“Amazing,” he whispered, gently brushing a lock of hair that had fallen across her eyes. She looked surprised by the tender gesture, her eyes silently questioning him.
“Charlie...” she sighed, taking his hand, still cool from the water.
“Joss?” he smiled, gently squeezing her fingers, wondering if it was possible that she wanted the same thing.
“I like you, Charlie.”
“I like you too,” he admitted, carefully placing each word. He didn’t want to make an assumption he might later regret.
“No, I mean, I really like you. Out of everyone here, you always seem to be looking out for me. I need you to know how much I appreciate that,” she confessed, entwining her fingers in his. “I can’t explain it, but you make me feel braver, somehow. Thank you.”
“I am looking out for you, Joss, just like you’re looking out for me,” he whispered, all at once pleased and embarrassed by the acknowledgment. “You make me feel brave too.”
He wasn’t accustomed to people thanking him, in spite of the fact that he took care of so many. He was personally accountable for employing thousands of people, and all of those people had families. It was a huge responsibility that he never took lightly. He never made any decision, business or otherwise, without thinking of the best interest of those families. Very few people realized that, and rarely thanked him for it.
She leaned toward him, beckoning for a kiss, and he was happy to oblige. Placing one hand gently behind her head, he tentatively kissed her, mindful not to overwhelm her. He was in no hurry anyway, pleased to just savor the moment.
Joss loved how tender he was. She knew he would be. She’d fantasized about kissing Charlie all week. He was certainly older than her, maybe more than a decade, but there was something about him she found irresistibly compelling. He was thoughtful and kind, for sure, but it was more than that. He was vulnerable, yet undeniably strong. Not just physically, but emotionally too. He was also incredibly handsome, in a Hugh Jackman sort of way, greying dark hair and light blue eyes, the perfect combination. But the thing about Charlie she was most attracted to was his intelligence. For Joss, smart was damn sexy, it always had been.
“Do you want to go for a dip?” she whispered, as she pulled away from his delicious kiss.
He smiled curiously at her, his blue eyes heavy with desire. “Now?”
“Don’t you want to get me naked?” she teased, standing up. She didn’t wait for an answer, yanking the journal out of the back of her slacks and tossing it to the ground. She kicked off her hiking boots and stuffed her socks inside them, all the while grinning at him. Charles shook his head, a look of disbelief on his rugged face, as though wondering how the hell he’d gotten so lucky.
“Well?” she baited playfully, are you going to just sit there and watch or are you going to join me?”
She offered him a hand, helping him to stand up.
As soon as he was on his feet he pulled her into his kiss, this time with more passion, his mouth crushing hers. She moaned her approval into his open mouth, inviting his tongue to tease her. His hands slipped down her back, over the juicy curve of her ass, easily picking her up. She wrapped her legs around him, entwining her long, feminine arms around his neck to help steady herself, kissing him again.
“God, I’ve wanted to do that all week,” Charles confessed, holding her close, his erection swelling beneath her.
“You have?” she whispered, caressing his neck with sweet, tender kisses.
He placed her back on her feet. “M-hmm,” he nodded. “Sleeping beside you has been torture.”
Joss chuckled playfully, her eyes glued to his, as she unzipped her cargo pants and let them fall to the ground, panties and all. She slipped her t-shirt over her head and added it to the pile. “Get undressed, Charlie. Let’s take a bath.”
The water was cool but easy to slip into, and gratefully only chest deep. They swam together to the waterfall, allowing the day’s dirt and sweat to wash away. It felt good to be in fresh water, and Charles dunked himself under to wash his hair. When he emerged, Joss was sitting on a ledge, the shower pouring over her naked body. She looked blissful, as though being baptized by the holy stream. He swam over to her and hopped up on the little shelf beside her. The stream from the falls poured down on them both as he kissed her again, his hands cradling her face, his tongue gently teasing her.
Joss slowly leaned away, her eyes searching his. He was quick to sense her hesitation.
“What is it, Joss?”
She inhaled slowly, and sat back against the rock, out of the stream of water, completely comfortable with her nudity. Charles was quick to follow suit, placing his arm around her shoulders so he could cradle her. She looked up at him and smiled, touched by his affection. She wanted to be with him, more than anything, but she was also cognizant of the fact that she had just been intimate with Ryan only days earlier. In the real world, she couldn’t imagine any situation in which she would sleep with multiple partners. She was modest to a fault, and typically a little shy. In fact, she’d been so discerning that she had gone years without sleeping with anyone.
But this was a whole new world and the rules were clearly different. She just wasn’t sure how to navigate it yet. The truth was, they weren’t certain they would ever leave their island, let alone survive. Life had suddenly become fragile and uncertain. That will change a person.
“Tell me,” he whispered, rubbing her shoulder.
She stared up at him for a moment, trying to formulate her thoughts, then finally spoke, “Let me ask you a question first, ok?”
“Ok.”
“If you were the only man on an island with five beautiful women, would you worry about whether or not it was appropriate to be with more than one of them, or even all of them? Would the thought even cross your mind?” she asked, sincerely.
She really needed to know what he would do, what any man would do. Charles shrugged, regarding her curiously before answering.
