A small island off Anafi,” she answered.

“I don’t know it.”

“Anafi is very small. No one knows Anafi, and Khronos is even smaller. It’s privately held, a research site for the International Volcanic Research Foundation—” She broke off as she realized he wasn’t listening, or at least, he wasn’t processing what she was saying, his features tight with pain. “Do you hurt right now?”

He nodded once. “My head,” he gritted.

She reached out to place a palm against his brow. He was cooler now, thank goodness. “You were running a fever last night, but I think it’s gone now.” She drew her hand back, studying him. “I’d like to see if you can manage some water, and if you can, then we’ll try some soup—”

“I’m not hungry. I just want something for the pain.”

“I have tablets that should help with the headache, but I think you should eat first. Otherwise I’m worried it’ll upset your stomach.”

He looked at her as if he didn’t understand, or perhaps he didn’t believe her, because his blue eyes were narrowing and his mouth firmed, emphasizing his strong jaw, now shadowed with a dark stubble.

He’d been striking from afar, but up close he was absolutely devastating, his black hair and brows such a contrast to his startlingly blue eyes. His features were mature and chiseled. Faint creases fanned from his eyes.

As his gaze met hers and held, her pulse jumped. “It’s been almost a full day since I pulled you out of the sea—”

“How?” he interrupted.

“How?” she repeated.

“How did I get here?”

“Your boat. Your yacht—”

“I don’t understand this yacht.” The wrinkles in his forehead deepened. He struggled into a sitting position, wincing and cursing under his breath. His hand lifted to his temple, where the wound was beginning to bleed again. “When was I on one?”

“The past few days. Probably the past week or more.” She sat back on her haunches, studying him. “Do you not remember?”

He shook his head.

“What do you remember?”

He thought for a moment, and then his broad, sun-bronzed shoulders shifted irritably, impatiently. “Nothing.” His voice was hard, his diction crisp. Authority and tension crackled around him.

Her jaw dropped ever so slightly. “You don’t remember who you are? Your name? Your age?”

“No. But I do know I need to find a bathroom. Can you show me the way?”

He had questions for her later, many questions, and Josephine fought to hide her anxiety over his complete loss of memory. She prepared them a simple dinner, talking to him as she plated the grilled vegetables and lemon-garlic chicken. “I think you must be Italian,” she said, carrying the plates to the small rustic table in the center of the room. The table divided the room, creating the illusion of two spaces, the sitting area and then the kitchen. “It was the first language you responded to.”

“I don’t feel Italian.” He grimaced. “Although I’m not sure what that even means. Can a person feel their nationality?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, sitting down across from him.