Who Needs Mistletoe?

3

TREY RUBBED HIS PALM, the skin nearly raw. As Sophie had suggested, he’d gathered wood from the beach on the other side of the atoll and had stacked it over a pile of dried palm fronds and old coconut husks. But building a fire was a lot easier than starting one.

He’d learned three methods during his time with Outward Bound. Without a flint, he was left with only two options. But then, a decent stick was also hard to come by on an island with nothing but palm trees, so he’d been forced to eliminate the bow-and-drill method. Left with the fire-plow method, he’d been optimistic about his chances to succeed. But for some reason, the castaway guy in the movie had a much easier time of it.

“That’s Hollywood for you,” he muttered. There was probably some expert there to make sure conditions were perfect. Maybe they even used matches.

Trey sat back on his heels. He should just admit defeat and use the matches. If he got the fire lit before Sophie returned, she’d never know that he cheated. Besides, it was ridiculous to pin his manhood on his ability to start a fire. They were living in the modern world, so why not use the conveniences available.

He looked around the camp, now very quiet without Sophie’s presence. A man alone would go crazy living on this island, he mused. Hell, a man living with Sophie would probably reach the edges of sanity on occasion, as well.

Just one look at her was all it took for the fantasies to start spinning in his head. Her body was enough to tempt the most devout monk to break a vow of celibacy. And then there were her very open-minded views on sex. She seemed quite at ease discussing her desires-and his, as well.

Naughty talk had always been a turn-on for him, but this was different. Sophie wasn’t doing it to play games. She was simply being honest about her passions-and her curiosity. He’d never met a woman quite like her and Trey had to wonder how deep her curiosity ran. What limits would she be interested in testing now that they were alone on the island?

Trey knew it wouldn’t take much to convince her to make love with him again, to let him strip off her clothes and possess her body. From what he could tell, she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

But in just a matter of hours, he’d become obsessed by thoughts of her…of her body…of the way she made him feel when she touched him. She’d changed the way he felt about sex. With other women, it had been all about release, a need to momentarily lose himself in a warm and willing body. But there was something else pulling him toward Sophie, something much more powerful that just physical desire.

“I have lunch!”

Trey looked over his shoulder to see Sophie approaching, the water jug in one hand and her pareu gathered in the other. Though she’d only been gone an hour, he realized he hadn’t stopped thinking about her since she’d left.

He slowly stood and brushed the sand off his knees. “What did you find? The local mini-mart?”

Sophie frowned. “Mini-mart? What is that?”

“Convenience store? Gas-and-go?”

“Oh,” she said with a smile, finally understanding. “No. No mini-mart. But I did find some fruit trees.” She stepped beneath the tarp onto the blanket and dumped the load of fruit onto the ground. “Mango,” she said. “Papaya. There were bananas, too, but I would have needed the knife to cut them down. We can go back later.”

“Wow,” Trey said, joining her beneath the shade of the tarp. “This is great. I can see you would have done well in Outward Bound.”

“I would have definitely seduced you before the red-haired girl did,” she teased.

His gaze fixed on her lush lips. “I meant with the foraging.”

“There wasn’t any foraging involved,” Sophie replied. “Whoever decided to build the resort thirty years ago planted some fruit trees.” She knelt down on the blanket and picked through the toolbox for the pocketknife. When she found it, Sophie used it to slice open a mango. “There’s plenty of firewood over there, too. We might want to think about moving camp.”

Trey shrugged. At least he wouldn’t have to admit his failure in making a fire. It was probably just the wood on this side of the island. Wood from the other side would no doubt be easier to start. Right.

He sat down in front of Sophie and watched her score the juicy orange flesh and flip the skin inside out. She handed it to Trey and he bit into the fruit, the juice running down his chin. “Oh, God, this is good,” he said. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I don’t remember mangoes tasting like this.”

Sophie prepared a piece for herself and took a huge bite. “All natural, right off the tree.” She took a bite and then licked the juice off her lips and fingers.

Trey found himself captivated by her mouth. He fought the urge to lean over and taste the mango on her lips. “Look at us,” he murmured. “We’ve got shelter, food to eat. If I can get a fire going, we’ll be warm.” Trey dragged his gaze from her face and stared over her shoulder at the lagoon. “How long do you think we could survive here?”

Sophie licked her fingers, then shrugged. “For a pretty long time,” she said. “There’s enough to eat, decent shelter. Sooner or later a sailboat would come by and we’d be rescued.”

