Beauty's Curse

by Tamara Hughes

  She gripped the vines in her hands, her knuckles turning white. “My father’s life was ruined because of me. Both my parents suffered because of me.”

  Damn her vindictive stepmother and the lies she’d spewed. “Your mother’s death wasn’t your fault, and I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to carry this guilt. As for your father marrying a bitch, he did that of his own free will.”

  “Stop!” She threw the vines in his direction, her frustration evident in her every movement. “You don’t know what you speak of.”

  He held back a surprised laugh at her first real show of ire. A good sign, to his way of thinking. He’d best push on. “You’re not keeping anyone safe. You’re running away.”

  “My family is better off without me.” Despite her weakened state, she rose unsteadily to her feet, her will strong.

  “Are they?” He stepped closer, ready to grab her should she fall. “Do you think they’re happy now with you halfway across the world?” He moved closer still, the urge to touch her flushed cheek and smooth aside the errant lock of hair that partly masked one eye almost too tempting to resist. “I seem to remember you saying that your stepsister fell down the stairs in her hurry to greet you after you’d left home following an argument. Another instance of running away, I might add.”

  Her eyes lowered to the sand, and her brow wrinkled.

  “At any time, did your father or your stepsister ever tell you to keep your distance from them? Or was it always your stepmother who warned you off?”

  All frustration drained from her features, replaced by confusion. “They should have. You’ve seen what can happen.”

  “Yes, we’ve run into some bad luck, but we’ve had good luck, too.”

  She worried her lip, her shoulders drooping.

  He encircled her waist with an arm. The force of her anger gone, she sagged against him.

  “Stop listening to the shrew,” he quietly pressed. “Purge her from your head. You, your father, your stepsister, all deserve to be happy, together.”

  She raised her eyes to his, doubt still clouding them.

  Cradling her head in his hands, he stared deeply into those eyes, determined to see that doubt fade. “You are an amazing woman. Strong, kind, and compassionate. You deserve happiness… Say it.”

  “What?”

  “Say, ‘I deserve to be happy.’”

  Amelia’s lips tilted in the slightest of smiles. “I deserve to be happy.”

  Not good enough. “Louder. I want to hear you shout.”

  Her smile grew into a genuine grin. “I deserve to be happy!”

  “And my stepmother is a vindictive bitch.”

  David laughed outright at her look of shock. “Very well. You don’t have to say that. Just believe it.” Gazing at her smiling face, he was sorely tempted to lower his lips to hers and kiss her worries away. But he shouldn’t, and he wouldn’t. She needed to return to her family, to start anew. And she needed to do it without him dragging her down into his muck.

  “I don’t suppose you know how to dress and cook snake,” he asked as he released her and urged her to sit.

  “Afraid not.”

  He retrieved the vines for her, then headed back to his pile of kindling, the flame long gone. As he bent to relight the tinder, he couldn’t help himself. He glanced at Amelia, the vines in her lap but her attention on the sea.

  Since he’d met her, he’d found a purpose to his life, something that had saved him from drowning in his own bitterness. He admired her in so many ways. She’d come to mean more to him than he cared to admit, too much for his own good. It would be hard to let her go.

  Chapter Eleven

  Amelia scanned the grass around her. No snakes, at least not so far. She shivered anyway and slapped another mosquito determined to taste her blood as she followed David through the forest brush. Despite the occasional bite to her exposed skin, she was glad she only wore her shift in this damp, motionless air.

  She should be looking for snakes as a source of food rather than out of wariness. After all, they’d eaten one for breakfast, although not very filling and rather tough to chew. She had yet to decide if so little food was really better than none at all. While in the rowboat adrift at sea, her stomach had grown used to being empty. Now it groaned and ached in complaint.

  David looked back. “You didn’t have to come with me,” he repeated, having said the same several times over the last twenty odd minutes.

