Chapter Nine

Words failed him as Caleb struggled to memorize Diana’s profile.

Beautiful wasn’t a big enough word for the artistry in the angles of her high cheekbones and the glorious joy emanating from her wide smile as they sailed into the new day. Her long black braids hung down her back, and the morning sun sparkled in her eyes. She was a goddess.

As if she could hear his thoughts, she glanced his way with an infectious grin that made his heart race. She raised a brow. “You didn’t warn me how amazing it would be to sail into the sunrise.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Words don’t do it justice.”

“True.” She leaned into him slightly, the warmth of her body making him ache to hold her and never let her go. She pointed at the waves as they entered the Atlantic. “The way the sun is peeking over the horizon and the light dances on the water reminds me of the stories my aunt used to tell me about water elementals. The flashes of light are like the sparks of invention and magic of possibilities.” She met his eyes. “Like anything is possible.”

He brought his hand to the small of her back, and when her arm moved around his waist, his pulse raced with the realization that from the depths of his soul, there seemed to be a part of him yearning to be near her, to bask in the light of her free spirit.

It made no sense, really. He was a man of science. The sun wasn’t actually lifting up out of the horizon. The earth was spiraling around it. But for once, he simply enjoyed seeing the world through her lens.

If magic really existed, she would be the embodiment of it.

And for the first time in over two hundred years, he yearned for something his books would never be able to supply.

Affection.

Why now? For lifetimes, science had been his constant companion. He’d had love once with Abigail before he ever took a sip from the Grail. That had been enough. Some people never found it. He had.

He’d marked the experience off as if it were just another item on his life goals. Companionship seemed unnecessary in the face of lifetimes of knowledge and discovery.

But he’d never met anyone like Diana. He wanted to know everything about her.

He wanted her.

Fuck. What was he thinking?

He wasn’t thinking.

That was even more terrifying.

“Are you all right?” She nudged him. “I can’t believe you’re passing up the opportunity to tell me the sparkles are just the sunlight refracting off the water?”

“No.” He tightened his hold on her and shook his head as he stared out at the horizon. “I like your explanation better.”

He didn’t recognize himself.

She rose on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”

He chuckled and looked over at her, his gaze falling to her full lips. “They would never believe you.”

Her grin widened as her eyes wandered over his face. “You surprise me.”

“How so?”

She shrugged and faced the water again. “When we first met, you dismissed me and my dreams. You didn’t even want to go on this trip. What’s changed?”

Everything. He followed her gaze to the endless horizon. “I’m fairly certain it’s related to your influence. No one else has ever encouraged me to ignore science before.”

She squeezed his waist and looked up at him. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

He smiled. “Good.”

Someone coughed behind them, and Caleb turned to find Drake rubbing his chin. “Don’t mean to interrupt, but Flynn needs you at the helm.”

Caleb nodded and turned to Diana. “I’d better go.”

She grinned and stepped back. “I’m sure we’ll bump into each other again. The boat’s not that big.”

He nodded and forced himself to turn around. He already missed the heat of her body close to his. The intoxicating energy of desire was fresh and new and…addicting.

…

Diana watched his ass as he walked away before looking over at Drake. “I saw you running those lines earlier. I’m impressed.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “It’s second nature to me now.” He paused. “Is this your first time sailing?”

“Does it show?”

He had a deep laugh that made her smile. When they’d first met, he’d been frantic about getting his hands on magic to save Heather. Diana still didn’t know why he’d been so sure Heather’s life had been in danger, but the root Diana had made for him must’ve worked because Heather seemed to be in perfect health. And now she was a member of the crew along with him.

“Do you ever worry you might fall, now that you’re mortal?” Diana asked.

He shrugged. “I move fast up there, but I’m always careful. I’ve never fallen, and I don’t plan to.” His eyes sparkled. “But Heather won’t watch our ratline races. She’s more worried than I am.”

“I’d love to try it sometime.” Diana grinned. “I work out at the cirque gym in Savannah. Mostly trapeze and aerial work, so I feel like I could do it without falling.”

“Best view on the ship up there.” He squinted, looking up at the lines. “I could show you.”

Diana gasped. “Really?”

“Sure.” Drake nodded. “We won’t go up far, but you could give it a try.”

Diana followed Drake over to the right side of the boat.

She wasn’t sure if it was starboard or port or whatever they called it, but it didn’t really matter.

He stopped and looked over at her. “We usually take a running jump and start climbing, but I could boost you up.”

“A boost would work.” She reached her arms up toward the ropes, and Drake gripped her waist, lifting her until she grabbed the lines. Funny how his touch didn’t send electricity through her bloodstream like every tiny caress from Caleb did. Drake seemed more like a big brother or a cousin. There wasn’t the same chemistry.

Hanging by her hands, she contracted her core muscles and pulled her legs up to the ropes. So far so good. She kept her focus on the next rungs of the rope ladder.

The old hymn her grandmother used to sing about climbing Jacob’s ladder filled her head as she placed her hands up on the next rung, pulling herself a little higher.

From below, Drake called, “That’s it. Hold on tight and I’ll join you.”

Caleb’s voice surprised her. “What the hell are you doing?”

She peered down at the deck, shocked to see she was probably about three stories up already.

Drake crossed his arms. “She wanted to try climbing the lines. I was teaching her how.”

