Island Redemption

by Suzanne Cass

  Glen, who’d been silent up until now, uttered a face-shattering yawn. He got up from his spot on the opposite side of the fire and started a slow shuffle towards their shelter. ‘I don’t know about you guys, but that knockout today wrecked me.’ Typical Glen, he was making a habit of going to bed early so he could nab the best spot, right in the middle of the platform. Tam watched his bulky form as it slowly morphed into the darkness and disappeared. He could hear Glen feeling around, making himself comfortable.

  ‘Have you ever sailed on the really big ones, like an ocean racer?’ Tam asked. He’d only seen those types of boats on the TV, and he’d love to hear about how it actually felt to sail them.

  Cho, Madison, Alisha and Paloma started up their own quiet conversation, as usual, picking apart what they’d done wrong in today’s knockout, Madison dominating the discussion.

  ‘I’m off as well, I need to get my beauty sleep.’ Simon stood up and looked down on them from. ‘Come on, Marg, let’s go grab some Z’s. You can sandwich in between me and fat—’ he stopped in the middle of what he was about to say. ‘—Glen,’ he continued. ‘Then I won’t have to lie next to him, or touch him, or anything like that.’

  ‘You big baby.’ Marg didn’t make a move to get up. ‘What’s wrong with you? Are you homophobic? Because I might take offence if I thought you were.’

  ‘No, I’m not.’ His words were vehement. ‘I just … don’t need to be lying next to other men. Especially flabby men,’ he finished lamely.

  ‘You really are a chauvinist aren’t you?’ Marg sighed. But she got to her feet. ‘Come on then, I need some sleep too and I’m not so choosy about who keeps me warm at night. At least if I’m sandwiched in between two men, Lucy can’t accuse me of cheating, eh?’

  Tam watched the unlikely allies stumble off over the sand, then returned his gaze back to Cilla. She was rubbing her eyes and a huge yawn split her face.

  ‘I was going to ask you about racing yachts, but it seems that might be a good topic for another night,’ he said.

  ‘Yeah, I’m shattered. You probably don’t feel a thing after all that rowing, but I’m aching all over.’ She rolled her shoulders and gave an ironic laugh as she pushed herself up. But she only managed to get half way up before she started to fall back down in the sand and he found himself reaching for her.

  Standing up, Tam offered her a hand. For a second she hesitated, then reached up and grabbed it. Her palm was small and cool against his, her petite fingers wrapped around his wrist.

  ‘You did a great job today.’ He hadn’t let go of her hand and now they were standing together, much too close, on the sand. She was warm and inviting, mere inches away, her proximity making his chest expand. He’d almost forgotten how his body had reacted to hers on the first night on the island. Now a craving, quick as lightning, flashed through him.

  This wouldn’t do. It was one thing to admit he was attracted to this woman, but he needed to control his body’s appetites. He couldn’t let her distract him from him goal.

  But before he could react, she took a step backwards, unfastening her hand from his and moving away from his encompassing awareness.

  ‘Goodnight, Tam.’ She turned her back and walked away from him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Cilla bobbed in the water just off the rocky outcrop, holding her prize aloft.

  ‘You got one!’ Alisha’s voice was shrill with delight. ‘Ooh, it’s a lobster. We’ll eat like kings tonight. Wait till my husband hears about this,’ she crowed, clapping her hands with glee. Cilla pushed the goggles onto her forehead and swam the short distance to the limestone headland.

  This was the first time they’d tried their hand at diving for seafood using the goggles. Simon had fashioned a crude knife from pieces of metal and some driftwood washed up on the beach. It was by no means a proper spear gun and far from the diving knife Cilla was used to, but it was quite effective. Their fishing attempts using the hook and line off the end of the headland had so far been unsuccessful. At least they wouldn’t be coming back totally empty-handed this morning. Cilla threw the crustacean at Alisha’s feet – making her squeal like a delighted child – then hauled herself out of the water.

