Who Needs Mistletoe?

5

THE HUMIDITY HUNG IN the late-afternoon air and the breeze had disappeared, leaving a strange stillness over Suaneva.

Trey sat on the top step of the porch, his gaze fixed on the plane on the far side of the lagoon. Just minutes before, he’d thought he heard the sound of an engine overhead. It was strange to be so close to rescue, yet so incredibly far away.

He and Sophie were alone on this island until someone came looking for them. And though it had proved to be an interesting adventure so far, Trey had to wonder what would happen when it was over. If it was ever over.

There was always a small chance that they wouldn’t be found, that her father might have forgotten where she went. Or that a search party might miss them. It was a remote possibility, but a possibility nevertheless. The more likely scenario would be the opposite-that they’d be found in the morning and that a rescue plane would land in the lagoon, pick them up and take them back to the real world.

But what then? Would they just walk away from each other as if they’d never met? Or would they make hasty plans to have dinner together? If Trey had anything to say about it, he’d take her hand, drag her off to his hotel suite and let nature take its course.

They’d enjoy a long, hot shower together, then wrap themselves in thick robes. After that, they’d have a huge dinner with dessert and champagne. And then they’d go to bed for the next three or four days. Only after that would they be ready to make plans for the future.

Their rescue wouldn’t be the end of their affair, it would be the beginning. When the sex was this good, you didn’t just walk away. He and Sophie shared incredible intimacy in a relationship unencumbered by inhibition. But would they have to begin all over again once they got back? Or could they continue on as they had?

He turned to look at Sophie, sound asleep in the hammock he’d made. The effects of the wine and sex and incessant heat and rain had been enough to make her drowsy. The moment he’d finished hanging the hammock, she’d crawled in and fallen asleep.

He glanced down at his wrist, then remembered that his expensive waterproof watch had stopped running when he’d first jumped into the water. From what he could tell by the intermittent sun, it was probably getting close to five in the evening. He’d already spent eight hours with Sophie and he felt as if his life had completely changed. What would happen in the next sixteen? When he left Suaneva tomorrow, would he be a different man?

Trey found it difficult to believe that he could change so much in twenty-four hours. He hadn’t really cared about anything in his life, so what made him think he felt something deeper for Sophie? But then, the things he’d tossed aside so quickly had always been things he’d bought and paid for.

No matter how much he spent, he never seemed to find any satisfaction, any comfort. He’d gone through millions and had nothing to show for it. He wasn’t any richer, any smarter or any happier. But he couldn’t buy Sophie’s affection. Maybe that’s why Trey found it so valuable-and maybe that’s why he wanted it more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life.

He slowly stood, then walked across the porch and bent down to look at her face. Her dark lashes were thick and feathery, her lips parted slightly as she slept. Trey reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, his fingers instinctively needing to touch her. This was crazy, he mused. If he couldn’t resist touching her now, how would he ever get along without her?

Women had always occupied a specific place in Trey’s life, as social accessories. The more beautiful, the better. He’d never really thought much about compatibility since he’d never intended to stay with one woman long enough for that to be an issue. But he liked Sophie. He admired her strength and her determination. He thought she was, by all accounts, the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. And when he was with her, he felt good about himself.

But would his feelings last? Or were they so intense only because she was the one thing he might not be able to possess? Trey sat back on his heels, his gaze still fixed on her face. This was the woman who had saved his life. Perhaps that was the reason for the attraction and nothing more.

As long as they were here on this island, he didn’t need to think about the future. He’d take each hour as it came and deal with the difficult stuff later. Trey drew a ragged breath. Yeah, he could keep telling himself that, but he was far from convinced that he’d ever be able to let Sophie Madigan go.

Trey picked through their belongings, which he’d tossed into a corner of the porch. He found his khakis, then tugged them on. Though it felt good to walk around naked, he felt vulnerable without clothes. How the hell was he supposed to fight his attraction to Sophie, when the proof of it was there for all to see?

Trey walked back to the grove of fruit trees and collected enough wood to get a fire started, making four trips back and forth before he was satisfied it would last through the evening. Sophie had been right about this side of the lagoon. Things were a lot easier when they had shelter, food, water and a supply of firewood.

Trey arranged the wood in a pile on top of the damp palm fronds, then searched for some kindling to start the fire. In the end, he grabbed his messenger bag and pulled out the notebook he kept inside, crumbling up sheets of paper and stuffing them beneath the firewood.

