She had almost melted with joy as his brief compliment fell upon her ears. For a split second, she reminded him of a little girl who had accomplished a difficult task. Maybe he should praise her more often, instead of scold? That still left him facing her temper when she was unhappy. Damn it to hell, Griffon cursed under his breath, I'm stuck babysitting a brat. Well, maybe I can help mold her into becoming a responsible woman. Her future husband would surely appreciate that effort.
After tossing the sea grapes into the halves of a large clam, Griffon set the shell on the outer embers to slowly allow the fruit to bake and be a dipping sauce for the crabs. He then broke down the firewood and stacked it neatly under the high platform beneath the shelter. He proceeded to repair the roof by weaving more fronds and slabs of bark peeled from the palm trees, and returned to whittling his spear. The sound of running caused him to turn his head.
"Look what I found! Can we eat this? Huh, can we?" Jade asked, holding a small conch in her hand. "I also thought I saw bananas down the beach a ways. I didn't see any hermit crabs, though."
"Yes, we can certainly eat that. Very good, Jade. We can even cook it in the shell and dip it in this:" Griffon offered her the tip of his index finger that he had dipped in the sea grape sauce. He felt his manhood awaken as she wrapped her pink lips around the digit and innocently sucked.
"Those are yummy. I tried to find more clams, but the tide is coming in. I'm sorry," she said, her joy suddenly leaving her face. "You're alot bigger than me and are doing all this hard work. You have got to be starving, and …"
"Grab the net you found. We are going to fish the easy way. Then we can knock down some bananas."
Griffon led the way down, acutely aware of the naked girl at his heels. Forty-eight hours and already his body was betraying him. No! He reprimanded himself. There is no way I will repeat the same mistakes. I will get me a dog! They are much better companions. Besides the fact they don't talk, a dog could hunt, loves unconditionally, and provides plenty of warmth. His mind slipped to the previous night. Jade, too, provided much-needed warmth, especially as it radiated from her beautifully-striped, and deliciously ample, rear end.
He watched her walk nimbly away from him on her tender feet. Several slight bruises crisscrossed her bum; a jolt of desire rattled through him. He longed for a reason to spank that beautiful backside again, to see it sprawled across his lap and turn a bright, lovely crimson as his hand clapped over every fleshy inch. He wanted to hear her beg and squeal as she lost herself to submission and then to see the lust in her tear-filled eyes as he took her boldly and without any inhibitions. He turned his back to adjust his stiff cock in his cutoff shorts, pretending to straighten the torn fragment of netting.
"Hold the net high," he said, quickly walking into the water. "We'll go to about thigh level and see if we can scoop up something. Step carefully and watch your feet. Shuffle them in the sand to scare up any sting rays."
Excitement raced over Jade's face as they pulled up two small fish. She laughed as she tried to hold one of the flapping sardines. Her excitement amused him, and Griffon found himself smiling.
"It's not a tuna, but it will do. I will show you how to make a fish trap tonight, and tomorrow we will build a catch-wall during low tide."
"That's that?"
"We build a half circle out of rocks to trap fish as the tide goes out. It should be fairly simple if we pick a good spot. It looks like we might have another storm coming," Griffon said, shielding his eyes from the sun as he viewed the horizon. "We need to try to gather enough food to last us a few days, just in case." Jade's smile faded. He knew she was tired, sore, and scared, but this was about survival, and she needed to toughen up. He patted her on the shoulder. "Let's get this done, so we can both rest a bit."
Her barely audible thanks softened his demeanor. On impulse, he hugged her and then strolled ahead to point out various fruit to bring to the camp. The discovery of a breadfruit tree sent him whooping with joy, not just for the potato-like pod, but also the sap, which would help waterproof their shelter even more. Jade, caught up in the excitement of discovering new foods, picked a coconut off the ground and used his knife to drill a hole through its eye. She took a swig and spit it out.
