Stranded

by Chance Carter

  “I guess I can be, but that’s not the whole story. I have a restless spirit. I like to try new things, be adventurous. The more daring it is, the more excited I get.”

  “How does that translate in the bedroom?” she flirted, suddenly more daring.

  He chuckled at her softly and shook his head, “I wish I could say it did. I’ve had a rather vanilla sex life. My ex fiancée and I kept things rather bland, I’m afraid. I asked a few times, to spice things up a little, but for whatever reason, it just never happened.”

  “What kind of spice,” she asked provocatively, hoping to tease out the answer.

  He laughed playfully, reading her expression, as though he wanted to be sure she was ready for the truth. Admittedly, he found her flirting quite alluring.

  “Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “I suppose the usual stuff blokes fantasize about. Crazy positions, sex toys, maybe a little role playing...”

  “Oh, is that what you consider spicy?” she teased, bumping his shoulder with her own.

  “Well, it’s a start,” he smirked, bumping her back. “I didn’t want to frighten the poor girl.”

  “Well if you knew it wouldn’t scare her, that you could have asked for anything, what would it have been?” she asked, feeling more daring than she had in a long time. It was fun teasing Daniel. He had so many layers, and his honesty was making her pretty damn hot. She was sure he could tease out her adventurous side too, in and out of the bedroom.

  “Without judgment?”

  “Of course,” she stammered.

  “Hmm,” he paused, collecting his thoughts. “I kind of liked the idea of BDSM, not the really dark stuff, but trying out some dominant-submissive role playing, maybe some bondage and spanking.”

  “Really,” she purred, turned on by the admission. “Would you be the spanker or the spankee? Top or bottom?”

  Daniel raised his brows, pleasantly surprised by her knowledge of the subject. “What do you think?” he teased.

  Joss giggled, shrugging her shoulders. “To be honest, up until a few minutes ago, I would have pegged you a bottom, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “Fair enough,” he laughed, “but I would consider myself a top. I know I may seem reserved, but that’s just camouflage. Although I might be persuaded to switch every now and then, I’m primarily dominant.”

  “Jesus, aren’t you full of surprises,” she said, swallowing her arousal, dirty fantasies with Daniel suddenly flitting through her mind.

  “I suppose it’s a little surprising. What about you, Joss, any hot fantasy you would ask for if you knew the answer was yes?”

  She blushed, wondering if she dared reveal her secrets. No one had ever asked her before. “Um, I...hmm...”

  “Come on, don’t be shy, now. Tell me what makes you wet,” he challenged, his tone rich with curiosity.

  She raised her eyes to his, surprised by just how hot he was making her. She could feel the blood rushing through her centre, pulsating with every beat of her heart.

  “I suppose that sounds sexy to me as well, being dominated, held ‘against my will’, being offered both pleasure and pain. It’s intriguing,” she offered quietly, barely choking out the sexy admission.

  This time it was Daniel caught off guard, as though he wasn’t expecting her to be quite so forward. He dug it!

  “But, that’s not my sexiest fantasy,” she continued, spurred on by the adrenalin, and the look of complete surrender on Daniel’s face. He nodded, silently begging her to go on. “I have often wondered what it would be like have a sexual experience with more than one person...”

  “Like a ménage?” he nodded, as though he’d shared the same desire.

  “Yes...”

  “With men or women?” he asked, his cock swelling beneath his shorts.

  Joss laughed, shrugging her shoulders coyly. “Well I’d be lying if I said that I had not fantasized about both on occasion, but my ménage fantasy is with two men.”

  “Wow, that’s hot,” he gulped, modestly pulling his t-shirt over his lap. Joss couldn’t help but notice, grateful her own arousal was safely tucked away. It was one of the perks of being a woman. He wouldn’t know how wet she was unless she invited a peek.

  “And you’ve never?” he asked, cocking his head to get a better look at her.

  “No,” she clucked, amused by the question, “I’ve barely had any sexual experiences, at least until recently.”

