Unseen Messages

by Pepper Winters

  Galloway left Conner, moving toward Pippa and me.

  Goosebumps broke out. I couldn’t breathe as he moved smoother than he had in weeks, putting a little bit of weight on his broken ankle before transferring to the crutch. We didn’t speak as he kissed Pippa’s hair and pulled her away from me.

  The little girl went, her brown eyes glowing. Galloway bent and whispered in her ear.

  I couldn’t hear what he said, but she nodded and headed to Conner. Her brother welcomed her, his smile scripted just for his younger sibling.

  Holding out his hand, Galloway waited until I put mine in his. Jerking me onto my feet, his bicep tightened, intending to pull me into him.

  My lips parted, preparing for a kiss. My heart danced a furiant, expecting a bolt of passion.

  But his eyes dropped from my face to my arm.

  My red and scratched arm.

  He froze. “What’s that?”

  Shaking myself from my sexual stupor, I frowned. “What?”

  “That.” Untangling his fingers from mine, he grabbed my wrist, twisting my arm for a better view. The sunshine shone directly on my self-inflicted injuries—red and long, irritated and green-stained.

  I slapped my palm over it. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “What do you mean it’s nothing?” His voice was deceptively soft. “It’s not nothing. It needs to be treated.”

  My heart raced for an entirely different reason. “Ah, well...it’s not that kind of wound.”

  He imprisoned me in his gaze, waiting for me to dig myself further into a hole. When I didn’t continue, his fingers tightened on my wrist. “Explain...”

  “It wasn’t an accident, okay?” Tugging, I freed myself and hid my arms behind my back. “It’s a trial.”

  “A trial?” His eyes narrowed. “What sort of trial.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Like hell, I’m not going to worry about it.” He leaned closer, anger glinting. “What are you up to?”

  I blew salty bangs from my eyes. “We need a better diet. I remembered my teacher saying the best way to see if something is edible to do a scratch test.”

  His eyes bugged. “And you thought that was a good idea?”

  “Well, yes.” I shrugged. “We need other things to eat, and unless you’ve studied botany and know what plants are okay, this is the only way I can think of.”

  He stared blankly then livid temper coloured his face.

  I flinched, waiting for the blow-up. Instead, he snagged my wrist and yanked me toward the forest edge.

  “Hey.” I tugged.

  “Be quiet.” Hopping in an angry hobble with his crutch, he didn’t let me go as he dragged me past the children. “We’ll be back. Adult time.”

  Conner rolled his eyes. “Adult time....riiigght.”

  Pippa wrung her hands. “Don’t be mad at her.” Her eyes flickered between us with worry. “Please?”

  I smiled, fighting the uncertainty in my blood. “He’s not mad, Pip. I’m just going to show him which plants I tested. He’s happy at the thought of rabbit food. Aren’t you, G?”

  Galloway’s fingers tightened. “Yes. Exactly. Don’t worry, Pippi.”

  Pippa nodded. “Okay...”

  With a final look at the children, Galloway stole me into the treeline.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  ...............................................

  G A L L O W A Y

  ......

  OF ALL THE hare-brained, stupid, idiotic, crazy things to do.

  I can’t believe this.

  I didn’t want to believe she would willingly hurt herself and run the risk of a serious allergy, all so we had a better bloody diet.

  “Galloway, stop.” Her fingers touched my forearm. “You’ll hurt yourself if we go any farther.”

  Hurt myself?

  I couldn’t do it.

  Didn’t she get it?

  Didn’t she see how goddamn stupid that was? How dare she put herself in harm’s way without telling me? What if something happened to her? What if whatever she’d tried killed her?

  My temper exploded.

  Letting her go, I rounded on her.

  Her eyes bugged as she stumbled backward for every hop of my crutch. “Galloway, it’s nothing...honestly.”

  “You don’t get it, do you?”

  “Get what?”

  One step.

  Another.

  “That wasn’t your call to make.”

  She frowned. “It’s my body. I can do what I want with it.”

  My fists curled. “Wrong.”

  “Whatever. You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”

  I bared my teeth. “Think again, Estelle.”

  “I don’t have to think. I know.” She pointed a finger in my face, still retreating as I backed her into the tree. “Just like I can’t stop you from overdoing it when you should be resting. Just like I can’t stop anything that might happen to us on this island.”

  I didn’t reply, just kept pushing her. She wasn’t watching where she was going. But I was. And I wanted her flush against the tree so I could teach her a goddamn lesson.

  “I’m going to lay it out for you so listen closely.”

  Colour spotted her cheeks. I didn’t know if that meant she was angry or embarrassed or turned-on.

  I don’t care.

  My voice turned into a snarl. “First, you belong to me. To us. Me, Pip, and Conner. Everything you do affects us. That includes stupid things that you think benefit us but only benefit you.”

  “Me?” Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. “You think I want to have an allergic reaction?”

  “I think you want to be the goddamn hero.”

  Her lips pulled back. “That’s it. I’ve had enough of you.” Shoving my chest, she grunted as I didn’t move. “You can’t speak to me that way. You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m trying to do. You don’t know what I think or how I feel—”

  “You’re right.” I pushed her shoulder, crushing her against a tree. “I don’t. But I do know how I feel. I know what would happen to us if you died from some asinine attempt at looking out for us.”

