Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!
Chapter 25: I’m Not Your Cadet, Captain!

Chapter 25: I’m Not Your Cadet, Captain!

The sharp rhythm of paddling stirred Georgia from sleep.

Blinking against the harsh morning light, she groggily sat up, her body stiff and sore from the stormy night. Her eyes focused, and there he was.

Nick, shirtless, arms flexing with each stroke, muscles straining as he paddles through the endless blue. His uniform now clung to her body, dry and warm.

Startled, Georgia looked down at herself and then at him.

"You gave me your clothes?" she murmured, disoriented.

Nick didn’t look at her but answered, "Yours is still wet". He kept paddling, his eyes locked on the horizon, jaw clenched.

Georgia squinted into the distance, scanning the water. Nothing but the sea. No sign of land.

"Why are you paddling that way?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her tone.

Nick finally glanced her way, only briefly. "You finally have energy. Good. Grab a paddle and help out."

"Not until you tell me where we’re going. I don’t want to end up deeper into open water," she snapped, arms crossed.

Nick smirked, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Maybe, just maybe, I know what I’m doing. Training, remember? I’m a ship captain after all."

"Fine!" Georgia huffed. "If you’re going to be a jackass, I’ll eat breakfast instead of helping." She yanked a bag from the raft floor and began rummaging through it, pulling out canned goods with aggressive intent.

Nick shot her a glare. "Are you always this stubborn and spoiled?"

"I’m not spoiled," she said, prying open a can. "I’m intentionally annoying you."

Nick scoffed. "Well, it’s working. I feel thrilled to be stuck at sea with you. Just tell me directly that you want my attention and I’ll give it to you."

"Really?" she said with a smirk. "Then happy morning, Captain. Or are you guessing it’s morning too?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sun’s position. Temperature shift. Bird movement. Again... training. I’m wearing a watch too, you know."

But as soon as the scent of warm corned beef hit the air, Nick’s sarcasm faltered. He glanced toward the food, ready to lunge for it.

Before he could, Georgia, surprisingly, handed him the open can. No words. Just a gesture.

Nick stared at her, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "T-Thanks."

"Don’t get used to it. I’m still pissed at you," she muttered, opening her own can.

Nick took a bite, then asked, "Why exactly?"

"You ruined everything," she said flatly. "You were supposed to stay on your ship. I was going to get rescued. You could’ve stayed out of this and protected your damn career."

He snorted. "Rescued? Do you think jumping into a life raft in the middle of a storm was going to get you rescued? Georgia, you would’ve either drowned or gotten picked off by pirates. That plan was suicide."

She paused mid-bite, his words sinking in. She hadn’t considered pirates. Or worse.

Nick noticed her expression falter. He pointed toward the horizon. "That way is west. I saw birds flying from that direction at sunrise. According to the ship’s last coordinates and the charts I memorized, there are scattered islands in that zone. If we’re lucky, we’ll hit land before sundown."

Georgia followed his gaze, hope igniting in her chest like a spark.

"Alright," she said, voice softer now and much more cooperative. "After breakfast, I’ll paddle."

Nick gave a satisfied nod, finished his food quickly, and returned to paddling.

As Georgia chewed in silence, she stole a glance at him. His muscles were taut with determination.

’I guess, it’s not that bad that you are here with me after all, Captain,’ she thought with the hint of a smile.

Georgia finally reached for the spare paddle and took her place beside Nick. Her movements were slow at first, awkward, untrained, but determined.

"Keep your arms loose. Use your shoulders, not your wrists," Nick instructed, glancing at her form.

"I’m not your cadet, Captain," she muttered but adjusted her grip anyway.

They paddled in silence, backs aching, shoulders burning. The sun beat down mercilessly. The rhythm of the sea, the slap of water against the raft, and their synchronized breathing became the only soundtrack of their slow crawl.

Time dragged like an anchor.

Hours passed.

Then more.

And still, nothing—no jagged edge of land, no silhouette of an island, no speck of salvation on the infinite blue.

Georgia’s arms trembled. Her palms were raw. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it. "This doesn’t make sense. You said we’d see land by now."

"I know what I saw on the map, but as you can see we are in the middle of the fucking ocean now. No maps or tools to use," Nick replied, jaw tight.

Georgia didn’t argue and watched Nick lean back slightly and shut his eyes. Georgia pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them as her gaze swept the horizon. It was still endless blue, broken only by the sun’s glare and the rhythmic waves of the sea.

She glanced at Nick, who quickly dozed off. ’He must be really tired.’ She sighed and whispered to herself, ’You didn’t have to follow me, Captain... but I’m really glad you did.’

The exhaustion finally caught up with Georgia. Her eyelids grew heavy as she hugged her knees and leaned back against the raft’s side.

She told herself she would rest only for a minute, but the moment her eyes shut, her body surrendered to sleep.

She didn’t know how long she had been out. But a loud noise jolted her awake.

"Georgia! Wake up! Georgia!"

Her eyes snapped open as Nick’s voice sliced through her dreams. His hand gripped her shoulder, shaking her urgently. She blinked up at him, still caught in a fog.

"What—?"

"Land!" Nick shouted, breathless, eyes burning with adrenaline. He pointed to the distance where a dark green shape barely peeked over the shimmering horizon. "Paddle, hurry!"

Still groggy, Georgia scrambled for her paddle and dipped it into the water. "I’m sorry—I fell asleep..."

Nick glanced at her, the stress lines in his face softened by a warm, genuine smile. "It’s okay. The birds woke me up. They were crowding on the canopy and starting to get loud."

That smile—it wasn’t his usual sarcastic grin or forced smirk. It was real. Pure. And for a second, Georgia forgot how to breathe.

She stared at him, stunned, her heart suddenly racing for a different reason. Her hands froze on the paddle. Nick raised a brow at her.

"Are you gonna paddle or admire me ’til sundown?" he teased.

Georgia blinked, snapping out of it. "Right. Paddle. Got it."

Georgia’s eyes were staring at the land ahead, but her mind was elsewhere. ’What is wrong with me? Why does he look cute for a second there? I must be hungry and tired.’