  “Ahhh, yes,” he smiled, unshaken by her admission. “Aside from my friendly girlfriend, Palm-ala,” he teased, holding up his hand, “things have been pretty quiet for me.”

  “Nice to meet you, Palm-ala,” she quipped, shaking his hand vigorously.

  “Careful, you’ll get her all excited,” he laughed, easing his hand back gracefully. Joss held on, allowing Daniel to pull her closer. He grinned impishly, quick to catch on, quickly wrapping his free hand around her shoulders. He eased her in for a kiss, lingering for several seconds, allowing the chemistry to build.

  He was an amazing kisser, maybe the best she’d ever had. He took his time, pressing himself into her, gently teasing her with his tongue. Although they were both aroused, Daniel was focused and controlled, leaving little doubt who was in charge. She melted under his touch, her body completely at his mercy.

  “Mmm, been wanting this for a long time,” he confessed, easing out of their kiss.

  “I must say, Daniel, you’ve intrigued me. There’s so much more than meets the eye with you, isn’t there?” she whispered, her eyelids heavy with desire.

  “I suppose there is. I guess I’ve just been waiting for someone to tease it out of me,” he said, offering her another quick kiss.

  “Me too,” she agreed, “it’s liberating...being so honest.”

  “How’s this for honesty? I want to fuck you, Joss. I want to lay you back on the sand, tear your panties off and taste the cream between your legs...”

  “That’s pretty honest,” she swallowed, his words zipping through her like a lightening bolt, a tease of the pleasure to come. She longed to be fucked by him, but wondered just how capable she was, given her injuries. Her tailbone was still aching from landing so heavily on her ass only two days earlier.

  She chuckled softly, grinning at him. “I’m not sure if I can handle a roll in the sand today, Daniel. God, I wish I could. I want you to...do all those things you said you wanted.”

  “Ah, love,” he said, gently pulling her onto his lap, mindful of her pain, “not to worry. I know you’re still recovering.” He kissed her again, knitting his fingers through her hair, leaving her breathless. Her libido was quite cross with her.

  “And when you’re feeling better, I would love to help you scratch some fantasies off your ‘fucket’ list,” he promised.

  “Hmm, I look forward to that,” she agreed, feeling daring. Daniel made her feel both dangerous and safe, all at once. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I could blindfold you and tie you to a tree...tease and torture you till you beg me to fuck you,” he growled hotly in her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine.

  “I don’t think it would take long,” she giggled, kissing his neck.

  He grinned puckishly at her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Sadly, I don’t think it would take me long either.” He kissed her again, pulling her tongue into his mouth, punctuating his pleasure with a groan.

  “Promise me a rain check,” she begged between kisses.

  “You can count on it.”

  * * *

  The rest of the afternoon was blissful for them both. They were like teenagers, giddy and playful, swimming in the warm, South Pacific water, relaxing in the sand, making out under the azure sky. It was wonderful to relax and do nothing, Joss setting aside all her worries. She was a hard worker, always taking care of one task or another, always thinking three steps ahead, and it surprised her how easily Daniel took her mind off everything.

  He was easy to talk to,
there was no pretense with him. She didn’t have to wonder what was on his mind, his thoughts an open book. It was refreshing and she found herself warming to him in unexpected ways.

  “Hey guys, we’re back,” Ryan called out, walking down the beach towards them. Joss looked up and waved, inviting him to join them.

  “How was the hike, any problems?” she asked as he landed in the sand beside them.

  “Not at all. We actually got a lot done. You’ll be pleased. How about you guys?” he asked, slipping off his shirt. Joss looked him up and down, hiding her blush, her thoughts landing on the fantasy she’d shared with Daniel earlier. She pictured herself with both of them, lustfully sandwiched between them, submitting to her naughty desires.

  “We got the raft loaded, did some clamming. We found enough for supper. It was actually a relaxing day,” Daniel offered, rolling to his side to see him better, blocking the sun with his hand. Ryan read his face, nodding his approval with grin.

