the wet, uncomfortable fabric away from me. He wrapped one hand behind my neck and pulled my head toward his. His lips crushed into mine as his arm circled my waist.

His warm skin felt amazing against mine. I reached to undue my bra, desperate to get rid of the extra fabric, but he beat me to it, unsnapping and slipping it off.

I untied his pants, hastily pulling them down, delighted he wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

He moved on to my underwear next, pulling them down. I kicked them off my ankles as I’d done with my jeans.

I ran my hand up and down his chest, and he deepened the kiss. My body ached with need, and before long I took him in my hand.

That seemed to be the invitation he was waiting for, and he slid his hand down our bodies and between my legs.

I closed my eyes and focused on his hand. This wasn’t the first time he’d touched me. More detailed memories flooded my mind, making my need that much worse as I remembered how good the next step would feel.

I couldn’t wait a second more.

I pulled him down with me onto the sand. He lay on his back, and I climbed on top of him before eagerly adjusting myself over him. His eyes were lidded as I moved up and down him slowly.

“Ainsley,” he whispered my name, and it shot pleasure through me. He held onto my hips.

I sped up, needing more and more of him inside of me. I kept my eyes wide open—something I usually didn’t do in sex—and looked deep into his eyes. It felt like we were sharing memories of what had come before while simultaneously experiencing it all over again. His hands tightened on my hips, and I rode him, never wanting the experience to end. I soaked it up, strength and healing flowing through me with each movement.

I moved faster and faster, sweating and needing more and more of him. Then all in a whirl he flipped me over so I was in the sand. He didn’t break our connection, and it was his turn to thrust into me harder and deeper each time.

His mouth moved to my breast, and he bit down on my nipple as I held onto his back, pulling his body closer to mine. His skin was warm like the sand, and it was such a change from the chill of the realm of the dead. James wasn’t dead—he was so completely full of life, and I wanted as much of him as I could get.

“Ainsley,” he moaned my name and that did me in. He pushed me over the edge just as he reached his release.

“James.” I closed my eyes and focused on the pulsing feeling of him inside me.