“I have to stay at the helm and make sure these waves don’t take us anywhere we don’t need to be, but I want you to stay right here. If you get seasick, there are some tablets and some patches in the bathroom behind the mirror. Help yourself.”
“Okay.”
It was all she could say. All she could manage to get out. The boat rocked and her eyes attached to the sky, trying to root herself with the stars or the sun. Anything to convince her this wasn’t happening.
But all she saw were clouds swollen with an anger they were hell-bent on spewing.
Her eyes drifted to Ash at the wheel of the boat and he seemed so calm. So collected as the storm raged around them. His stance was strong, his back was straight, and his eyes were hooked directly in front of him. His forearms were flexed, throbbing with veins that protruded as he held the wheel steady. Keeping the boat from capsizing as the waves tossed them around.
He seemed so calm and assured to Kallie, even as his beautiful eyes darkened upon the horizon.
The storm was growing worse.
And they were trapped in the middle of it.
Chapter 23
Ash
Ash gripped the wheel as tightly as he could. Lightning was arcing from cloud to cloud and connecting with the water off in the distance. The angry purple clouds had turned as dark and gray as the ocean water. The boat was tipping. Teetering. And Ash tried to keep as much control in his hands as he could. The waves were choppy and the horizon was endless, and every time he tried to fight the storm in one direction, it would flip on a dime.
He felt like an idiot, bringing Kallie out in something like this. Putting her in danger the way he had. He’d checked the weather numerous times before they left, but island weather could be unpredictable at best. He got caught up in himself. Caught up in the moment. And now, Kallie was in danger. Rocking in a boat with no way out. Even though there hadn’t been a hint of bad weather in the forecast, Ash should’ve known better.
After all, he lived on the fucking island four months out of the year.
Every time Ash glanced over, he could see Kallie. Her little head peeking up over the edge of the deck below and stealing glances at the sky above. At him and what was going on. Her was face pale and her eyes were wide. It tugged at Ash’s heartstrings. She was petrified and had every right to be. He knew better than to look back. He knew the waves had dragged them out into the middle of the ocean. He knew if he dared to look back on the horizon, he would see nothing but a dim glow swallowed up by the angry clouds that hovered over them.
No land in sight.
Ash bent his knees and steadied himself against the strengthening waves. They hadn’t met any tidal waves yet, but he was concerned they would. He didn’t know what type of storm they’d been caught up in. A hurricane? A heat storm? A monsoon? His communications were down and the emergency weather radar on the yacht wasn’t wor
king. For all he knew, no one was getting his messages. For all he knew, they were stuck out there until the storm lifted.
But Kallie didn’t need to know any of that.
She was terrified enough.
There was little Ash could do at the helm. Their last prior coordinates were sent to shore before all communications went down. The rain was pounding the deck and the boat was swaying endlessly in the torrential winds. He was soaked to the bone. Dripping with water as the waves came dangerously close to the edge of the yacht. His hair was dripping in his eyes and the only thing he could see for miles were choppy waves and thick streaks of lightning that lit up the land in front of him.
Well, the water in front of him.
His body temperature was dropping. His hands shook with the cold settling into his bones. There was nothing more he could do topside. He had to get below where it was warm. Safe. He had to get somewhere dry and get his wet clothes off his back. It did Ash no good to be stuck out in a storm on a yacht in the middle of the ocean and develop a cold.
He had to take care of Kallie first.
After tightening the helm of the boat, then releasing the stabilizers on the side of the yacht so it wouldn’t careen out of control, Ash made his way for the staircase. Kallie moved so he could get down, then he shut the door above their heads. His eyes panned around, making sure all the flotation devices were where they needed to be. Just in case the yacht capsized and they needed life vests or the inflatable raft he had stowed away for emergency purposes.
Like the scenario he had just sent them into.
“You’re freezing,” Kallie said. “We need to get you warm.”
But Ash watched as Kallie heaved, her pale skin turning to a sickened blue.
“We need to get you a patch,” Ash said.
“And we need to get you warm. Come on.”
Kallie took his hands and led him into the room. Ash quickly began to strip out of his clothes while Kallie tossed him a new set from his small bag. The boat was teetering and she was having a hard time staying on her feet. Ash went to reach for her, to help steady her as the boat rocked. But a wave crashed against the side of the yacht and sent her careening into his arms.