But they’d been lucky and they were alive and she wanted to celebrate that fact. Sophie fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, damp from his trip through the lagoon. When she became frustrated, Trey grabbed his collar and yanked, the buttons popping open all at once.
His chest was smooth and finely muscled, exactly what Sophie expected to find beneath the cotton shirt. It had been so long since she’d touched a man intimately, that she wanted to take her time, enjoying the feel of his body beneath her hands.
He didn’t appear to object to what she was doing. She risked a glance up and saw his eyes were closed. Why not take advantage of the situation? she wondered. If she radioed for help, they’d have an hour, maybe two, alone on this island. Right now, she wasn’t in any hurry to be rescued.
Sophie pressed her lips to the center of his chest, then traced a trail of kisses to his collarbone. If she was going to take a lover, then this man was as good as any. Unless he already had a woman in his life.
Sophie paused, knowing the only way she could proceed was to know for sure. Though she had an open attitude about sexual desire, she’d experienced, firsthand, what an affair could do to a marriage. Her father’s infidelities had been the cause of her parents’ divorce. She certainly didn’t want to be the other woman in any man’s marriage, even a man as sexy and geographically available as Trey was.
His hand skimmed up her belly, slipping beneath her shirt to cup her bare breast. Drawing a deep breath, Sophie placed her hand over his. “Wait,” she murmured.
He froze, his own breath catching in his throat. “Sorry. I thought-”
“No, it’s all right. I just have a quick question.”
“Yes, I do,” he said, chuckling softly.
Sophie frowned. It was an answer, but to what, she wasn’t sure. “You do? Do what?”
“I have…protection.” He reached around and pulled his wallet from his pants pocket. “I have two. And I might even have a few more in my bag.”
Though she was glad he’d come prepared, it didn’t really soothe her doubts. “I wanted to ask if you were involved. Married, engaged, otherwise spoken for.”
“Would it make a difference?” he asked.
“Yes,” Sophie replied. “I’m not a home-wrecker.”
He bent closer and pressed a kiss to a spot just below her ear. “No,” he whispered. “Not married, not engaged, not even dating. Completely free to do whatever it is you want me to do.”
Sophie stared into his eyes. She didn’t know this man and couldn’t tell if he spoke the truth. If he didn’t, she’d deal with the consequences later. Sitting up, she pulled her top over her head and tossed it into the sand. Slowly, his gaze drifted from her face to her breasts and back up again.
Following her lead, he shrugged out of his shirt. Neither one of them was dressed in much, owing to the humid weather. Her pareu came off next, leaving her in just a skimpy thong. Sophie had always been comfortable with her body and was used to sunbathing naked. But the way he looked at her, with such desire, she wondered if she should have taken things a bit slower.
She reached for her pareu, ready to cover up again, but Trey caught her hand. He slowly got up, his body casting a shadow over her, and unzipped his khakis, then skimmed them down over his hips. He stood there, wearing only cotton boxers, tented out in the front where his erection pressed against the damp fabric.
There was no going back, Sophie mused as she stared up at him. She held out her hand and he lay down beside her in the sand, drawing her into another kiss. This time, it was slow and sensual, his mouth possessing hers, his hands skimming over her nearly naked body.
She didn’t want to go back. She didn’t want to be rescued. For now, Sophie was exactly where she needed to be-alone, on a deserted South Pacific island, with a man who was about to make delicious love to her.
2
W HEN HE’D CRAWLED OUT OF BED that morning, Trey had assumed he’d be in for a rather ordinary day, spent cooped up in a small plane with a competent male pilot. As he teased at Sophie’s tongue with his, he couldn’t help but wonder at this odd turn of luck. The scene was straight out of the encyclopedia of male fantasies.
Stuck on a deserted tropical island, with a beautiful, naked woman who’d ripped off her clothes right in front of his eyes. Maybe he’d actually died when the plane crashed and this was his version of heaven. “Touch me,” he murmured as he dragged his lips from hers.
She skimmed her fingers over his belly and wrapped them around his cock, the fabric of his boxers creating an enticing friction. Trey bit back a moan. It sure felt real, his heart pounding in his chest, his body aching with need. But how could he prove it to himself?
He slowly drew back, cupping her face in his palm and looking into her eyes. Did it really matter? After all the debauchery in his life, he’d ended up in heaven, with a sexy companion. He’d done pretty well for himself. If he was really dead, then dead wasn’t so bad. Trey kissed her again, smoothing his palm over her shoulder and arm until his fingers were laced through hers.