“I wouldn’t call this tarp a decent shelter,” Trey said.

“Actually, there’s a cottage on the other side of the lagoon-it looked like it might have been an office at one time-and a few fares that were probably built for the workers they were going to need. If the weather turns bad we can go over there.”

“You don’t like the house I built for us?” he asked.

She handed him another piece of fruit. “It’s a lovely house. But the one on the other side of the lagoon has walls and a real roof.”

Trey shrugged. “Sometimes, I wonder if I’d have been better off living a simple life like this,” he said. “I think I might have been happier if my life hadn’t involved so many temptations. Here, I’d eat, sleep, look for food. Give me an endless supply of books to read and music to listen to, and I could be happy.”

“You wouldn’t miss all the things the world has to offer?”

“You would?” he asked.

“I wish I had more temptations.” Sophie laughed softly. “I’d give anything to be able to go out and see the world. To breathe in all the excitement of a big city. To go to a shopping mall. Or to see a movie whenever I wanted. To go to a club and dance the night away. I wish I had those choices.”

“There are nightclubs in Pape‘ete, aren’t there?”

Sophie shook her head. “Of course. But they’re in Pape‘ete, not London or Paris or Rome. Besides, if I left, there would be no one to take care of my father. He needs me.”

“He’s an adult. Can’t he take care of himself?”

She forced a smile, then picked up another mango and cut it open. “These are good, aren’t they?” She handed him a piece, leaving Trey with the distinct impression that she didn’t want to discuss the subject any further.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, examining her fingers distractedly. “You can talk to me, Sophie. I’m the last person to judge anyone when it comes to family loyalty and duty.”

“Is that why you’re not with your family on Christmas?” she asked.

“That’s a long story.” Trey paused and gathered his thoughts. He wanted Sophie to admire him, to see him as a good person. But some of the things he’d done in his life had been awfully silly and self-centered.

“Until recently, my father disapproved of my lifestyle,” he admitted. “And my spending habits. I had a trust fund I got when I turned eighteen and I used it to move as far away from my family as possible. Going home always meant listening to my dad’s lectures on personal responsibility. After a while, I’d been gone so long, nobody even expected me to show up on the holidays.”

“But you’re working for your father now.”

“Out of necessity. I don’t have any money left. And he figured it was about time I settled down and made something of myself. I didn’t really have a choice.”

He’d never really wanted his father’s respect, at least that’s what he’d told himself. And from the moment Trey was old enough to stand up to Peter Shelton II, Trey’s mother, Carolyn, had abdicated her role as mediator in their relationship.

But as Trey began to see his life for what it really was, he realized that his father had a point. Sooner or later, a man had to take responsibility for doing something of value in the world. Trey’s first realization came when he found himself out of money, with nothing to show for it. But the second realization came just hours ago, as the plane was descending without power.

What would he be remembered for if he’d died? In a few years, no one would even miss him. He had never truly loved a woman, never had a family or permanent home. He’d be forever known as the wastrel son of a successful billionaire. It was time to change that, time to make his father see that he was worth the investment.

“When they realize we’re missing, they’re going to call your family, too,” Sophie said.

Trey laughed. “My father will probably be relieved,” he joked. “One less worry in his life.” The joke just wasn’t funny anymore, he mused.

“Don’t say that,” Sophie murmured, reaching up to press her finger to his lips. “Things couldn’t be that bad.”

“My life was planned out from the time I was born. I was the male heir to the Shelton Hotel empire. Even though my two older sisters have been devoted to the family business, my father wanted me to run it. That’s a lot of pressure for a teenager and I guess I felt I should be the one to decide. So, from the time I was about thirteen, I started to rebel. And it felt good, to see him finally realize he wasn’t in control of my future.”

“And what do you want now?” she asked, leaning back on her elbows and stretching her feet out in front of her.

That was a loaded question, a question he’d been trying to answer his entire adult life. What did he want? Right now, he wanted to kiss Sophie, to lean over and pull her down onto the blanket with him. “I’d settle for more of that mango,” he murmured.

She handed him the knife and a fresh mango and he cut off a piece, slicing it in the same way she had. He pulled a small square of flesh off the leathery skin and held it out to her. When she moved to take it into her mouth, he held it back. Slowly, he approached her lips, then ran the fruit along her lower lip before placing it on her tongue.

It was meant to be a playful gesture, but the moment their eyes met, Trey realized how easy it was to mistake the game for sexual foreplay.

