It didn't take long for Zoe to pass out.

As carefully as he could, Eric slid up and out of the bag, which he zipped around her. He wanted to stay in that bag with her, share in her warmth—both literally and the figurative kind that made her so damned attractive. But he couldn't relax. It was impossible to trust this quiet.

After the evening's insanity, this felt a bit too much like the calm before the storm. Shit would go down here eventually. He could feel the anticipation, could smell it as clearly as the sea salt in the air. Those dudes weren't playing.

Well, neither am I.

He made a quick check of their supplies—seventy-two hours' worth of food and water, for one person. Had to make it last. The purification tablets were pretty pointless here, since there was no source of fresh water on this island. And he'd know. He'd spent enough time here as a kid to familiarize himself with every nook and cranny. Ten times over. He and Ford had preferred to have Dad dump them here so they could explore, play pirates and shit, while he fished. Alone. Which he obviously preferred, too.

Like father, like son.

But this interlude with this woman proved that wasn't entirely true. He sought solitude, but he thrived with a team. Always had—on the rig, in the teams, even right now. Having her here made him feel part of something, gave him something to work toward. Saving her. It was a pretty lofty goal.

And one he planned to accomplish.

He set the towels out to dry, along with their wet things. After that, he pulled out his handgun and checked the clip.

They'd get out of here in one piece—as long as his message had gotten out. He had to believe that either Ford or Von would respond to his call, but... No. He couldn't count on it. Not with Ford in Antarctica and Von... Lord only knew where.

He could potentially take on the five people from the platform on his own. Especially if two of them were scientists. Well, not if they were scientists like Ford. His brother was as tough as any of the guys he'd served with.

If reinforcements were called in, Eric and Zoe would be screwed.

He stepped out of the cave, turned, and took in the horizon. That rig was still going full blast, lights shining out across the water so brightly that it could probably be seen from space.

No way this operation was on the books, judging from the shit they'd done to Zoe. Pretty ballsy, considering. If they were trying to keep this thing dark, they could do a hell of a better job of hiding it instead of blasting— guns out, lights on, machines pumping like there was no tomorrow.

Eric squinted back toward the mainland. He could barely make out a glow from that direction, but from the shore, the platform might be invisible. And the Coast Guard would just assume the rig had been recommissioned. He racked his brain for an idea of what the pirates could be looking for. With a dad who'd worked in the petroleum industry—not to mention his own stint—he should know this, right? Was there anything out there that a pharma company could want? Not a by-product. Those were all used already. Did some bottom-dwelling fish out there contain the cure for cancer? Maybe algae or some crap like that? Pretty unlikely, given that they were on a platform instead of in a boat or a submersible. Not his problem, he decided in that instant.

Except that some part of him couldn't let it lie. Probably the same thing that had sent him to the armed forces to begin with—a desire to do good or some bullshit like that. And whatever those guys were doing out there, it was bad. Illegal. Possibly dangerous.

Millions in security alone.

That sentence stuck in his throat.

This was big. Big money, at the very least. And big money plus questionable research practices didn't bode well. For him or for Zoe, the woman who'd walked right into the midst of it. Probably didn't bode well for the damn world, given the way corporate assholes treated it. Like their own little playground. What if this hornet's nest Zoe'd kicked had repercussions that went wide?

Like, what if he woke up in the morning and the whole world was on fire from it?

He turned to look at Zoe's slumbering form, just inside the cave, and felt something odd in his chest.

Responsibility, he decided. For her. For her beloved fish. For the outcome of this entire goat rodeo.

Shit.

Standing here was making him crazy.

He spent the next half hour scouring the water around the island for signs of approach. No movement. Good.

After that, he obliterated their tracks from earlier. When he was finally satisfied that they'd be left alone for the night, he headed back to their hidden cave. For now, there was nothing to do but sit, watch, and wait.

Which he hated.

It was probably only about eleven when he returned, but it felt later. He stuck his head into the shallow cave and blinked a few times before realizing that Zoe's eyes were open.

"You're back." Her whisper was tight, but he thought he heard an edge of relief in there. "You weren't here, and I..." She let out an audible breath and shook her head.

"Sorry. Wanted to keep an eye on things."

"I know." The slick fabric of the sleeping bag rustled, and she pushed herself to standing, then joined him at the cave entrance. "How's it look?"

"Same. No movement."

"You have to stay out here? To watch?"

