Page 141 of The Sky Pirate's Stowaway
If I had more strength, I’d ask him what he was thinking, but I couldn’t even open my eyes yet, let alone speak.
I heard the door to Max’s cabin open, shut, and the lock shift into place. Then Max sat down with me on his lap, and I snuggled into his chest. I wanted to stay here, wrapped in his warmth for the rest of my days.
His fingers made their way into my hair as his lips touched my temple, and he whispered, “Thank the goddesses you’re still with me, Kas.”
A drop of something wet and cold hit my cheek, and I finally found the strength to open my eyes when I realized it was a tear. Max was crying. My Max was crying, and it broke my heart.
Tilting my head up at him, I sent him a gentle smile. “Max.”
He let out a shaky, self-deprecating laugh. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to cry again. I just… for a minute there, I really thought I’d lost you.”
“But you didn’t. You saved me.”
He sniffled, and I pulled him down for a long, lingering kiss that healed me more than anything else could. My magic felt worn out and almost… disheveled, but the rest of me was filled with a warmth only my Max could provide.
Phoenix tails, I never wanted to leave this man. I… I didn’t know if I could.
After a long few minutes, our lips parted, and I found the strength to ask, “What happened? How did you get me out of there? Isn’t Viper just going to—”
“Viper’s dead.” Max swallowed hard. “I’m captain now.”
I blinked up at him, then remembered bits of conversation happening around me while I was plugged in and after Max saved me. My brow furrowed. “Did you make Ariella your first mate?”
He sent me a small grin. “Yes. She accepted.”
“Good choice.” I cleared my throat and cupped his cheek. “He’s really gone? Viper’s dead?”
“He was dead before I threw his body overboard. You have nothing to worry about now. No one will hurt you, and Murray will be disassembling that damnable machine right away.”
I sucked in a breath. “You did all of this? For me?”
“Of course I did. It all needed to happen. I… the crew needs me, but you… I couldn’t let him do that to you. I would do anything to keep you from harm.”
The fierceness of his words took my breath away, and I couldn’t help but kiss his lips with a shaky breath. “Thank you, Max. I… I can’t believe you did that.” I leaned back, rubbing my thumb over his cheek. “But I’m sorry you had to. I know you didn’t want to kill him.”
His jaw clenched. “He deserved it.”
“He did. He absolutely did. I’m just sorry you had to be the one to do it.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. He wanted to enslave you, he killed innocents that didn’t deserve it, and he was willing to sacrifice his entire crew to get what he wanted. He’s better left as sand serpent food.”
“I agree with you.” I was still sorry Viper’s death would be something that weighed on Max’s soul. Maybe not right now, but I knew it would be something that ate at him in the future. Hopefully… hopefully, I could help mitigate that. I shifted to sit up straighter, but I didn’t move off his lap. I wanted to stay as close to him as I could.
“How are you feeling?”
I sent him a strange laugh. “Like I’ve been sucked dry of all energy and run over by a unicorn.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “What can I do to help?”
I wrapped my arms around him and tucked my face against his neck. “Never let me go.”
He held me tight, one hand finding my hair while the other rubbed comforting circles on my upper back, being careful not to touch my wound from the flux machine. “I’m not sure aboutnever, but I can certainly hold you all night.”
“Sounds like a plan, my Max.”
He sucked in a breath and held me tighter again.
“I don’t ever want to leave you,” I breathed out, holding back a sob.