“You’re going to get her killed.” Caleb shoved him back and jumped up to catch the lines. The entire webbing of ropes bounced, making her squeak as she tightened her grip to keep from being thrown off.

Caleb reached her in three minutes tops. She was impressed.

Concern shone in his eyes. “Are you all right?”

Diana chuckled. “I was until you turned into Tarzan and almost bounced me off the ropes.”

He studied her face as a sheepish smile started to tug at his lips. “Sorry. I…” He shook his head, hooking his forearm through the rung so he could free his other hand without falling. He rested his hand over hers and again sent a little zing of energy and desire shooting through her entire body. “I’m…out of practice.”

She raised a brow. “I don’t know, I thought you were pretty fast racing up here.”

“Not with the lines. With…” He paused, clearly struggling to find the right word. “…feelings.”

She shouldn’t have liked hearing he had feelings for her. They were complete opposites. He was all science and material proof, and she had learned to put her trust in intuition. Beyond that, there was the ocean of time between them. He was probably born at least two hundred years before her.

In spite of all those obstacles, there was definitely a connection growing between them that she was having a tough time denying.

“I thought we decided we were not making any rash decisions. We’re concentrating on searching for a city you think is make-believe. Right?”

His gaze wandered over her face, and she swore disappointment flashed in his eyes before he squeezed her hand and went back to gripping the ropes again. For a split second, she’d never felt so alone. She was miles away from her family and friends and dry land back in Savannah, sailing into the unknown.

She stared out at the horizon, enjoying the way the wind blew through her box braids. The ship bobbed as it cut through the water, adding to the dreamlike quality of the moment. The sunlight sparkled on the water ahead of them, beckoning them to follow.

“I wish I could see this voyage through your eyes.” His voice was soft as if he didn’t want to break the spell they found themselves under.

She smiled, without taking her eyes off the horizon. “It wouldn’t make any sense to you. I just put my whole life on hold to sail to coordinates that came to me in a dream. There’s no logical reason for me to be on this ship, but if I wasn’t, I would’ve missed this sunrise.” She risked a glance his way to find him staring at her. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I know that to the depths of my soul. I don’t understand why yet, but I trust that I will when the time is right.” She shrugged, facing the horizon again. “I guess if I had a little more of your passion for concrete facts, it would help me keep my feet on the ground and build my business.”

She waited for him to agree and come back with a barrage of scientific facts firmly based in this material plane, but he didn’t.

“Science has been my savior over the years, but it’s never made me feel the way I do with you.”

She turned, and his blue eyes seemed to open a window into a soul that had seen more lifetimes than she could imagine. She rested her weight into the ropes and hooked her arm through, freeing her hand to catch his. He interlaced his fingers with hers.

His hand was larger than hers, calloused and rough. She suddenly had the image of yin and yang, opposites that create balance. Her gaze rose to his face.

“I’m not going to live forever like you.” She searched his eyes. “There’s no future for us.”

“I know.” He broke eye contact, staring down at their hands. “But I can’t reconcile these feelings.”

She leaned in closer to him, the rope biting into the crook of her arm. “What if we just pretend on this trip that you’re mortal like me?”

What was she doing? But now that the words were out of her mouth, she caught herself hoping he’d agree.

He met her eyes. “I think that’s a fool’s game. The trip will end. And it will…hurt.”

She lifted their joined hands. “I’m going to tell you a little secret that you’re not going to want to believe.”

A corner of his mouth pulled up and his eyes sparkled. “All right.”

“We were both having dreams about whatever is happening with the tides. We’re both a part of this, and we’re right where we’re supposed to be. My aunt used to always say that ‘everything is in Divine order,’ and I believe that with my whole heart.”

A crease formed on his forehead, and she could almost see the cogs in his beautiful mind churning. “Even if I were to throw science overboard and admit our dreams might be connected to this voyage, how would pretending I was mortal be a part of some divine plan?”

“It wouldn’t be.” Laughter bubbled from her throat. “It’s a horrible idea.”

Confusion lined his features. “Then why did you suggest it?”

Her smile softened as she studied every angle on his face. “Because I’ve never met anyone like you, either. You make me laugh and frustrate me, and I want to lie to myself and say we can ignore the immortality issue. Deep down, I think the chance to be with you would make the pain at the end of the trip worth it.”

He lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers. “I could forget my immortality for a few days.”

Her heart skipped a few beats. Were they really going to do this? She raised a brow. “You know there’s a good chance we’ll be kicking ourselves when we get back to Savannah, right?”

He freed his hand from hers and brought it up to caress her cheek. His smile stole her breath as he whispered, “I can run the probabilities later.”

She laughed as he pressed a slow, tender kiss to her lips that had her toes curling inside her shoes. His tongue brushed her lower lip, a temptation.

He pulled back, resting his forehead on hers. “Now can I help you down?”

“I can do it myself.” She started moving down to prove her point.

She tipped her head to look up at him and found him smiling at her. Heat pooled low in her belly as the voice of reason warned she was getting into treacherous waters with this man.

But she shoved the thought aside. They’d both dreamed about Savannah being pummeled by waves before they’d even met. She had to believe there was a reason destiny was drawing them together.

Hopefully, it wasn’t to smash them against the rocks.

And if that truly was her fate, she was going to live every day to its fullest. She was through hiding behind her work.

It was time to live and love again. Even if it would only be for a few days, even if it meant heartbreak in the end.