His gaze dropped to her lips, damp with the fruit’s nectar. Unable to stop himself, he leaned over her and drew his tongue along her bottom lip. They were both sticky with the juice and the sweet taste was like an aphrodisiac. She licked his chin before returning to his mouth.

Sophie kissed him, her tongue slipping between his lips to tease at his. Trey held back, wanting to see how far she might go to seduce him. When she pulled away, he noticed a tiny smile curling the corners of her mouth. She took the slice of mango from his hand and squeezed it over his chest, the juice dripping down from his collarbone to his khakis.

Sophie pushed him back until he was braced on his elbows. Slowly, she began to lick the juice off his skin, her tongue tracing a tantalizing path over his chest and abdomen. When she’d licked up nearly all the juice, Trey grabbed the other half of the mango, tore at the flesh and squeezed it over his belly.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her lips against his skin. But Sophie didn’t stop there. She worked open the button on his khakis and slowly drew the zipper down. Thinking she’d stop once she finished the last of the juice, Trey reached down to run his fingers through her hair.

But she didn’t stop. Instead, she tugged at the waistband of his pants until she’d pulled them and his boxers over his hips, exposing his desire to her touch. Then she picked up another mango and sliced it open, before rubbing the fruit over his belly and his cock.

The juice felt cool against his hot shaft and he moaned as her lips brushed the swollen tip. Trey knew what was coming and he waited, the anticipation of it almost too much to bear.

A moment later, a jolt of pleasure coursed through his body as she took him into her mouth. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before, the sensations so intense that it made rational thought nearly impossible.

She took her time, using her tongue to bring him closer to the edge before allowing a gradual retreat. He’d enjoyed this same act with other women, but his reactions had never been quite so powerful. Every movement sent a flood of sensation racing through his body.

Trey felt the breeze on his skin, her silky hair sliding across his abdomen as she moved above him. He heard the palms rustling and the tarp snapping. Every nerve had become more attuned, until he was alive with desire.

This was paradise, he thought as he gave himself over to the rush of surrender. He reached for her, knowing he was close but she continued making love to him with her lips and tongue. And when he finally allowed himself, he found exquisite release in the warmth of her mouth.

He lay back, his body tingling and his thoughts hazy. Nothing had prepared him for this. Her touch was so arousing, he was barely able to control himself. And the feeling of surrender that she evoked was becoming dangerously addictive.

Trey pushed up on his elbows and looked down at Sophie. He reached out and tipped her chin up until her gaze met his. A satisfied smile touched her beautiful lips and she reached for another mango and bit into the tough skin before sucking on the fruit.

“Are you still hungry?” she asked, holding out the mango.

Trey shook his head. For the first time in his life, he felt completely satisfied. And that scared him.

“I DON’T THINK THE FISH are hungry.”

Sophie leaned out of the plane. Trey sat on the float, his back braced against the wheel strut, his feet dangling in the water. “Your feet are probably scaring them away. Haven’t you ever fished before?”

“No,” Trey said. “Maybe you should do this and I’ll try to fix the radio. I built a ham radio for a science project once.”

Sophie had pulled the radio out of its bracket and exposed the wires, but no matter how she attached them to the battery, nothing seemed to work. With a frustrated groan, she reached for the pocketknife that had fallen beneath the pilot’s seat. As she searched, Sophie noticed a small plastic case shoved almost out of reach. To her surprise, she found a flare gun and an EPIRB transponder inside, part of an old life-raft kit that had once been stored in the tail of the plane.

All the tools they’d need for a quick rescue, she mused. But did she want to be rescued? If the batteries were still good on the transponder, she’d merely have to flip a switch and an emergency radio beacon would go out from their little island to any passing planes or ships. They could be back in Tahiti by dinnertime.

Already, she was coming dangerously close to feeling something for this man. When he touched her, she became alive and aware. He made her believe she was the most desirable woman in the world. And though this was a fantasy world they were living in, she didn’t want to leave it. Not yet.

Still, she had a responsibility to her father. A night filled with worry for him was not worth a night filled with pleasure for her, was it? Once Jack Madigan realized she wasn’t coming home, he might do something stupid, like borrow a plane and come looking for her.

“Have you figured out what’s wrong with the radio?” Trey called.

“No,” she replied. “I think this battery is dead, too.” She stared at the emergency radio beacon, turning it over in her hands and rubbing her thumb over the activation switch.

“Why don’t you just leave it? You said they’d find us.”

“It’s Christmas Eve,” she said. “It would be nice if my father didn’t have to spend Christmas Eve wondering if I was dead or alive.”

