Page 214 of The Storm

The shell is almost here. I don’t wait. Instead, I kick off my sneakers and wade straight into the water. The cold hits like a punch to the stomach, but I barely notice. The water climbs higher as I push forward, past my knees, then my thighs, then my waist.

I keep going.

Waves slam into me.

Blue finally looks up.

Our eyes meet through the rain. For a second, the oars stop, and he just stares.

I reach him just as another wave lifts the shell, and my fingers close around the grab handle.

He wipes the water out of his eyes. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” he yells over a clap of thunder.

I clutch the handle tighter. He slides out of the shell and wades toward me.

“You fucking idiot!” he shouts over the wind and the rain.

I let out something halfway between a laugh and a sob of sheer relief.

He shakes his head, and together we drag the shell toward the shore. Once we’re on dry land, we drop the shell, and I grab his hand and start to run toward the car. Thunder and lightning rage all around us as I tear the passenger side door open and push Blue inside before I sprint to the other side of the car and jump in. Once I slam the door shut behind me, the sound of the storm becomes muted.

We’re both sopping wet and I’m still barefoot. Blue drags a hand through his hair and over his face in an abrupt swipe.

“What the fuck, Nicholas?” he snaps. “What the hell were you thinking?”

I take him in—the water running down his face in rivulets, his hair plastered to his face, pale from the cold, shivering.

He’s never looked more beautiful.

Or more pissed off.

“You don’t run into the water in a thunderstorm!” he shouts. “They teach you that in grade school, Nicholas!” Another irritated swipe of his hand over his face. And a glare.

“You were out on the water in a shell, Blue.” I feel a sudden urge to laugh now that we’re safe and sound. “Pot and kettle and all that.”

He slumps back against his seat, eyes impossibly fierce and angry.

“Why…” His chest rises and falls with abrupt, shallow breaths. “Why are you here? What are you doing here?”

I lean forward, take his hand in mine, and link our fingers. With my other hand I grab the back of his neck and tug him toward me. And then I press my lips to his.

For a second, he goes completely still. But then his lips part beneath mine, and suddenly we’re both lunging forward, over the center console, meeting in the middle. His hands go to theback of my head, fingers threading through my hair. Our mouths collide in a desperate kiss.

Thunder and lightning rage all around us. He smells like rain and the sea, and his skin is ice cold to the touch, but his lips are warm, and his tongue, when it sweeps over mine, is burning hot.

My hands slide down to his waist, gripping it, then to his bare back underneath his shirt. Goosebumps spring up underneath my touch, and he lets out a shaky exhale. Tearing my mouth away from his feels impossible, but somehow I manage.

“You’re freezing,” I say. “We have to go.”

His eyes search mine for a moment, hazy with lust, but then he nods.

I press my lips to his for one more quick kiss before I let go and turn the car on. I set the heaters to blast hot air into the interior of the car.

“I’ll go put the shell away,” I say. “I’ll be back in a second.”

I jump out of the car before he can argue. Once I’ve put my soaked shoes back on and locked up, I sprint back to the car.

It doesn’t take long to get back to my apartment. It’s still raining heavily when we get out of the car, the clouds above dark and foreboding, so I make a run for the door, tugging Blue behind me.