Page 8 of Lost At Sea With A Billionaire

I scrambled to my feet, bracing myself against the wall as the yacht heaved beneath me.The emergency lights kicked on, bathing everything in an eerie red glow.I grabbed my jeans and yanked them over my sleep shorts, not bothering to change my tank top.There wasn’t time.

The yacht pitched again, and I crashed into my door.Another round of pain shot through my shoulder, but I managed to wrench the handle and stumble into the corridor.The hallway tilted at a sickening angle.

“Ms.Banks!”A crew member—I thought it was the engineer—shouted over the alarms.“Life vests!Port side storage!”

He pointed frantically before losing his balance and slamming into the opposite wall.

I fought my way toward the storage locker, each step a struggle against the violently rocking vessel.The sound of breaking glass and shattering dishes echoed from the kitchen above.All my carefully arranged ingredients and equipment were being destroyed in seconds.

My fingers fumbled with the latch on the storage locker.Inside, orange life vests hung in neat rows.I grabbed one and strapped it on, then seized another.

“Janet!”Jonathan’s voice boomed over the chaos.

I turned to see him barreling down the corridor, ducking to avoid hitting his head on a hanging light fixture.Even in crisis, his powerful frame was commanding.

“What’s happening?”I shouted, tossing him the extra life vest.

He caught it with one hand, muscles flexing as he strapped it on with quick, efficient movements.“The storm hit us faster than predicted.We’re taking on water.”His voice was tight.“The captain’s trying to steer us clear, but navigation is compromised.”

“Compromised how?”

His response disappeared under a deafening crack as lightning struck nearby.The yacht lurched violently, sending us both crashing into the wall.

Jonathan’s arm shot out, steadying me against him.“You okay?”

“Not really!I’m scared to death!”

“We need to get to the upper deck.”

He nodded, locking his jaw.“Stay close.”

We struggled toward the stairs, the yacht’s movements becoming increasingly erratic.Water splashed at our ankles—seawater seeping in from somewhere below.

“Oh my God!”

The force of the waves nearly knocked me backward when we emerged onto the deck.Rain pelted sideways, stinging my skin through my thin tank top.I squinted against the deluge, trying to make sense of the chaos around us.

Crew members scrambled across the deck, securing loose equipment and preparing the life raft.Waves crashed over the rails, sweeping across the polished teak.The sky was barely visible through the downpour, and lightning flashed in jagged streaks across the darkness.

“The captain said to prepare for evacuation!”The first mate shouted, his words nearly lost in the storm’s roar.

Jonathan gripped my arm.“Everyone over here!”His commanding voice cut through the howling storm, drawing the scattered crew toward him.

The yacht lurched again, more violently than before.I lost my footing on the slick deck, sliding toward the rail.My hands grasped wildly, finding nothing but rain and air.

Strong fingers clamped around my wrist at the last second.Jonathan yanked me back from the edge, pulling me against his chest with crushing force.

“I’ve got you,” he said, his voice right against my ear, and his body a solid wall against my rapid heartbeat.

Before I could thank him, a horrific grinding noise tore through the air.The yacht shuddered violently, and a harsh, ear-splitting sound of tearing metal filled the air as the hull collided with something unyielding.We weren’t in open water anymore.

“Rocks!”The captain bellowed from the bridge.“Brace for impact!”

The world tilted sharply.My stomach lurched as gravity shifted.Jonathan’s arms wrapped around me as we tumbled across the deck, crashing against the cabin wall.

Pain exploded through my body.Something hard struck my temple.The world blurred as darkness crept into my vision.

The last thing I heard was Jonathan shouting my name.

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