Rylander grabbed my shoulder, his palm blistering even through my shirt. “You are insolent. You never listen. And you are a danger not only to yourself but to others. Why have a brain if you aren’t going to use it?”

“Really? Well, since we are finally being honest—” I pushed out of his grasp and took several steps backward. “You are a daft fop. Your ego is so big I imagine walking through doorways is a challenge for your massive head.” My hands framed my skull and expanded into a larger dome. “And if you think I’m the threat, you are devaluing your own rash behavior.” I dropped my arms in fists.

Rylander matched my movement, trapping me between himself and the wall of the tavern at my back. His hands pressed into the boards, caging me in. “None of this was necessary. You are impulsive and naïve. You act as if you don’t love anyone. Including yourself.”

“I love.” I stuck my nose into the air. “I love the sea.”

Rylander rolled his eyes. “Really? Well, the sea is a cruel mistress, and her cold embrace won’t keep you alive. Maybe if you loved those of flesh and blood, you’d actually care whether your heart ticks.”

“You are arrogant and foolish. This isn’t a fairytale you recite to Princess Savina. This is real life, and few people are worth loving.” A pang pierced my heart as my father’s hard, bearded face rose to my mind’s eye. I’d loved him, yet I’d never known him. But I couldn’t show that weakness, not in front of him. “You behave more like a prince than a bandit.”

Rylander dropped his arms and roared at the sky. He raked his palms down his face and exhaled a heavy sigh. “You are incredibly difficult, royally frustrating, and ridiculously beautiful. It drives me mad.”

My mouth opened, but he’d struck me mute. Had I heard him right?

Rylander gripped my hair at the back of my head and angled my chin upward. His lips were on mine before I took my next breath. There was no softness or patience to this kiss. His fist tightened, forcing my head back further. His tongue slipped passed my lips, demanding entrance, and I acquiesced. No fighting. No thinking. No questions. Only submission like two magnets pulled toward one another.

My fingers dug into his lower back, bringing our bodies flush. His mouth scorched mine as it explored. We exchanged kisses like strikes. But if this were battle, I wouldn’t know the victor. His hands dropped from my hair to my shoulders, sliding down my arms in a trail of heat. I lifted on my toes, trying to get closer to him, my breaths coming harder, faster.