Island Souls

by Susie Cass

  It was funny, this extra clarity thing that came along with the deprivation on the island. She’d come out here to prove something to herself. And she was doing exactly that, just not in the way she’d expected. Yes, she was proving she was strong and determined, that she could mix it with the best of them physically. But she’d already proved that to herself through her karate. It was more than that. She wasn’t quite sure what the emotion was building in her from day to day. It had something to do with how she was starting to view other people. Men in particular. Starting to see them for what they really were. This game brought out the very worst in people, but also the very best. Possibly she had Hayden to thank for her revelations. For restoring her faith in men, if that’s what it was. To give unconditional friendship was his gift to her. And her duty was to learn to accept it.

  Jason too, had a part to play in her change of heart. He was such a kind, dependable man, with not a bad bone in his body. Another example of what a good man could be. An example that there were good men out there.

  The island was finally giving her the clarity to be able to see through to the heart of a person. She’d been blinded by her hurt and humiliation brought on after the rapist’s attack, and she’d unknowingly lumped all men into the same basket. All of them had wanted to take something from her. So she’d lived her life after the attack with blinkers on. Never letting herself truly feel.

  And JJ had played a role in her restoration, too. Still played a role. He stirred a core reaction in her. Call it chemistry, attraction, empathy, whatever you liked. There was a undeniable bond between them. In him she could see a darkness. Perhaps she could light that darkness. With her personal knowledge on the effects of PTSD, she certainly had more of a chance than most at being able to understand his fears, his shadowy ghosts, his nightmares. Maybe even unlock the man hidden inside. And he could unlock hers right back.

  CHAPTER NINE

  JJ groaned and rolled over. It was past 2am according to his bedside clock. Rubbing his eyes he sat up and threw the sheet off. It was hot, he’d forgotten to turn on the fan above his bed before he crashed for the night.

  Something had woken him. He knew he slept lighter than most people, a hangover from his time with the SEALs. The bed creaked as he got out and he paced over to the little alcove that passed as a kitchenette in his hut. A faint glow filtered through the window from the small solar lights surrounding the resort garden, just enough for him to make out the contours of his room in shades of grey. He pulled a bottle of water from the small refrigerator and twisted the cap, then gulped down some of the cool liquid.

  It’d been a hell of a night. The penultimate conclave. The show was nearly at a close and they were now down to the final three contestants. The most surprising part was that Rosa was one of those finalists. The other two finalists had also been surprises, but not as much as Rosa. He’d been sure she—

  His head snapped around. There was a sound outside his window. As if someone was taking stealthy steps around the edge of his hut. Who the hell would be prowling around outside at this time of night? Not caring he was only wearing boxers, he strode towards the door, ready to wrench it open and confront whoever had the nerve to be sneaking around his hut.

  There was a soft knock on the door.

  He yanked it open.

  Rosa stood on his doorstep, wreathed in moonbeams.

  ‘What the …’ The words stuck in his throat. ‘What are you doing here?’ he hissed, too shocked for politeness. She just stood there, staring at him. Smiling at him. Why was she smiling? Her eyes flickered over his naked torso.

  ‘Quick, get inside, before someone sees you.’ He grabbed her arm and guided her inside, taking a quick glance around to make sure no one else was out at this late hour. When he turned back around he nearly ran straight into Rosa. The room suddenly seemed incredibly small, it was closing in on him, pushing the two of them together.

  Her gaze flowed over his skin, raking him until it felt like her fingers were doing the exploring not just her eyes. A satisfied little smile settled on her lips.

  ‘You can’t be seen here,’ he said, ignoring the heat in her eyes. ‘If anyone saw you coming in here, they’d disqualify you from the final three. It’s against the rules. A huge conflict of interest. You have to go. Right now.’ The urgency in his voice was real. He didn’t want to see her lose her chance at winning a million dollars. Why was she here? She knew as well as he did the dangers.