"This is terrible! It tastes like vinegar! Yuck!"
"Save it. Vinegar is very useful if you step on a sea urchin. I wouldn't eat that if I were you …"
His warning came too late as Jade, in a desperate attempt to clear her mouth of the vinegar, grabbed a bright white fruit and bit into it. She began to retch.
"I think I poisoned myself," she choked, spitting the fruit from her mouth. "It tastes like vomit!"
"If you had listened, I would have told you that this is a Morinda. It's also called 'starvation fruit'. It will keep you alive in times of famine, if you can get over the nasty flavor," Griffon chuckled. He offered her a couple of raw sea grapes. "Here. Watch your teeth; there are pits."
"I am never going to learn all this," Jade groaned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "How come you know so much?"
"I studied the islands extensively prior to purchase and made sure I got some land that was fertile. I've always enjoyed living off the environment, when I can. Comes from being raised in a poor home, I guess."
"Your family was poor?"
"Don't sound so shocked. Very few people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths."
"I didn't mean to insult you. Sorry," Jade said quietly, accepting his coconut shell filled with water.
"You didn't. I'm a bit defensive, when it comes to little rich girls. The ex left a bitter taste in my mouth."
"You shouldn't judge me by what other people have done," Jade commented, dully. "I'm not like them."
"Really? My impression of you is that you are."
Jade looked up at him, her eyes filling with tearss. "Do you think it's easy having to put up this appearance? Nothing in my life is sacred. Because of Dad's business and how it effects our local economy, I am followed constantly by either people who want me to get them a high-paying job with dad's company, or his competitors trying to weasel trade secrets from me. Like I would know anything, right? I've never even stepped foot into my father's office. The people in my life are closed off and superficial, wondering how to outdo each other. And look at me!" She was shouting. "I am subject to constant ridicule because I am not a size 2! I look like a hippo next to other girls my age and am too fucking scared to get liposuction! My whole damn life is nothing but a huge joke that is the same size as my gigantic ass! They wouldn't even know I was gone; that is how unimportant I am to everyone."
Griffon was quiet for a moment, debating on the words to use. He decided on honesty. She might as well get used to it. "Listen, kid, you are what you are, and only you can make the choice to break away from that life, if you really hate it. Get involved in your dad's business, if it interests you. Find a hobby. Volunteer. Go to school, get a career to call your own and make a name for yourself apart from your father. Work on your attitude. You are only limited by your own self-awareness, desires, and imagination. As for your body," he cleared his throat, "it is absolutely lovely. Mature men tend to like curves and something to hang onto. So what if you have some padding? I don't know if my opinion counts for anything, but I believe it is exactly where it should be. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is soft and smooth in all the right places."
Jade blinked at him. "You like my body?"
"Yeah," Griffon grunted. "I just don't like the attitude. That negates how pretty you are every time."
The silence was uncomfortable, interrupted only by the crunching sound under their feet and the growling of thunder in the distance. Wordlessly, Griffon climbed the banana palm and sliced off half the bunch, watching as Jade reached to catch them. The weight threw her off balance and she fell backwards with a yelp.
"Jade! Are you okay?" Griffon yelled, scurrying down and kneeling at her side. Worry etched his face as he helped her to a sitting p
osition. "I'm sorry. I didn't know the bunch was so heavy."
"I'm okay. Just a little bruised in an already-tender area," Jade said, as she reached to rub her flanks. She grinned. "You are actually acting like you give a shit, Griffon Badger."
"Busted, okay? Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to hold onto," Griffon grunted, helping her to her feet.
Jade hugged him. "Not a word. Thanks. I don't hate you as much when I know you might care a little."
Griffon grunted again, lifting the bananas to his shoulder. "Pick up those leaves that I cut, and let's get back to camp before that storm hits. It looks like monsoon season might be pretty nasty this year, and we don't want to be caught unprepared. And watch out for that anthill. Damn things hurt like hell when they chomp on you."