  My voice hissed. “Want to know what would happen? It would fucking kill me. That’s what would happen. You’re the only reason why any of us are coping in this godforsaken place. You’re the only reason why I get up in the morning even with my ankle bloody screaming.” I panted. “You’re the reason why I’m in so much goddamn pain.”

  “Don’t blame me for your discomfort, Galloway. I did my best to splint your injury. I never said I was a doctor and knew how to fix—”

  “Shut up and listen.” I slapped a hand over her mouth, doing my best to ignore the delicious puffs of breath on my knuckles and the slight dampness of her lips against my palm. “I haven’t finished.”

  Now that I’d started, I couldn’t stop. I hated spilling such things. But my mouth wouldn’t shut it. “Christ, Estelle. Don’t you see? These weeks have been torture. I’ve kissed you. I’ve tasted you. I’ve slept beside you every night and I’m not allowed to touch you.”

  She was mute, wide eyes glistening.

  “I know you want me, too. I see it in the way you watch me, care for me, make me feel like I’m worthy. But you’re afraid of me.” My hand slid from her mouth to her cheek, grazing her bottom lip with my thumb. “What are you afraid of that you’d rather scratch yourself with an unknown substance than dare to be alone with me?”

  The fight between us paused, swirling with passion and questions.

  Her chest rose and fell, agitated and primed for a fight. Retorts gleamed in her gaze and I waited for her to shove me back, scream some backhanded comment, and storm off.

  But...she didn’t.

  She stayed against the tree, watching me.

  The fight switched to lust. Insane, undeniable lust.

  I could barely speak; it came out more like a feral growl. “If you can’t answ
er me, then you should probably run.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Run?”

  “You’re not safe with me. Not right now.”

  She stopped breathing but didn’t move.

  My cock thickened, my heart thundered, and every molecule turned heavy. “Too late.”

  My hand darted from her cheek to the back of her neck, yanking her lips to mine. “Don’t you dare hate me for this.”

  She stiffened the moment we kissed; her fingers scratched at my t-shirt, her legs squirming for purchase.

  But I’d reached my limit.

  She was mine. And she had to be taught that her life wasn’t hers anymore. She didn’t get to decide what risks she took. She owed me because she was the only person to look inside me and see redemption.

  I didn’t wait for her to submit. My tongue darted past her lips, taking what I wanted, no needed. I needed her. I needed her so damn much I felt unhinged. Dangerous. Not entirely human.

  She moaned as I slammed her against the tree, sandwiching her body with mine.

  The kiss turned ravenous.

  Something inside her switched and she returned my violence, sweeping me away by the righteous feel of having her in my arms, her scent in my nose, and taste in my mouth.

  She was so sweet.

  So hot.

  So wet.

  So alive.

  Stay alive, Estelle.

  No matter what happened on this island, I needed her to stay alive. I was sick to death of being her friend and respecting the boundaries she’d drawn.

  “I need you.” My lips worked faster, kissing harder.

  Her hips rocked, pressing her lower belly against my steel-hard erection.

  She didn’t verbally give me permission, but her body did. Christ, how it did with mews and groans, trembling and arching into my touch.

  “I’m so bloody mad at you.” I nipped her.

  She groaned as I threw away my crutch and slipped my hand beneath her t-shirt. I shuddered as I palmed her bra-less breast.

  “So, so mad.”

  A smile teased her lips. “Is this your way of showing it?”

  I kissed the smugness from her mouth. “No, this is how I force you to obey me and not be so stupid in the future.”

  “Obey you?” Her breathing accelerated as I rolled her nipple between my fingers.

  “Always, just like I demanded before.”

  The softest sigh escaped her as I pressed my cock along her body. I throbbed for a release. Already my spine tensed with an impending orgasm and my balls tightened to marble.

  “I’m going to teach you a lesson.”

  Her head fell back as I kissed my way along her chin. Pinching her nipple, I inserted my free hand down the front of her shorts.

  She bucked as I touched her where I’d been dying to touch her for weeks.

  “Wait...”

  I sucked her bottom lip as I fingered her. “No.”

  “I’m...I’m pissed at you.” Her legs opened for me. “Stop...” Her head fell forward as I inserted my index finger inside her.

  Languages didn’t mean a thing to me anymore. All I conversed in was how incredible she writhed on my finger, how wet, how hot, how eager. Curling my touch, I pressed my thumb against her clit. My head angled, kissing her, driving my tongue in time with my finger.

  I coaxed her to give in to me. I forced her to forget where we were, what had happened, and just live in the moment. This intoxicating, sexual moment.

  Tearing her face from mine, she half-heartedly tried to stop me. Her fingers looped around my wrist, tugging away from her shorts.

  I shook my head. “No. You want this. Same as me.”

  “Not like this.”

  “Not like how?” I stole another kiss, dragging a moan from her as I inserted a second finger.

  It took a long moment for her to reply.

  Her eyes squeezed as her hips rocked against my hand. “Not as a punishment.”

