Stranded in Paradise (The Blake Boys Book 13)

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Is Gustavo leaving?”

  “Yes, he is.” Jared shielded his eyes to see the speedboat getting further away from them.

  “When will he be back?”

  “I don’t know. Missing Graham already?”

  “So we’re stranded?” She put her hand on her hip. “Did you plan this?”

  Jared held up his hands. “No. I didn’t, I swear.” He could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t believe a word he said.

  “Well I’m not participating in this shipwreck fantasy. I’m calling Amber and demanding she send him back to get us.” Autumn whipped out her cell phone and began scrolling furiously and held it up to her ear. “The call won’t go through.”

  “Let me try.” He dialed from his phone with the same result. “Great. I was expecting a call from a client.”

  “Aren’t you on vacation?”

  “So? Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about work or the wedding since you got here.” He gave her a knowing look.

  He saw her bite back a smile. “I tried to get some work done, but Summer stopped answering my calls.”

  “The nerve of her. At least I have an excuse. I’m doing some work for my friend Derek’s restaurant and we’ve been playing phone tag.”

  “Looks like Gustavo left something.” She pointed at the box sitting on a huge rock.

  “Let’s see what it is.”

  He grabbed her hand as they scurried back down the path. They immediately began rifling through the box. “Here’s a note.”

  Dear Jared and Autumn, everything you need to survive the next twenty-four hours is in the box. And no worries, a boat will pick you up tomorrow around noon. I have it on great authority that Mr. Reed is more than capable of capturing dinner for tonight. You may want to get an early start. The sunset has a habit of sneaking up on us in paradise.

  Amber

  “Someone is going to get choked when I get back to Texas.”

  He looked at the fishing poles next to the box. “They did leave us essentials. Vegetables. Some seasonings. All we have to do is catch dinner ourselves.”

  “I swear if a volleyball washes up named Wilson, I’m going to lose it.”

  “Don’t worry, we won’t be going full Cast Away. I know how to handle my pole.” He grinned. “I can rustle us up some fish in no time.”

  “And let me guess? You catch it, and I clean it and cook it?” She rolled her eyes.

  “On the contrary. There’s no bigger crime than improper preparation and cleaning of a freshly caught fish. Besides, I have the feeling I’m a better cook than you.”

  “How so?”

  “You ordered that filet mignon medium well-done the other night at dinner. I’m surprised the chef didn’t pass out in the kitchen.”

  “I like to make sure the cow isn’t still mooing when I eat it.”

  “But when you cook it within an inch of its life, you make it tough and ruin the flavor.”

  “Moo!” she bellowed.

  “I know it’s less than ideal, but where’s your sense of adventure? Don’t you design video games with premises like this? An impossible situation the player has work through to win?”

  “Summer designs the games. I come up with marketing campaigns to convince every gamer on the planet they should be playing her games.”

  “OK. That’s just a different type of creativity. Imagine you have to pitch this scenario as a future bestselling game. Look for the good points and go from there.”

  “I guess.”

  “We have a few hours of light left. Let’s go catch us some dinner.”

  Jared gave Autumn a quick tutorial on fishing, putting the bait on the hook for her. The most effective way to show her how to maneuver the pole was to get behind her and grip it with her so she could feel the way he was angling it. He’d taken off his shirt, so as he enclosed his arms around her, their arms touched. They cast the lines, but an hour later there were still no nibbles.

  “This is boring,” she huffed.

  “Well, fishing isn’t an exciting sport. It’s more about patience.”

  “I’m just about all out of patience.” She took out her phone again to see if she could pick up a signal. “I’m going to salvage what’s left of this day and enjoy the waves.”

  Jared’s mouth went dry when Autumn lifted the sundress over her head to reveal a stunning turquoise bikini. Like he imagined, she had full breasts and hips. “Just—” he swallowed hard, “—try to keep away from my fishing line. I’d hate for you to tell anyone I tried to get my hooks into you.”