  ‘You kill it. I’m no good at that sort of thing.’ Alisha kicked the writhing lobster with her toe and then shied away as it turned on her, claws raised. Cilla gripped the knife, her knuckle’s turning white around the handle. She thrust it through the middle of the lobster’s head. The lobster didn’t even twitch, it died instantly. It was the most humane way to kill them, but Cilla didn’t take any joy in killing. She dropped it into the small rock pool containing the rest of her haul – two large crabs and three sea urchins. At least she could take heart from the fact they’d lived free and happy right up until the second they died. Back in the real world, she didn’t eat meat. But out here, with debilitating hunger pangs cramping through her belly, she was willing to eat this fresh shellfish at least. After all, it came down to a matter of survival. And she needed to survive, be strong and capable if she was to win. Eating fish and shellfish was a small compromise, compared to the reality of her grandmother being evicted from her own house. Would she be prepared to eat real meat, strips of pig or cow flesh, if it came down to it? Her mind skipped away from that question.

  ‘It’s my turn now. Come on, give up those goggles.’

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want to try the fishing lines again? We could use the sea urchins for bait this time and dangle them off the point, where the water is deeper.’ Cilla cast a meaningful look towards the edge of the outcrop. ‘There’re definitely fish hiding in the crevices and shady spots, I saw lots of them.’ She was hesitant about Alisha duck-diving with goggles if she’d never done it before, but she didn’t want to sound like she doubted the woman. After all, she’d been more than adept at everything else she’d turned her hand to so far. Only problem was, she’d be the one who’d have to dive in and rescue the rather large woman if she got into difficulty.

  ‘No, I want to try diving first. If I don’t catch anything this way then we can do the boring old fishing thing.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Cilla capitulated, not wanting to labour the point with Alisha. ‘Here you go. Just remember not to get too close to the rock wall, or brush against anything. There’re definitely things that are poisonous down there,’ Cilla replied. And that was the truth. She wasn’t trying to scare the woman, just get her to take a bit of care. ‘I’m not kidding, Alisha. Don’t touch anything unless you’re completely sure what it is. And don’t walk over the coral, you might step on something nasty.’

  ‘You make it sound positively spooky,’ trilled Alisha, her wide confident smile putting Cilla more at ease. ‘I mightn’t have snorkelled for dinner before, but I swim a lot in the ocean back home.’ She sat on the edge of the rock, re-adjusting the goggles and snorkel, her black skin gleaming in the sun. She had on a one-piece bathing suit, which did nothing to hide the rolls of fat wobbling around her belly.

  It was true, Alisha was a strong swimmer. But Cilla would keep an eagle eye on her just in case. She watched as the other woman swam about twenty metres out and inspected the water, trying to see what lay below her in the clear deep blue.

  Cilla cast her gaze out over the sparkling ocean. It was still early – she and Alisha had decided to try their hand at ocean foraging straight after breakfast – but the day was warming up in rapid degrees. Cilla loved the heat; she could bask on these rocks like a stranded seal all day. Her skin was already going a darker colour with all the time spent in the sun. A light breeze rippled across the water, spritzing it into tiny waves, which danced with light. Dawnbreakers’ beach lay behind and to her left, curving away in a swathe of white sand. Small puffs of clouds clumped on the horizon, but the sky above stretched away, blue as a forget-me-not flower.

  Cilla licked the salt from her lips and relaxed back on her elbows, soaking up the sun. Right at this particular moment, it was indeed paradise.

  A shado
w hovered over the rocks beside her, blocking out the sun.

  ‘Can I join in the sun-baking?’ Cilla looked up, blinking the bright light out of her eyes.

  Tam.

  Her peaceful bubble evaporated. Why did his presence always put her on edge? She tried not to begrudge his company. It wasn’t his fault she had mixed feelings towards the man.

  ‘Sure, grab a rock.’

  Tam waved to Alisha out in the blue before he sat down next to Cilla, dangling his feet into the water. A little closer than she would’ve liked.

  ‘Have you caught anything yet?’

  ‘Yes we have.’ She pointed to the small rock pool a few metres away.

  ‘Wow, that’s great. A bit of protein to go with our rice and beans, huh?’

  ‘Yep. We need to start supplementing our food, or we’re all going to fade away to nothing by the end of this game.’

  ‘Some of us more than others,’ he replied with a sly lift of his eyebrow.