The next five days were spent in the backbreaking work of gathering wood and food, building fish traps, looking for bird eggs, and bottling precious rainwater in plastic bottles and containers found washed up on shore. A few hours rain, followed by hours of thick, muggy heat and swarms of biting insects brought Jade to a place of agitated depression, and her desire to maintain a 'decent attitude' grew short. Sunshine helped with her mood, and Griffon was more than happy to allow her a couple of hours a day to bask under a clear sky, whenever it presented itself.
Any hint of pleasant weather became a thing of the past by the sixth day. The days remained hot and muggy, but under a constant cloud cover, and the nights grew cold and windy. When it was not raining heavily, Griffon spent his time outside the shelter teaching Jade how to hunt and gather food, repair and water proof the roof, and how to use the throwstick to spear fish that were trapped in the fish gates they had built out of rocks. The rain provided sufficient water for the time being, however, his concern about finding fresh water became a daily obsession, and he often left for hours in search of a drinkable water source, temporarily escaping the dark mood that grew around the girl. His frequent absence made her anger and resentment grow, adding a sense of rejection to her depressed state of mind.
On the evening of day ten, the weather shifted drastically, as the rain pelted down in large bullets upon the shelter and the wind aggressively whipped above them. The inside of the small room flickered with the warm light from the bottom fire-pit and the air smelled of wood smoke and salt. Griffon had set to work weaving baskets from vines and thin banyan roots while Jade worked on a large mat. They were both quiet, as the crackling wood echoed beneath the platform. Jade suddenly shivered.
"Are you cold?" Griffon asked.
"No. It's like a billion degrees in here. I just was thinking about what it would be like if you hadn't known how to survive out here. As miserable as this is, I honestly have never felt so safe before. It doesn't make sense, does it?" Jade said, taking a risk in her honesty. She wanted to tell him how she felt but was not sure how to begin.
Griffon handed her some vines. "Yeah it does. Your life is in danger. Knowing that you are guarded from the elements and are warm and well-fed will give anyone a feeling of security. Especially since these are things you never had to worry about before."
"I don't like being left alone for so long. Why can't I go with you when you look for water?" she asked outright.
"I like alone-time. I'm not accustomed to being around someone twenty-four-seven."
"Or do you just want to avoid me? Have I done something to make you not want me around?"
"Jade, listen up." He looked at her patiently. "You've been moody and sour. I know you are depressed, but nothing I do or say will change your disposition. That is your decision and your choice to make, but you need to be prepared to accept that I don't want to be around you when you are like this."
"This is just how I am. I have feelings, you know."
"Yes, you have feelings, but there is nowhere that says that I am required to feel the same or that I have to allow you to impose those feelings onto me."
"I don't do that."
"You certainly do. You decide you don't like something and then expect me not to like it as well, as a show of support and encouragement. That is a form of manipulation, and it does not sit well with me."
"I disagree. I have a right to express myself."
"Yes, you do. And I have the right to remove myself from the situation, when expressing yourself means making me as miserable as you are. Try an attitude adjustment, girl. Make yourself do and say everything opposite of what you are used to. You might find out that people will like being around you more."
"Plenty of people like being around me!" Jade snapped.
"Really? That isn't what you shared earlier about how all your friends are superficial and competitive. Did you ever consider that you were the problem in the relationship—not them?"
"You are wrong. I have never done anything to make them not like me."
"That's good to know—that you are not demanding, rude, inconsiderate, selfish or self-serving with all your friends—or that you don't try to force them to accept your attitude or embrace your thoughts and feelings. They must all miss you so much," he said, with a sarcastic tone.
Jade's face reddened, when she realized he had used her words against her. She changed the subject. "You mentioned you were poor growing up. What was it like?" Jade asked casually, weaving the basket like he had shown her.
"You are doing an excellent job," he commented, ignoring her question. "We can use that as a drag. Put some poles on either side, and ..."