Ten minutes later, to Trey’s great satisfaction, they had fire. Though the matches were damp, it had only taken three tries to get a flame going. The wet wood popped and sparked and sent a cloud of smoke drifting straight up into the still air.

“You’re a man now,” he muttered to himself. He flexed his biceps and grunted, sure that he must have a caveman gene left inside him somewhere.

It was strange how self-reliant he had become when needed. In the past, money had always solved his problems. If he wanted something, he just paid for it. But here on the island, it didn’t matter that he had money…or privilege…or fame. He was just a regular guy who’d made a very respectable fire.

“Nice fire.”

Trey turned around to see Sophie standing on the porch, her hip braced against the railing, her hair tumbled around her sleepy face. He slowly let his arms fall to his sides.

“Hey,” he said. “How was your nap?”

“Good,” she murmured, rubbing her eyes. “I think I drank a little too much wine.”

“Headache?”

She nodded, smiling winsomely. “But my foot feels much better.”

“That’s good,” he said. “I thought I’d make us some dinner. Maybe heat up those beans. And I found a tin of crackers. They might be pretty tasty with the oysters.”

“I am hungry,” she said.

“Good. Why don’t you sit and I’ll get things ready.”

Sophie plopped down on the top step and watched him as he gathered up the collection of canned goods for their meal, her elbows braced on her knees, her chin cupped in her palm.

“You know, if we didn’t have this pocketknife, we’d be in pretty big trouble.” Trey held it out. “Corkscrew, can opener, knife, scissors, tweezers. If we just had a few more tools we could build a boat and get ourselves off this island. Kind of like MacGyver.”

“Does he have a lot of tools?” she asked.

Trey chuckled softly. He kept forgetting that he and Sophie had grown up on opposite sides of the world. Her cultural references were completely different from his. Still, he was amazed at how easily she moved between cultures. Now that she’d spent the day with him, her accent had all but disappeared. “Yeah, he’s got a lot of tools. He could make a luxury yacht out of a chewing-gum wrapper and a rubber band.”

She stared at him, her head tilted. “How is that possible?”

“American television,” he said. Trey set an open can of beans on the edge of the fire, then stood back to watch it. “I’m going to buy myself one of these knives when I get home.”

“You can have that one,” Sophie offered. “As a memento of our time together.”

“Thanks,” Trey said, staring down at the knife. “That’s nice of you.”

Though the knife was a thoughtful gesture, Trey wanted more than that. He at least wanted a promise that they’d see each other again. A chance to find out if there was anything between them once they were off the island.

“You are about to enjoy the full extent of my cooking skills,” he said, when the beans began to bubble.

Sophie watched as he straightened and carried the can over to her, using a piece of canvas as a potholder. He set them down, shaking his hand, burned from the heat from the can.

Sophie took his fingers and licked his fingertips, then blew on them. The cooling effect sent a flood of desire racing through his body and Trey cursed inwardly. Would there ever come a time when she could touch him and he wouldn’t automatically think about sex?

When she was satisfied that his fingers would be all right, Sophie sat back and waited while Trey laid out the rest of the feast between them. Sliced papaya, smoked oysters, another bottle of red wine. A tin filled with crackers that they could use to scoop up the beans. All in all, Trey thought it was a rather well-rounded meal.

“Five star,” he said.

“Are you sure we should eat these oysters?” she asked.

He sat down opposite her. “I don’t know. Do you think they might make us do something crazy later?” Trey asked.

Sophie giggled. “I hope so.” She plopped one on top of a cracker and gobbled it down. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in your life?”

This was not a game Trey wanted to be playing. He’d done far too many crazy-and stupid-things to recount. Things he was ashamed of now. “I don’t know.”

“Have you ever had sex in a public place?” Sophie asked.

“Oh, we’re talking about crazy sex? I thought you meant like losing a hundred thousand on one spin at roulette in Monte Carlo or wrecking a vintage Ferrari sports car the day after I bought it or punching out a policeman in Paris.”

Sophie gasped. “You did all that?”

Trey had almost forgotten that Sophie knew nothing of his life before she’d met him. “No,” he lied. “I was just using those as examples.”

She ate another oyster. “So. Tell me.”

Hell, he didn’t want to lie to her. But his sexual escapades were a lot worse than anything else he’d ever done. “Well, there was this one time. With this woman I barely knew. We met on an airplane and-well, you know the rest.”

“I do?”

He nodded. “You were there.”