  ‘I certainly packed on the pounds before I came out here, though. Didn’t you?’ Cilla asked, remembering how much junk food she’d eaten over the past few weeks to try and get some padding onto her naturally slender frame.

  ‘Really, it doesn’t show. You’re in great shape. And no, not especially. I always eat a lot anyway. Maybe I squeezed in a few extra Peanut Butter Heavens here and there.’ He gave her a cheeky grin, and it made her grin right back.

  Hang on. Had he just given her a compliment?

  He took off his baseball cap and then, much to her surprise, stripped off his blue singlet as well. She’d seen him shirtless a few times, but from this vantage point – lying right beside him – she got an extra up-close and personal view. His back and shoulders were starting to tan up from their exposure to the sun, almost matching the bronze on his arms now. He was perfectly proportioned, broad shoulders fanning down to a lean waist, the bulk of his well-defined musculature obvious underneath the layer of smooth skin. He must’ve worked hard to get that kind of physique.

  ‘Do you go to the gym a lot?’ The words blurted out of Cilla’s mouth before she could think to stop them.

  Honey-coloured eyes turned towards her. ‘Every now and then. Why?’

  ‘Oh, no reason, I was just wondering,’ she mumbled, feeling the blood rise in her neck.

  ‘There’s a big gym at Disney. The staff are encouraged to use it,’ he continued. She silently thanked him as he pretended not to notice her blushing. ‘It’s good to stay fit. I believe a healthy body helps maintain a healthy mind. And I’ve got my hands full keeping up with lots of very energetic kids every day.’ The corner of his mouth twitched when he talked about the children. It was cute. Endearing even.

  Tam lay back on his elbows next to her, eyes fixed on her face. God, he’s good-looking. Even she had to admit that much.

  ‘What about you? Do you spend much time in the gym?’

  ‘What?’ Her mind wouldn’t work properly, entangled as it was in the contemplation of his handsome face. ‘Um … no, I don’t get much time, what with living on a boat and all.’ She finally managed to get her tongue working properly. ‘I prefer to keep fit just by being alive. You know, walking on the beach, swimming in the ocean, winding the winch to trim a sail. That kind of thing.’ She’d have to remember not to look directly at him too often. She didn’t need to be losing her wits just because a gorgeous man looked her way. Remember why you’re here, Cilla.

  ‘Well it suits you. You look great.’

  There it was again. This time a definite compliment, one she couldn’t ignore.

  ‘Thanks.’ I think. His bare arm brushed against her shoulder as he turned back to face the ocean. She had to resist the urge to reach up and rub her arm, to wipe away the burning sensation where his skin had come into contact with hers. A low thrum of energy ran through her body, pooling in her abdomen. She wasn’t normally one to swoon over a man, any man, no matter how good-looking they were. But the heat was still there between her thighs, and every time he brushed her arm it got a little warmer. She needed to get her self-control back.

  Letting out a grunt of frustration Cilla sat up, pretending to check on Alisha’s progress. Her mind skipped back to her response to Tam on their very first night on the island. And then to the other night by the campfire, when he’d held her hand and stood so close to her, making a burning hunger fizz through her body. At last she had to admit it. Lust. Pure unadulterated lust. That’s what she was feeling. There, she’d acknowledged it. She was in lust with Tam. It’d been quite a while since she’d felt sexually attracted to a man. But that wasn’t going to change one damn thing. She was out here with only one objective and she was not going to let one tall, charming man get in her way.

  ‘I got something!’ Tam and Cilla both swivelled their heads in Alisha’s direction. She was holding something up in her hand in a triumphant salute. Alisha swam in and threw her treasure up onto the rock. It was a crab, about half the size of the two Cilla had caught.

  ‘I know it’s small, but it’s a good start,’ Alisha said, as she tried to climb up the slippery rock face.

  ‘Definitely,’ replied Tam. He leant down and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the water as if she weighed nothing. Then he took the crab from her and deposited it in the rock pool.

  ‘All that diving and holding your breath is hard work. I might just take a break for a second,’ Alisha puffed, dragging the goggles off her head.

