Cain swore as he battled to keep control of the cruiser.

They were only twenty-four hours into the journey, halfway to Seychelles.

One moment everything had been quiet, the next the storm had come raging out of nowhere.

He’d smelled the electricity in the air a second before lightning lit up the horizon, then thunder had crashed and the skies had opened up. The raindrops pelted him, each one the size of a small pebble. They hit his bare arms, his neck and face, sending arrows of pain zinging through his nerve endings.

He pushed the hair out of his eyes and leaned forward. Ahead of him were sheets of water, and beyond that darkness. He could barely see the outline of the steering wheel in front of him.

A touch on his shoulder had him turning.

Eve’s eyes flared, the violet sparks lighting up her face.

For a second, he forgot that they were in the middle of the sea and caught in a storm. He was riveted by the flecks of blue that floated in her vertical irises. It was as if an inner fire was beginning to spark, lighting her up from the inside out.

She wore a lifejacket and held another one in her hands. Around her waist was a utility belt. Seeing him glance at it, she raised her shoulders before letting them drop. “Medical supplies, just in case...”

She didn’t complete the sentence, but he knew she was right to prepare for the worst. He’d have done the same.

She closed the gap between them to place the jacket over his shoulders. Sliding around, she stood in front of him and buckled him up.

A big wave lifted the boat just then, causing it to tilt back. She collided with his chest, her arms finding his waist and gripping it.

Water poured over them with a force that had him gasping.

The foam swirled over her head, covering him, burning his eyes. He couldn’t see a thing.

Then the boat glided down what seemed like forever but must have been less than ten seconds. With a noise that sounded like another crack of thunder, the vessel hit the sea. More water poured over them.

The boat heaved as it was hurled off the top of a wave and into the trough, dropping so fast that he had to keep his teeth clenched shut so as not to bite his tongue.

Over the screaming winds, he felt the vibrations ripping through the floor.

The smell of ozone and electricity in the air had the hair on his forearms standing on end. His senses screamed they were in danger just before something slammed him in the back.

Red and white pain stabbed through him. He couldn’t prevent the groan that boiled up from his throat.

He grabbed her shoulders to steady himself, relieved when the agony receded to a dull ache.

“The boat is breaking apart.” Eve slid out from his hold.

Balancing herself on the swaying deck, she stretched her upper body over the railing so she hung halfway over the side. The wind plastered her clothes to her skin. The waves lashed her.

It was as if she was daring the elements.

He took a step toward her, worried that she was going to lose her balance and tip over.

The boat pitched again. He grabbed on to the steering wheel to keep himself from losing his balance.

When he straightened, she was still in the same place.

Her body rose and fell, adjusting with the movement of the sea. It was as if she were in rhythm with the ebb and flow of the waves. Of course, her dragon was used to riding air currents, so getting in tune with nature was innate to her.

He sensed her body still as she focused inward.

The air around her thinned, going transparent, and violet sparks shimmered, coming into focus then fading away. She’d tried to shift and failed.

The boat shuddered. It reared up the next wave, water slapping over the bow.

The wind screamed through the cruiser, slapping him back against the side of the cockpit.

He swung around to find her standing straight, legs braced against the impact. The water gushed over her, stretching her hair back behind her, and still she didn’t move.

A loud scream rent the air as the waves ripped through the hull. Like a living, angry creature, it forced its way through the planks of wood which burst from the seams and went flying.

The boat was breaking in half.

Letting go of the wheel, he made his way to where she stood. When he hauled her close, her body was still, unyielding.

He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him.

Her skin was flushed, splotches of red streaking her cheekbones. Her muscles quivered, as if her body was drawing in energy, getting ready to unleash it.

His heart pounded, and fear laced his blood. He hadn’t seen her come back to life to die again, not like this.

Another flash of lightning lit the sea, turning the surf into shattered diamonds. It brought out the ruby-red highlights in her hair, turned her face into a that of a dangerous creature.

“I can’t shift, doesn’t mean I can’t swim.” Her chin thrust out in challenge. “You’re not afraid of the water, are you, cat?” Her eyes slit vertical and blazed with gold and shattered-violet flames.

His dragoness took his breath away.

He tightened his grip on her. He yanked her close so she was molded to him, her figure all but plastered to his side. Pulse pounding at his temples, he swore. “Does nothing scare you, woman?”

The wind whipped her hair across her face, and she flung it out of her eyes.

You.

Had she said that out loud or had she whispered it to him in his mind?

She tipped back her head, breasts brushing against his chest. Curving her body over his, she flicked her tongue across his lips.

It reminded him of when she’d clung to his arm and drawn strength from him and asked him to stay with her. He’d promised her then he wouldn’t leave her.

She’d been unconscious then. She was alive and vital now.

She was a burning flame that would only grow more vibrant with age. He wanted to grow old with her.

Fucking hell. Where had that thought come from?

“Shall we?” Her lips pulled back.

Before he could reply, she took a step forward, and another, yanking him along, eyes glinting, mouth wide in a smile that was almost a snarl.

Running to the edge, she jumped, taking him with her.