by Susan Cliff
She followed close behind him. He knew she was tired, because he was tired. His knee throbbed with every step and hunger gnawed at his belly. He had to stop to adjust his belt around his waist. He’d already lost weight. She watched with wary eyes, saying nothing. She had a dancer’s body, slender and compact. He liked her curves where they were. He needed to provide some sustenance before they both started wasting away.
If this island was deserted, they could be here awhile.
The day wore on, and finding water proved elusive. The rain forest was teeming with life, colorful birds and vibrant greenery. Everything was damp. It was humid as hell. He was soaked in sweat. But a convenient wellspring? Nah.
“I need a break,” Cady declared. “If I take another step, I’ll drop.”
He allowed a short rest, glancing around. He was impatient to reach the summit, wherever that was. He couldn’t see more than ten yards in any direction. While she sat with her back propped against a tree trunk, he noticed a liana vine hanging from the canopy above. Liana vines, like green coconuts, were a source of fresh water. He whacked it in half and let the end drip into his palm. The liquid ran clear, so he lifted it to his lips to taste. It was fine. He drank a few mouthfuls and passed the vine to her.
After two days at sea, they couldn’t get enough fresh water. He watched her throat work as she swallowed. When she returned the vine, he quenched his thirst in greedy gulps. They drank until there was nothing left.
Logan had been worried that they’d die of dehydration on the raft, despite his assurances to the contrary. He was still worried about it. He’d dismissed her idea to drink urine, but at one point he’d been tempted. Anything to get his mouth wet.
He lifted his gaze to the sun-dappled canopy overhead. He estimated it was early afternoon. They were burning daylight.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tree trunk. He couldn’t expect her to hike through the jungle all day without proper shoes, on a mostly empty stomach, after last night’s grueling swim. She didn’t have his training, his muscle mass, or his stamina. It was a miracle she’d come this far.
Instead of badgering her, he let her rest. He spent the next few minutes exploring their immediate surroundings. The island was a haven for birds and flying insects. Mosquitos were a constant threat. Ferns and elephant plant grew wild.
He stumbled upon a tree with bumpy green fruits, similar to avocados. The branches were too high to reach, but he picked one off the ground and tucked it into his pants pocket. Then he examined the other trees in the area. He didn’t see any more fruit. A crow-sized bird kept flitting about overhead, squawking in distress. After a cursory glance upward, he noticed what appeared to be a bird’s nest in a crook between two branches.
He climbed the tree and hit the jackpot. Three eggs. He secured them in his shirt pocket before he descended. When he returned, Cady was on her feet. She was hopping around, swatting at her neck and shoulders.
Ants.
That was the problem with taking a break in the jungle: ants. He helped brush the insects off her bare back, hiding a smile.
She bent over to shake out her curls. “I can still feel them in my hair.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t look sorry,” she grumbled.
“Only because I found some eggs.” He took the green fruit out of his pocket. “And a tree full of these.”
She snatched it from him. “This is a breadfruit.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m a chef,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’ve studied the local produce.”
“Can we eat it raw?”
“It’s not good raw. You cook it like a yam or a potato.”
“I’d eat a potato raw.”
She handed the breadfruit back to him, shrugging. It was rock hard with a thick skin. He needed to make a fire anyway. It was safer to boil the eggs, if they could. His mouth watered at the thought of a hot meal. Any kind of meal.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I guess.”
They continued uphill. His injured knee slowed him down considerably, so she kept up with him pretty well. The foliage thinned out as they ascended, which made the hike easier. He increased the pace, sensing they were near the summit. Soon they broke through the canopy and he could see the island’s high point.
A quarter of a mile later, they were there. She sat on a flat rock at the peak, trying to catch her breath. He stood and took in the panoramic view.
It was majestic.
Stark, remote, dizzying and majestic.
He couldn’t see any other islands nearby, just an endless stretch of calm blue water. They were all alone on a big rock in the middle of the ocean. The summit was at the south end, judging by the position of the sun. They’d landed on the west side, which boasted one small, protected cove. The rest of that coastline was sheer cliffs and crashing waves. It was extremely inhospitable, possibly unapproachable. Sharp points jutted up from the sea around the shore like protective daggers.
The eastern side of the island was less severe, with gentler slopes and softer edges. It had a sprawling white-sand beach, framed by dozens of coconut trees. Beyond that, a sparkling expanse of crystal-blue water, with tide pools and an extensive coral reef system.
It was a fisherman’s paradise—but largely inaccessible, even by boat. There was no convenient shoring area. The island was small, only about five miles long and two miles wide. Getting around on foot wouldn’t be a problem. He spotted a craggy rock formation to the north, with what appeared to be fresh water cascading down its edge.
Overall, Logan was pleased. This spot was like a private tropical getaway, untouched by human hands. People paid big money to vacation at secluded resorts and nature preserves. He could survive here a few weeks.
The company wasn’t bad, either.