  ‘Do you girls mind if I have a go then?’

  ‘Knock yourself out,’ Alisha replied, patting her wet curls down and fluttering her eyelashes in pretend flirtation.

  Both woman stood on the edge of the limestone and watched Tam take a few strong strokes to get him out above the coral outcrop just below the water. He took two quick breaths and then his head disappeared beneath the surface.

  ‘I think we should form an alliance. Don’t you?’

  ‘Pardon me?’ Cilla was taken aback by Alisha’s question that seemed to come out of nowhere.

  ‘Oh, don’t act all coy, girl. You know how these things work.’ Alisha let herself down to sit on the rock, eliciting a grunt as her amble bottom hit the rock. Cilla did the same, watching Alisha out of the corner of her eye.

  ‘I think me, you, and that big hunk of a man could make a good alliance. I also think we have a good chance of making it to the final three.’

  ‘That’s a very interesting idea.’ It wasn’t as if Cilla hadn’t thought about forming alliances over the past few days. It happened a lot in the game of Sea-Quest. But it was a minefield of pros and cons. Cilla had watched alliances work extremely well on a few occasions, when the people stuck together as they promised they would. But she’d also seen some fail in a spectacular fashion as well. Was she ready to do this? She could see Alisha would be a strong ally, but Tam?

  ‘Are you sure we can trust Tam?’

  ‘Yes, I think I am. Look at him. He’s physically strong, which will help us in the knockouts. But he’s also hardworking, with good morals,’ Alisha replied.

  ‘Do you believe his story about wanting to win the money to help the kids?’ Cilla’s gut had told her that Tam’s story the other night at the campfire didn’t ring one-hundred percent true. There was something missing, but Cilla couldn’t put a finger on what exactly.

  Alisha didn’t answer straight away, instead she fluffed out her hair to dry and repositioned her backside onto a more comfortable rocky perch. ‘I’m not sure,’ she said with a contemplative grimace. Good, at least Alisha was on the same page.

  The grimace remained on Alisha’s face as she continued, ‘He told me he grew up in Carson, and I think there might be more to his background than he’s letting on.’

  ‘Why?’ Cilla was intrigued.

  ‘Because Carson is not a nice place. You don’t live there unless you’ve got nowhere else to go. It’s definitely the wrong side of the tracks in Los Angeles, full of poverty and gangs and violence.’

  ‘Really. I didn’t know tha
t.’ Having grown up in Wyoming, and fleeing to Australia as soon as she was able, Cilla had never been to LA.

  ‘Don’t get me wrong.’ Alisha held her hands up in appeal. ‘I’m sure not every single person who grows up in that area deals drugs for a gang, but I do think something is missing from what he’s told us. He has a core of steel, a determination to win at all costs that he keeps very well hidden from everybody. I’ve noticed it a few times when he gets carried away at knockouts. That kind of inner fortitude isn’t something you learn by counselling kids at Disney.’

  Now that Alisha mentioned it, Cilla had to agree. It was well hidden beneath the layers of his pleasant veneer, but it was there. A warrior mentality. She knew he wasn’t one to back away from a fight, no matter how large the opposition.

  ‘And you still want him in an alliance with us?’

  ‘Of course I do. I believe if he makes a decision he’ll stick by it, no matter what. Just because he hasn’t told us the complete truth doesn’t make any of the other things I said about him incorrect.’ Alisha turned her dark gaze onto Cilla, an unsettling light of perception in her eyes. ‘After all, I know you’re holding back stuff. About your reasons for being here. But I don’t judge you. I still believe I can trust you to make a great alliance.’ Cilla was taken aback. She thought the story she’d spun so far had been foolproof. Most of it had been the truth. She could definitely use the money to buy a bigger boat. And the part where she said she wanted to help her grandmother out of financial bother was also true. She just hadn’t elaborated on how much financial bother it really was.

  The fact that her father had a huge gambling problem and had used her grandmother’s house as collateral – and lost – she kept to herself. If she was completely honest, she had to admit she didn’t want anyone to know that her father, Wayde, was a narcissistic arsehole. Always had been and always would be. She had a deadbeat for a father and she was ashamed of the fact.