Page 23 of Stranded with a SEAL

Bailey choked out a sob, and his heart clenched.

“Don’t cry, sunshine. You’re going to be fine. When we get back, you can take a nice, hot bath and get warm. But right now, I need you to stay strong. To stay with me.”

“I don’t see the boat,” she gasped, looking around in panic. “Oh my God, what if we can’t find it?”

“I don’t see it either, but we’ll find it. We just need to hold on until the storm blows over, and then we’ll signal Mason. I’m going to swim us back in the direction I think we came.”

“But the ocean is huge! He might not even be able to spot us.”

Noah nodded, not wanting her to panic. All the emergency flares and beacons were back on the boat. He didn’t even have a whistle with him.

There was no telling how far they’d drifted in the storm. Even if they did spot the boat when the rain blew over, it would be hard as hell for Mason to see them.

Bailey’s wet hoodie clung to her like a second skin, and he worried the soggy material was weighing her down. He didn’t want to discard it though in case they ended up trapped out here. The temperature would cool down when day turned to night. If they couldn’t find the boat, their best bet would be to attempt to swim to one of the small islands.

Her sweatshirt would eventually dry out, and until then, they could huddle together for warmth.

That was a worst-case scenario though. Because he hoped like hell they hadn’t drifted too far from the boat. Mason would’ve already called the Coast Guard by now, but in the storm, they couldn’t exactly send search helicopters to look for them.

Gritting his teeth, he began to swim in the direction he thought they’d come, pulling Bailey right along with him.

Chapter 9

Bailey’s teeth chattered an hour later as they treaded water in the Atlantic. Noah’s arm tightened around her waist, holding her to him, and she trembled. Even though they’d been off the shores of Florida, where the water temperature was relatively warm, she was chilled to the bone.

If Noah hadn’t been with her, she’d be in complete and utter panic.

No, scratch that. If Noah hadn’t been with her, she’d have drowned when she was thrown overboard. When the boat had listed to the side with the waves relentlessly shaking it, she’d gone over in an instant. With the rain pounding down from above, the ocean waves churning, and no way of knowing which way was up and which was down, she was certain she’d never make it out alive.

And then Noah had somehow appeared out of nowhere, hauling her against him. Reassuring her that she’d be safe with him. Promising her they’d both be okay.

She’d cried as she clung to him, scared and afraid and gasping for breath.

And even with the rain pouring from the sky, she’d felt better when he was there.

The panic and desperation rising within her had faded somewhat. He’d helped her remain above water, telling her when to breathe as they were sucked under, and he’d kicked them both back to the surface. Again and again.

“You doing okay, sunshine?” he asked, his voice deep.

His hard body holding her kept her from completely losing her mind. She was locked to him with his iron grip.

But even Noah couldn’t hold out forever. Maybe he had more strength and stamina than her, but he’d tire eventually, too.

Her gaze swept the area now that the rain had slowed.

There was no sign of Mason and Taylor or the boat. No sign of the Coast Guard. No sign of anyone.

“There’s no telling how far we drifted from where the boat was,” he said, his voice gruff.

“Do you think they stayed out here in the storm? Or headed back to get help?”

“It was bad,” he said. “They’re probably waiting it out. Especially after we went overboard.”

“Isn’t that dangerous for them?”

“Mason probably dropped the anchor and turned the bow into the wind. Sometimes it’s best to ride it out if you can’t outrun it.”

“But we might not even be swimming the right way,” she said as Noah pulled her along.

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