“That was the craziest sex you ever had?”

“Yeah,” Trey said. “That was pretty crazy. How about you?”

She drew a deep breath. “I’ve always wanted to do something crazy. I guess attacking you on the beach was the high point for me.”

It was a decent concession, he mused. Trey certainly didn’t want to hear about her past lovers. And he didn’t want to talk about his. They’d start fresh, without a romantic or sexual past for either one of them.

“Well, maybe we’ll have to work on that,” he said. “We could always aim for something higher, don’t you think?”

She gave him a sexy smile, then popped another oyster in her mouth. “It’s good,” Sophie said, nodding at the meal.

“You know, this is the first time I’ve ever cooked for a woman. Until now my culinary skills stopped at ordering takeout and reading French menus.”

“So what else are you good at?” she asked, her brow arching up. “I mean, besides…you know…”

“I do?”

“Sex,” she said. “You’re good at sex. But I’m sure you already know that.”

“So are you,” he said. He considered her question for a long moment, trying to come up with an answer. Most men his age had at least one thing they could do well. But all the things he could list didn’t really make a whole lot of difference in the world. He could drive a race car really fast, he could ski better than anyone he knew. He was a daredevil when it came to motorcycles. He was good at blackjack and could speak six different languages. He could seduce a stranger in less than an hour. And he knew how to spend money.

“I’m good at taking care of you,” he said. “And that’s all that really matters.” He picked a cracker out of the can and held it out to her.

“I guess life really isn’t so bad on this island,” she said.

“After we get back to civilization, I’m going to take you out for a really good meal. The best restaurant in Pape‘ete. We’ll drink champagne and order the most expensive entrée on the-”

“You don’t have to say that,” Sophie interrupted.

“Say what?”

“That we’ll go out. I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but I think it would be best if we just went our separate ways once this is over.”

“Why would you say that?” Trey asked, startled by her indifferent attitude. At the least, they ought to leave the island as friends.

Sophie shrugged. “Because it’s silly to pretend. We’re attracted to each other. We’re the only two people on this island. Believe me, if there were another woman here, you’d be attracted to her, don’t you think?”

“Not if she looked like my aunt Marjorie,” he teased.

She smiled. “All right, any reasonably attractive women under the age of forty.”

“Forty-five,” Trey said. “I’ve always liked older women.”

“See. It’s just a matter of availability.”

“So you don’t think there’s something…special to this attraction?”

She shrugged. “No. Because it won’t last. My mother always said it’s the chase that fascinates men. Once a man has caught a woman, he tires quickly and moves on to another. Like my father. Once he was certain of my mother’s love, he moved on to someone else. She always said that was her biggest mistake. She let him know how much she loved him.”

“I’m not your father,” Trey said.

Sophie scooped up some beans with a cracker, then put them into her mouth. “No,” she said, shaking her head as she chewed. “But you are a man.”

Trey stared at her for a long moment, before reaching out and smoothing his hand over her cheek. Was she really that cynical? “And you’re a very special woman. There’s something very exotic about your eyes.” He ran his finger along her collarbone and let it drift down to a spot between her breasts. “And about the way your skin feels.” He leaned forward and kissed her, taking his time to tease a response out of her. “And you taste better than any woman I’ve ever kissed.”

“I think the oysters are working,” she said, a tiny smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Either that, or you’re too charming for your own good.”

He should have put aside his doubts right then and pulled her into his arms. But instead, her words brought his past crashing back to the present. How many times had he heard that? Peter Shelton the Third was all charm and no substance. “Do you really think this is just a game?” Trey asked, his mood darkening suddenly. “That I’m just interested in the chase?”

“I-I don’t know what to think. I think maybe you’re used to getting what you want from women.”

“And you don’t get what you want from men?”

Sophie shook her head. “Not usually.” She picked another oyster out of the tin and held it out to him. Trey shook his head. “At least, not until now.”

The rest of the meal passed in more subdued conversation, Trey’s mind occupied by the admissions spoken between them. He may be good at sex and even better at seduction. But it was the other stuff he needed now. He wished he were better at the whole romance thing.

For the first time in his life, he wasn’t quite sure what to do. How could he get Sophie to look at him as more than just the man who satisfied her sexual needs? A man only interested in the chase?

SOPHIE GUZZLED THE LAST of the bottled water, hoping that it would ease the tiny hangover she’d gotten from the wine. Trey had found an old coffee tin in the cottage and had used it to collect rainwater to refill their bottles before the night set in.

