by Lisa Lace
I trudged along, walking further than I wanted to go until I spotted a small pile of rocks that would help me start a fire. I picked up the entire batch and raced back to Sam, coaxing a little more movement out of my aching legs. She had stopped shivering as much, but that wasn't a good sign. I needed to get her warm right away.
I made one last trip into the bush and gathered an armful of dead leaves.
When I got back to the beach, I blocked out all the distractions and concentrated on making a fire. There was an art to starting a fire from the elements, and part of it was staying focused until the fire burned healthily. Any wavering at an earlier point could mean the fledgling fire would extinguish itself, and I would have to start the laborious process all over again.
I didn't have time for that today, so I narrowed my attention to a single task.
I carefully scraped a round space of sand free of anything flammable. I made a stack of dead leaves in the middle of the circle, carefully shredding some into a fluffy mass. I took the smallest branches and formed a tent above the dead leaves, leaving an opening on one side.
Meticulously, I laid out the rest of the fire plant branches in order of smallest to biggest. I was ready to start the fire. I took the two rocks in my hand and squatted next to the little structure, striking them together and making sparks fly.
It took six or seven attempts until the shredded leaves ignited. I set the rocks down and moved close to the smoldering plant, blowing gently. This was the most delicate part of the operation. If I blew too hard, I would put it out. If I blew too softly, there wouldn't be enough oxygen, and it would still go out.
There wasn't a flame yet, but I knew there would be soon. I blew gently on the shredded leaves, and the embers grew until a tiny flame licked upward, lighting the dead leaves above it on fire. I continued to blow, giving the fire a gentle, steady flow of air as it grew. When the small fire plant branches ignited, I placed large branches on top of them.
Once I had a workable bed of coals at the base, I stacked the biggest branches on top and started stoking the fire.
Now that it was burning well, I sat back, took a deep breath and went to check on Sam. She had started shivering again, which I took as a positive sign. I left to gather some large, dry leaves. They were soft and would be more comfortable to sleep on than sand. I laid them as close to the fire as I dared, put some more fuel on the fire, and stared at Sam.
The bodysuit had to come off. It had kept her little body warm before, but there was a fire now, and she needed to get dry. I was cold as well, and I needed to get hot and dry almost as much as she did. When the bodysuits were dry in the morning, we could put them back on.
I stood watching her shiver for only an instant longer before I took action, pulling off my suit and kneeling beside her.
I had to strip her naked.
SAMANTHA
All of a sudden, I felt warm, and it was blissful. The last thing I remembered was feeling cold and miserable. I thought I was going to die and never be warm again. Now heat warmed me from the front, and a blanket insulated me on my back. I was bundled up and safe. I sighed, feeling content all the way down into my bones.
I might have fallen back asleep or been dozing, but I was awake enough to feel the blanket behind me shift and something hard push against my butt. The sensation alerted me, and I struggled to open my eyes. When they finally opened, they were so dry I spent a moment blinking until I could see clearly.
Was I lying on a beach? A fire roared in front of me. Jori was in the blanket behind me. He had wrapped his arm around me, and his hand cupped my breast as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
That's when I realized that we were both naked. I felt neither aroused nor appalled. I felt comforted by the closeness of his body.
I noticed my arm was covered in bruises from the shots I had taken through the bodysuit. But when I moved, it hurt less than yesterday. It looked worse than it felt.
My eye caught our body suits draped on some nearby bushes, and everything came back. The stupid party, the gunshots, and having to crawl through a nasty little hole in the ground. I shuddered at the thought. The worst part had been endless swimming with no end in sight. I had been afraid I would never see dry land again. I could have slipped beneath the water and disappeared, with my life not even half finished. Somehow, I had ended up here, warm, dry, and naked.
I shifted my body and realized I felt less comforted and more aroused. It was hardly the appropriate time or place, but I couldn't control my body. I was starving for him.
Jori was an enigma. His real personality had recently revealed itself to me, but the change felt complete. It was shocking and fantastic, and I could hardly believe it. At this moment, I knew I was falling in love with him.
The real Jori was kind, a hero, and willing to put his life on hold for years to keep children with their mothers. I had seen the real Jori swim and swim, towing my heavy ass across the ocean without complaining once. The real Jori looked distraught at the idea of leaving me behind. The real Jori dragged me out of the ocean, warmed me up, dried me out, and saved me.
A warm feeling spilled out of my heart, and I wanted to be close to him. I wanted to feel him pressed tightly against me. I wanted him inside me and so close that we were almost one person. I needed him right now, and I couldn't wait any longer.
I wriggled against him as a sharp spike of desire passed through me and my breathing sped up. He grunted and pulled me closer to him, squeezing my breast inadvertently which made me gasp. I was wet for him, and he was still asleep.
I could feel his erection brush against my thighs. Surely he would wake up soon. I moved my hand to my sex and touched the hard nub between my legs, needing to feel something immediately. Suddenly I felt aroused. I looked up at the sky and saw that there were already streaks of pink breaking up the blackness filled with stars. It was nearly morning; that's why he was hard.