  A small part of his brain registered what Rosa was wearing, even as the rest of it whirled with unasked questions. She’d changed out of the unwashed, rag-tag shorts and t-shirt she’d been wearing at the penultimate conclave. Now she had on some kind of low-cut, strappy black dress, that floated around her thighs like black fairy floss. The bare skin on her shoulders was soft and pristine in the moonlight filtering in through the windows.

  ‘You look … You’re not wearing any clothes,’ she said in reply.

  ‘What? Rosa, did you hear what I said?’

  ‘Yes, but I’m much more interested in the fact you’ve hardly got any clothes on.’ Her last words came out sounding more like a cat purring and she took a step towards him, reached out a hand. No. He couldn’t let her touch him. Couldn’t let her distract him. Get her out of here, fast, without anyone seeing them. If there was even a hint she’d been fraternising with the host of Sea Quest … The ramifications weren’t even worth considering. She’d definitely lose her spot in the final three, there could be no doubt about that. The media would have a field day. All kinds of innuendos and false accusations would start to fly. Even though none of them would be true. He had no sway over the winner of the show. As the host, he’d always made sure his hands stayed impeccably clean when it came to staying ignorant of who the winner was, right up until the very end. There could be no hints that the show was rigged, or the credibility of Sea Quest might be called into question. Sweat started to bead on his forehead at the thought.

  Then her palm landed on his chest and all the air left his lungs in a whoosh. Logical thought fled along with his breath.

  ‘I’ve wanted to know what this would feel like for a long time now.’ Her palm burned a brand into his skin. As if he were actually on fire. The breath stilled in his chest. Then her fingers draped languidly downwards, investigating the ridges of his abs. She took another step closer and the warmth from her skin radiated into him as she stood close. Too close. She was so small. He would’ve been able to rest his chin on the top of her head if he’d wanted to.

  What to do? His arms ached with wanting. They wanted to wrap her up, hold her against his chest and he almost reached for her. Then she looked up at him, eyes wide and clear, an honesty that couldn’t be ignored shining through.

  ‘I know you feel it too, JJ.’ He didn’t know what to say. Couldn’t answer her. Yes, he did feel it too. Had felt it from the very first second he’d met her. Heart pounding, all he really wanted was for her fingers to keep doing what they were doing. At least that’s what his body wanted. His head was telling him to stop this. Now.

  ‘Just one night. That’s all. I have to know.’

  Oh Jesus. Every muscle in him went rigid. He couldn’t begin to describe all the sensations her words brought forth. Lust, pleasure, hunger. God, he wanted one night with her. But it was more than just these feelings. A deeper, overwhelming need circled his heart, climbed his throat, choking him with the words he wanted to say.

  It left him confused. And conflicted.

  He brought his arms up and gently grasped both of her bare shoulders. To push her away from him. But the thought almost caused him physical pain, his arms arguing the need to have more distance between them. That citrusy smell in her hair, the one he remembered from the first day he’d met her back in the interview, drifted up to his nostrils again. She must’ve had time to shower, to cleanse the last thirty odd days of island grime from her body.

  Instead of pushing her away, his hands began to caress her bare shoulders, his thumb p
laying with the strap of the dress. Teasing it, as if about to slip it over the curve of her shoulder.

  ‘We can’t,’ he whispered. Her other hand came up to stroke the skin of his bicep.

  ‘You have a heavenly chest,’ she murmured, ignoring him. ‘So broad and taught.’ Running her hand back up over the planes of his chest, she brushed over a nipple, causing him to take a sharp breath inwards. ‘Such a beautiful colour. Like you’ve taken a bath in milk chocolate.’ That almost had him laughing, until she leaned in and rested her nose against the middle of his chest, inhaling. ‘And you smell so good.’

  ‘So do you.’ He couldn’t help himself, the words were out before he could stop them. Running up over his shoulder, her fingers found the back of his neck. Then she pulled his head down towards her. He wanted to fight the pressure. But his neck bent against his will. His head lowered until his lips hovered over hers. Pulse skipping erratically through his veins, he waited.

