Page 74 of If I Go Down with This Ship

“At first!”he exclaims.He stands, hands on his hips.“And when you did know, when you returned to the beach, but stumbled upon a snake and simply couldn’t leave?”

“Yes!”I throw up my hands.“That is exactly what happened, believe it or not.What else do you want from me?”

He turns on me, hands going to my shirt.“I want you to trust me, Laszlo.I want you to believe that I won’t betray you—betray us.”

Us.

Us.

There’s that word again.Why does it hold so much power?He is so close now, his eyes wide and furious, his lips parted as he searches my features, but all I hear as I stare back at him isus.

“But I thought… I thought you and she were… and when I woke up this morning, and you told me…” I say, trailing off.

“I want you,” he says softly.“Since the moment you stepped aboard my ship, I wanted you.You strange man, I wantyou.You act as though you’ve taken on risks, that you’re too frightened of change, when you’ve handled this strange fate that’s been thrust upon you as if you were always meant for this.”One of his hands runs up my chest, over my neck, and into my hair.My eyes flutter closed, and I revel in the feel of his hand, the soft kiss of metal against my skin from his rings, the rough calluses on his fingers as they ghost over me.“I never wanted Charlotte, Laszlo.”

“But she wanted you.”

“Maybe,” he says.“But that doesn’t change us.”

Us.

God, I’ll never get used to hearing that.I never thought someone would feel this way for me.I cover his hand with mine, his fingers still bunched in my shirt.

“I’m sorry I listened in on your conversation with Charlotte.It wasn’t my place, I know.”

He smiles sheepishly.“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.About her.”

“I don’t blame you.I mean, look how it turned out.”I shrug.“But I have to know.When you danced with Charlotte…?”

He laughs.“I felt it was the best way to teach you to trust me.If we’re going to make this work, you must trust me, Laszlo.”

“It was still very rude.”

He chews on his bottom lip.“Laszlo, I only want you.”He leans forward as if to kiss me, but I press a hand to his chest.

“Uh-uh, I have more questions.”

Dropping his outstretched hand, he raises a brow.“Go ahead.”

“The drinking?”

“I didn’t drink.”

I scoff.“That’s not possible.There had to be at least a dozen empty bottles there.”

“You underestimate Charlotte,” he says, raising a brow.

I squint at him.“And the blowing up of things on the beach?”

“I had to keep Charlotte busy.For my plan to work, I needed more people and guns.I didn’t expect Charlotte or anyone to come, but we were lucky when she showed up.”

I wave a hand.“So you kept her busy for as long as possible to stall for the ship.”

Silas nods, grinning.“And the best way to do that—”

“Is blowing shit up.And drinking.”I shake my head.“You’re kind of magnificent, you know.”Sighing, I flop down onto the sand.

Settling beside me, he hooks his pinky with mine.“I’m entirely lucky this all worked out for the best.I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome than this.”