Tired, I stretched. My body felt heavy, as if I'd been through more in the last few days than I wanted to admit. Had I fallen asleep?

I blinked against the pale morning light and then that scent hit me—warm, soft, sweet. Damn. My grip on the slender figure in my arms tightened, almost unconsciously. Leora.

She was sleeping deeply and peacefully, her breathing even, and I could see that yesterday's pallor was slowly fading from her face. She looked better. And that calmed me more than it should have.

The human body was far too fragile. Too weak. She could have died out there on that damned boat—all because...