  “Punishment?” Her pussy clenched around my touch. “This isn’t punishment, Estelle.”

  Her eyes opened, blazing into mine. “What would you call it?”

  I nuzzled into her hair, pressing upward and driving into her soft body. “I’d call it the opposite of punishment.”

  She struggled.

  I couldn’t let her overthink this. Who knew if she’d ever let me get this close again. Abandoning her breast, I grabbed her chin. “Kiss me.”

  “No.” Her eyes fluttered as I fingered her faster. “Kiss me like you’re sorry. Kiss me and promise you’ll never do anything like that again.”

  “I’ll promise nothing of the sort.”

  “Fine. I’ll make you agree to a different kind of promise.”

  Her eyes flared as my fingers shifted from teasing to demanding a response.

  “I’m going to make you come. And when you do, that’s a contract between you and me that you’ll do everything in your power to stay safe. You won’t be reckless...” I thrust with both fingers. “You won’t be heroic...” I massaged her clit. “And you’ll let me into your goddamn heart because you’re already in mine.” I pressed my erection against her thigh as my fingers dove into her pussy.

  She bit back a moan as I forced her body to respond. A flush of wetness covered my hand and the clutching of her delicate muscles increased the higher I forced her.

  “Stop.” She raised her heavy-lidded gaze, cursing and begging at the same time. Her tongue licked her lips, aroused and annoyed and so bloody beautiful I couldn’t stand it.

  “No, I won’t stop.”

  “G...”

  “Never. Not until you come.”

  “I won’t—”

  I grinned as her legs turned to jelly and her weight slouched against mine. Her forehead slammed on my shoulder. I propped her up and kept fingering her. My wrist ached. My spine tickled with sweat. And my cock begged for attention.

  But this wasn’t about me.

  This was about Estelle.

  And I wanted her to find a smidgen of pleasure, right here, right now.

  Tilting her face toward mine, I took possession of her mouth again. Our lips danced, our tongues duelled, and everything I never let myself hope for came true.

  Estelle responded, kissing me back with ferocity.

  I was completely at her mercy. I might be the one touching her body, drawing physical desire. But she was the one touching my soul, wrapping strings around my heart and fastening me to her forever.

  I groaned as her sex rippled over my fingers. I couldn’t stop my hips rocking against her hip. “Feel that?” I kissed the corner of her mouth. “Feel how much I want you?”

  She moaned.

  “You own me, Estelle. How can this be about punishment when you can feel how much I want you, the depth of what I feel for you?”

  I traced the shell of her ear with my tongue. “Let me give you pleasure. Please.... Please allow me do this one thing for you, after you’ve done so much for me.”

  She tensed, her thighs tightening against my hand. But her inner muscles turned to liquid, heating for me, accepting what I gave.

  “Oh...” Her face scrunched up. “Oh...my God.”

  “That’s it.” I worked faster, thrusting and dying in desperation to replace my fingers with my cock. Only a few pieces of sun-bleached material stopped me from taking her.

  She would let me.

  I think.

  But I didn’t want to push her too far, too fast. I wanted her to know this wasn’t just about sex for me. This was about trusting me to keep her safe. This was about standing against survival side by side. This was about becoming a team—more than a team—soul-mates.

  “Yes.” Her sharp teeth clamped on my collarbone. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

  “I’ll never stop.” I wanted to kiss her again. I wanted to run my hands along every contour of her body.

  I needed air.

  I needed to come.

  I needed to get away from her before I damage
d our relationship by forcing her to give more than she wanted.

  But how could I let her go when her arms trembled, clutching me. When her breath gasped, fighting the pleasure I granted. And how could I possibly stop touching her when the dam broke and she came.

  Her tiny cry echoed with the depth of how far she unravelled. Her spine jerked as her hands scratched me to stay upright. Wave after wave flowed over my fingers.

  I held her long after they stopped.

  Once she’d come, she didn’t try to move away. She didn’t wriggle for me to remove my hand.

  We merely stood there, glued together, breathing hard, hearts beating harder, and recognised what we couldn’t say.

  This was a punishment.

  For both of us.

  For her because she let me take something that she hadn’t been willing to give. And for me because now, I wanted her every second of every damn day and I didn’t know if she’d let me.

  I sucked in a shaky breath, cursing my raw emotions.

  I wanted to stay hugging her until the world stopped spinning, the pain stopped throbbing, and rescue came to find us.

  But that would never happen.

  Slowly, I removed my fingers and wiped the silky moisture from her pleasure on my thigh.

  She didn’t make eye contact.

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from me. She paused as if wanting to say something but then shook her head.

  She broke into a jog and vanished into the forest.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  ...............................................

  E S T E L L E

  ......

  Life takes more than you can give. But only because it knows you better than you know yourself.

  Life takes more than you can give. But only because it pushes you to be more than what you are.

  But he...

  He took something from me and I can never take it back.

  He took something from me and gave me something so much more valuable in return.

  Taken from the notepad of E.E.

  ...

  FIVE WEEKS

  LIFE WAS HARD and dolorous and confusing and messed up in a thousand different ways. I was a smile living in a frown, hiding my somersaulting emotions through polite veneers.