Depths of Salvation (Love on the Edge) (12 page)

Sadie

“ANOTHER ROUND!” LIZ
excitedly told the bartender.

“I think I need a water,” I said, not wanting to get drunk again, especially with my whole team here at the bar.

“Nonsense,” Liz said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and squeezing me. “You just outran the Trio! Celebrations are in order.”

We’d already celebrated for two hours, and honestly, I didn’t feel I merited it. I had reacted on pure instinct when I’d seen Nemo in jeopardy. If I’d used my head, thought through it logically . . . well, what I did wouldn’t have been what I’d chosen. But the end result? Nemo’s life was worth the risk. I thanked God for looking out for me today, took a deep breath, and sipped the third drink Liz ordered me.

“I’ll always be in your debt.” Nemo leaned into my shoulder, having had too many beers to stay level. “Like in those movies. I won’t be able to leave your side until I save your life or something.”

“Stop it.” I patted his hand that had come down on top of mine. “You owe me nothing. Except maybe not swimming out into open water like that again.”

He clenched his eyes shut and nodded, his movements exaggerated by the booze. “I thought I saw something that looked like more purple algae sprouting between the seaweed. Just barely caught a glimpse of color from the ship and went to check it out. I misjudged the distance.”

“It’s all right. We’ve lived and learned.” I nudged him backward, helping him sit up straighter in his seat. Ryan walked into the bar at that moment, nodded at Connell—who had been even more silent than usual if that was a possibility—and ordered a drink.

“You’ve had a hell of a day,” he said, grabbing the longneck the bartender offered.

“I suppose—“

“She saved my life!” Nemo shouted over me. “Distracted the Trio
and
outran them. Outsmarted them. She’s like Superwoman under the water.”

Ryan’s blue eyes widened, and he grinned.

“He was on board, Nemo.” My cheeks flushed. I was
so
not into the attention this story earned me. “It wasn’t a big deal, really.”

“I doubt that.” Ryan took a drink of his beer and glanced at Connell. “Would’ve paid to see it. What the hell did
you
do?” He nudged him.

Connell fiddled with the bottle in his hands, his elbows resting on the bar. He hadn’t said a word since we’d come inland, and while usually that wouldn’t send up a red flag for me, the cold look in his eyes did. I didn’t know what the hell bothered him, but it was driving me nuts.

He pushed backward, slipping off his barstool. “I need some air.”

Ryan and I watched while he sauntered out of the bar, the wooden doors swinging closed behind him.

Liz, Nemo, and the rest of my crew were already well into the fourth round, now taking bets on if I could do it again. I prayed to God I’d never have to, but knew their curiosity was purely adrenaline inspired. We’d all had close calls on the job—not as close as this, perhaps—but the huge rush of release that came from survival was contagious and intoxicating on its own.

“Don’t worry about him,” Ryan said, waving his hand in front of my eyes. I hadn’t taken them off the doors Connell had just walked out of. “He’s not big on socializing. I’m shocked he’s come inland this much at all.”

I nodded. Was that because of me? No, he’d made it clear he had no interest in me
that
way, which was for the best. Still, it didn’t stop my curiosity over what exactly it was about Connell that tickled underneath my skin. A constant urge to
know
him had taken up residence in my heart since I met him and the past week and a half had been pleasant—dinner every night, short conversations between bites that filled me more than some relationships that had lasted years in the past.

“Do you know the reasoning behind that?” I asked, finally focusing on Ryan.

“Not really. We’ve been friends since he started Slade’s gig, but we don’t exactly have long conversations.”

“No surprise there,” I said and sighed.

“He’s a solid guy, though. He doesn’t have to tell you his whole life story for you to learn that either. I’d trust him with my life any day, and I wouldn’t say that about most people. And then look at you today, being a lifesaver of your own.”

