Page 34 of Tail, Dark and Handsome: Celestial Mates
She listened to the wood creak, feeling green. Once she had been on a ship when the stabilizers failed. The entire vessel rolled and rocked, tossed about as if caught in a storm. The crew maintained calmness, even as passengers cried either in fear or from their injuries. She had never felt so helpless in her life.
Winter returned. He unfastened the drenched life preserver and settled a thick towel around her shoulders. “All is well.”
“Ohmigod, I can’t believe you’re such a liar.” She clutched the towel around her, already missing the reassuring weight of the life preserver.
A low thrumming noise came from the depths of the boat. The floor seemed to vibrate underneath her feet. Biting her lip to keep from whimpering, she buried her face against Winter’s shoulder.
He stiffened for a brief instant, then shifted to hold her against him. His large hands rubbed her back. “That is the engine. I disabled the sail, and the computer is sending us to the nearest port.”
“No one is at the helm?” A ship without a pilot was more frightening than being tossed about on a stick of wood in an endless ocean. Computers were good enough for basic tasks, but a person needed to be there if anything went hinky.
“Autopilot is on and Zero is at the helm.”
“He’s a smart kid and all but—”
“All is well,” Winter interrupted her, his voice a low, thrumming purr. It felt so nice to be held. Rocking back and forth gently in his arms, she couldn’t tell if it was the motion was him or the ship. He continued to rub her back, and the tension gradually lifted.
A peaceable quiet stretched between them, the only sounds the water and the hum of the engine. It was almost nice. She had no idea he could be tender and kind, even though Zero had said as much. A man who would hold a frightened passenger until they calmed was not the belligerent snob the media portrayed him to be. This man was more than what had been written about him.
He broke the silence with, “Why did you come if you’re afraid of the water?”
“I’ve never been sailing. I’m trying to embrace new experiences that the universe gives me. Also, I had no idea that sailing sucks. No offense.”
He huffed but sounded amused rather than offended.
Footsteps thundered down the short flight of steps into the cabin. “What are you…oh.”
Zero gaped at them, eyes wide in surprise. A slow grin spread across his face. “Never mind.” He turned and ran back up the stairs.
Winter sighed. “I should check on whatever that was.” He hesitated. “We are ten minutes from docking. It is the nearest available port. If your stomach can handle a meal, we’ll eat before taking a transport back to your hotel.”
“What about the boat?”
His ears did a sort of swivel that looked all the world like a shrug. “I pay a fee and the rental agency will retrieve the boat. It is not a concern.”
Great gas giants, it must be nice to have enough money to not worry about paying fees and losing deposits. This considerate side of him was unexpected and really nice.
“Thank you,” she said with sincerity.
His answering smile seemed just as sincere.
Winter
He rubbed the side of his face against the top of her head, marking her with his scent gland. It was wrong. He needed to stop, but she smelled of saltwater and sunscreen, sunshine and the wind.
And now she carried his scent too.
Winter rubbed a hand over his face, which was a mistake. The action only seemed to increase the intensity of her scent.
He climbed onto the deck, taking deep breaths of fresh air to clear his head.
“What is happening? Is Marigold well? Does she require assistance?” Zero fidgeted nervously, looking down to the cabin below.
“She is not a sailor,” Winter answered. “We will cut our voyage short and dock, for her comfort.”
Zero agreed. “I’ll bring her water.” He grabbed a cold bottle and dashed below deck.
Hydration was a wise choice unless the female was nauseated. Still, better for Zero to attend to his guest. Winter required a moment to clear her alluring scent from his nose.