He glanced down at Cady, gauging her reaction. She wasn’t admiring the view or counting the island’s resources. She was weeping. Tears rolled down her pretty face. She wiped them away, sniffling.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“What’s wrong?” she repeated, incredulous. She gestured to the deserted island and the open ocean all around them. “There’s nothing here!”
His stomach clenched with regret. Of course she was disappointed; she’d been hoping for a rescue that wouldn’t come and inhabitants that didn’t exist. She didn’t care what the island had to offer, other than a way out. She only saw what it lacked: visitors, conveniences, transportation and neighboring islands.
Logan didn’t blame her for being upset. She hadn’t signed up for this. She’d been kidnapped, traumatized and lost at sea. Now they were on dry land, but still completely isolated. She didn’t want to stay here and battle the elements. She wanted to go home.
Instead of escaping her nightmare, she was stuck in it.
With him.
Chapter 6
What was wrong? Was he serious?
She couldn’t believe he’d asked that. He’d lost his damned mind. He was standing at the summit of this bug-infested hellhole like the lord of his domain. He wore a relaxed expression, as if the gut-wrenching view invigorated him.
“We’re stranded on a deserted island. You’re not disturbed by that?”
He raked a hand through his hair, scowling. He didn’t look tired, even though they’d hiked for miles. Sweat dampened his face and shirt, but he wasn’t winded. She felt like she might faint from overexertion. He seemed unaffected by the climb. “I’m trained to stay calm in emergency situations, and to follow a specific survival protocol. You see a deserted island, but I see lifesaving resources.”
“I see a jungle fortress surrounded by sharks.”
He nodded, as if this was a fair assessment. Then he pulled out his phone and checked for se
rvice. Yeah, right. Shaking his head, he put it away. “I’m sorry. I should have tried to manage your expectations better.”
“My expectations?”
“I assumed the island was uninhabited, but I didn’t want to demotivate you.”
“You didn’t want to demotivate me,” she repeated dully. She’d turned into a parrot. She was a jungle parrot sidekick in a shredded red dress, with leaves for shoes.
None of this seemed real.
Her stomach dropped as she remembered what he’d said about the possibility of a rescue. She’d been dubious about his claims, but she hadn’t pressed him on it. Now she studied him with new suspicion. He stared back at her, cool as ice. “Do you think they’re looking for us, or did you lie about that, too?”
He tore his gaze away. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know if you lied?”
“I don’t know if there’s a search effort underway,” he said in a clipped tone. “They send rescue teams to reported accidents, like plane crashes or shipwrecks. Kidnappings at sea, without a specific location...”
Her spirits plummeted. There was no rescue team. What would they look for, other than the pirates? A man or woman overboard had no chance of surviving in the open ocean. Cady and Logan would be presumed dead.
“Let’s focus on the positive,” he said.
She threw back her head and laughed.
“We’re alive.”
She stopped laughing, because she sounded deranged, and he had a point.
“Being on dry land is a vast improvement over the raft. Two or three more days at sea would’ve killed us.”
She let out a ragged breath, fighting tears again.
“As deserted islands go, this one is ideal.”
“How?”
“Most uninhabited islands are spits of sand with a few palm trees and no fresh water. They’re uninhabited for a reason. There’s no way to live off them. This place is different. It has everything we need to survive.”
She studied the green landscape with wet eyes.
He crouched down next to her and pointed at the shoreline. “Look there. Tide pools are easy to forage, and full of seafood. Are you allergic to shellfish?”
“No.”
“Do you like it?”
She nodded, because she did. She loved it, in fact. Shrimp, crab, fish, sushi...she even liked sea urchin.
“And over here, check it out,” he said, moving his finger. “That white line in the rock face is a waterfall.”
“It’s far away.”
“It’s close to the beach, which is where I’d build a shelter. I can make an SOS signal right there on the sand that would be visible from the air. There are coconut trees and palm trees. Maybe some more of that breadfruit.”
“I’ve seen taro plants.”
“Yeah? They have roots you can eat.”
“I know.”
He directed his finger at her. “There’s something special here, too.”
“What?” she asked warily.
“You. You’re a great resource. You’re a chef. You’ve studied the local plants. You can cook the hell out of a fish. You’re also in excellent shape. You’re a strong swimmer. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
“Now you’re going overboard.”
“I mean it.”
“You wouldn’t rather have another SEAL with you?”
He held her gaze. “There’s no one I’d rather have with me.”
She didn’t know how to feel about this proclamation. The intensity that had excited her at the bar—and terrified her in the aftermath of the kidnapping—was still there, glittering in his eyes. But his brutal actions were no longer at the forefront of her mind. He’d been kind to her. He’d shared his clothing and his body heat on the raft. He was a good man. Although he hadn’t been completely honest with her about their predicament, and she didn’t trust him not to bend the truth again, she felt safe with him. She also knew he wanted her. She tried not to be flattered by his desire, and failed.