He truly seemed to be enjoying their exercise in survival. He’d made a hammock, started a fire, cooked dinner and was now replenishing their supply of drinking water. Sophie had to admit she could have been stuck on this island with a far less useful guy than Trey Shelton.

And far less sexy, as well. Dressed only in his ragged shorts, Trey might have looked a bit disreputable to some. But Sophie couldn’t take her eyes off him. His skin had been burnished by a day of Polynesian sun filtered through the cloud cover, and the thin sheen of sweat on his torso only highlighted the muscles of his shoulders and back.

Sophie drew a ragged breath as she let her gaze drop to his butt. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what would happen between them that night. What else was there to do in the dark but continue the seduction that had begun the moment the plane landed?

She wondered if there might come a point when his touch didn’t cause her to respond so intensely. He seemed to know what she needed even before she did. And when he set out to bring her pleasure, Sophie could do nothing but be swept up in the moment.

Brushing the cracker crumbs off her fingertips, Sophie stood. Right now, she wanted to be kissed by him. And after that, touched. She didn’t want to wait until dark. She needed to look into his eyes when they made love and know that he needed her as much as she needed him.

Slowly, she descended the steps, wincing at the residual pain from the jellyfish sting and the tingles that shot up her other leg from a foot that had fallen asleep. But as she took the last step, her leg wobbled and she tumbled face forward onto the sandy ground.

Trey turned and quickly crossed to where she was lying. He bent down and helped her to her feet, holding firm until she regained her balance. “Are you determined to kill yourself?”

“My foot was asleep,” she murmured.

“And you’ve had too much wine. I should have replenished our water supply a lot earlier.” He held tight to her elbow. “Maybe we should take a walk. Get you some fresh air.”

The suggestion struck Sophie as silly. They were practically living outside. How could she get any more air than she already had? A giggle bubbled from her lips and she covered her mouth as a hiccup escaped, as well.

He turned his back to her. “Hop on.”

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going to the beach. To watch the sunset.”

“How romantic,” she said with a sarcastic edge. “But I think it’s going to start raining again. Look at those clouds.”

“Yeah, well, it’s about time we do something romantic, don’t you think?”

Sophie blinked, surprised by his words. Though romance might be nice for a couple that was actually in a relationship, she and Trey were just having sex. A lot of sex. Romance should have nothing at all to do with it.

“Come on,” Trey insisted. “Hop on. We’re going to miss the sunset and we’ll have to walk back in the dark.”

“I can walk,” she murmured. Sophie slipped into her flip-flops and started off in the direction of the beach, limping on her sore foot and tugging at her pareu as she circled the cottage.

He hurried up beside her and took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers. “We’re not running a race here,” he said. “We can stroll. Or I can stroll and you can continue to limp along.”

The whole idea of romance frightened her, Sophie admitted to herself. With romance came expectations. And then disappointments. And regrets and recriminations. She wasn’t good at romance. She never had been.

Why couldn’t they just concentrate on what they were both good at-sex? It was so much simpler. She didn’t need to think about other things when they were together. She only needed to respond to his touch.

“All right,” she muttered. “I’ll take that ride.”

He bent down and Sophie hopped on his back, her legs straddling his waist, her arms wrapped around his neck. As he walked, she rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Tell me, if you were home right now, what would you be doing?” she asked.

“Home? Home has always been a rather vague concept for me. I usually don’t stay in one place too long.”

“You don’t have a home?” Sophie asked.

“Sometimes I live in hotels. Or stay with friends. Sometimes, if I’m in Europe, I rent a house. Lately, I’ve been living in the Shelton in Manhattan. And if it was dinnertime, I’d probably be watching a ball game and eating something from room service.” He paused. “At least here, I’ve got a plan, a purpose. I like that.”

“You’re better suited for island life than I am,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck.

“I’m going to find a spot for my resort and I’m going to get it built,” he said. “It’s funny. I was waiting around for something in my life to change. And now it has, thanks to you.”

“I didn’t have anything to do with it,” Sophie said.

“I think landing on this island was the best thing in the world for me,” Trey said. “It woke me up. Made me realize that life was just passing me by.”

Sophie had been feeling that same way for years, as if the world was spinning so fast and she was standing still. Exciting things were happening to everyone but her. But crash-landing on Suaneva hadn’t made things any clearer to her. Instead, it made everything more confusing.