A moment later, Trey opened the passenger-side door and slid into the seat. His hair was dripping and his khakis were wet. “I guess I shouldn’t have asked you to take this trip,” he said. “Not on Christmas Eve.”

Sophie shook her head. “We needed the money. I could have turned the job down, but I didn’t. Besides, who could have predicted we’d end up here?”

Trey took her hand and drew it to his lips, pressing a kiss in the center of her palm. “Still, I’m sorry. I guess I’ll have to find a way to make it up to you. Once we get off this island.”

His words sent a shiver skittering over her body. Did that mean there would be something between them after they were rescued? Or was she just reading meaning into words that had none? Drawing a deep breath, Sophie held up the EPIRB. “Do you want to get off the island?”

“What is that?” he asked.

“An emergency radio beacon. It will send out a signal. Passing planes will pick it up, ships, too. Maybe even some of the nearby airports.”

He took it out of her hand and examined it carefully, then glanced over at her. “Do you have to turn it on for it to work?”

Sophie nodded. “There’s a switch right there.”

“Why haven’t you turned it on?” he asked.

What was she supposed to say? That she was contemplating putting it back in its case and forgetting she’d ever seen it? “I-I just found it,” she said. “You turn it on.”

“Do you want me to turn it on?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Sophie asked, frustrated with the back-and-forth debate.

He handed it back to her. “Then you turn it on.”

“You don’t want to be rescued?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you?”

She bit her bottom lip as she fingered the switch. “I have to do this,” she murmured. “My father will be worried. I can’t do that to him.” Closing her eyes, she gathered her resolve and flipped the switch. But when she opened her eyes, she noticed the little light above the switch wasn’t blinking.

“How long?” he asked.

Her fingers trembled as she moved the switch back and forth. “It-it’s not working. The battery must be dead.” A flood of relief washed over her, followed quickly by guilt. Was she really so desperate for a man that she’d put her father through the worst worry of his life? At least the decision was out of her hands now.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I seem to be having bad luck with batteries today.”

“I’m not sorry,” Trey replied. “I’m not going to lie to you, Sophie. I don’t mind spending the night on this island. With you.”

She handed him the plastic case, then crawled out of the door to balance on the float.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Flare gun,” she said. “In case we see any passing boats or planes.” Drawing a deep breath, she jumped off the float into the lagoon, sinking down to the bottom before bobbing back to the surface. She swam toward the beach, then turned and floated on her back, staring up at the sky.

Was it wrong to want this time with Trey to last a little longer? Was she being selfish? Or was she simply taking pleasure where she might find it? She’d already given up her life for her father. Would he really begrudge her just one day of happiness before returning to her ordinary existence?

The sun broke through the clouds and the ocean breeze cooled her wet skin. She felt weightless, as if all her concerns had sunk to the bottom of the lagoon and only pleasure had risen to the surface. She’d never wanted a man the way she wanted Trey. It wasn’t just about his body, or about him satisfying her desire. There was more there.

Sophie heard a splash and a moment later, she felt his arms around her waist, pulling her beneath the water. They surfaced together, wrapped in each other’s arms, their limbs tangling.

He kissed her, his mouth molding to hers, his hands tangled in her wet hair. She wasn’t sure what he meant by it, but she knew there was a reason. He demanded a response and Sophie returned the kiss in full measure, her tongue savoring the taste of him.

When he finally drew back, Trey looked down into her eyes. “There are moments when I don’t want to go back,” he murmured. “Ever.”

Sophie nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. The more time they spent together, the more it felt as if they could live a lifetime on Suaneva. But they couldn’t survive on passion alone. And though their desire might feed the soul, it didn’t go very far to feed the body.

“AREN’T YOU UNCOMFORTABLE in those?” Sophie asked.

Trey glanced down at his shorts, the khakis still wet from their swim in the lagoon. “Yeah. I guess. I suppose I could wear my boxers.”

Sophie shook her head. “Take them off,” she ordered, levering to her feet from her spot beneath the shelter. “Go ahead. As long as we’re staying here for a while, you might as well dress like a native.”

Regarding her suspiciously, Trey stripped out of his shorts. She pointed to his boxers dismissively and he skimmed them over his hips and kicked them aside, too. Though they’d already been intimate more than once, he felt a bit exposed running around the island naked.

“I’m not sure I like this,” he said.

“It doesn’t feel good?” she asked.

“Well, yeah. It feels really good. But I’m not used to running around with all my bits and pieces showing. Something might bite me.”