  He shouldn’t do this. Everything about this was wrong. Against the rules. He was about to break each and every one of those rules. There would be no going back.

  Rosa’s mouth brushed against his. The lightest touch at first, and he exhaled, his breath mixing with hers. He couldn’t wait any longer, his lips clamped down on hers hungrily, feeling the increasing pressure as she responded to him. She tasted so sweet, and he watched her eyelids flutter shut as he worked his way from one side of her mouth to the other. Exploring the tiny upturned corners, sampling the plump, soft skin of her upper lip, then letting his tongue flick out to explore, opening her mouth to him.

  The feel of her was … euphoric, as if he were floating, soaring. Her lightness of being, her lyrical delight and aliveness, it flowed through him, lifting him up above what he’d been before. He was always the serious one. The responsible one. She was the complete opposite. Never in his life before had he encountered someone who looked at life quite like she did. An eternal optimist. Putting a sparkly polish onto everything and everyone she encountered.

  Don’t rush this. Savour it. Savour her.

  ‘Rosa …’ Her name rolled off his tongue on a moan. She broke their kiss. He lifted his head, dazed.

  ‘Come with me,’ she said and catching his hand she towed him towards the bed. Surprising him yet again with her boldness. The bed. Were they really going to do this?

  ‘Are you ready to take a leap of faith?’ Standing at the end of the bed, she turned to face him. Then ever so slowly, she lifted that frothy black dress over her head to reveal barely there lacy black underwear and so much creamy skin in the filtered moonlight. His heart stuttered to a stop. Jesus Christ. She was beautiful. His eyes devoured her like a starving man would a laden banquet table. He wanted to resist what was happening between them, run away from the power she had over him, body and soul. There should’ve been a rush of blind panic at her question. Instead, waves of acceptance washed over him. Damn, he wanted her so badly it was a physical pain in his chest.

  ‘Yes,’ he said, closing the gap between them in one stride.

  CHAPTER TEN

  She’d never dreamed she could be such a scarlet woman before tonight. When she’d pulled her dress over her head it was the most audacious, wild and sexy thing she’d ever done. But his reaction had been worth every second of doubt on the long walk to his hut tonight. Would he reject her? Would he even let her in his door? Would he tell her she was a stupid woman with idiotic notions and send her packing? He’d given her his answer in the hunger and need that shone in his eyes as he gazed at her standing there in her underwear. Now his large body covered hers as they lay on the bed, their legs entwined, skin touching skin. Something fluttered madly in her belly and her chest tightened, as if she’d sucked in too much air, like an overfilled balloon.

  JJ was a big man. He hovered above her, muscled biceps bulging as he held his weight off her. But she wanted more of him. She wanted his body pressed into hers, his heaviness crushing her. She wasn’t afraid. In fact she welcomed the size of him. There was no way he’d ever hurt her. Protecting her was as ingrained as breathing for him.

  How Rosa knew these things about him wasn’t something she was able to answer. She just did. Call it instinct, a gut-feeling. And she always trusted her instincts. Karate had taught her that much. Your gut was never wrong. And what they were doing here wasn’t wrong either, much as JJ kept trying to convince her it was.

  Her hands reached up and found the back of his neck then pulled him down, his lips finally landing on hers. Exploring his mouth with her tongue, she let her fingers run over the hardened muscles of his back, glorying in the taught rigidity of them, like velvet over steel. He was a stunning man. Kneading the muscles with her thumbs, she allowed the breadth and depth of him to run beneath the palms of her hands. He was almost God-like, his physique was so perfect.

  ‘You shouldn’t be here,’ he murmured between kisses.

  ‘I couldn’t stay away,’ she murmured back. ‘It’s a physical impossibility to stay away from you.’ After the conclave finished, it hadn’t been the fact she was in the final three that had her bounding along the pathway towards the resort and a shower. ‘All I could think about was you.’ It was true, the idea of JJ, of finally being able to go to him was all consuming. ‘I had to come. Tonight was our last chance to be together.’

