by Lexy Timms
And Kallie knew that without electricity, they couldn’t radio out for help.
Her stomach felt as if it were trying to kill itself. During a break in the storm’s fury, she had managed to get to the kitchen and grab a Sprite. But the second she opened it a wave caught the side of the yacht, sending her and the soda into the wall. She was drenched in the sticky liquid, and stumbling on her feet, and she threw herself at the sink so her body could get its personal fiasco over with.
It wasn’t until Ash’s hands were pulling her hair back that she felt relief flood her veins again.
She did eventually fall asleep in Ash’s arms. He held her tightly until she’d drifted off, but she woke back up without him. Kallie’s head was pounding from her sickness and her body felt as if it were floating in the middle of a lake full of Jell-O. It was hard to breathe. Hard to see. Hard to fathom when the storm was ever going to end.
She closed her eyes and curled up onto the bed. She wrapped herself tightly in the covers, then tucked them underneath the mattress of the bed. It quelled the thrashing of her body somewhat, but she was still tossed about. Every once in a while, a spill of water would drip down the stairs and she would panic. Was the boat capsizing? Were they going underwater? Did she need to try and find her life jacket?
After hours of battling the raging storm and wondering if they were going to make it out alive, the yacht finally started to calm down. The titanic roar of the thunder around them began to subside and the lightning that lit up the sky around them began to fade. The rocking of the boat settled, and Kallie’s stomach stopped lurching at every drop. The electricity was still out and parts of the floor down below were soaked, but they were alive.
Kallie lay there as the boat’s rocking slowed until nothing was left but the gentle lapping of the ocean water around them. She scurried from bed and ran to the fridge, ripping it open without a second thought. She grabbed two Sprites and cracked one open, chugging it down to rid her mouth of the nasty taste of bile.
Then she took the other one up to Ash.
She opened the door and climbed the stairs to find the deck bathed in sunlight. It was the most amazing sight to her. The dark clouds were nothing but a thing of the distant past, marching onward behind them as they traveled into the shining sun. The deck was soaked and the sea was still its angry gray, but the ocean was calm.
Silent.
Like it hadn’t just pitched a tantrum like a four-year-old.
Her head was on a swivel, trying to locate Ash. And she saw him still at the wheel. There were bags underneath his eyes and his legs were shaking silently. His hands were white-knuckling the wheel to keep it still, and his lower lip was swollen from him biting down onto it. Kallie cracked the soda open and walked over to him, her flip-flops slipping on the puddles of water. He reached out for her and caught her around her waist, drawing her body close to his as she held the soda to his lips.
“Drink,” Kallie said.
And Ash didn’t hesitate to listen.
He tipped the soda up to his lips, his hand curling around hers. His arm around her waist was comforting, and the closer he pulled her the broader she smiled. He chugged and he chugged, until Sprite was dribbling from the side of his mouth. Then he crumpled up the can and tossed it off to the side.
“Thank you for keeping us safe,” she said.
She wrapped her arms around Ash’s body, feeling how his muscles twitched with their ache. Her hands massaged his abs and up to his chest. Ran along his back and between his shoulder blades. He finally released his grip on the steering wheel and fiddled with a few buttons, then leaned back into her touch.
“Thank you for everything you did,” she said with a whisper.
“Thank you for the soda,” Ash said.
“If I can figure out how to boil water without electricity, I’ll make you some coffee too.”
He chuckled at her joke, but she could hear in his voice how tired he was. His clothes were soaked and they were drenching hers as well. And the shiver had set back into his skin. Kallie slid her hands underneath his shirt and pulled it over his head, then tossed the sopping wet material down to the floor. Goose bumps ricocheted over every inch of his skin, and Kallie watched as they came alive. She pressed her lips into the meat of his back, trying to warm him as he stood at the wheel.
“I think you should get some rest,” she said.
“Only if you come with me.”
“Trust me. I wasn’t going to leave you down there by yourself.”
“I’m sorry I kept coming back up here. But someone had to—”
“Ssshhh,” she said as she kissed his back. “That wasn’t a dig at you, Ash. Promise.”
He molded himself into her lips, her hands falling to his hips. She guided him toward the stairs, then helped his tired form down them. She led him into the bedroom and closed the door, then helped him strip from his wet clothes. Peeling off his shorts and boxers before ridding him of the wet flip-flops burning blisters into his skin.
“Come on. Let’s get you warmed up,” Kallie said.
The two of them slid into bed and this time, Kallie pulled Ash into her body. His head pressed against her shoulder and she ran her fingers through his wet hair. She tucked herself as close to him as she could, then grabbed every blanket at her disposal. She clamped his leg between her thighs and shivered with the cold pouring off him. Kiss after kiss was placed against his forehead. She willed him from deep within her soul to warm up. Kallie worried that if he started coughing or sneezing, she’d have no way to take care of him. No way to get him back to shore.
No way to get them home safely.