“I promise I won’t,” Sophie teased. “Besides, you don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“Well, you’re dressed and I’m not.”

She glanced down at her outfit, his shirt tied beneath her breasts, and the flowered pareu knotted around her waist. “I think you need to get rid of your inhibitions,” she suggested. “No one is going to see you…or your bits and pieces, except me. And I’ve already seen you naked.”

“There are times when I’d prefer to hide my reactions, if you don’t mind.”

She let her gaze drift down below his waist and then back up again. “It’s a perfectly natural thing,” she said. “It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I find it flattering.”

“It kind of takes all the mystery out of things, don’t you think?” He paused. “I mean, I might as well have a big neon sign on my forehead that blinks Horny every time I get aroused.”

“I don’t need a neon sign to know when you’re aroused,” she said. She unknotted the pareu from her waist and wrapped it around his, fastening it low on his hips. “How is that?”

Trey wriggled, enjoying the feel of the thin fabric on his skin. It felt much better than the damp khakis or his boxer shorts. “The breeze just blows right up beneath it and makes everything very…pleasant,” he said.

Sophie giggled. “You look nice in a skirt. Not many men can carry it off, but you can.”

“And what are you going to wear now?” he asked.

She was dressed in just the shirt and her thong. Sophie picked up his boxers and held them up. “We are a little short on clothing. I could wear these.”

Trey shook his head. “No, I think I like you just the way you are.” The thong was sexy as hell, showing off the sweet curves of her backside. And the shirt was thin enough that he could see her breasts through the fabric. Any fewer clothes and he’d be walking around with a perpetual hard-on all day. Any more and he’d be depriving himself of his one true pleasure-looking at Sophie’s delicious body.

Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, arching against him as he held her close. “See, already you’re starting to adapt to the ways of the island.”

“I’m wearing a skirt,” Trey said, looking down at the brightly flowered fabric.

“I know. But it’s practical. When you want to swim, you just untie the knot. And if it gets wet, it dries very quickly. It’s the perfect thing. You’ll want to buy five or six of them for yourself when we get back to Pape‘ete.”

Trey chuckled. It was a fair swap, but still, he liked the way she looked dressed in his shirt. It made him feel as if she were his and his alone-at least until they got off the island.

She grabbed her bag from beneath the shelter and rummaged through it until she found a brown plastic bottle. “You should put some of this on.”

She handed it to him and he screwed off the top and sniffed. He recognized the scent from her skin. “What is it? Your perfume? First a skirt and now perfume?”

“It’s called monoi. It’s for the sun, to keep you from burning. It has coconut and sandalwood and jasmine in it. And citronella for the mosquitoes. They can get bad at night.” She glanced around. “Although, they shouldn’t be too bad on an atoll like this.”

“Why?”

“There’s not a lot of standing water. And it’s always pretty windy. But it is the rainy season and they’re at their worst when it’s damp.”

Trey sniffed it again. He liked the way she smelled, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to smell the same. “I think I’m all right.”

Sighing impatiently, Sophie grabbed the bottle and squeezed some of the oil into her hand. As she began to rub it into his chest, Trey started to believe in the benefits of the oil. Her touch was like a narcotic, relaxing him, yet exciting him all at once. The scent of the oil filled the air and he pressed his hand to the small of her back, pulling her closer.

“That feels good,” he murmured.

She smoothed her palms over his shoulders, then circled around behind him to rub the monoi on his back. Did she have any idea what her touch did to him, how deeply it stirred his desires?

With Sophie, even the most benign things became seductive. She could wiggle her toes in the sand and he got turned on. Or she could lick her bottom lip and he’d lose himself in a fantasy about how those lips might feel on certain parts of his body.

When she was finished with his back, she put the cap on the bottle and tossed it on the blanket. “There. You’re ready to go,” she said.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” she replied. “Since we didn’t have any luck at fishing, we’ll have to find dinner. And I know the perfect place.”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“A date?”

He slipped his arm around her waist as they began to walk. “I think you just asked me to dinner. Before we go, I want to make something perfectly clear. I don’t kiss on the first date.”

“I see,” Sophie said, giggling. “That’s good. Because neither do I.”

As they walked along the lagoon to the south end of the atoll, Trey wondered what other delights he and Sophie would share before the night was over. Once they settled in for the evening, there was nothing else to do but amuse themselves with sexual activities.