“I’ve been waiting, too. For my father to stop being so stubborn, for my mother to decide to come back home, for me to get a life of my own.”

“Aren’t we supposed to know what we want by now?”

“Maybe there’s something wrong with us,” Sophie said.

“Or maybe it’s just the opposite,” he said.

She thought about his comment for a long moment. Was he saying there was something “right” about them? Or was he saying that they shouldn’t know what they wanted? Sophie opened her mouth to ask, but then snapped it shut. She really didn’t want to know the answer.

By the time they reached the beach, the sun was hanging low on the horizon. To the south the clouds were building, the reflection of the sun creating a riot of pink and orange and purple.

“Wow,” he said, coming to a dead stop. “Look at that sky.”

“You act like you’ve never seen a sunset before,” Sophie said, hopping down.

“I haven’t. I mean, I have, but I haven’t really taken the time to look. It’s beautiful.”

Sophie drew in a deep breath and nodded. It was the most beautiful sunset she’d ever seen. Or maybe it was just so wonderful because of the company she had. She wrapped her arms around Trey’s waist and tucked herself into the crook of his arm.

Physical contact between them was something she’d almost begun to take for granted. But standing here, she knew she wouldn’t always be able to touch him like this. There would come a time when she’d want to remember the feel of his skin, the way the muscle rippled beneath flesh.

She’d never been one to appreciate romantic clichés-candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets. But something had changed. She was seeing these things for the first time, with Trey. And Sophie was glad she could share them with him.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a wind gust sent a soft spray across the beach. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her, and she felt the goose bumps prickle her smooth skin. “Is it going to be bad?” he asked.

“It’ll probably be noisy and rainy and windy, but it probably won’t last long.”

“I never really notice the weather,” he said. “But here, I’m feeling a little vulnerable.”

“It’s not a cyclone,” Sophie said. “I’d be worried if it was. A cyclone would blow the cottage down around us.”

“If I hadn’t been so anxious to work on Christmas Eve, you’d be at home, safe and sound, enjoying the holiday like you should be, instead of stuck on this island.”

“It is Christmas Eve, isn’t it?” Sophie murmured. She turned to him and smiled. “Merry Christmas, Trey.”

Her hair blew around her face and Trey smoothed his hands over her temples so he could look into her eyes. “I wanted to forget it was Christmas,” he said. “I didn’t have anywhere to be this year. No one to buy gifts for. I thought if I kept busy, I wouldn’t realize I was all alone. But I’m glad I’m here with you.”

“Maybe we should sing some carols,” Sophie suggested. “Do you know ‘Good King Wenceslas’?”

Trey chuckled. “It just doesn’t seem right. There’s no snow.”

“But there’s been plenty of rain. The only difference is a few degrees in temperature.” She paused. “I know what we can do.” Sophie reached for the knot in her pareu and untied it, then let the breeze blow the fabric from her body. She kicked off her sandals and ran to the edge of the water, then turned to face him. “Come on.”

Trey watched her for a long moment, his gaze raking her naked body. Then, with a groan, he stripped off his shorts, slipped out of his shoes, and ran after her. As he passed, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the water, both of them falling head-first into the surf.

Sophie screamed and splashed water at him, but he yanked her into his arms and kissed her long and hard. Their bodies seemed to fit together so perfectly, her breasts pressed against his chest, her legs tangled around his.

He nuzzled her neck, biting her gently as they played. Sophie leaned back in the water and Trey cupped her breast in his hand, his thumb teasing at her nipple. This was paradise, she thought to herself. When she’d wished for a lover, she could never have expected this man.

Sophie kicked away from him, swimming a few strokes then turning to tread water. But he wasn’t watching her. Trey’s gaze was fixed on the horizon. “Sophie, look.” He pointed and she followed his arm to a spot not far offshore. The white sails of a boat were clearly visible against the sunset. Trey turned and looked at her. “The flare gun. I’ll go back and get the flare gun.”

He spun around and ran out of the water and onto the beach. But before he could get his shorts back on, Sophie called to him. “Don’t,” she shouted.

He turned to face her, tugging on his khakis over his damp skin. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to signal them.”

“Sophie, I’m not going to put you in danger. There’s a storm coming up. We’re here alone. The least they could do would be to radio someone and let them know we’re safe.”

“The waves are getting pretty high,” she said. “I don’t think they’ll risk coming through the reef. And the sun is almost down. They wouldn’t be able to get back out. We’d be putting them in danger.”