The calming rocking of the boat lulled them to sleep with Ash’s body wrapped around hers. She dreamed of their island tryst and the first time she’d laid eyes on his cute smattering of freckles along his nose. Her mind ripped her through the first time Ash had ever protected her. At the club with that man. She could still feel how tight his grasp was on her and she could plainly see the want to protect her written all over Ash’s face. She dreamed of his kindness. Of his naked body pressed against hers. She dreamed of his lips and his laughter and how she was so close to admitting to him how much she cared.
How much she didn’t want any of this to end.
Kallie wasn’t sure how long they’d slept, but a deafening sound shook her from her sleep. Her heart sped up and her body locked up, and Ash sensed that something was wrong. Then, the sound happened again. But it wasn’t like the thunder she expected. It wasn’t the crashing of the water against the side of the yacht. It wasn’t even the sound of pots and pans toppling from cabinets in the kitchen.
She wasn’t sure what it was. But the sound kept happening.
“Ash? Are you awake?”
“Hmm?”
“Is anyone on board?”
“What was that?” Ash asked.
“I don’t know,” Kallie said.
“Ashly Worthington?”
That time, Kallie heard it. Plain as day. Someone was saying a name. At least, it sounded like a name to her.
In an instant, Ash was out of bed. He pulled clothes onto his body as a frown appeared on his features. Kallie sat up and watched him try to piece himself together, frantically and with malcontent strewn all over his features.
“Ashly Worthington. Are you there?”
“Who are they asking for?” Kallie asked.
But instead of Ash answering her, he ripped the door open and started for the stairs.
Kallie scrambled from the bed and slipped her flip-flops on. She followed Ash up the stairs as the sound began to clarify itself. A bullhorn. The sound she heard was the ear-piercing feedback of a bullhorn. And whoever was behind the bullhorn kept calling that name.
“Ashly Worthington. Are you on the boat?”
“I’m right here,” Ash said.
Kallie poked her head up from below deck and her jaw dropped. The yacht was surrounded by boats with flashing lights. She came up the rest of the steps
and stood on the slippery deck, her eyes panning around them. There were nine, possibly ten boats. All with men whose eyes were trained on the deck.
Trained on the two of them.
“Are you all right, Mr. Worthington?”
Kallie whipped around and tried to find the man with the bullhorn. She saw Ash at the other end of the boat, his shoulders tensed and his body tall. She held onto the edge and walked up to him, taking in the sight of the boats around them.
When had they shown up?
“Mr. Worthington. Is it just you two?” the man asked.
He’d abandoned the bullhorn in favor of shouting at them as the boat grew closer.
“It is,” Ash said. “Just Kallie and I.”
“Do you guys have power?” the man asked.
“No,” Kallie said. “We don’t.”
“Are there any other disruptions to the yacht’s system that you know of?” the man asked as the boat paused against the side of the yacht.
“Not that I’m aware. But it doesn’t hurt to take a look at things,” Ash said.
“Take a look at things?” Kallie asked.
“Permission to board?” the man asked.
“Come on over. The water’s fine on this end,” he said with a grin.
But Kallie was no longer amused.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Who are these men?”
“Repair engineers. They were sent to help us with our systems, so we can get ourselves back to shore,” Ash said.
“So, this isn’t the Coast Guard or something like that?”
“No,” he said. “It isn’t.”
Confusion wafted over Kallie’s mind. Ash hadn’t been calling out to the Coast Guard? Or whatever the St. Barts equivalent was? That didn’t make any sense. Kallie watched as the three men got to work, checking out the electrical system and heading down below deck. She sat on the cushioned bench that lined the yacht, ignoring the soaking of water that permeated her dress. So many questions were running through her mind. But one of them stood out as the most important.
“How do they know your name?” she asked. “You’re Ashly Worthington, right?”
“I am,” he said.
“Then how did they know your name all of a sudden?”
Kallie expected him to answer with something basic. Like he’d called out and used his own name. Or the yacht was named Ashly Worthington. Or the friend of his who owned the boat had contacted someone on the island for us using his name once they saw the storm rolling in. Anything to explain how a team of nine boats and a bunch of repair engineers knew what to call him and knew he was the one on the yacht in the first place.
Ash turned his eyes to her and merely shrugged before drawing in a deep breath. She could see something dawn on his face. Something akin to apathy but swirling with something else that she couldn't quite place. There was hesitancy in his eyes. A bit of questioning. Kallie felt her stomach lurch again like it had all throughout the storm.
But nothing could have prepared her for Ash’s actual answer.
“Ash, how did they know your name?”
“Probably because my father owns half the island and several of the others,” he said.
Chapter 25
Ash
Ash jumped off the deep end and took a leap of faith. Admitting to Kallie that he was rich meant running the risk that the tide of their budding romance would change. But he liked her. More than any woman he’d enjoyed in ages. He felt like Kallie had integrity. Like he could trust her. And all of those reasons caused him to blurt out the real reason why they were surrounded by so many people concerned for his well-being. Ash held his breath, looking into her eyes after he admitted his wealth.
