“You’re not?”
“Nope.” I take her jaw in my hand, kissing her gently. I can’t help but grin. Probably look like a madman, too. But I don’t even care. “Damn it, human. You’ve wrecked me.”
And before she can ask what the hell I mean by that, I kiss her again.
34
The Hot Guy Sure Has a Lot of Enemies
You
You’ve just finished getting dressed—at least back into your swimwear—when it starts to pour down rain again. Buckets and buckets of rain as flashes of lightning race across the dark sky.
Okay, so much for your awesome night’s weather holding.
It’s rare for this area to get thunderstorms like this, and Ziros frowns up at the sky as the yacht rocks and rises steeply in the swelling waves before crashing back down.
Goosebumps rise along your arms as you hug a towel around your shoulders with one hand against the whipping wind, clinging to the rail with your other.
A towel that is instantly soaked.
“What are the chances this is just a normal storm?” you shout into the wind, glancing up at the swirling black clouds overhead.
Ziros glares at the sky, holding out one palm, and a bubble of calm air swirls around you, reducing the wind to no more than a light spring breeze.
Finally, you can hear yourself think.
At least, until the crash of thunder roars down around you, nearly drowning Ziros’ voice as he growls, “Get inside, human.”
Before you can ask why, you see it: There, not thirty yards to your left, a giant whirlpool is forming in the ocean’s surface.
You scream as the yacht tilts, veering toward the swirling vortex.
This is like something out of one of those pirate-themed movies. Only—it’s way more fun when you’re enjoying popcorn and drinks and watching the actors face their fate with valiance and swagger, knowing all along that it is just a movie and nothing like that could ever happen in real life.
But now—
Now your relaxing night pretending you’re super rich on the superyacht is turning from dream to living nightmare!
You cling to the railing, your towel flying from your shoulders, disappearing into the raging whirlpool below as the yacht tilts.
You’d love to get back inside the main cabin like Ziros instructed, but there’s no way you can move. If you let go of this railing, you’ll probably be ejected into the ocean, lost forever, just like that poor luxury pool towel.
And you’d be content just to keep clinging on for dear life, except as the yacht tilts further, all the unsecured pool furnishings tip right along with it.
You’re about half a second from being smooshed alive by a designer deck chair that probably cost more than a car—when Ziros lunges, dragging you out of the way just in time.
“You good?” He asks, hanging onto the railing with one hand, holding you with the other as the yacht tilts further.
You nod somewhat uncertainly.
Because how alright can you actually be when there’s a giant whirlpool about to pull you and the yacht down to certain doom in a watery grave?
“What are the chances there’s a sea monster down there?” You ask over the next roar of thunder as Ziros stands, holding you tightly against his side, a determined yet grim expression across his face.
“In a little bay like this?” He shakes his head. “I’ve got a bad feeling I know who it is. And it’s not a sea monster.” Under his breath, he adds, “A sea monster would be much better.”
Who?But there’s no time to ask what he means.