I promised myself I would wake him if he didn't wake himself in the next few minutes.
I tapped on my button, feeling my need increasing. When would he wake up? I remembered how close I had been to having him inside me and the walls of my sex clenched at the thought, my hips bucking. Finally, I heard his breathing change. He lay still, but I was certain he was conscious.
I pressed tiny, light circles on my clit, wondering what he would do when he woke up and found us naked together. A horrifying thought occurred to me. What if he said that he wouldn't sleep with me, again? I felt like I would die if he didn't make love to me right now. I heard him draw in a deep breath and felt his body shift. His hand squeezed my breast again, but purposefully this time. I hissed.
"What are you doing?" he whispered in my ear, kissing my neck and making me shiver.
"I'm waiting for you to wake up and make love to me," I said immediately. "If you say you won't, I'm going to cut it off."
"What?" he said, his voice deliciously growly.
I turned towards him, but I hesitated to say anything him. I was worried he didn't share my feelings. I buried my face in his neck.
"I need you," I whispered, wondering why the words were hard to say.
He chuckled.
"Why are you laughing? You're not turning me down, are you?" Despair rushed through me even as I wanted him to fill my emptiness.
"Sam, I thought you didn't want me," he said. "Nothing's going to stop us from having each other tonight."
His eyes were honest and truthful. I exhaled.
"Oh good, because I was about to kill you."
"I thought you said you were going to injure me."
"Why were you laughing then?"
He looked embarrassed. "Nathaniel and I had a conversation a while ago. I believed I could resist any woman in any situation. He laughed at me and said I was an idiot."
That was not what I thought he was going to say.
"Now I know I was an idiot."
"Why?" I whispered, gazing into his eyes as he traced my eyebrows gently w
ith his finger.
"He said everything was different when you were with someone who was special to you. When I felt someone pressing a soft body up against me, begging me to take her, it would be impossible to resist. He was right."
"About it being different or the futility of resistance?"
"Both," he said.
"What do you mean?" I swallowed and stopped, unwilling to voice the thoughts in my mind.
"I do care about you, Sam. And when this silly adventure is all over, we can start over and do this properly."
"Yes..." I felt breathless and shivered all over, but I wasn't cold anymore.
"Tonight, you're mine. Nothing is going to come between us."
I nodded, unable to look away from his green, burning eyes.
Chapter 13
JORI
"Please Jori," she moaned. "Don't make me wait any longer."
Her voice made me lose control. I was unwilling to remain separate from her. I bent my head as she twisted up and our lips touched, setting off fireworks in my body. She was soft, and her breast fit perfectly in my hand. We kissed with desperation; we both had an urge to fuse our bodies together and be so close that nothing could separate us.
She rolled over. She faced me, and we twined our bodies together. My skin felt hot against hers. It wasn't long before we were both slick with sweat from the fire and our passion. Her nipples were as hard as pebbles against my chest. My breathing was rough and ragged with desire for her.
I didn't know how long I could wait, but she didn't seem like she was in the mood to take her time. I pulled away from her and bent my head to suck her sweet breast into my mouth. She moaned and arched her back, encouraging me to take more, grabbing my hair and pulling me closer.
She wrapped her legs around me. I could feel her slickness. I groaned. I wanted to plunge myself into her and forget everything except the feel of her around me. She was what I needed right now. I had to have her and give all of myself to her.
"Jori, it's time." She rolled onto her back and spread her legs wide.
She was begging me. I didn't want to resist. I needed her as much as she needed me. In a heartbeat, I was on top of her and pressing in at her entrance.
"Yes," she whispered, her breathing strangled.
Longing filled her voice. I deeply thrust into her, sheathing myself to the hilt.
"Oh, fuck," she said, and I opened my eyes, afraid I had hurt her. She moaned and writhed beneath me. "That feels so good."
"Samantha," I said, bending over to kiss her mouth again. "This is only the beginning."
SAMANTHA
Jori was inside me, on top of me, and surrounded me completely. He was all I could see, smell, hear, and taste. The feel of him everywhere was overwhelming. I thought having him make love to me would be good, but I was wrong. It was incredible. Amazing. Fucking unbelievable.
He hadn't even moved yet. He had me pinned and kissed me for all he was worth. His tongue thrust in and out of my mouth, mimicking what I wanted him to do down below. I tore my lips away.
"Jori," I begged. I had waited for so long. "I need you to move."
"To what?" he asked, his green eyes staring me down.
"To move. To make love to me. To fuck me hard. Please," I said, squirming under his weight. I needed him badly.
"Oh, Sam," he whispered and pulled out, pushing back in so quickly and so hard that my breath left my body. He was already plunging into me again. Over and over, giving me such pleasure that I thought I would come immediately. He must have sensed it, and he slowed down.
"Jori," I wailed.
"It's better when it takes longer," he whispered in my ear, slowly increasing his speed again. When I was panting and getting close, he stopped moving again. He kissed me all over my face and twisted himself to suck my breasts. I tried to thrust my hips, but his weight pressed my pelvis into the ground and pinned me.