I pressed my lips together. I’d gotten that trustworthy sense about Connell too, even when he’d deliberately tried to push me away. Glad I wasn’t the only one, but I highly doubted Ryan was having secret fantasies about the man like I was. Heat flushed my cheeks again, and I stood up, headed toward wherever he’d disappeared to.

Ryan stopped me before I’d made it to the door. “If you push him, he’ll just dig in deeper.”

“I’d like some air, too.”

Ryan chuckled, his smile genuine and inviting. He was tall, muscular, and polite. Why couldn’t I have all the tingling, sparking sensations toward him? Why was the heat between my thighs and the ache in my chest zeroed in on the man who barely spoke to me? Was I broken?

“I’ve only known you a little while, Sadie, but from what you’ve shown and what I’ve heard?” He shook his head, stepping out of my way to the door. “You’re just like him.”

I didn’t know if that was supposed to be a compliment or if he pitied me, but I didn’t wait around to puzzle it out. Not only did I
not
want to talk about the incident with the sharks anymore with my team or the bargoers who were eager to hear the tale, but I couldn’t stand Connell’s silence a second longer.

Pushing through the doors I was instantly hit with the cool night air which carried the scent of the sea on its breeze. The sky was black, the stars and moon so crisp and sharp they painted the ocean beneath it in silver. The path to the beach was clear, so I turned my head to the left, my heart beating twice as hard when I spotted Connell leaning up against the bar’s wooden exterior.

I walked to him slowly, and with each step, my stomach flipped. I felt like I was in trouble like I was heading to a scolding of epic proportions, but I had no idea why. I hadn’t done anything wrong, though I could tell he was angry with me. The way his eyes had locked onto mine when we’d boarded the boat, the fire that roared there before the cold had iced them over.

“Something wrong, Connell?” The darkness made it hard to see him, his face only partially lit up by the glow from a burning torch at the other end of the building, where the patio seating started and wove around the back.

He pushed off the wall, walking past me to stare out at the ocean.

My muscles twisted themselves into knots. This was so different than the comfortable—totally mysterious but comfortable—silence I’d grown used to from him.

“Did I do something to offend you?” I pressed when he clearly wasn’t going to answer me. I tried to tell myself this was all because he held the power over my site, that his opinions only mattered because of business, but it was a lie. Something stirred deep down inside me, begged me to reach out and touch this man in more ways than one. Wake him up, shake him up, something.

He turned his gaze back to me, and the heat behind it was enough to make me take a step back. “No,” he said, his voice sharp.

“Then what is bothering you?”

“Who said anything was?”

“You’re uncharacteristically broodier tonight.”

He shook his head. “Don’t act like you know a thing about me.”

A sharp twinge hit my chest. “Don’t I?”

He huffed. “Because of a few nights drinking and a few days working together? Please.”

I turned my eyes to slits. “Sure. Act like I don’t
get
you . . . like I can’t understand your passion for the ocean or the job like you do.”

He shrugged but didn’t take his gaze off me.

“Are you mad because I’m faster than you?” I finally asked, curious if his pouting was over some wounded ego bullshit.

He scrunched his eyebrows together. “Are you fucking serious?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Are you?”

“No!” he yelled, and I was shocked at how much the tone stung my insides. I took another step back as he uncrossed his arms and stepped toward me. “Today? That was reckless!”

My eyes popped in shock. “You’re mad because I was
reckless
? You know as well as I do the stakes that come with jobs like ours; act like you would’ve done a damn thing differently. We were joking about all our close calls last week, what makes this one any different?”

A muscle in his jaw ticked and I reveled a bit at the obvious way I had gotten under his skin. Emotional Connell was better than completely closed off Connell. At least this way I may get beneath the surface of who he was.

I took a step closer to him. “Exactly. You and I may have different titles, but we’re the same.” Ryan’s earlier words echoed in my head. “We know that the end game is worth whatever risk it takes to get there. And Nemo’s life was worth it. I’d do it again if I had to.”