  “Will do. And by the way, your stalker status has been reinstated. I had that steak when I had dinner with Graham.” She stuck her tongue out at him then slowly waded into the water until she was waist-deep.

  * * *

  Autumn swam a few laps to cool off, but it had been equally satisfying to see the way Jared’s eyes glazed over with lust as she’d made her way into the water. It was nice to know he wasn’t made out of stone. That was the trouble with those introverted brainy types—it was difficult to know what they were thinking. Jared reminded her a lot of Bo. He was handsome, intelligent, reserved, and had a hotness he didn’t flaunt. She could tell Jared liked the attention the ladies were giving him, but he never reciprocated. The women went all-out with the flirty laughs, the subtle hair tosses, and the seemingly innocent biting of the lower lip, and they didn’t have the slightest effect on the man. And it was a shame because those were some of her best moves.

  He liked eye contact. She didn’t mind, but it was a little more intense for her tastes. He made promises with his eyes if one dared to stare into them long enough. She could tell he didn’t do casual dating, no matter how much fun it was. Summer said the family spoke of his playing the field since his divorce, but she doubted it was exactly that way.

  She kept swimming about, careful not to get too far away from shore. The little island was quite the tucked-away jewel of escape, if one wanted to be there on purpose. She wondered which family member had called in this extra activity. Only a die-hard romantic would think of such a cheesy scenario as being stranded on a deserted island with a handsome guy, catching their dinner and having to survive the night together. The scheme had Summer written all over it. Since getting into a relationship with Bo, her twin sister had become romantic and sentimental. It was a joy to see.

  She began to tire of swimming and besides, it looked like Jared had caught something. He was proudly holding up a fish in his hand as he waved her in. She exited the water then went over to examine dinner. He’d caught two fish, but the one he was holding could feed an army. “He’s pretty big.”

  “Yep. Big enough for the two of us. Come on, let’s get this bad boy on the fire.” Jared started gathering up their things.

  “He looks like a—”

  “Don’t say it,” Jared interrupted.

  “Say what?”

  “The minute you humanize this fish with a cute nickname and a backstory, you’ll want me to throw it back in the ocean. We’ve been at this for hours, and I’m starving. He’s being sacrificed because he’s aware of his place on the food chain.”

  “OK. I’ll call him Seamus. I could definitely carve up a Seamus.” She grinned.

  Jared started up the path, then stopped. “Why Seamus?”

  “Ex-boyfriend.”

  “Ah.” He chuckled.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Once they were back at the cabin, Jared got dinner started while Autumn washed the sea water off her body in the outside shower. He had to admit it was messing with his concentration trying to prepare the fish while she was just a few feet away cleansing her body. Autumn had looked gorgeous frolicking around in the water while he’d waited for dinner to cooperate. He’d managed to play it cool, trying not to appear affected when she’d asked him to apply some sunscreen on her back. When she handed him the tube and held her hair up so he could get at her shoulders, he forced himself to think of getting his finger jammed in a car door,
being hit by a bus, anything that would take his mind off the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers.

  He hadn’t thought about Taylor’s crazy proposition all day. But he knew she’d be wanting an answer when he returned home. Why didn’t he just flat out say no? Because he wasn’t purged of all his feelings for her. What was there left to feel? He’d been very cautious about feeling anything for anyone these days. He’d end things with anyone who had a glimmer of hope in their eyes that their casual dating would turn into something else. Being divorced and unattached worked for him.

  The sun was beginning to set. The fish had finished its second turn on the grill, and the veggies had finished roasting. It was time to eat. He threw a few more logs on the pit to keep the fire going. The outdoor setting was romantic, but it was getting chilly.

  “Dinner’s ready,” he called out but didn’t venture near that side of the deck. The last thing he needed to see was Autumn rinsing herself off under the shower.