Agonizingly slowly, he took me to the brink again, only to slow to a snail's pace. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire and screamed for release when he finally began pounding into me harder and faster. I knew this time I would have my relief.
"You're mine, Samantha," he said as he drove into me. I felt the internal heat spreading through my body as the pleasure mounted higher and higher.
"Yes," I panted.
"Say it," he said. His breathing was coming quickly now.
"I'm yours."
"Mine," he repeated, moving faster.
I was close. So close.
"Yes. Faster, Jori. Harder."
He obeyed me, and I came. The mind-shattering ecstasy of it rocked me. I cried out, my body arching and spasming because it couldn't contain the bliss. The contractions wouldn't stop. I lost all sense of who and where I was.
Through the haze I felt Jori stiffen. His seed filled me. It felt right. I never wanted to have another man where he was. I never wanted him to touch another woman the way he had just touched me.
When my spasms stopped, I lay completely still. I felt spent. I never wanted to move again, and I never wanted Jori to leave me.
The thought startled me. Ashlyn was right - I had fallen for him. If he left me now, I would be hurt.
I pushed the ideas out of my head. Right now he was here, beside me, with me. Not with any other woman. No matter what he thought, I wasn't going to let him go without a fight.
"Jori?" I whispered. He rolled away, pulling out of me. He was so thick that he rubbed on every raw and stimulated nerve ending, making my hips buck again several times before he was out. "You're pretty wide down there."
"But you like it? I wasn't too big for you, was I?" he said, sounding concerned. I had gently let my eyes close. I opened them again.
"I've never had sex like that before..."
"Never?" he said. He had a peculiar look on his face, and I couldn't recall anyone ever looking at me the way he was right now.
"My mind is officially blown, and I'm sure it's because I've never had a guy fill me like you do."
"So, you liked it?"
"How many times do I need to say it," I said, rolling my eyes. "Did you miss the part where I screamed and convulsed for several minutes?"
"No," he said, smiling.
"I'm not epileptic," I told him.
"No seizures?"
"Nope."
"That was an orgasm, then?"
"A mind-shattering, devastatingly powerful orgasm, the likes of which I have never experienced before," I informed him. "What about you?"
"It was amazing. About a hundred times better than I thought it would be. And I had anticipated this moment for a long time," he said, cupping his hand on my cheek.
"You had?" I said.
"I'd been dreaming of you, Sam," he said, looking directly me. "If the dreams felt that good, I knew the real thing would be even better."
"And it was?"
"Oh, yeah," he sighed, lying back and putting his hands under his head. "It was."
"A hundred times better?"
"Maybe more."
"Good," I said. "Take a rest and we'll do it again."
His eyes bugged out, and I laughed out loud. He pulled me to him and kissed me. Maybe he wouldn't need a rest after all.
* * *
The next day Jori found some edible plants. They tasted like crap but filled our bellies so we didn't feel hungry. We were lucky there was a spring on the island, so we had water to drink. From a certain point of view, our scenario was idyllic, and I didn't mind the island. The way Jori looked at me gave me the good kind of shivers up and down my spine.
From another point of view, I was going to die on the island. The thought gave me the bad kind of shivers.
There was no way we could get off. We couldn't signal anyone, and I didn't think someone would randomly drop by. I was fortunate Jori was with me. It wasn't the way I had envisioned living out the rest of my life, but it could have been worse.
When we sat by the fire at the end of the first day, I was unable to keep my ques
tions to myself anymore. "So," I said. "Do you think we're going to die here?"
Jori glanced sharply at me.
"Why would you think that?" he asked. "I'm sorry, Sam. I never thought to tell you. I thought you knew."
"Tell me what?" I said. Why was he so apologetic?
"I have a tracking device embedded in my body." He pointed behind his ear. "It's common on Vandwa to install them once children are able to walk and swim, usually when kids turn one. If they get lost, their parents can find them."
"All kids have tracking devices?"
"Almost all the upper class. They're expensive. They function similarly to black boxes on Earth airplanes. They can be used to record everything around me."
"Has that thing been recording us for our entire trip? You're not a pervert, are you?" I had been so noisy with Jori. My cheeks felt hot.
"No, absolutely not. I made sure that it wasn't activated when we made love."
"What is your tracker going to do?" I asked. My mind reeled with the implications.
"I assume Nathaniel will be here within three days," he said.
"Nathaniel will come and find you?" I said, flabbergasted. A minute ago I had been utterly hopeless. Now it seemed like it was only a matter of time before our ride came to pick us up.
"I imagine he's already on his way. He would have become nervous once he discovered we never returned from the party. Mrs. Morley was supposed to stop in yesterday, remember?"
"That's right."
"When she couldn't find us, she would have told Nathaniel. He typically works in this region. We shouldn't have to wait much longer, Sammy."
"That knowledge is incredibly reassuring."
"I'm sorry I let you think we were going to die here," he said. He looked contrite.
"That's okay. What should we do in the meantime, while we wait?"
Jori's eyes darkened.