  “Good, man, that’s good. Did you take care of our girl?” he asked, gently caressing Joss’ shoulder.

  “I did. She complained the whole time, but I made her take it easy,” Daniel laughed, “I had to tie her down.”

  “Very funny,” she blushed, recalling his delicious kisses, no complaints at all.

  “Hmm, that brings up a pleasant image. I’d like to see that...” Ryan teased, easily flirting with them both.

  “Maybe next time, mate,” Daniel agreed playfully, tossing Joss a wink. She could feel the heat flaming her cheeks, unnerved by their sexy banter, not because she didn’t approve, but because she really did.

  “Okay, you two,” she purred, “let’s get some dinner.” She shifted over, wincing from the pain. Ryan quickly jumped to his feet, helping her onto her own. He pulled her into his hug.

  “I missed you,” he whispered, his lips tickling her earlobe. She let out her breath, melting into his arms, with the sudden realization that she’d missed him too. Her feelings were getting rather complicated. Was it really possible to have feelings for them all, to need them all equally? She wasn’t sure, but it was damn well happening.

  “Me too,” she sighed.

  Daniel slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head between her shoulder blades. None of them moved for several seconds, surprisingly comfortable with the intimacy.

  Chapter 22

  They were ready to go the next morning, after a meagre breakfast; raft packed, and full of enthusiasm. Then the rain came. It wasn’t just one of the quick downpours they’d become accustomed to, the kind that blew in and out in a matter of hours. No, this one settled in for several days, accompanied by high winds, cooler temperatures, and wicked swells, making it impossible to launch the raft.

  They hunkered down in their shelter, trying not to go stir crazy, occupying their time by sleeping, playing cards, and just talking about anything, and everything. They told each other some really personal things, sharing their deepest truths. Maybe it was something about being away from civilization for so long, placing trust in each other for their physical well being, that made it easier to trust their hearts with one another too.

  Joss finally opened up and shared her story with the rest of the men, Grant holding her hand through the whole, painful confession. It wasn’t as difficult as she’d imagined it would be. They were all very loving and supportive and made her feel like everything was going to be okay, assuring her that it didn’t matter if she couldn’t have babies, she was still worthy of love. For the first time in her life, she was starting to believe it might be true.

  Inspired by her honesty, Grant too shared his grief about Evie, and the accident. It warmed her heart to see him accepting their love and encouragement, and she was proud of the progress he was making. Something had shifted in him and she was certain that, like her, unloading the burden of shame was a huge part of it.

  They’d become a tight unit, the six of them, and Joss was going to miss them when they were rescued. It was going to be strange returning to the real world, back to a life of simplicity...and solitude. She’d grown accustomed to being alone after her dad died, even welcomed it, believing that was the way she truly wanted it. The truth was, she was afraid that no one would ever want her, that love wasn’t in the cards for her, and she’d convinced herself that she was fine with that. Now, she wasn’t sure. Not at all.

  They had no fire over those three rainy days and couldn’t venture out to forage, dipping into their reserves to feed themselves. The weather had set their plan, to search the north side of the island, back several days. They were going to have to, once again, replenish their supplies.

  As soon as the rain stopped, they set out, happy to be able to move freely around the island again. Joss was feeling much more herself and was able to pitch in with the heavy lifting. Before long they were ready to move forward with their excursion. Charles was still a little anxious, but he hid it well, promising that he would hold down the fort while they were gone. They only had one flare gun and three flares and insisted that Daniel, Ryan and Joss take it, in case they spotted a ship. None of them were crazy about separating, if their long goodbye was any proof, but it had to be done, they all knew that.

  It wasn’t easy launching the raft beyond the break, but both Daniel and Ryan were experienced surfers and managed to finally navigate beyond the swells without too many issues. They lost the bird trap in their efforts but it was just a minor inconvenience. Joss could make another once they settled in at their new camp.