  “I wanted to.” She walked on, her legs already growing tired. “I’m too thirsty to stay behind,” she lied. She didn’t want to be alone. She’d rather have David’s company. “Besides, I’m feeling stronger.” At least when compared to earlier in the day.

  “You won’t be able to drink the water until I boil it.” He stopped and waited for her to catch up. “That is if we find some.”

  So tense and stern. Granted, they’d run out of water hours ago. Still, she teased, “Are you saying we’ll never find water because I’m slowing you down too much?”

  He cocked his head to the side and his mouth twitched at the corners. “No. I’m saying there may not be any to find.”

  She graced him with her biggest smile. “Good…because now that I’m here, you’ll have to tolerate my intrusion the best you can.”

  That twitch of his lips turned into a lazy grin that made her tingle all over. “I’ll try.” He held out his hand and she took it, the press of his palm against hers putting her at ease.

  She didn’t know what she would do without him. To have him by her side through this ordeal was downright…lucky. She’d never thought she’d use that word to describe herself. But it was true, at least some of the time. David had been right in her reasons for leaving. Once he’d pointed out her need to punish herself, his logic made so much sense. She’d simply never thought of it that way before. His reasoning felt right, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Amelia tilted her head back and inhaled a deep breath.

  The canopy of trees filtered most of the sun, the faint sparkle of light glorious. Palms, pines, and other trees she didn’t recognize stood tall around them. She took in the sound of flapping wings overhead and the twitter of birds, the rich earthy scent of soil and plants. The world had righted itself in the course of a day.

  Another trickle of sweat trailed between her breasts, and she slapped at an insect on her neck.

  David’s attention jerked to their left and he tugged her in that direction, urging her faster. “Look over there.” He pointed to a clearing in the distance.

  She didn’t see the water until they were several paces closer. The sun glinted off the surface of a sizable blue pool. Magnificent. Another stroke of luck! She rushed forward, pulling David by the hand. Once at its edge, she stopped and gazed in wonder at its serene beauty, then dropped to her knees. She dipped her hands into the clear water. Warm and inviting. She wet down her arms. “How will we carry the water back to the shore?” She looked at the dense forest around them. “Or will we move our shelter here?”

  David crouched beside her. “We’ll move our shelter for easy access.”

  Her legs still wobbly, she shifted her balance and the dirt beneath her gave way. With a shriek, she tipped forward. David grasped her by the shoulders. Too late. Her momentum already carried her toward the water’s surface. Only now it carried him too. To his credit, he didn’t let go even when all was lost. They both tumbled into the pool.

  The water was deeper than she would have imagined. When she resurfaced, she stood on tiptoe to keep her mouth above water. David had no such problems. His shoulders rose above the waterline. “Are you injured in any way?” he asked. His hands roamed over her limbs to make certain.

  “No. I’m fine.” She patted his hands away. Normally, she would have assumed this accident was her due, but she refused to look at it that way anymore. “I simply thought I would cool off with a swim.”

  He chuckled. “You did, did you?”

  “Indeed.” Perhaps a fib, but
the water was soothing. “It’s nice to finally have the salt rinsed from my skin.”

  “And it will keep the bugs at bay,” he agreed, floating onto his back.

  She’d never learned to swim. The fear of drowning in the attempt had been too much, what with her history of troubles. But with David so near, she felt no such qualms. She lifted her feet and flailed her arms, eventually sinking until she stood once more. She tried again. This time David watched with interest.

  “No need to thrash,” he told her. He walked over and moved her arms in a slower fashion, widening the strokes to encompass more area.

  “I’ll drown.”

  “Trust me. You won’t.” He lifted her legs out from under her, and she struggled to get free until he pulled her close, her side to his chest. “Our bodies are made to float without much effort. Let me show you. Lie flat.”

  He raised her level with the surface and attempted to release her.

  “No!” She clasped hold of his shoulders, her heart pumping a wild beat. “Don’t.”

  Staring deeply into her eyes, he vowed, “I won’t let you sink. I promise.”

