He moved to away an inch and she looked up at him, lust clouding her vision.
‘I can’t keep my hands off of you,’ he gritted, running his fingers down one side of her face and wincing as he noticed the small patch of blood staining the front of her dress.
Logic told him that the blood was likely from his own cut knuckles, but the sight of her pale skin next to the red smear was enough to sober him just for a moment. He tried to fish though the haze of his memory but drew up nothing but blankness.
‘Roman, I need to know what happened back there.’ She spoke slowly, as though afraid she might set him off again.
‘I don’t want to talk right now.’ He shook his head, pulling himself away from the heat of her, inch by inch, even as his body screamed in protest.
It was colder without her in his arms, but safer.
‘Talk to me,’ she said simply.
‘I’m not good at talking, Olivia.’ He turned to sit heavily on the leather sofa of the saloon. ‘Guns trigger something inside me. Even the thought of guns, apparently.’ He laughed cruelly.
‘There was no gun, Roman,’ she said. ‘No danger.’
He stood, his anger boiling over to the surface. ‘You think I don’t know that?’ he asked. ‘But in that moment, when my mind goes there...’
‘You are powerless to stop it?’ she offered helpfully.
Powerless. God, how he hated that term. Was there anything in the world more terrifying than being out of control of your own mind and body, even if only for a few moments?
Olivia moved to sit beside him, her thigh brushing his on the small settee.
‘You can talk about it with me, if it helps,’ she offered.
‘We are not all built for flowery conversations and sharing our dreams.’
Her eyes dropped and he realised he was doing it again—being needlessly cruel.
‘None of this would have happened if you hadn’t run off with my damn boat,’ he continued, seemingly unable to stop himself.
‘You deserved it,’ she said harshly.
‘For trying to protect your reputation?’ he said incredulously.
‘I don’t think my reputation has a thing to do with it, Roman. You attacked a stranger, dragged me back here like the hounds of hell were chasing you and then you kissed me like your life depended on it.’
She met his eyes without hesitation.
‘I kissed you to shut you up,’ he argued, turning towards the bridge that housed the control panel so they could get the hell out of here and he could find some space.
‘Now who’s running away?’ she challenged.
‘You’d prefer to wait around until local law enforcement arrives to question us both?’ he said darkly. ‘I didn’t even stop to see if I had hurt him.’
‘He was fine—just shaken. You don’t remember any of it?’ She frowned. ‘I got the chance to apologise quickly before you pulled me away.’
‘If you think an apology is enough to stop him from pressing charges...’
‘I told him that you were just a jealous lover.’ She winced, half smiling with embarrassment.
Roman took a moment to look at her, and the situation suddenly replayed in his mind like a bad movie. He pursed his lips and then, before he knew it, dark laughter erupted from his chest.
Olivia smiled, also seeing the humour in their situation, and soon she was laughing too. She had a great laugh, he thought to himself as they both returned to silence after a moment.
‘Thank you,’ he said, looking deeply into her eyes for a moment.