He was incredibly charismatic. That was why all of the women on the cruise had been agog over him. It wasn’t just his face, though he had handsome features. It wasn’t just his body, though that was a perfect ten. He radiated strength and confidence. When he focused his attention on her, she turned into mush.
“I’m no survival expert,” she said, glancing away.
“Have you ever been camping?”
“In an RV, with my grandpa.”
“The drill sergeant?”
“Yes.”
“This won’t be like that.”
She laughed again, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “No kidding.”
“How are your feet?”
“Terrible.”
“I’ll rewrap them before we go.”
“Must we?”
“It’s all downhill from here.”
“Ha.”
She spotted an aloe vera plant, so she sent him to pick some for her. While she took care of the cuts on her feet, he applied the slick moisture to his chapped lips and sunburned cheeks. Heavy beard stubble shadowed his jaw. He looked a little rough around the edges, but ruggedly handsome. This environment suited him. It didn’t suit her. She felt sweaty and dirty. Her hair was all over the place. There were oily stains on her dress from the coconut milk. Rugged wasn’t a word used to describe women, so she tried to think of a similar term. Natural, maybe. She was at peak natural right now.
When she was finished with the aloe vera, he rewrapped her feet with new leaves. “We’ll see if we can make it to that beach before nightfall. Then I’ll start a fire. We’ll have a cookout, and sleep under the stars.”
She arched a brow at his fanciful phrasing.
“Too much?”
“Let’s bring it down a notch. You’re supposed to be managing my expectations, remember?”
“Right. Okay, here goes. Let’s try to get as far from the summit as possible before the afternoon rain hits and makes the terrain even more treacherous.”
Well, that wasn’t as upbeat, but she’d asked for it. She noted a few dark clouds on the edge of the horizon and figured this was the likelier scenario. With a low groan, she rose to a standing position. After a quick stretch, she followed him down the hillside. Her arms and legs ached from overuse. She felt like a wrung-out dishrag. Logan, on the other hand, appeared hale and hearty as hell. Damn his rugged ass. She stared at his broad shoulders, remembering how his muscles had bunched beneath her fingertips, and how easily he’d lifted her.
It started raining.
He kept going.
She tried to be strong and brave and a team player, but it was just beyond her. She was soaked from head to toe. Her energy was sapped. Hiking uphill while wearing leaves for shoes was difficult. Downhill, on wet ground...it was impossible. She slipped and fell hard, right on her butt. Although she had plenty of padding there, it didn’t feel sufficient. She felt like she’d gotten spanked by the island, big-time.
She didn’t get up. She rolled onto her side and cried.
He knelt next to her. His hand rested on her waist. Instead of asking questions, he waited for her to compose herself.
“I’m okay,” she said finally. “I just fell.”
“Where does it hurt?”
She gestured to the general vicinity. The back of her dress had ridden up, exposing her sore, muddy bottom. He swept his palm over her abused flesh, squeezing gently. Then he gave her a soft pat of sympathy.
“I don’t think anything’s broken,” he said.
“Are you a medic, too?”
“No.”
She tugged her dress into place, suspecting he’d enjoyed that exam a little too much. He winced as he staggered upright, as if his knee was bo
thering him. The injury reminded her that he was a human being with real weaknesses. He wasn’t impervious to pain. He schooled his expression quickly and helped her to her feet.
“We need to find shelter for the night.”
Unfortunately, there were no convenient cabanas to duck into. There wasn’t even a dry rock to crawl under. She trudged along behind him, her head down. She was cold and wet and her butt hurt. The only pace she could manage was slow. The rain dissipated. The slope of the hillside became less severe, and the foliage grew thicker.
In the gathering dusk she imagined a lot of creepy crawlers that probably weren’t there. Spiders hanging from the trees. Centipedes scuttling through wet leaves on the ground. Poisonous frogs, pit vipers and tiny, flesh-eating parasites.
Then the mosquitos descended, and she wished for anything but them. She waved the buzzing nuisances away from her ears and wrapped the tulle around her head in an attempt to protect her face.
When a mosquito bit the tender flesh behind her knee, she shrieked in protest. “I’m getting eaten alive!”
“So am I,” Logan said, slapping his neck. “This sucks.”
“Literally!”
He dragged her toward a large rock formation that rose up in the gloom. Its mossy surface was covered in vines, hiding what appeared to be the mouth of a cave. He had to push aside the foliage to gain entry. It was pitch-black inside, and smelled bad. It was the least inviting shelter she could imagine, but she would’ve gone into Satan’s lair at this point. She held his hand in a tight grip as they ducked into the cave.
“I don’t know what’s in here,” he whispered.
“As long as it’s not more mosquitos.”
He stayed still for several moments, breathing hard in the dark quiet. “We can’t explore the interior.”
That was fine with her. She had no desire to explore. None whatsoever. Her eyes adjusted to the lack of light in slow increments. He sat down with his back against the cave wall. She wanted to curl up next to him, but she wasn’t sure which side of him was safer.