"Talk to me. Please? I want to get to know the bunny behind the badger." Jade forced a playful grin in his direction.
"There is no bunny."
"Seriously? I saw a soft side of you when I fell. And," she pointed at him, "if you really didn't care, you would have left me in the ocean."
"I was being a decent human being," Griffon huffed. "Nothing more."
"Griffon, I need you to talk to me. I'm teetering on the edge right now." Her voice choked, "I need something to hang onto, before I fall into this pit of despair."
"You're quite the drama queen, aren't you?"
"I have my moments. I know I've been cranky lately. I'm sorry. I'm just, well, at a loss as to what to do or how to think."
"I'm not much of a talker, kid. Sorry."
Jade tried a different tactic, "You were married, right? That means there had to have been something decent and caring about you, right?"
The answer was harsh and bitter: "You are very naïve if you believe that." Griffon shifted uncomfortably; this conversation was not one he wished to have, and Jade was not about to let it go.
"I am just making conversation. You don't have to be snarky about it."
"How about you tell me why that douche bag dumped you?" Griffon directed at her.
Jade sighed. "You are one stubborn piece of work, aren't you? He was my fiancé. That is, until my daddy said he would cut me off, if I married him. Simon was pissed because I chose money over him."
"I would think that, given his behavior, you made the right decision," Griffon commented as he handed her a roasted banana.
She peeled the skin back and bit into the hot, gooey fruit. "This is soooo good! Yeah, hindsight, right? He convinced me to give him a chance and promised that love would prevail. He wanted me to tell Daddy that we broke up. I assumed it was so he could buy some time to prove himself. I told Daddy that I was going fly out to Tongatapu to recover from the split. We own a condo on the island, and it is one of my favorite places to go clubbing, so Daddy wasn't surprised. Of course, Simon and I were secretly meeting, so that we could spend a few weeks alone to figure things out. I told him that I would learn to live without Daddy's money, and that I believed love would keep us happy."
"It sounds like he didn't agree."
"Nope. That was when he said he would take me out on the speedboat to sight-see. Next thing I know, we were at this atoll. That was when he informed me that I would not marry him, but instead I was to give him money as payment for the bullshit I put him through. I was appalled, of course, and told him to
shove his head up his ass. That was when he hit me."
"Bastard."
"He went a bit ballistic, saying that if he couldn't have the money, neither could I. I told him to fuck himself and that it would be a cold day in hell before he touched a penny. He got angry, shoved me overboard, and took off."
"Won't your father notice you are missing? Witnesses ..."
"Simon planned this well. If you read the tabloid, you know that I have a bit of a reputation of being a party girl. I have a habit of taking long vacations and my father is accustomed to not hearing from me for several weeks on end, and usually then because I need more money. Anyway, Simon and I arrived at Tongatapu separately. He took a cab to a nightclub where I picked him up outside. No one would have recognized me in the car."
"What about tracing your spending? Won't your dad notice that you are not shopping?"
"My dad keeps my private account nice and fat. He would have no reason to look, unless I ran out of dough."
"Does that scumbag have access to your account?"
"Nope. He wanted it, though. That was the only smart thing I did, huh?"
Griffon sighed, placing the finished basket outside the shelter. "We all make mistakes. We just need to learn from them and be careful never to repeat them."
"I guess I've made quite a few," Jade said, quietly. "What was your biggest mistake?"
"Falling in love.
CHAPTER 4
"Will it ever stop?" Jade asked, after two solid days of rain. "I am bored to death and am getting really hungry. What I would do for a hamburger and fries … or two big scoops of coffee ice cream, with Oreos packed in a chocolate-covered waffle cone …"
"Yes, I know," Griffon grumbled, "you have been telling me that every hour for the past two days and reminding me exactly how poor your diet is. It's starting to let up a bit. Once I think we are safe from the lightning, we can go out."
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