Justin bordered on insanity, so he fled to his cabin before he behaved like a monster, and he didn’t even know how he got there. When he finally came to his senses it was already late morning the next day and an empty bottle of whiskey accompanied him on his bed. He felt desperate and for the first time he didn’t know what to do. It was impossible for Claire to be alive, no one would survive that fall. ''How? How is she here? Tears of anger and frustration flooded his long dark lashes and for a long time he was just there lost in his thoughts. After a while he forced himself back from his ordeal; showered, got dressed in faded jeans and a black T-shirt, and left.

Evening came, and he had stalked Ella the whole afternoon. Justin got himself behind some columns, and Ella was on the deck by the ship’s balustrade. She looked prettier than he remembered looking at the blackness of the sea, and once in a while she would close her eyes enjoying the sea breeze touching her face and making her long ebony hair float all around her. Her hair was much longer than it used to be and beautifully falling in waves almost to her waist.

She hypnotized him. Impossible to take his eyes away, and his mind played tricks on him; her curvaceous, soft body rubbing like a shy kitten against him, and his mouth roaming hungrily over her full enticing breasts making her moan, his hands sliding on the length of her body, and his lips peppering soft feather-light kisses up her legs all over her inner thighs making her scream his name… Justin got hot and heavy, and his thoughts sent shivers of pleasure throughout his body. He got harder by the second.

'What the hell, Justin!' He chastised himself. 'This is Claire, man. Get a grip!' He closed his eyes trying to erase that image from his head to just worsen and sweat glittered on his forehead. Images of her sultry plump lips on his body assaulted him, and his breathing became ragged and strained. Suddenly, a fit of rage stroke him when a thought came unbidden. He wasn’t exclusive. She did those same things with dozens of other suckers, screwing them around while married to him. An uncontrollable fury took him and his heart started pounding in his chest making it difficult for him to breathe. Bile rose in his stomach, he retched feeling a terrible urge to puke. His head was swimming and after so long he was having an episode of his panic attacks again, and his head fueled by murderous thoughts towards her.

When Justin opened his eyes he let out a guttural sound; sweat covered him, and he was plastered to the wall with those evil green eyes dead straight looking at him. They stuck in each other’s gaze for a while, and without let go of his eyes she confidently rushed to him.

Ella felt someone watching her... She looked around the deck and “bull’s eye” he was there, intently staring at her. His gaze had the same effect as a lightning strike on her, and her heart gave a backflip making her lose the ability to breathe at the sight of him. A warm sensation spread through her whole body creating a hot mix of fright and arousal, but she refused to feel intimidated by him, and she worried about the wound on his forehead. Sensing something wasn’t right, she rushed to him. Wanting or not, she had put that gash on his forehead, so it was a kind of her fault. He was pale and heaving when she stopped right in front of him.

“What’s wrong? How’s your head?” guilt swamped over her.

“I’m fine.” he answered in a dark gasp and deadly gaze.

“No, you’re not fine. Sit down you’re about to fall,” she ordered.

Justin let himself slide through the wall to the floor and closed his eyes. He knew if he didn’t sit down for a moment things would get worse, and he wasn’t about to show weakness in front of her, so he did what he was told to.

“I’m Ella Dawson, and again, I’m so sorry for hurting you. Let me check you if you don’t mind,” she looked at him with knitted brows and biting her lower lip. It was there in her face, he could see she wasn’t faking concern for him. He nodded. She narrowed her eyes and slowly crouching beside him, she took his pulse. Ella looked for a handkerchief in her bag and gently cleaned up the sweat on his forehead and put her hand there to feel for fever.

“Why are you being so nice to me, Claire? What the hell are you doing alive anyway, you should be dead!” he spat, fuming at her. He opened his eyes slightly, and it was a good feeling her soft, warm hand on him, but Ella’s anguished cry got his full attention on her.

“Oh gosh, I really hurt you badly! Maybe I gave you a concussion.” she said caressing his face.

“Why would you say that?” he raised one eyebrow, and rested his cheek on her palm looking for the comfort.

“Never mind. Have you eaten today?” she wiped more of the sweat off of his face.

“No, I had a lot on my mind,” he answered still finding hard to catch his breath.

“Have dinner with me then. You need some food, and we can discuss this over it. Come on, I’ll help you up,” she stated without giving him a chance to refuse or say anything.

Ella stood up and extended her hand to him. He looked at her with flat eyes and got up by himself. He staggered a little and held himself to the wall. Ella dropped her arm beside her body shaking her head in disbelief.

“I see, stubborn just as any male,” she smiled at him. “Can we go?”