“Truth? Probably not. I would consider myself damn lucky to have a harem, probably strut around like a horny Sheik,” he chuckled. “Why do you ask?”
“I think you know why I am asking, Charlie. Let’s be real with each other, ok?” Joss pleaded. She sensed it was safe talking to him, and hoped he would just shoot from the hip with her.
“Ok,” he nodded.
“It probably comes as no surprise to you, but I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I was raised by a woman with a strict moral compass,” she continued. “Now, I’m not saying that I’m the prude she raised me to be, but honestly, I’ve lived my life with certain principles based on those lessons. It’s not the same for women as it is for men, not by a long shot. Where men are revered, we are slut shamed. Where we are told to save ourselves for someone special, men are encouraged to sow their oats. The genders are raised by a double set of standards, and if you don’t mind me saying, men have always held the shinier side of that coin.”
“That’s true,” Charles agreed.
She looked at him hopefully, “So you see my dilemma?”
He did see. It wasn’t fair, but it was true, everything she’d said. She was a beautiful woman on an island, alone with five men. She was in a unique situation for sure, and the way he saw it, she’d get to make the rules. If this was stud island, then she was queen. It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch, they already looked up to her, except for the captain, but Charles was sure that would sort itself out soon. If not, Grant would have the other four men to answer to.
“I can see how you might see it that way, Joss, but maybe you could look at it as more of an opportunity than a dilemma. If the tables were turned, not one of the guys here would feel guilt or shame, so why should you?”
Joss smiled, “I guess I’m just trying to figure that out.”
“Ok, but there’s no rush, at least not with me, and there are no rules. You can choose to sleep with any, or all, or none for that matter. We’re all adults here,” he soothed, taking h
er hand.
Joss nodded, still not convinced. “I guess, I’m worried about jealousy or hurt feelings. We all have to live together harmoniously. I’m not sure I want to be the caretaker of five alpha males, or their egos. Or if I’m even capable of it.”
“Fair enough,” Charles agreed, “but it doesn’t have to be your responsibility, does it?”
“Doesn’t it?”
She looked at him, her eyes challenging him to prove otherwise.
“In the real world, maybe you’re right, but this is new for all of us. Traditions, roles, and customs are out the window. Precedents can be set. At least that’s the way I see it.”
“And it wouldn’t bother you? If I...um...slept with...”
“The others,” he chimed in, “why should it? I don’t have a claim on you. None of us do. Just like you don’t have any claims on us.”
He had seen a shift between her and Ryan, and truthfully, already suspected that they’d been intimate.
“And any of you could say no, too!” she insisted.
Charles shook his head, his laughter echoing off the rock wall behind them.
“What?” Joss giggled.
“That’s unlikely,” he concluded, squeezing her fingers. She gave him a skeptical sideways glance and smirked, certain he might be wrong.
“It’s possible, Charlie,” she pressed, thinking about the captain, not that she would fuck him either. No way.
“Slim chance, tiny,” he implied, holding up his finger and thumb for emphasis.
“Okay, we can agree to disagree,” she laughed. She leaned in and gave him a quick, playful kiss. Charles looked at her affectionately, and she kissed him again, this time slower, more deliberately.
“Come on,” he croaked, as she pulled away, “let’s get off this cold rock. It’s doing nothing for my libido.”
Joss laughed, and slid into the water, beckoning him to follow.
As soon as they were back on the bank, Joss sat in the soft moss, patting the ground beside her. Charles, grinning like the cheshire cat, crawled up beside her, and with a strong palm, urged her to lay back. He playfully spread her legs open and centered himself between them, burying his face in her pussy.
He was highly skilled, and it didn’t take long for Joss to reach her first orgasm. The man took his time, licking, sucking, and nibbling in all the right places, switching her mind off of everything but the pleasure he insisted she have. She squirmed beneath his fingers and tongue, panting and moaning until her body begged for release.
“Jesus, woman, you taste like heaven,” he groaned, wiping her cream off his chin, hoisting his body over hers. He pressed his mouth on to hers, offering her a taste of her spice. Joss wrapped her fingers through his hair savoring his kiss, and opened her legs for him. Charles accepted the invitation, slowly slipping his cock into her. He fucked her with the technique of a man who has learned both the art, and reward, of patience.
Joss appreciated the focus he gave her, so different from anything she’d ever experienced. He made sure to tease all her senses, heightening her arousal with sharp, little bites on her neck, and naughty, provocative whispers in her ear, all the while, pinning her arms over her head in a sexy game of bondage. It drove her mad, how assertive he was fucking her, such a contrast to the sweet side she had come to know. Charles was in charge, and she liked it!
Suddenly he flipped her over onto her knees, presenting her ass and pussy for his pleasure. She looked back and grinned at him, encouraging him to have his way with her, maybe even offer a gentle spanking or two. As if reading her mind he knelt behind her and skewered his cock into her. She groaned loudly, from the pleasure and the pain, curiously aroused by both. As he penetrated her, he wrapped his hand around her hip and palmed her clit, to coax another orgasm from her. She happily submitted.
“Fuck, Charlie, I’m cumming,” she groaned, her teeth clenched with arousal, her climax erupting inside her.
