Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!
Chapter 44: Something’s Wrong

Chapter 44: Something’s Wrong

Nick watched her chest rise and fall with the soft rhythm of sleep. Georgia was finally out—exhausted... because of him.

He stared at her longer than intended. He was completely mesmerized by her and didn’t notice that he was watching her sleep like a complete weirdo.

’Damn, I should do something productive. I should make this cave as comfortable as I could for her. I bet she’s not the type who would like camping in a place like this,’ he thought.

Careful not to wake her, Nick stood and silently fed more firewood into the dying campfire.

Outside, the rain continued to pour in sheets, thunder grumbling in the distance like a warning.

’I hope they’ll think we’re dead,’ he thought, eyes locked on the violent storm just beyond the cave’s mouth. ’Hopefully, the liferaft washed ashore somewhere empty, somewhere far from here, or give up entirely.’

He moved quietly, retrieving the dry branches he’d collected earlier and quickly crafted a makeshift rack out of them. It wasn’t much, but it would keep their wet clothes off the cave floor.

Then he turned to the food Georgia had carried back.

Bananas, mussels, oysters—he neatly arranged them on the banana leaves near the campfire.

His gaze darkened slightly.

’She really managed to carry all this herself?’

A quiet scoff escaped him. ’She wasn’t just stubborn—she was strong.’

He then picked up their discarded clothes, his underwear, his pants, and his captain’s uniform that she was wearing. Without thinking, he carried them to the mouth of the cave and stepped out into the storm.

He rinsed them beneath the downpour, his jaw clenched as the fabric clung to his fingers. The same fabric that had clung to her body just hours ago. The memory hit him hard. That damn shirt—his shirt—turned see-through under the rain, her skin visible beneath it, those soft curves...

He shook his head. ’Get it together, Nick!’ he scolded himself. ’You just wrecked her completely, and now you’re thinking about it again!’

Even though his mind was trying to think of something else, his body was not listening. He suddenly got a boner.

He looked at it and sighed.

Nick glanced back at her sleeping form. She hadn’t stirred. Curled on the makeshift bed, arms tucked beneath her head, mouth slightly parted... innocent and completely unaware of the kind of thoughts she stirred in him.

He exhaled sharply and grabbed a knife.

’Time to stay busy, or I might jump at her again!’

He stepped back into the rain and made his way into the trees. He found more banana plants easily. Not far from them, more young coconut trees swayed under the weight of the storm. He quickly stripped what he could—leaves, fronds, anything that might be useful for shelter or bedding—and headed back to camp.

The rain had finally ceased, and when Nick returned to the cave, the moment he saw what was inside, he froze.

Georgia was there, sitting by the fire, wrapped tightly in a blanket, where she was cooking the seashells she’d gathered.

She felt him watching.

Slowly, she turned her head—but instead of a smile or a greeting, her eyes flicked over him for only a second before she abruptly looked down.

That’s when Nick realized—he was still completely naked.

He smirked to himself.

Unbothered, he casually leaned the banana and coconut leaves he’d gathered against the cave wall to dry, then walked toward her. He sat beside her, their shoulders nearly touching.

"You’re seriously not going to put something on?" she asked, eyes locked on the fire.

"I would, if I had something dry. I washed everything in the rain." His tone dipped into something teasing. "Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed. You already saw this earlier... it even went into your pu—"

Before he could finish, Georgia lunged and shoved a handful of mussels and oysters into his mouth.

"Shut up and eat," she snapped, but her cheeks were visibly red.

Nick chuckled, chewing slowly, eyes gleaming with amusement. He swallowed, then licked his lips—intentionally—before leaning a little closer.

"You know," he murmured, voice low, "they say seafood like this is an aphrodisiac." His smirk deepened. "Are you trying to tell me something, Georgia?"

She stiffened.

Georgia glared at him. Without another word, she turned on her heel, snatched the second blanket from their makeshift bed, and started toward the mouth of the cave.

Nick was on his feet in an instant, intercepting her before she could vanish into the fading mist.

"Hey," he said, reaching for her arm. "I was just teasing. Where are you going?"

She tensed and quickly clutched the blanket to her chest, wrinkling it in her grip. "I’m... I’m going to wash this at the beach. The rain had already stopped when I woke up." Her voice was firm, but her eyes avoided his. "Just stay here. Eat. Do whatever. Just—don’t follow me."

He tightened his hold, gently but unyielding. "You don’t have to hide it from me, Georgia," he said, his voice softer now. "It’s normal. I already saw it. I was going to wash it myself in the stream once you woke up."

Her eyes flicked up, something deeper than embarrassment, suddenly replaced with interest. "You found a stream?" she asked, tone shifting.

Nick nodded. "Fresh water. Clean enough to boil for drinking."

Without another word, she turned back, grabbed the empty bottles and cans she’d been saving, stuffed them in a bag, and marched over to him. "Show me."

Nick didn’t push further. He simply nodded and led the way.

Their walk through the damp forest was silent, and Nick kept glancing at her, hoping to catch her expression, but Georgia never once lifted her gaze from the path. Her steps were careful, and she was focused on everything except him.

They finally reached the stream, nestled in a clearing where sunlight barely filtered through the thick canopy.

"Give me the bottles," he said, gesturing to the slope above. "I’ll fill them. The spring flows from there."

Georgia handed him the bottles, then crouched by the water’s edge to rinse out the empty cans.

He returned a few minutes later, water bottles full, only to find her scrubbing furiously the blanket on a stone, her jaw clenched, her brows drawn.

’Is she upset with me?’ he wondered, unsettled by her silence and coldness.

He stepped beside her and knelt, dipping his hands into the water to help. She didn’t stop him, but she didn’t acknowledge him either.

Finally, he broke. "Georgia..." he said gently. "Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?"

She sighed, eyes still fixed on the blanket. "I’m not mad at you."

Then she stood, wringing the blanket out hard before turning to leave.

But Nick wasn’t letting her walk away—not this time. He caught her arm, not rough, but firm enough to stop her.

"Hey," he said, voice rough with emotion. "What’s going on? Talk to me. I know something’s wrong. Please, Georgia... just tell me."

She hesitated, her body tense. And then... she turned.

Her eyes met his—glassy with unshed tears.

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