“You could have died!” He flung his arm to the side, pointing at the ocean as if he could still see the scene.

“Well, that would’ve made Slade do a victory dance. No one to stand in his way, and he could plow right through my site and save a hundred and twenty million—“

Connell’s advance cut off whatever else I’d been about to say. I retreated until my back hit the wall. He placed an arm on either side of my head, caging me in with his arms. The fire in his eyes was back, and the breath stalled in my lungs.

“You are worth more than that.”

I swallowed hard, my blood pulsing fast and hot through my veins. “How much more?”

His eyes trailed to my lips. “Everything. You’re worth it all.”

I blinked, and his lips were on mine, his tongue parting them and slipping inside. I gasped before my eyes shut and I took him in. My heart raced as he pressed his hard body against mine, and I tangled my fingers into his hair, yanking him to me. I didn’t realize how badly I’d craved his touch, his kiss, until he’d crossed that line, and I was so fucking glad he did. He tasted amazing, like warmth and salt and the sea and it made the ache between my thighs throb.

He kissed me like he was angry and happy with me at the same time. Like he wanted to devour
and
savor me. Like the battle deciding which one to do first drove him crazy. He trailed his tongue along the edges of my teeth before taking my face in his hands and angling it back to expose my neck. He set his mouth on the sensitive flesh behind my ear, slowly working his way down to my collarbone.

I arched into his body, needing to feel him, needing to know he wanted me as badly as I wanted him. I slipped my hands under his shirt, running my fingers over the sharp ridges of his abs before grabbing the muscles in his back.

“Sadie,” he whispered my name in my ear, the word more like a promise than a sigh. He claimed my mouth again, slipping his thigh between my legs, pushing against me with a glorious pressure I wished was something else.

“Boss?” Nemo called from outside of the bar entrance, and I froze in Connell’s embrace.

He quickly pushed off the wall, putting so much space between us I shivered from the drastic change in temperature.

“Yeah?” I said, and Nemo turned his head in my direction. “You two good? We’re about to head back to the lab, sleep there tonight instead of returning to the site.”

“Yes. Thanks, Nemo. I’ll be along in a bit.” My eyes cut to Connell’s, and while I had hoped I wouldn’t be around until
much
later, something about his stiff position told me I’d gotten my hopes up a little too soon.

“All right,” Nemo said and lunged at me. He wrapped me in a huge, bone-crushing hug. “Thank you.” His words were still slurred but tears bit the backs of my eyes at his gratitude.

I patted him on the back. “Go get some sleep. We still have work to do tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Night, Connell,” he said as he walked off.

My shoulders dropped as he made it out of sight.

“Connell?” I asked, reaching out for him.

He didn’t back away from my touch, but he didn’t react to it either. The coldness filtered deeper into my bones which only made me yearn for the heat I knew he was capable of.

“Shouldn’t have done that,” he finally said, the muscles in his forearm tightening underneath my touch.

“Why?” My voice was barely a whisper.

He reached up and pushed some hair out of my face, cupping my cheek in his hand for a few moments, his eyes never leaving mine. They were more open than I’d ever seen them, teasing me with the hope to find out who he really was, what he really felt.

Then he blinked, and the wall I easily recognized had returned.

He stepped backward and walked past me, in the opposite direction of my lab. I watched him until I couldn’t see him anymore, a mixture of hurt, want, and anger twisting in my blood.

I wanted to run after him and slap him, make him talk to me, make him give me an explanation for what the hell had just happened, and what he’d meant when he’d said I was worth everything.

Instead, I sucked in a deep breath and took the hot kiss for what it was.

A mistake brought on by his own fear of nearly seeing me die.

“Should we wait?” Liz asked from on board the ship, her oversize black sunglasses covering half her face. She hadn’t raised her voice, but I winced from the pain. My entire team was feeling last night’s celebration
,
and while I’d contemplated calling today’s exploration, I sucked it up and had everyone on board and waiting . . .