  She sauntered into the house wearing her sundress and her hair tied up in a loose topknot. She’d gotten some color in the hours they were on the beach. She looked adorable and his heart skipped a beat. She was killing him.

  She took a seat at the table. “Smells delicious.”

  “I found some wine.” Jared set a plate in front of her.

  Autumn looked at him. “Why do you have a sourpuss on your face?”

  He knew just how to get rid of it. He inserted the corkscrew and yanked on the cork.

  He shrugged. “Don’t mind me. I’ve been told I look perpetually serious.”

  “You need to relax.” She poured him a glass of wine. “Take a page from your sister’s book. Morgan’s very funny and has told some amusing stories about you. She and Michelle are hilarious when they’re together.”

  “Two smarty-pants peas in a pod. Michelle should be a standup comedian.”

  “Michelle is very pretty. You two ever?” She waggled her eyebrows.

  “No!” Jared replied.

  “What? She’s very attractive. She’s been best friends with your sister for a long time. It’s a not a big leap to think something could have happened between you two.”

  “It’s not that. Michelle is like a sister to me. The second I met her, I knew I had another little sister in my life.”

  “She calls you her big bro.” She smiled.

  “OK. I have a question for you. You and Summer were doing some weird three-way dating for a while. Did the two of you ever think about sharing Bo?” He grinned. His friend had been plenty vague during the time he’d met the sisters. Bo had been equally complimentary when he’d talked about either of them, and it seemed as if he hadn’t really known which sister he’d liked. No one had really known what was going on until the day Bo announced he’d fallen for Summer.

  “The idea of a threesome intrigue you?”

  “I have to admit Bo was spinning his wheels. Poor guy didn’t know what to do, but it sure looked like he was having fun entertaining two beautiful women.”

  “It was nice spending time with him, but it was clear that he liked Summer.”

  “How could you tell?”

  “You can tell when someone’s heart is talking to yours. It’s not something you can point out, it’s a feeling.” She scrunched her nose.

  “Bo and Summer are great together. He’s a good guy. He was a little shy and reserved when we first met, but he’s really blossomed since he’s been in a relationship.”

  “Summer too. Before Bo, I couldn’t get her out of that virtual reality testing chamber. She was always so painfully shy when we were growing up. Now she’s content and is more comfortable in her own skin. People don’t understand that being a twin is difficult. They assume the two of us are interchangeable somehow. Like we can switch personalities on a whim. I was more extroverted, and she disappeared in the background. So I started getting noticed for the both of us.” Autumn sipped her wine.

  “And now you’re the center of attention wherever you go.”

  “Side effect of my master plan.”

  “Well, it’s only partly your fault,” he said. “You’re stunning. It’s hard for a man to concentrate when you walk into a room.”

  “You included?”

  Jared put his elbows on the table and leaned in until he was a few inches away from her face. “I wish I were immune, but I’m not.”

  “Scared you’ll lose that super-serious persona?”

  “I’ve worked hard on this brooding thing. It works for me.” He winked.

  “It is a nice complement to the hunky, sensitive vibe you have going on.”

  Jared leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips at first. She tasted like wine and their dinner. Her lips were just as supple as the rest of her. He moved closer to kiss her more thoroughly this time, parting her lips and delving his tongue into her mouth. He rounded the table without breaking the kiss and took her in his arms. She felt so good. She smelled good. Everything about her set his senses on fire.

  She had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him, so he picked her up and cupped her bottom and brought her flush against him. So much for hiding his enthusiasm. He was rock hard and he wanted her. It was insane. Sure they’d known of each other for a long time, but they’d really just met. Yet, he felt like he’d known her forever.

  It was Autumn who broke the kiss. “This would definitely qualify as a distraction.”

  “Duly noted.” He trailed kisses down her neck and started walking in the direction of the bed. “I want you.”

  “I want you too.”

