Page 10 of Drowning in Sins
There was something about her that I couldn’t figure out. A magnetism even science couldn’t explain. Her hair was piledat the top of her head, showcasing her neck. A tattoo of an anchor was on the back of it, a rope knotted and twisted as it disappeared past the collar of her shirt. I couldn’t help but wonder how far down that tattoo went. Or if it simply ended there.
Rosalyn turned to face me, then stepped to the side. “I thought I was the only one awake. There’s coffee if you want it.”
I approached her slowly before grabbing a cup and pouring some for myself. “Trouble sleeping?”
She half-smiled at me. “My mind couldn’t stay turned off long enough. I think it's a combination of excitement and nerves.” She kept both hands on her mug, as if it was warming her. “Can I tell you a secret?”
I nodded as I stepped closer. She could tell me anything. I took another step toward her, probably closer than I should, definitely more than she expected. Her eyes widened, and a flush covered her chest and crept up her neck.
“This is my first expedition since I graduated with my degree. I’m excited to get out there, but I’m also nervous I’ll disappoint the company,” she confessed softly.
I watched as a lock of hair fell loose from her messy bun. It was soft and had a wave to it. I couldn’t help but reach out to tuck it behind her ear. Any excuse to get closer and touch her. “You’re perfect.” I hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
She set her cup down and crossed her arms. “Nobody is perfect.”
My father said when he met mom, he knew instantly she was destined to be his. It was a feeling in his gut, as if his heart reached for hers. I never believed him. Nothing was meant to be everlasting. I couldn’t deny the pull the woman in front of me had though. A current that was stronger than me. It made my feet move on their own.
I clenched my jaw as I got closer, until my face was just above hers. I tilted my head down to her ear to whisper, “Do you feel it too?” I pulled back slightly, needing to look into her eyes. They were warm and inviting, begging me to stay.
Out of my peripheral vision, I saw her chest rise and fall faster. Her tongue ran across her lips, drawing my attention to them. I wanted to press mine against them. More than that, I wanted to bite them to see if they were as plush as they appeared. I wanted to draw blood and mark her as my own.
The nightmare came back to me, replaying in the back of my mind and twisting with dreams I didn’t have. Visions of us together, like a fantasy. She pressed closer. Visions of her with my brother, like an illusion of horror.
I hadn’t realized I was flush against her until her hands moved to my chest and pushed me away, but then she fisted my shirt as if she wanted to pull me back. My hands moved to her hips, my thumbs brushing against her bare skin between her shorts and shirt.
Just one kiss and then I’d back off. My head began to lower to hers until footsteps came from outside the room, causing us to jump apart. We grabbed hold of our cups with both hands before looking to see who entered the space.
Kai.
Of course it was. He looked frazzled as he entered the room, as if something were haunting him too. His eyes flickered between the pair of us in shock. I could only assume he wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up yet either. He shook it off with a forced smile.
“I guess I’m not the only one who couldn’t sleep.” He poured himself a cup.
The three of us stood in silence as we drank coffee. At some point, we all moved to a table and sat together with our mugs refilled, but nobody said a word.
I’m not sure how much time passed before everyone else awoke and joined us. It was like I blinked, and it went from the three of us in silence to everyone sitting down for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and potatoes were on a plate in front of me.
Rosalyn’s foot bumped mine under the table, and I glanced up to see a smile on her face as she dug into her breakfast. I pulled my feet back and ate quietly.
I needed to put more distance between us. There was something about her. A beautiful distraction I couldn’t have, as much as I wanted to reach out and touch her. It was too easy to imagine getting caught up with her in my arms. I wanted her legs wrapped around me as I thrust inside her. I wanted to swallow her moans before she threw her head back in ecstasy.
Definitely a dangerous distraction.
It only made me want her more when I glanced at Kai. It was nothing but a mess waiting to happen. I saw the way my brother looked at her. It was the same way I did. I needed to mark her as mine as much as I needed to push her away. I didn’t want to want her, but I didn’t want him to have her either.
Chapter Nine
ROSALYN
Warren and Alice had been going over the discovery for the last hour as we got closer to the site. They showed me and Tyler where they wanted us to start and the areas they wanted the primary focus to be on today. Beth would remain on deck and ready to help clean anything we brought up. Bryan was the only employee of their company who was SCUBA certified and was supposed to be videoing everything, so they could see from the ship.
We suited up on deck after the boat’s crew dropped anchor, then pulled out a hidden platform on the starboard side. Beth helped prepare the excavation forms, taping them to the boards and making sure all our tools were in the mesh bags Tyler and I would take down with us. I secured my mask and checked the numbers on the tank before signaling to the others.
Stepping off, I dropped into the water. Once Tyler and Bryan were in, we swam downward together. The water wasn’t as clear as I expected it to be in this area, growing darker and murkier the farther down we swam. It was like swimming in a thundercloud until we reached a certain depth and things mysteriously cleared.
A little deeper and I saw it—my first shipwreck. I had to remember to steady my breathing and calm my heartbeat, or I’d waste valuable oxygen. The adrenaline was rushing as we moved to the back of the wreck.
Bryan held the camera steady as Tyler and I swam toward what should’ve been the middle of the ship. I glanced around but didn’t see the other half of it anywhere nearby. The three of us carefully maneuvered to enter the wreckage.
