by Danika Steel
I made my way out to the back yard where I was sure the stalker had attempted to break into the smokehouse. I found another cigarette butt in the dirt and wondered where on earth he had found cigarettes this far from civilization and it suddenly hit me, an image of when we first arrived in these waters when we’d had to chose which island would be our refuge. The island off to the west had been littered with debris from the storm. Even bits of Amber Rose had drifted along with the current, coming to rest on the island less than a mile from where we stood right now. Jack had survived; I knew it for certain now. Even in his drunken state, he had somehow found a bit of wreckage to cling to and had probably floated in the current not far behind us as we sailed at a faster clip in our makeshift sailboat, thanks to Denna’s brilliance. He would have probably passed out from the elements as much as from his drunken stupor, but he was a survivor. He’d probably had enough sense to lash himself to whatever raft he’d managed to cling to and woke when he came to rest with the other storm debris; surely there had been some supplies among the litter, including cigarettes. He certainly would have had a tough time of it, all on his own without food or shelter. He’d probably had the same idea I’d had initially. Take refuge on the island, recuperate and stock up on supplies and then island hop his way back to civilization. He would have had to build some kind of boat or raft, but I knew he was certainly more than capable.
All this uncertainty and fear was tearing me up. I had to protect Denna and our child. Jack would be murderous with rage at the thought that we’d spent the last months, just a mile away in our own little paradise making love without a care in the world. I was finding it hard to muster up the motivation or the courage to deal with this situation, but I needed to be strong for Denna and our baby girl. I was also feeling like we were taking a huge stab in the dark. We were going to abandon our safe haven in the vain hope we could attract attention with a signal fire. It was madness, when we could be safe and happy here for months to come…if it weren’t for my fear for the baby or Jack’s murderous intentions, I would never leave this place. Everything we did and every choice we made from here on out could have severe ramifications on our survival. All I seemed to imagine in front of us was yet another problem without a solution and that wasn't like me at all. Even in the depths of an endless pit, I would always see the light at the end of the tunnel. This time however I was on the verge of panic. The news of our little girl, for I was convinced it was a girl, had shaken me to my core. I would protect that child and her mother with my life in an instant and more importantly, I would kill for them if Jack didn’t give me another choice. I half wanted to charge into the forest and hunt him down and end whatever threat he posed, but I couldn’t— wouldn’t leave Denna’s side.
She came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist; she hugged me to her, which temporarily gave me peace. I felt disappointment in myself and most of all; I felt that I had disappointed her. She had been so upbeat throughout all of this ghastly experience, only faltering slightly when we had been in the dinghy. How scary must it be for her to discover she was pregnant on a deserted island with a stalker running free in the woods? And now we had decided to leave the relative safety of our home, to trek across the island to live in a cave for God knows how long? I wouldn't leave her alone for a second from now on, we would stick to each other like glue. I knew she read my anxiety and I knew she wondered why I was so consumed with fear, but I could not bring myself to tell her my suspicions about Jack. It would be far better for her not to know.
I felt invigorated by her touch; she didn't have to say a word to me, just her embrace was doing wonders to sooth my worries. Encouraged by her love, I made myself snap out of my mood so we could get to work. Turning to Denna I looked into her eyes and saw that they were full of affirmation, this was a woman who was going to stand by me and the decisions we made together, no matter what. We would be a team; me and her and our child against the world. I kissed her lips and tasted the sweetness of her breath, as she clung to my waist, I felt rejuvenated, like I could take on the world. Denna Rhodes— soon to be Denna Rhodes Derby had injected me with a new lease on life and that's exactly what partners should do for one another. It was time to do what we needed to do so we could go home and start our life together. My mind was filled with happy thoughts of Will caring for his baby sister while Denna and I went out on dates like a normal couple. I saw her out shopping with my mother and Kelly, cooking in the kitchen with them, joining in their running joke of how I was banned from my own kitchen. I saw us working together on our new boat I would christen with her name, ‘Denna’s Kiss.’ Suddenly I wanted off this island more than I wanted my next breath. I was ready to go home and start the next chapter of my life with the woman who would be my wife. She already was in my mind and I didn’t need a silly piece of paper to tell me she was mine forever.
We spent the late afternoon and early evening sorting through supplies and packing what we would need in the coming weeks or months we might be stuck in the caves. I pulled the canoe out of the tool shed and built runners that would enable it to slide over the ground without becoming damaged. We filled it with the lighter weight things we would need and I made a harness I would wear to pull the canoe behind me like a sled. We wrapped the canoe in a bright blue tarp and bound it with rope so nothing would fall out along the way. It would be a long painful hike, but I refused to leave anything we might need behind. I was also hyper-aware of the fact that Jack was surely watching our movement and had guessed what we were planning. My hope was that he was hungry enough and exhausted enough to let us leave without incident. Denna packed the cart with food and various supplies we would need. There was plenty of camping gear in the shed that we’d never needed, but we brought it along with us, including two backpacks we could use for the things that wouldn’t fit in the canoe or the cart. I was hesitant to let Denna carry anything heavy, but she assured me she could handle it and if she felt the slightest strain she would stop and rest.