  She did trust him. David would keep his word. He glanced down at where she held him fast. Slowly she let her arms go slack, and he lifted her to lie on her back again. The water made odd muffled sounds in her ears, and the sun glared into her eyes.

  “Slow your breaths. No need to worry. I won’t let go until you’re ready.”

  She might never be ready.

  David looked down at her, his warm brown eyes filled with affection, and a reassuring smile swept across his lips. He seemed carefree and at peace with the world. It suited him.

  She closed her eyes and relaxed her muscles one by one, trusting that David would keep her from sinking—until he let go. With a gasp, she struggled to float, her body arching and her legs rigid. No use. As soon as her face dipped below the surface, all reason fled and panic took hold.

  David’s arms returned, but not before she’d elbowed him in the shoulder, barely missing his chin. “Ho now. I’ve got you. You’re safe,” he said, bringing her close.

  She latched onto him as tightly as a burr in his shirt, if he’d been wearing one. “You let go of me!”

  “You were ready,” he insisted.

  “Hardly.” She wrapped her legs around his waist for good measure.

  “Well then, I’m sorry.” He tried to peel her arms from his neck, but she wasn’t about to let go. “Come now. Let’s try again.”

  She shook her head, her face buried deep in the side of his throat. “No.”

  “I thought you liked to try new experiences.”

  The rumble of David’s voice inches from her ear sent a tremor along her spine. Her cheeks flaming, she leaned away. Had he been referring to that day on the boat?

  “Are you ready for another…go?”

  She could tell the instant his thoughts veered in the same direction. His eyes became a molten brown, and something below the surface of the water elongated and hardened. And it wasn’t a fish.

  An intensity brightened his gaze and sharpened his features, but the sight of his lips drew her closer. Glistening from the water, his mouth beckoned. The taste of him in the boat had been salty and warm. What would he taste like now?

  The first touch of her lips on his was tentative, but as soon as he kissed her back, she delved deeper, luxuriating in the feel of his tongue, in the intimacy they shared. She kissed him with all the tenderness and gratitude that had been building up inside, and his response, so unhurried yet passionate, carried her away from their hardships to a world more pleasant.

  The deeper she slipped into this foreign land, the more eager she was to share herself with him. Her nerves buzzed to life, her skin becoming sensitive to the water that embraced them, the rub of his chest against hers, and the strength of his arms around her.

  His hands roamed over the sides of her breasts, then lower to cup her backside while his mouth swept along her jaw to graze her throat. She rolled her head to the side, the sun warming her face. Her lower parts tingled as he pressed her hips closer, his arousal thick against her core.

  He slipped his hand down her leg and beneath her shift. In a sensual slide of his palm, he brushed along her thigh and over one cheek, and the desire to touch him overruled all else. Securing one arm around his back, she moved the other to the waist of his breeches and reached inside. Smooth skin and a perfectly rounded behind. She nuzzled her hips closer and heard his sharp intake of air, followed by a groan.

  David clasped her to him and waded to the shore, setting her on the soft grass. He lay beside her, propped up by one arm, his hand finding her breast through her wet shift.

  More. She needed more. She needed to feel, not think. If she thought about what they were doing, she might come to her senses, and she didn’t want to stop. This felt too good. Covering the hand on her breast, she ran her mouth over David’s cheek to his ear. She traced its outline with her tongue and felt a tremor run through him. His hand molded over her breast, rubbing her nipple with his thumb. Each flick brought to life a flicker of heat that traveled from her chest to the juncture between her thighs. She panted for air, the sensations conjuring fantasies she’d best not imagine—David by her side now and forever. Together they’d be happy.

  David’s mouth and tongue replaced his thumb, and a hunger flared bright that had nothing to do with food. She swept her hands over the warm inviting skin of his shoulders and back, her fingers cherishing his scar as much as the smooth planes. At the waist of his breeches, she tugged the fabric lower, baring his pale hips and more. She didn’t stop until his lower half was as exposed as the rest of him.

