Darkness swallowed the room. Brigid tried to keep her eyelids open but completely failed. “Why do you think he shut the door?”

Raider breathed deeply next to her, already asleep.

She turned on her side and cuddled a little closer to the natural heat he emanated. She yawned and then scooted close enough to rest her chin on his shoulder. He didn’t so much as twitch. With a small smile, she let herself drop off to sleep.

* * *

Raider came fully awake around dawn, acutely aware of the woman molded to his side. Her nose was pressed against his neck, her hand was flattened over his belly, her leg was bent at the knee and thrown over his, and her long, curly hair cascaded across his chest. Even after being dunked in the ocean, the faint smell of honeysuckle and vanilla wafted from her.

Her scent.

He went rock hard in an instant. The ache in his cock overtook every other pain in his body, and that was saying something.

She murmured his name against his skin, and he shuddered.

Her eyelids slowly opened, revealing those staggering emerald eyes. She blinked, but her expression remained languorous, and her touch light. The hand on his stomach slid across his abs and up his chest, and she made a purring sound that nearly broke his control.

He swallowed. “Brigid.” Was she even completely awake?

“Yes.” Her eyes cleared, but she didn’t halt her exploration. “We almost died last night.”

The blood rushed so fast through his veins, he wasn’t sure his heart muscle could survive it. “We lived.”

She kissed his shoulder, having to turn her head to do it. “Are you in pain?”

He was about to fucking explode. “No.” Was that his voice? Gritty and Southern?

“Hmmm.” She walked her fingers up his neck and beneath his jaw. “You saved me. Jumped with me right out of that boat before the missile hit.”

Oh. He shuddered out a breath. “I just did my job. No need for gratitude.” So that’s what was going on.

She chuckled and used the knee on him to give herself leverage, sliding over him, landing on top of him. “I’m not feeling all that thankful, Raider. Yet.” She nipped beneath his jaw.

What the hell? He was trying to be a decent guy, but he was only a man. And sometimes not that good a one. He allowed himself the luxury of sliding his hand through her thick curls to knead her nape. Soft skin, silky hair, delicate bone structure. “Irish? I’m about at the end of my tether here,” he murmured.

She partially lifted up. “Good. It’s about time.” Then she kissed him, her knees dropping on either side of his hips, her sex pressed against his.