By evening we were both tired, hungry and on edge. We dined on a side of deer from the smoke house and Denna made several dishes to go with it. We had an unspoken agreement that we would have a huge meal tonight, but moving forward we would be frugal with our meals, although I knew I would insist on her eating whatever she wanted.
It was a romantic candlelit meal, but sadly influenced by our tension of what was to come the following day. Both Denna and I hadn't really had an uninterrupted night of sleep in well over a week and it was beginning to take its toll. We thought about taking turns sleeping in shifts tonight because we feared our stalker might try to make a move against us in the night since it was so obvious we planned to leave tomorrow, but I couldn’t stand the thought of not having her safe in my arms. We could only hope that this night would go undisturbed.
By eleven o'clock we were both more than ready to retire, however, no matter how tired we were, sleeping was the last thing on our minds. We had bathed in a warm tub of water I’d brought in and Denna had heated over the fire. We both lay on the bed drying from the last warm bath we would have for a long time. What started as gentle, mutual caressing soon escalated into a parallel frenzy of carnal heat. We seemed to be in silent accord that neither of us was looking for a long night of passionate lovemaking. That night we would be surrendering to a necessary and urgent need to fuck and for once, I wasn’t worried about hurting the baby. Neither of us had the endurance or the mindset to be romantic, but thankfully we both knew that. After the tension of the day, we needed a quick release, a rapid distraction and then some much-needed rest. Insomnia and the midnight stalker was not going to ruin it for us tonight and as we ravaged each other’s bodies in a race from foreplay to orgasm, there was no room for our worry or our fears as we collapsed together in a sweaty heap for our last night in the bed where we’d fallen in love.
Nothing pleased me more than to find that when I first woke the birds were singing and the sun was just beginning to seep through the slats in the shutters.
Denna was still in my arms and she was snoring peacefully under her breath, we had made it to the morning without any disturbances and we’d both found the rest we desperately needed for the long day ahead of us.
I affectionately stroked her hair and listened as a soft murmur escaped from her lips. I wasn't certain whether she was fully awake or not but I intended to give her the nicest alarm clock she'd ever had before we had to leave the comfort of our bed for the long trek up to the caves. Slowly and careful so as not to wake her, I moved down her body until I was level with her pelvis. Taking in her sweet scent I gently nudged her legs apart until my prize was revealed in her slick wetness. Even in sleep, she was ready for me. Gently lapping with my tongue, I delved face first into her sweet folds. Her body twitched ever so faintly as she began to lift her groin up towards my mouth. I was pleased that she was still asleep as she responded to my touch.
She moaned softly in her sleep and I could feel her salty sweetness flood my tongue but she was beginning to moan louder. I could feel her arousal building and I really wanted to pleasure myself on her while she slept. I needed to be inside her, but this time I wanted its to be a selfless act on her behalf. I wanted her to wake to a delicious orgasm and as I thrust my tongue deep inside her, I felt her body respond, thrusting back against my mouth. She let out a deep, throaty groan as I slipped two fingers inside her and she muttered my name. Between my tongue circling her clit and my fingers stroking in and out of her, she shuddered quickly to orgasm. I kissed up her body, lingering briefly at her breasts before I continued on my journey up to her face where I was greeted with the most beautiful smile of satisfaction.
“That’s one hell of a good way to wake up.” She grinned as she stretched like a contented cat. “I’ll have to return the favor sometime.”
“I’ll have to take a rain check, we need to get going baby, we’ve got a long day ahead of us,” I said as I jumped up to grab the clothes we’d laid out the night before.
CHAPTER EIGHT – LOST BUT FOUND
“Let’s take a break baby, you’re tired,” I insisted after we’d been hiking for well over an hour.
“This is ridiculous!” She snarled irritably, flopping down onto a large stone beside the creek. “I shouldn’t be this tired already! I can normally go for hours! Especially considering you are carrying everything remotely heavy and you aren’t even winded!”
“Denna, baby, you’re pregnant,” I said gently as I stooped beside her, offering her the canteen of cool water. A sheen of sweat stood out on her brow and she was breathing heavily and we hadn’t even started moving up the incline yet. This was going to be a long day, especially because she seemed to be swishing her tail like a really pissed off momma panther.
“I know that!” she snapped as she snatched the canteen from my hands. I tried not to laugh because I knew it would make things worse but I couldn’t help it. She was adorable.
She glared at me, which shut me up rather quickly. I did not want to piss her off even more than she already was. I practically had to force-feed her some trail mix, but I knew she was hungry, even after our big breakfast.
“You too,” she gestured at the trail mix I’d put back in the bag.
“I am not eating for two.” I grinned at her scowl.