He couldn't explain this...thing keeping him from risking even an hour of sleep. "Need to keep you safe."

"What about you? Not worried about keeping yourself safe?"

"That's...second nature."

"Ah, right. Once a SEAL..." She inhaled, leaned her head back, and stared at the stars. "Need to use the loo. Or...the rock, I guess."

"Of course." Without another word, he headed into the cave, giving her privacy.

She returned, blocking out the night sky at the entrance, and asked, "You're going to spend the night out here, aren't you?"

"Yes." He didn't dare picture himself in there, with her.

Brushing by him, she tromped back in without a word and emerged with the sleeping bag. "Right here?"

"Hmm?"

"If I put us against this rock wall, will you be able to see enough?"

He hesitated. "Yeah."

Something like alarm spread through him as he watched her set up a little bed. For them. Together.

Okay. So maybe now he could admit that coming out here had been half about keeping watch and half about staying away from her. He'd been holding her when she fell asleep, rubbing her arm. And she'd let him. But who knew what she'd think when she woke up.

It was because he really didn't want to let her go that he had.

Now, she was setting up another nest in a place where he couldn't get away.

"This good?" She stood and surveyed her work. "Cozy."

Something about his tone must have sounded off because she tilted her head at him. "You okay with this?"

"Are you?" Why'd he have to sound so belligerent?

She gave a surprised laugh. "Did I... Oh! You wanted to be alone. I'm sorry. I misread that completely." She stooped to pick the stuff back up.

Alone? Hell, no. He wanted to get back to that warm, safe place he'd shared with her earlier. Wanted, more than anything, to give her that safety. "Don't." He took a single step forward, his shoe scuffing loudly in the quiet night.

When she stood, her body language was wary. Like

What's the crazy man gonna do this time?

"I'm an idiot."

"Eric? I'm not sure I get what's going on."

"Yeah." Sheepish now, he ran his hand over his head and back. He needed a cut, as usual, but that was sort of his way since he'd reverted to civilian life. No more buzz cuts. Not that SEALs gave a shit about military regulations, but... Fuck. What am I doing?

"You're cute." Mesmerizing, actually, but he had enough presence of mind to keep things light.

Even in this light, he could see her raise her brows. She didn't say a thing. Smart woman.

"My dad used to fish out here. Told you that. I like it. But there're other places I enjoy more. I don't keep coming out here for the memories." He shut his eyes and just gave in to the embarrassment. "I come out here 'cause I've got a bit of a crush. On you."

When he dared look at her again, her big eyes had gone comically wide in her heart-shaped face, and her mouth joined in with a little cartoon O shape.

Then her expression shifted.

"So..." She didn't look unhappy at what he'd said, which was a start. If he had to qualify it, he'd say she looked intrigued rather than displeased by his admission. "You do or you don't like the idea of sitting with me out here under the stars?"

"I do," he said quietly. "Very much." And then, because he needed to know, he asked. "And you?"

"It's been a crappy day, Eric." She moved slowly toward him.

Right, it had been. A horrible day, especially for her.

And, shit, he'd just made it awkward by saying—

"But with you, I feel safe. Like nothing can touch me."

He'd been afraid of this. Now she thought she needed to be with him in order to receive his protection, and that wasn't at all what he—

"I've got a crush on you, too, Eric." Their bodies were close enough to touch.

He didn't budge. "Yeah?" The word came out low and barely audible, a gently plucked bass string. He couldn't hear himself so much as feel his own vibration.

"In fact, I promised myself I'd ask you out tonight. On the way home." She made an embarrassed little huff of a laugh and looked away before meeting his night-darkened gaze again. "But I tell myself that every time I come to Polaris. Never once got up the courage."

His heart was thumping like crazy in his chest when he bent and put his face close to hers. "Wanna stay out here and keep me company, Zoe, while I keep watch?"

Slowly, she shook her head no and, way too fast, his insides crumbled. He started to pull back.

"I know you're the big tough guy, but that doesn't make you responsible for everything. How about, instead"—she closed the gap between them—"we keep watch together?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Some of my favorite moments in Romance are when the characters get close. You know, those awkward, careful, unsure moments before things get really interesting. One of the things I love about these two is how refreshingly honest they are. When I was writing this, Eric Cooper kept surprising me with how open he was, how willing to lay it out there. I hope you guys like it, too.

And if you feel like voting, I would be SO grateful. xoxo, Adriana