  It took several hours to realize that their little Island was mainly mountainous. They were lucky they’d landed on the south side because from as far as they could tell, it seemed the only place on the island habitable. It was going to prove challenging to find a safe place to shore for the night. It was Ryan’s job, using Grant’s binoculars, to keep his eyes peeled as they rowed along, while Joss kept her eyes on the sky, and the distant horizon, for signs of civilization. The only thing she saw was a jet, flying way too high for their flare, but at least it was something. It gave them a modicum of hope and encouraged them to keep going.

  As the hours ticked on, Joss was becoming anxious. It was unsafe for them to be on the water once they lost their light, and still there was no where to land. Ryan and Daniel seemed nervous too, but they just kept rowing away, certain that something would reveal itself. The water was relatively calm but once they drifted inland, the swells were sure to pick up, making it very dangerous to approach a rocky shore. They decided that they would take the next bend and regardless of what they faced, they would have to try to make it.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Ryan asked, handing Joss the binoculars. She took them from him and aimed them at the island, adjusting her focus until she saw what he’d been looking at. It looked like a tiny cove, certainly smaller than their own, but it would suffice.

  “I think it is!” Joss grinned, handing the binoculars to Daniel to take a look. “It’s not much but it will work! Let’s go check it out!”

  “I agree,” Daniel chimed in, “let’s get a move on. We’ll need some time to set up camp before dusk and it’s almost three o’clock.”

  They’d been rowing and bobbing in the ocean for nearly 6 hours and Joss was ready to plant her feet on solid ground. They all were. It took them nearly thirty minutes to navigate their little raft to shore, narrowly missing a large cluster of sharp rocks. When it got shallow enough, Daniel and Ryan both jumped into the surf, pulling the raft up onto the narrow beach.

  They unloaded quickly, tying the raft to a tree in case the tides tried to steal it away. The three survivors walked the perimeter of their temporary home, trying to find the best place to set up a shelter. Ryan suggested that rather than expend any more energy they just prop up their raft and use it as a lean to, covering the gaps with fronds to protect them from the elements. It was a great idea and they set about gathering what they needed. Joss collected extra fronds for the ground, so they would have a comfortable plac
e to curl up. Within an hour they had a functional little camp set up, including a small fire for warmth.

  “I’m frigging exhausted,” Ryan yawned, finishing the last of the mint tea Joss had steeped them. He set the bowl down on top of the others. “How far do you think we made it today?”

  “My guess is probably four, or four and a half miles,” Joss answered sleepily, “five at most.”

  “Seriously? It seemed like twenty,” Ryan laughed, laying himself back on their leafy bed. It was not as comfortable as he would have liked, but it did the trick. He pulled his cap down over his eyes, ready to call it a night.

  “Well, one thing is for certain, the island is not as big as we imagined. That might be helpful for us. From the way the sun was setting tonight I’m thinking we’re not far from the north side. We’ll possibly make it there tomorrow or at least early the next day,” Daniel offered, rubbing his shoulders. Joss slipped in behind him and took over, doing her best to massage the knots out of his aching muscles.

  “Oh, that’s nice, thank you,” he moaned, shifting into a more comfortable position. He slipped his shirt off for better access.

  “My pleasure,” she cooed, enjoying the feel of his warm flesh under her hands. It had a been a long day but that didn’t stop her mind from inviting in naughty thoughts, despite the fact that she was too exhausted to do anything about it.

  “How long do you think we should stay once we get there?” Ryan asked, his words muffled under his baseball hat.

  “Probably a few days anyway. We need time to map out the area and learn it’s rhythms. Two or three days should give us a good idea whether or not we’re near a trade route. If we don’t see anything, we’ll start making our way back. I don’t want to be separated for more than a week, ten days max,” Joss answered, finishing up Daniel’s massage. She kissed him gently on the neck, signaling the end. He nodded at her appreciatively, offering her one his sweet smile as payment. She would never tire of that.

  “Sounds like a good plan,” Ryan concluded quietly, as though he was drifting off to sleep. “Maybe we should get some sleep. We’ll want to get an early start.”