“They could call for a boat,” he said. “Isn’t there a coast guard around here?”

“Anyone sent to rescue us would have to deal with the weather, too.” She glanced over at him. “We’ll be all right for the night. They’ll find us in the morning.” Sophie stared into his eyes and she saw the indecision there. But there was more. A genuine concern for her safety. He cared about her, enough to put an end to their time together.

“No,” he said.

“Yes.” She held out her hand and motioned to him as he slowly walked to the water’s edge, the waves swirling around his feet. “I want to spend the night with you. I don’t want to be anywhere but here.”

He waded through the water to where she stood and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Then he kissed her, his hands tangling in her damp hair, molding her mouth to his.

“All right,” he murmured, his lips warm against hers.

She needed this night, Sophie told herself. After that, she’d be able to let him go without any regret. Just this one night.

BY THE TIME THEY GOT BACK to the cottage, they could hear thunder in the distance. The wind had shifted direction and was blowing across the lagoon toward the plane. The pilot-side float had been grounded on the sand, and the plane sat at an odd angle.

“Should we try to tie it down again?” Trey asked.

Sophie stared across the lagoon, squinting into the diminishing light. “There’s nothing we can do now,” she murmured. “Except hope that the wind doesn’t get too high.”

The plane probably wasn’t worth a whole lot, Trey thought to himself. He suspected that Sophie and her father had sold the most valuable of their assets first, leaving her with something that was held together with chewing gum and duct tape. He probably ought to be grateful they’d had a problem with the engine when and where they did. Hell, they would have been in a lot more trouble had a wing or the propeller fallen off.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

“If it flips, we’ll never be able to get it off this island,” she said.

“It’ll be fine,” he said, reassured that money could solve any problem. If he had to send a boat over and find a mechanic to take the plane apart piece by piece and haul it back to Tahiti, he’d do that for Sophie.

Trey wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. In truth, there wasn’t much that he wouldn’t do for her, if she asked.

“Maybe it would be better if we couldn’t get it off the island,” she murmured. “Then it would finally be over. The insurance would pay for the plane. My father’s business would be done and we could move back to the States.”

“Is that what you want?” Trey asked.

She shrugged and slipped out of his embrace. “Yes.” She paused and turned to face him. “No.”

“If you could have anything you want, any wish, what would it be?” he asked.

“It won’t do me any good to wish,” she said, climbing the front steps of the cottage. “Wishing can’t make it happen.”

He stared up at her, studying her enigmatic expression. “Humor me. If you could snap your fingers and have whatever you want. Three wishes.”

Sophie leaned against a vine-covered post and stared out at the lagoon. “I’d wish my father would go to a doctor and get his eyes fixed. And then, I’d wish the business was making money again. And finally, I’d wish my mother would come back.”

“Nothing for yourself?” Trey asked.

“All those things are for me,” she said. She shrugged, her smile fading slightly. “What about you?”

“I’d wish…I had a big, soft bed here on this island. With clean sheets and down pillows.”

“And?”

“And a bathtub big enough for two with an endless supply of hot water and bubbles.”

“That’s two,” she said. “What’s the third?”

“You. In the bathtub first and then the bed.”

Sophie stared at him for a long time, her gaze flitting over his face. Trey could already imagine the scene his three wishes might create. A bath, a bed and Sophie was a fantasy he hoped might come true. He’d make it come true.

Trey felt the first drops of rain on his skin and he looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. It seemed as though they’d spent a lifetime on this island and yet, in so many ways, they were still strangers. He wanted to touch the real Sophie, the lighthearted, silly woman that he sometimes saw, not the indifferent, slightly cynical girl that he was faced with now.

She was so guarded at times, so careful of her emotions that Trey wondered if he’d ever truly know her. He knew she had an incredible inner strength and she was fiercely loyal to those she loved. He knew her parents’ divorce had left her with deep scars, making her unable to trust her own feelings.

They’d been intimate, but only with their bodies. He wanted to know this woman, to feel what was in her heart and soul and to touch her there, as well. But how was that possible in just a single day and night?

Trey drew a deep breath and opened his eyes to find her still staring at him.

She held out her hand. “Come in out of the rain,” Sophie coaxed.

“Come into the rain,” he countered, holding out his hand.

Sophie turned and walked in the open door of the cottage. Trey knew if he went to her, she’d surrender. He’d run his hands over her shoulders and toss aside her pareu and they’d pleasure each other the way they had since the moment the plane had gone down.