“You’re going to irritate me to no end over the next seven months or so aren’t you? She muttered as she stood, swaying for a moment as the weight of the pack on her back threatened to upset her balance.
“Take it off.” I ordered.
“Are you going to carry everything Seth?” She asked with a great deal of patience.
“Yes.” I growled at my stubborn pregnant wife. “I’ll lash it to the canoe, it won’t make a difference,” I insisted as I stripped the pack from her back.
“Lead away.” She gestured for us to continue along the path.
I watched over my shoulder as she struggled with the cart. It wasn’t incredibly heavy so much as it was awkward and I wondered if we could tie it to the canoe as well.
“No, Seth,” she said irritably as if she could read my mind. “And if you don’t stop looking over your shoulder, we’ll never get there.”
“Yes dear.” I grinned as she reached to throw a pinecone at me.
As we slowly made our way down the path, I thanked our good fortune that Jack seemed content to let us leave without confrontation. I only hoped he wouldn’t come after us at all. I thought about leaving him a note, asking him to stay away, but I didn’t want to risk Denna seeing it and I really didn’t think I could get through to Jack with a few words on a page. I was pretty certain he blamed me for his misfortune and nothing I said would make a difference. In his eyes, the accident was my fault and the fact that I had also gotten the girl was probably a sore spot with him as well.
We continued to hike all afternoon and I was happy to see that the absence of the pack on her shoulders seemed to make a big difference in Denna’s comfort. I’d gladly take on more if she would let me, but she insisted she could at least pull the cart. Quite frankly I wanted to hitch the cart to the canoe and settle her and our baby on top of that and drag them all to safety, but I was pretty sure she’d pitch a hissy fit if I even suggested it.
We stopped several times for breaks and Denna even took a short nap after we ate lunch. She’d been furious when she woke, more at herself and her perceived weakness than at me for letting her sleep.
“Seth, you shouldn’t have let me sleep so long,” she grumbled as she stumbled to her feet.
“Denna baby, you are carrying my child. As far as I’m concerned that means you get whatever you want or need, whenever you want or need it. If that means it takes us three days to get where we’re going then it takes three days.” I shrugged as if it were as simple as that, which in my mind it was.
“Just so you know…I am perfectly aware that I am being horrible, but I can’t seem to help it.” She grimaced as she struggled to pull the cart.
“Wait I made you a harness,” I called after her. “I should have made it before we started, but I just thought about it while you slept. I slipped it over her shoulders and secured it with some padding I’d made from some clothes we’d brought along. I hooked her up to the wagon and gave it a push to get her started. “That any better?”
“Much thank you,” she murmured softly. “How much further do you think?”
“I think we’ll get there by nightfall, but if we need to stop and make camp we will.”
“I love you Seth,” she said softly as we continued on. I knew she was trying to apologize for her crabby behavior, but I didn’t mind. I knew she wasn’t mad at me, she was mad herself and the physical limitations she wasn’t accustomed to.
“I love you too baby…both of you.” I smiled as we marched on through the dense foliage.
She grew quiet as the sun began to sink below the horizon and I knew she was simply putting one foot in front of the other without much thought and I was proud of her for working so hard to keep up.
“We’re nearly there sweetheart,” I called softly as the incline grew much steeper along the rocky path. I knew where we were going. I’d seen the huge cave opening from my vantage point from the sea below. I was hoping to find an offshoot of the larger cave where we could stay warm and dry if we were going to be there for a while. But the large open rocky ledge of the opening would be the perfect spot for a plane flying overhead to see us. Also, the grassy hilltop above the cave was the perfect spot for a signal fire. I would be busy chopping wood for the fire over the coming days, but right now, I only wanted to crawl into bed beside Denna and sleep. We would worry about details tomorrow.
We stumbled into the cave entrance just as darkness fell and we had to bring out our lanterns to set up camp for the night. We ventured as far back into the cave as I dared and Denna sat on a rock in a daze of exhaustion while I started a fire and pitched the tent for the night. We would find better shelter tomorrow, but for now, this would have to do.
I smiled as Denna finally ro
se to her feet and set to work making something for our dinner. I would have been fine with a few bites of cold deer meat and then bed, but she quickly had some sort of vegetable and deer meat stew simmering in a pot and my mouth was watering at the thought of potatoes and carrots in a hot broth. She even took the time to set a couple of snares back out along the path in the off chance we might catch some rabbits before they’d learn to stay away from this area.
When I had our camp settled as good as it was going to get tonight, I ladled out a couple of bowls of stew and sat on the hard ground with my back to the rock Denna had been sitting on earlier. I pulled her down between my legs so she could at least rest comfortably against my chest and we ate silently. We killed the entire pot of stew between us and I reached for my pack to find the lotion I’d stuffed in there at the last minute. I pulled Denna’s shirt up over her head and went to work on her sore muscles. She moaned in appreciation and before long, she was a boneless heap, more than ready for sleep.