But instead of dollar signs, he saw a wave of disappointment crash over her face.
“What are you talking about?” Kallie asked.
“Mr. Worthington. Can we go down below and check things out?”
Ash turned his head toward the engineer and nodded his head.
“Mr. Worthington. I’m going to take a look at the steering wheel to make sure everything is working properly to get you guys back to the island.”
“That’s fine,” Ash said.
“Mr. Worthington, your fuse box looks fine, but I’m going to check your motor for any storm damage.”
“Do what you have to do,” he said.
Ash decided to turn his attention to all the engineer’s questions in order to avoid the conversation. He knew it was a lot to process, but the disappointment was a new thing for him. Why would Kallie be disappointed? He expected shock. Possibly a bit of anger at lying to her about his job. But disappointment?
He wasn’t expecting that.
Soon, the yacht was up and running. The motor worked fantastically and the yacht had power surging through its veins. Ash helped the engineers off the side of the boat so they could get back to their dinghies, then he proceeded to the helm to turn the ship around. He looked over to find Kallie, trying to see where she went.
And he found her sitting in one of the chairs. Staring off into the horizon.
But the sound of his radio buzzing him pulled him from his confused trance.
“If you want, Mr. Worthington, you can follow one of us to the nearest island,” one of the engineers said.
“Is it the small one my father just built that airstrip on?” Ash asked as he picked up the radio.
“Is it. We’re about thirty minutes off its coastline.”
“That’ll be fine. Lead us there, then you guys can go home. We’ll be fine once we dock.”
Ash turned the boat around and began following the officers back to the island. The lead ship pulled out in front and Ash followed it, allowing the yacht to be surrounded by the rest of the boats. Protecting them as they made their way back to the nearest shore. A part of Ash didn’t want the weekend to end. He had every intention of asking Kallie to stay on the boat with him the entire week. But after the storm they’d just weathered, he figured it was the safe bet to get them back to the island.
Especially since Kallie seemed distant.
With the path the lead boat was taking, Ash figured they were making their way to the nearest island for the night. Which was good, because there was a small, private airpad on that island. And a bungalow where they could clean up. They had plenty enough supplies to spend a few nights on the island, and the prospect excited him. More time with Kallie in his arms without the hustle and bustle of St. Barts and its traffic. And if he could convince Kallie, maybe she would stay longer with him. Give him more time with her to spoil her and enjoy her the way she deserved. Ash could accept something like that, and he figured Kallie could as well.
But when she approached his side, he saw her hands shaking.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Ashly Worthington.”
“And you’re not a bartender?” she asked.
He shrugged, his eyes trained on the small island finally emerging into view.
“A friend of mine tends the bar and lets me use the blender to make drinks on occasion,” Ash said.
“So, you don’t work at that bar.”
“I don’t.”
“Do you even live on the island?” she asked. “Like you said?”
His eyes glanced down to hers and he could see the hurt filling her eyes.
“I have a private bungalow at the resort,” Ash said.
“A private bungalow,” Kallie said with a snicker. “What are you really doing here, Ash?”
“I live on St. Barts for most of the year because I prefer it to New York City.”
“So you live in the city too?” she asked.
“My family does. I don’t frequent there too often. Do you live in the city?”
“Does it even matter?”
“It matters to me,” Ash said.
“Do you even travel like you said?”
“I do.”
“What do you do for work?” she asked.
“I don’t. My f
amily and I have enough money to where I can live anywhere and not have to worry about a thing. I took my inheritance at thirty and invested it wisely, then slowly pulled away from my family.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because they’re stuck-up, snobbish, and too traditional for my taste. They wanted me to fit a particular mold I didn’t want to slide into. So they happily handed me my inheritance early to get rid of me.”
Ash glanced at Kallie from time to time, but she didn’t look up at him. He was confused. A normal woman would’ve been overjoyed to snag a rich man like him. But the more he talked, the more hurt she looked. It was like his money had absolutely no bearing on the situation at all. And he liked that.
But he knew he was also in trouble with that.
“How long until we’re back at St. Barts?” Kallie asked.
Ash’s stomach dropped with disappointment.
“I’ll get us back as soon as I can.”
He watched Kallie nod out of the corner of his eye before she went to sit back down, leaving him in silence for the rest of the ride. He didn’t have the gas to get them back. He had to dock on the island and fuel up. He saw it come into view and the lead boat flashed its lights, then drove off into the distance. Ash pulled the boat up to the private dock and worked on getting the boat attached to the post, his eyes flickering to Kallie every now and again.
But she wouldn’t look at him.
And he didn’t know how to fix it.
Chapter 26
Kallie
Kallie looked over after a few minutes and saw Ash waiting for her. The boat was docked, but they weren’t back at St. Barts. She furrowed her brow as she got up, making her way over to the bridge that would lead her onto an island she didn’t recognize.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“A private island about forty minutes off the coast of St. Barts. I have to refuel,” Ash said.