  “Mmm. My turn,” he growled as his fingers snagged the hem of her shift and lifted. Both hands glided up her body in a long, tantalizing caress that had her arching for more. David’s smoldering gaze watched as the garment grazed her sensitive breasts, catching slightly on her nipples as if it, too, wanted to play. With an admiring smile, he drew the shift over her head and tossed it aside, then latched onto one nipple. Pleasure shot through her in a surprising jolt, and a groan rose from her throat.

  She tipped her head back, her eyes heavenward. Coconuts. Three hung above them. A coconut will not fall on our heads… The thought vanished as quickly as it came, her aching need building with David’s mouth suckling, his tongue licking. Eager to touch more of him, to feel all of him, Amelia reached low and clamped hold of his manhood. He flinched, sucking in a sharp breath, and she quickly released him.

  “I’m sorry. Did I…”

  “No,” he assured her with a chuckle. “Feel free.” He guided her hand back to his length.

  Her fingers explored the soft skin from base to tip, the latter making his stomach muscles tense. Such a wonder. The contrast of rigid flesh and smooth skin. He moved his hand between her legs, the heady touch inspiring her to grasp hold of him again. One of his fingers penetrated her core. She moaned and held all the tighter. On the second plunge of his finger, he thrust his hips, his length rubbing over her palm. Oh my. Each stroke of his hand was more potent than the one before. “David, please.”

  He shifted his hips and slid his length inside her in a sensuous thrust that made her shiver. She wrapped her legs around him. He filled her so completely, as if the two of them were one.

  She’d never felt so close to someone as she did with him. He stared at her with desire and devotion, and true happiness filled the void in her heart that had ached for so long. David withdrew and thrust into her again and again, his hooded eyes taking in her sighs and whimpers as the pleasure at her apex heightened to an unbearable peak. She cried out. Pulsations of ecstasy rippled through her.

  He nuzzled her neck and plunged harder and faster until he pulled out of her with a shout of release, then collapsed to his back. She rested her head on his shoulder, strangely feeling no regrets. Later, she would ponder the rights and wrongs of it all, but for now she’d let herself be content.

  They lay in
the grass for the longest time, each deep in their own thoughts. She stayed silent, afraid to break the spell that bound them together, even knowing the moment would be a fleeting one.

  Would they forever live on this island? Would she ever find her way home? And if they were somehow saved, what then? She was afraid to ask. This morning, he’d made it perfectly clear he didn’t love her. So what was this? Desire, an escape from the hunger and thirst that plagued them? She released a long exhale. Enough thinking. Chances were good that they’d have plenty of time for that in the coming days, here alone together. “Shall we gather up some coconuts to carry water back with us? I’m rather thirsty.”

  David nodded. “As am I.” He stood and helped her to her feet before donning his breeches. As she wrung out her shift, he gave her a distracted kiss, and she wondered if his thoughts ran along the same path as hers. Dressed again, she joined him in collecting coconuts scattered on the ground. They cracked the shells open and filled them with water. Once saddled with as many as they could carry, they set off.

  The forest dimmed, the sun lower in the sky.

  Amelia adjusted the four shells in her arms and glanced over at David. “You’ve been quiet.”

  He shook his head as if his silence were of no consequence. “So have you.”

  Once again, she contemplated what their future held. While they couldn’t control whether they would be stranded here forever, they could decide to stay together no matter what happened. But how to begin? Do you care for me? Did you make love to me solely because of lust or… Dear Lord. I can’t be so bold as to say that.

  A bell chimed in the distance. Her pulse leaped. What on earth… Where was it coming from?

  She exchanged a look of wonder with David as giddy exhilaration shot through her veins. A bell meant people. They could be rescued!

  His face filled with hope, David turned toward the sound. He stood listening, then set his coconuts on the ground and peered up at the trees. Picking a sturdy trunk, he grabbed hold and began to climb.