The friction of the sand on my feet.

The lick of air on my skin.

The raw violence emitting off Sully.

It was a complex cocktail full of desire and demented danger.

My heart once again couldn’t cope.

It skipped and pitter-pattered.

I folded in half as my core crippled me with need.

Sully never let me go, dragging me behind him like his captive. A captive who he had no intention of sleeping with even though she’d begged.

I tried to touch myself.

I tried to give in to the rapidly clawing new release, but his pace wouldn’t allow me. He kept going, ignoring my whimpers and cries, his erection staying trapped and unsatisfied against his stomach.

“Sully. I can’t!” I moaned as we broke onto the beach, leaving the pathway and its tunnel of jungle behind. “I can’t. I’m breaking—”

“You’re breaking me, Jinx.” He scooped me into his arms again, sending me into wanton drunkenness. “Fight it harder. Give me a little more time.” He struck off into a limping lurch, running for the sea.

Each jiggle.

Each smash of our skin.

It drove me insane.

My system was primed, my thoughts drowning in sex. I hadn’t reached the second stage of elixir yet, and shame did its best to stop me from being this rabid feral beast.

I didn’t want to be this unhinged creature.

I didn’t want my heart constantly threatening to cease.

Stop it!

Do what he says and fight!

But his skin was too hot. His smell too rich. His cock so close with temptation.

My lips found his throat again, making him stumble. I tried to get my hand between us, to fist his erection and break him into fucking me right here beneath the black velvet of a sky that would keep our sordid secrets.

I wanted to be spread-eagled as he feasted on me. I wanted to arch my back as he thrust into me. I wanted to be used, abused, taken, devoured.

I bit him hard enough to break his skin, tasting fresh blood mixed with old. I hurt him. I hurt him even though he’d been hurt so much before. And I would continue to hurt him until he gave in, until he filled me, took me—

“I can’t do this anymore!”

“You have no choice!” he snarled, leaving dry land behind with me clutched in his embrace.

Water splashed my back and ass as Sully left the shores of his invaded paradise and waded into the sea. He hissed with pain as saltwater lapped at his raw ankles, wounded leg, and every other cut and graze he’d earned in his battle with his brother.

I tried to put his welfare first.

I truly, truly did.

I attempted to be my usual rational self.

Fight it!

But the second I thought I had control over myself, I slipped. I fell. I didn’t care that his chest still stung with soreness. I didn’t care his fingertips had scabs from being pierced with nails. I didn’t care that his leg had been speared with an agonising harpoon.

All I cared about was his body in mine.

He’d survived all that.

He could survive giving me what I needed.

Sully groaned as water lapped over his waist, his pain vibrating over the sea.

A flash of worry came and went.

He was bleeding.

He was heading to open waters.

Sharks.

Sharp teeth.

Death.

Who cares?

You’ll die if you don’t come.

I gave up trying to beg and turned vicious instead.

Thrashing out of his arms, I squirmed until he let me go as deep water cradled me.

He grabbed my wrist. “Swim with me. The sooner we’re on Lebah, the sooner you’re safe.” Pushing off from the bottom, he struck into a powerful swim, keeping hold of me and dragging me beside him.

Water cascaded over my head as I sank, then broke the surface again. My hair streamed behind me, the ocean teased me, and the blistering need to orgasm made me so unbelievably selfish.

I climbed onto his back, twining my arms around his waist and finding his cock.

He choked and sank.

His hands shoved mine away, his feet kicking for the surface.

He tried to push me off him.

And I did the most unforgivable thing.

I wrapped both legs around his, ruining any chance of buoyancy, sinking us like a stone.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

FUCK EVERYTHING THAT WAS fucking holy.

She’s going to kill us.

Either on land or sea by sex or gun, she’d just signed our death warrants because how the hell was I supposed to save her when she didn’t want to be saved?

Drake would be occupied for hours. Jealousy had sacrificed herself in Eleanor’s place. I’d killed four of his guards, but who knew how many were left.

The fact we’d gotten this far was a goddamn miracle.

I ran on the dregs of energy.

Tritec-87 had granted me accelerated healing and strength, but not enough to fight a demented creature thirsting for sex.

Every muscle fought a battle of sickness and salvation. My body needed nutrition and stamina. My eyes needed more medicine and rest. And my peace of mind needed to get Jinx off this goddamn island before it was too late.

But no.

She had to be drugged and as high as a motherfucking kite with lust.

And it wasn’t her fault.

It was mine.

I took full responsibility for this rescue disaster.

But I still cursed her inability to fight it. Still hated that she’d fed me elixir and shown me what sort of agony she drowned in. That I’d experienced the shame, the pain, the unstoppable drive for sex first-hand.

Of course, she couldn’t fight it.

I hadn’t been able to.

No one on this planet could win against a drug carefully designed to hijack the mental and nervous system of its host.

My lungs burned as we fought beneath the surface. She was like a fucking octopus with her hungry tentacles and eager hands. She’d hate herself for this. This wasn’t her. She’d curse every heartbeat because she was the sweetest, most caring person I knew.

I forgave her delays and demands even while I cursed her.

But her actions would kill us...

And I couldn’t permit that to happen.

I couldn’t let her be her own worst enemy.

Her legs tangled tighter with mine as she tried to swim around me. I kicked for the surface, breaking the seal and dragging a sharp breath into my lungs just as her lips wrapped around my cock.

Holy shit—

She sucked.

Hard.

She willingly drowned herself by blowing me.

Goddammit!

Dipping beneath the surface again, I pushed her mouth away, wincing at the threat of her teeth. She gasped as I yanked her from the depths. Water poured over her head, her hair rippled with the blackness of the tide. Her grey gaze reflected starlight with a manic kind of misery.

She’d never looked more stunning or so sad.

My chest ached for her. My cock throbbed for her. I cupped her cheeks as tenderly as I could, and whispered, “Please, Eleanor. Give me an hour. Swim with me. Ignore it. The minute we get to Lebah, I’ll fuck the ever-living elixir out of you. You have my word—”

Wrong thing to say.

She pounced on me like a water nymph.

We both plummeted beneath the surface again as her legs wrapped around my waist. She became an anchor, a snare I couldn’t get free from. Her pussy rubbed enticingly against my cock, making my hips thrust instinctually.