  Autumn wrapped her arms around Jared’s neck as he carried her to the bedroom. She was the queen of taking it slow and here she was about to have sex with a man she’d just met on an island, but in a strange way she knew him already. She knew his family and about his life. And just the other day she’d learned he had an ex-wife that still called him. She’d love to get more clarification on that, but right now there was something more pressing she had to find out before they went any further.

  “Do you have any protection?” Her cheeks burned.

  He caressed her cheek. “I have condoms in my wallet.”

  She nodded. “Oh, good. I’m on the pill by the way.”

  Jared laid her down on the bed, covered her body with his, and tugged at the sundress, revealing her bare breasts. She’d hadn’t put her bathing suit back on, leaving it out on the railing to dry.

  “And I didn’t do anything with Graham.”

  “I know.” Jared sucked on her nipple.

  “How do you know?” She groaned as the sensations rippled through her.

  “Graham is like a plaything to you. I can tell you’re not interested in him in that way.”

  Autumn wasted no time unbuttoning his shirt. He was ripped and sculpted just like she’d imagined. Jared quickly sheathed himself and entered her with a thrust so hard he shook the bed.

  She knew what he wanted. He wanted to gaze into her eyes and see her soul. Would it be so bad to let him? She opened her eyelids and peered right back at him, feeling that connection. They were coming together in a number of ways, and she loved and feared it at the same time. As Jared continued to pump into her, he slipped his hand between them and rubbed on her clit. She held onto his shoulders and climaxed with him as he growled in her ear and released all that pent-up sexual energy that had been building since they met.

  * * *

  Jared woke to the sound of the ocean and the feel of Autumn in his arms. They’d finally fallen asleep a few hours ago, and he didn’t have the heart to wake her. They’d made love three times, not counting the shower sex, and he still couldn’t get enough of her. Thanks to Autumn’s inquisitiveness, they discovered an unopened box of condoms in the bathroom cabinet. She was as passionate and playful as he thought she’d be. When he looked into her eyes as they came, he could see the vulnerability she kept from the world.

  She stirred against him, and he kissed her, hoping she’d go back to sleep. But she kissed hi
m back and caressed his face.

  “Good morning,” she mumbled.

  “Good morning to you too.” He tightened his embrace.

  “What time is it?”

  He picked up his watch from the nightstand. “Ten o’clock. The note said Gustavo would be back around noon.”

  “We have some time before he returns. How about we explore the rest of the island?”

  “I had something more entertaining in mind.” He grinned and rolled on top of her.

  “Even better.”

  An hour later they were puttering around, cleaning up and talking. As soon as they got back to the mainland, he wanted to have lunch with her and maybe go scuba diving later on in the day. The possibilities were endless now that he’d broken his cardinal rule. He wanted to spend more time with her.

  “When we get back, you want to freshen up and spend the day together? We can do whatever you like.” He pulled her close.

  “That’s a great idea.” She got up on her tiptoes to meet him for a kiss.

  “Good. Perhaps we can talk later about…what happened between us last night.”

  Suddenly a pop tune sounded in Autumn’s bag.

  “We got a signal!” Autumn clapped and sifted through her bag for her phone. “And I have five voicemails.”

  Jared’s phone played a notification harmony of its own. He went over to the nightstand and retrieved his cell phone. “Yes, I got a call from Derek.”

  “Jenna, the wedding coordinator returned my call.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like we both need a talking-to about leaving work behind.”

  “I know, but it’s for a good cause.” She smiled. “Your friends are getting married.”

  “OK. You call Jenna, and I’ll listen to messages while I make sure the logs in the pit are extinguished.”

  “Deal.” She headed to the bathroom.

  Jared set his phone on the table and accessed his voice mail then got to work on the pit. Charisma was the first call. She was just checking in and wanted to tell him to stop calling her, she had the office covered. Derek called and said he liked the ideas Jared had for the new color scheme and said he wanted to have lunch when he was back in Philadelphia to celebrate the kickoff of the renovation. The next call was from Taylor.