  JJ lifted his head, breaking their kiss. Many passing emotions swirled through his chocolate eyes. She’d thought long and hard about what she was about to do over the many, many nights on the island. And she kept coming back to the one fact. She wasn’t going to let him slip through her fingers. Had he come to the same conclusion?

  A tiny smile broke the corners of his mouth. ‘I hate to admit it, but I’m glad you came.’ He leant in and nuzzled her neck. ‘There’s definitely something going on here I can’t explain. Every time I saw you at conclave or at a knockout … I don’t know … It was almost like I couldn’t breathe or something equally as stupid.’ He gave a low bark of laughter.

  ‘Same here,’ she replied, the delicious sensation of his lips on her collar-bone sending shivers right down to her knees. The chemistry between them, the physical craving every time they were close, was so strong, sometimes it did actually take her breath away. Every time their team arrived at the beach to take part in another knockout and he was there, her heart contracted at the sight. She drank him in, wanting to learn every little curve of his face and sharp line of his shoulders. And every time she saw him at the conclave, her ribcage would contract when he caught her gaze for just a second.

  ‘So even though you can’t be here …’ His body tensed above her and then with a movement so quick it took her by surprise, she found herself lying on top of him, nestled within the planes of his chest, ‘… I can’t seem to find the strength to make you leave.’ The proof of his desire, the length of him, pressed into her thighs. Her toes only came to the middle of his calves, and her head was still well below his chin, as she lay staring up at him. One of his powerful hands skated up the ridges of her backbone, found the clasp of her bra and released it with a single twist. She shrugged the rest of the way out of her bra and then ever so slowly lay back down on his chest, her breasts tingling as they touched him, acutely aware of the feel of his hard planes beneath her. JJ sucked in a sharp breath and his hand clamped tightly on the small of her back.

  Then she sat up, straddling his hips, glorying in the way his skin twitched under her fingertips as she ran them lightly up his chest, lingering for a second over the tight curls that covered his pecs, his skin so dark and warm. So different to any other man she’d ever been with.

  ‘I’m scared I’m going to hurt you,’ he said, eyes hooded.

  She laughed. ‘Don’t be stupid. I’m unbreakable.’ And she felt unbreakable. Like all of her dreams had come true at once.

  Her fingers drifted, as if with a mind of their own, down, down, following the strip of hair below his belly button, to the elastic of his boxer shorts. They dipped beneath the waistband and found
his erection.

  ‘Jesus, Rosa.’ His breath hissed in between clenched teeth.

  ‘Mmm, big, like the rest of you.’ The words surprised even her. She’d never spoken to any of her other lovers like this. So wanton and needy and dirty. This was going to be more fun than even she’d hoped for. Her fingers stroked the length of him, hard and silken all at the same time.

  ‘Oh Jesus,’ he moaned. ‘Please …’ Whatever he was begging for, Rosa wanted to give it to him. Her breathing became faster and more erratic, his desire for her fuelling her own. Heat pooled low and scorching between her legs. She wanted him, had never wanted anyone more.

  ‘I need to go and …’ She went to get off the bed and his large hand clamped down on her thigh. ‘I need to get something from my purse,’ she gasped. The absolute last thing she wanted to do right now was to move, but she needed that condom in her purse, which was lying on a chair near the door.

  ‘In the table beside the bed,’ he muttered.

  ‘A SEAL is always prepared, huh?’

  ‘Something like that.’ His dark eyes watched as she leaned in and pulled out the top drawer of the bedside table. Then his hand grasped hers, deft fingers removing the foil package from her palm. She gave a secretive smile and came to her knees to shimmy out of her underwear as his teeth ripped into the foil. His boxers were also discarded onto the floor. The soft light percolating though the windows gave her a perfect view of his body sprawled beneath her on the bed. He was an Adonis. No, he was more like Thor, the God of thunder. Muscles that bulged and rippled as he moved. An impossibly square jaw and shoulders so broad her arms stretched to reach across them. A raw power emanated from him, an aura of self-confidence and determination.