Charles grabbed her hips tightly, seduced by the sounds of her pleasure, her vagina pulsating against his sensitive shaft. He thrust against her several more times before pulling his cock out off her, gripping himself tightly. He called out her name, his hot, sticky cum spilling out of him, finishing his orgasm on her beautiful, full ass.
As soon as they both caught their breath, he stood up and held his hand out to her, raising her for a tender kiss, then lead her back into the pool to bathe her.
Chapter 13
“We found water!” Joss exclaimed as they wandered back into camp. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just starting to set.
Ryan looked up from the fire and smiled at her, grateful she was home. He missed her when she was away from camp. When she’d stormed off that morning, he was seconds away from following her, but then Charles came to her rescue. Admittedly, he did feel a twang of jealousy, but quickly swallowed it down. It wasn’t easy. He really liked Joss and would have welcomed alone time with her. They had not been intimate since that first afternoon when they had gone exploring together, and he’d been fantasizing about her ever since.
“That’s great, is it far?” Daniel asked, standing up to greet them. He’d been cleaning his catch, getting ready to spit it over the fire. He shook Charles’ hand, offering him a quick nod. Daniel was proper like that.
“It’s a good trek, eighty minutes or so, to the north-west. I figure we were walking about two and a half miles per hour, right Charles?” she said, tossing her bag to the ground.
Charles nodded.
“Yeah, that seems about right, on average. It was a little slow going through the thickest parts.”
“So about three miles, give or take,” Willie offered, stepping up beside Joss.
She looked up at him and nodded.
“It’s far, but at least we found a source, and we can keep our eyes peeled for one closer.”
“We can’t move our camp into the jungle. We need to stay visible for search and rescue.” Grant interjected. He’d just made his way out of the shelter to where they were all standing. “It would be ill-advised.”
Joss inhaled deeply, pausing to summon her patience. She would never have suggested moving into the jungle, but the fact that he thought she would want to do something so careless irritated her. Nevertheless, she turned to him and smiled. “Right you are, Captain. That’s why I was going to suggest that we collect water and bring it back to our beach.”
Grant smirked back, and nodded, as though taking credit for her good sense. God, he was annoying, Joss thought, turning away from him, no matter how good looking he was!
Ryan could see that Joss was holding her tongue and found it endearing. He was getting familiar with the little nuances in her body language and she almost always tensed up when Grant spoke.
“Seems a long way to go for water every day,” he observed, speaking up before Grant got himself in any deeper. “We can use the empty water bottles, I guess, but that could be a lot of trips.”
“We’ll use the condoms,” Joss clarified confidently.
“Hmmm, really Joss,” Ryan drawled, tossing her a wink. The others chuckled nervously, as though they were all thinking the same thing.
“Ha ha, smart-ass,” she laughed, playfully shoving him, “I meant to transport water!”
“Seriously?” Daniel asked, “that will work?”
“Hell ya!” Joss said, walking to their provisions. She lifted the eight condoms out of the suitcase and brought them back to the group. “Thankfully you boys were prepared,” she teased, “we have a bunch of these!”
“So, use condoms...to transport water?” Grant asked, taking one from her. “How much will they hold?”
Joss smiled at him, pleased that he seemed genuinely interested. “Believe it or not, they can easily hold up to a gallon of water. I’m not saying it will be light work to transport, but if we fill all eight of them, we may only have to do the hauling every three days. Three or four of us can probably manage that!”
“What are we talking in te
rms of weight?” Grant asked, ripping open a package. He stretched it out as far as it would go, and grinned.
“I’m not sure, maybe eight pounds each?” she surmised.
“Huh, that’s impressive,” Grant admitted. Joss grinned at him again, but her smile faded just as quick when he added, “assuming it works.”
“Well, don’t take my word for it, Captain. Test it out yourself,” Joss quickly challenged, wishing she could figure him out.
“Actually, that would be fun to try!” Ryan interjected playfully, snatching the condom from Grant. “Anyone else curious?”
Joss turned to him, shaking off her frustration, “Ok, take it down to the shore. It is easier to fill when you pour water into it. We can cut one of the small water bottles in half and use it as a funnel.”
Joss was pleased the experiment worked and the condom held together. They were surprised that it seemed to hold more than a gallon, but decided it would be too difficult to transport anything more than that, especially when carrying it on foot through the jungle. Joss had suggested that they tie the ends off with a small stick, making it easier to open and close the knot multiple times. It was possible they might need to use them for a long time, and she wanted to make sure they didn’t break. She showed the guys how to do it correctly. She also suggested that they fill the condoms inside their bags and knapsacks for easier transport, with less chance of them getting poked and popping. Finally, sacrificing a small amount of their fresh water supply, she washed away the lubricant from the other seven condoms, certain salt water would compromise the latex. There was no point in taking chances. Satisfied that they were ready, she joined the men back by the fire.
Willie was just pulling the fish off the heat when she arrived. She was exhausted, and starving, but wanted to boil the water she and Charlie had brought back from the waterfall. She transferred some of the water into a stainless steel bottle and set it over the fire. She had a surprise for the men.
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