But sex with Sophie wouldn’t get him what he wanted. It wasn’t just passing pleasure. He needed to know this relationship actually meant something to her, that they weren’t simply satisfying a physical craving, but, perhaps, connecting in a deeper way.

Slowly, he climbed the steps, his desire overwhelming his resolve. At least, when he was inside her, he could claim a part of her that no one else could. In those moments before they dissolved into orgasm, the walls fell and she was his completely.

Trey cursed softly, stopping just outside the front door. Once he touched her, there was no going back. She stood at one of the windows, staring out at the rain, her face illuminated by the late-evening light. Her beauty took his breath away and Trey wondered at the stroke of luck that had put him here on this island with her.

He slowly walked across the room and slipped his hands around her waist, gently turning her around and backing her up against the wall. His fingers tangled in her hair as his mouth met hers. Sophie moaned, going pliant in his arms. They couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other for long.

Was it just unbridled lust or did he need to reassure himself that she still wanted him? So many times in the past, the passion he’d felt for a woman faded too quickly. It had always been replaced by the pragmatic notion that love wasn’t worth the trouble.

Hell, he didn’t even know what love was. He wouldn’t know it if it dropped out of the sky and hit him on the head. But this was certainly a lot more than just lust, Trey thought, his lips tracing a path from her jaw to the sweet curve of her neck.

His palms were warm on her naked skin and he found the knot in her pareu. With practiced ease, Trey tossed aside the filmy fabric and it drifted to the floor. She held her breath as he cupped her breast in his hand, rubbing his thumb over her nipple until it peaked.

Bracing his hands on either side of her head, he pinned her body against the wall with his. Another kiss, this one more intense and demanding, brought a moan from Sophie’s throat and the silent question he asked was answered. She did want him as much as he wanted her.

She tore at his shorts, hastily unzipping them before shoving them down over his hips. The instant his shaft made contact with her body, Trey knew any thought of stopping would be futile. But he wanted more than just pleasure. Unfortunately, he didn’t know just exactly what that was.

Trey hooked his finger beneath her chin and turned her toward the light from the window, his eyes fixed on hers. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he groaned.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her up, wrapping her legs around his hips and using the wall for support. His shaft was hot and hard between them, the length of his erection rubbing along the damp slit between her legs. Pleasure knotted inside him with every stroke and he struggled to keep himself from release. Sophie arched back, pushing against him with each stroke as her need built.

Trey ached to lose himself inside her, to feel her heat as he came. But neither one of them wanted to pause to retrieve a condom and he wasn’t even sure where the last one was. The force that had brought them together was too strong for them to deny or to stop.

He probed at her entrance and Sophie shifted above him. For one breathtaking moment, he slipped inside her, then cursed softly. “We shouldn’t,” he murmured, swallowing hard. “Should we?”

Sophie shook her head, her breath coming in short gasps, her hair tickling his chest. “I don’t want you to stop.”

“I have some control, but not that much,” he said, his voice raw with need. “And not with you.”

She moved again and he was inside her and it felt like heaven. But suddenly, reality set in. This woman had stolen the last ounce of his self-control. When he was with her, all he could think of was this, the feel of their bodies joined as one.

Drawing a deep breath, he slowly pulled out, then set Sophie back on her feet. If he expected anything more than sex between them, then the sex would have to stop, at least temporarily. The next time he was intimate with Sophie, Trey wanted it to mean something.

“What’s wrong?” she murmured, her lips pressed against his chest.

“Nothing. We just shouldn’t do this without a condom.” He pulled his shorts back up over his hips and forced a smile, the height of his desire still plainly evident.

“Are you going to go get one?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Right.” Trey nodded. “I’ll…go get one.”

He walked toward the door, wincing slightly as the zipper from his shorts rubbed against his erection. When he got outside, the last light from the day had nearly faded. The sky was a deep blue and the first stars twinkled through the clouds. The rain had stopped for the moment and the air was fresh with the smell of the island.

Trey leaned back against the weather-worn siding next to the door and closed his eyes. Things were moving far too fast. Emotions he’d kept so closely in check were threatening to break through his usual indifference.

Somehow, this place had worked a kind of magic on him. Civilization, and the real world, seemed miles and miles away. And for the first time in his adult life, Trey was able to live unencumbered by the expectations of others.

Here, on Suaneva, he was able to be himself. And he was beginning to like the guy he’d found.