Stavanger Bay [m] the sparrows drag me down

Slowly, he assured her, and she felt his mouth against her skin, his warmth suffusing her, his weight over her, she felt — trapped. Marina shuddered again, breath catching and breaking into something like a sob. She tried to form the words, tried to say not yet, please, I just need to breathe. She couldn't.

She didn't need to, in the end. Another tremulous sob spilled from her, blending with his words; she scarcely heard them over her own heartbeat, but she felt them. She arched against him, head falling back to press into his chest, and told herself that she was safe here. Safer, at least. Dutch would never hurt her — not even if she tried to let him.