But then, there was always conversation. With Sophie, Trey enjoyed that almost as much as sex. This time together had proven one thing-they enjoyed each other’s company. For Trey, that was saying a lot.

There were very few women he’d met that he’d wanted to spend an extended period of time with. Mostly, he enjoyed their company in bed, and that was about it. The women he’d known had usually been silly and shallow and interested in only one thing-his money.

But Sophie didn’t seem to be aware of who he was, or of the life he’d led. Their acquaintance began in the hangar at the airport and she didn’t care at all about what had come before.

“Tell me more about this resort you want to build,” Sophie said, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked. “What would it be like?”

“Luxurious,” he said. “But primitive.”

Sophie frowned. “How is that possible?”

He’d been turning the idea around and around in his head for such a long time that Trey was almost afraid to talk about it, afraid that if he did, the idea might not hold up to scrutiny. “There’s a segment of the population, a very wealthy segment, that’s looking for a completely unique vacation. I want to find a location so secluded that they can feel safe enough to relax and enjoy themselves.”

She didn’t say anything for a long time, but he could see she was thinking about what he’d said. “It will be very expensive to build on an island,” Sophie warned.

He shrugged. “Money really isn’t a problem.”

“What about the other things? You’ll need electricity and fresh water. A way to get materials on and off the island. A way to get guests back and forth to a major airport.”

“You’ve thought about these things?”

“Well, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” he said. “Of course.”

“I live in these islands, Trey. I know what it’s like. It’s not like living in a big city with all the conveniences. Everything is simpler there, yet it’s much more difficult, as well. Here, everything comes in by boat or plane and it’s expensive.”

“Well, if we build it right, then it will sustain itself,” Trey said, pulling her to a stop. “We’ll power everything with windmills. We’ll collect rainwater. We’ll sail our guests to the island. We’ll prepare simple meals with all-natural foods, grown on the island. We’ll serve the kind of meals that islanders have eaten for centuries.” He paused. “What do you think?”

“What does your father think?” Sophie asked.

“I haven’t told him about that part of the plan yet. He’s kind of a traditional hotel developer. He really doesn’t have any imagination. Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Yes!” she said with a smile. “I think it’s a marvelous idea.”

They continued to walk, Trey suddenly more excited about the project than he’d ever been. It was a good idea, but he’d been afraid to talk about it, afraid that his father would immediately find fault or discount it completely because he’d been the one to come up with the idea. But Sophie lived in these islands and she knew them well. If she thought the concept would work, then maybe it wasn’t so crazy.

“If you’re bringing people by boat, your location needs to be closer to an island with an airport,” Sophie suggested.

“I’m kind of flexible on that,” he said. “We could bring people in by plane.”

“Then an atoll is a better idea,” she said. “You can land in the lagoon or you can build a landing strip on a larger motu. And if there’s a deep enough channel, you could bring boats right into the lagoon.”

As they continued their walk, they discussed more of the details, Sophie listening quietly as he explained everything he wanted to accomplish. In the end, Trey felt as if the project were suddenly real. This wasn’t just a pipe dream anymore. He could make this work.

But he could use Sophie’s help. Why not hire her? After all, she’d be in on it from the very beginning. They could work together on the project. She certainly knew enough to coordinate all their transportation needs. And Madigan Air could use the business.

“I should hire you,” Trey said. “I’ll need someone here to be my liaison if the project goes through. Someone who knows the islands. Someone who can cut through the red tape.”

Once the offer was out there, Trey realized just how stupid it sounded. Though they might get along quite well as lovers, stuck on a deserted island, what made him think they could have a working relationship once they went back to the real world?

“I-I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be in the islands,” Sophie said. “The business isn’t doing real well and-”

“But don’t you see? This would be an answer to all your problems. I could hire you to fly me back and forth. I’d pay you well. And-”

“We’ll see,” she said, cutting him off.

They continued the rest of their walk in silence, their fingers laced together as they waded through a narrow channel that fed the lagoon.

After five minutes of silence, Trey was certain he’d made a mistake. Perhaps this was all they were supposed to have, just twenty-four hours on this island. She didn’t seem interested in anything more than that. But he didn’t want to believe it would end so soon. He was beginning to care about Sophie, and he wanted to know her much better.

He silently chastised himself. Hell, he’d never in his life felt so vulnerable. And it was his fault, letting himself believe what they were sharing was more than just a temporary passion. From now on, he’d accept the fact that their affair would end the moment they got off the island.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the pleasure her body offered. He just wouldn’t attach any expectations to their relationship. It would be purely sexual.