Drawing her hand over her head, Trey gently pushed her back into the sand, his body stretched alongside hers. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling her exotic scent as he kissed her. Slowly, he moved lower until his lips fixed on her nipple. He teased and Sophie arched toward him, twisting her body until a tiny moan slipped from her lips.
The sun, filtered through a thin cover of clouds, was hot on their bodies, but it felt good to be free of clothes. When she slipped her hand beneath the waistband of his boxers, Trey quickly stripped them off. A moment later, her thong was gone and there was nothing left between them but the salty ocean breeze and the sand clinging to their skin.
Though the seduction began in a rush of desire, the pace had grown almost lazy. There was time, and Trey wanted to take advantage of every moment. But when Sophie touched him again, without his boxers as a barrier, he wondered if he was already too far gone.
He pulled her body against his, their hips meeting, his shaft hot and hard between them. Seduction had always come so easily to him, the clever balancing act between pleasure and complete surrender. But this meeting was different. As she drew her leg up along his hip, he knew he was just an instant away from burying himself deep inside her.
He wanted it now, needed it to happen, as if it would provide proof he was still among the living. Breaking contact for just a moment, Trey grabbed his khakis and pulled out his wallet, retrieving the condoms he kept there for “emergencies.” Though the little packages wouldn’t fix the plane, they’d certainly come in handy.
The moment she saw the condoms, Sophie grabbed one from his hand and tore open the plastic. He held his breath as she smoothed it over his cock, her touch causing a groan to rumble in his chest. It was obvious she wasn’t into long, slow seductions. She preferred to skip the preliminaries and head right to the main event.
Pulling her beneath him, Trey drew her legs up alongside his hips and slowly entered her. A sigh slipped from her body and he watched as a smile played across her damp mouth.
“Oh,” she murmured, as he withdrew. Her hands clutched at his ass, as he buried himself again.
Trey had always been able to control his desires, but this felt far too good. Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline from his near-death experience. Maybe it was the exotic setting. But most likely, it was this woman writhing beneath him, so incredibly beautiful and uninhibited.
“We are alive, aren’t we?” he murmured, his hands braced beside her shoulders.
“We are alive,” she replied, meeting his gaze.
He slowly began to move, but every sensation seemed heightened by what they’d experienced. When she touched him, it was as if an electric current passed between them. The taste of her mouth was like the sweetest fruit he’d ever eaten. And the sound of her voice wove a silken web around him, until he felt as if he were born to do her bidding.
Her fingers dug into his hips as his rhythm increased. Pleasure pushed asid
e rational thought and Trey found himself lost in the feel of her body beneath his. He was so close, yet he stopped himself from surrender, knowing she was almost there herself.
A moment later, Sophie cried out, arching against him, her body trembling. It was only then that Trey allowed himself to give in, to feel her body convulsing around him. He teetered on the edge, the sensation of exquisite anticipation lasting far longer than it ever had before. And then, his orgasm blindsided him, coming from deep in his core.
He’d never felt such an incredible surge of pleasure, his body shuddering, driving deeper, until he was completely spent. Trey’s arms grew weak and he lowered himself to lie beside her, pulling her along with him, still intimately connected.
She winced and he smoothed the hair from her eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Something bit me, I think,” she said, reaching back to rub her hand over her backside. “There are little crabs in the sand.”
Trey grinned, then gently rolled her over, holding his breath as he slipped from her body. He brushed the sand from her skin and examined the spot she pointed to. “It looks a little red,” he said. Bending close, he kissed her backside. “Better?”
“Much,” she murmured. She reached down to caress him, removing the condom as she smoothed her hand over his still-rigid shaft.
He was ready to go again, but condoms were in limited supply. If they were going to spend any time on the island, he might need to conserve his resources.
When they’d both caught their breath, Trey levered to his feet and reached down to help her up. Lacing his fingers through hers, he led her to the lagoon. Silently, they waded in, washing the sand from their naked bodies as the warm water enveloped them.
Sophie submerged, then swam underwater until she was a fair distance away. When she broke the surface, she smoothed her hair back and tipped her face up to the sky. “When did you first decide you wanted to seduce me?” she asked.
Trey frowned.
“You said in the plane, when we were going down, that you intended to seduce me. When did you decide?”
Trey swam over to her, then stood, his feet barely touching the bottom of the lagoon. “A man will say a lot of crazy things when he’s about to die.”
She sighed softly. “I knew the moment I saw you,” she said.
“Knew I’d seduce you?” Trey asked.
She shook her head. “No. That I’d seduce you,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. She submerged and then swam underwater toward the plane. Trey watched her naked body move through the water of the sun-dappled lagoon. When she popped back up, she smoothed her hair back from her face, her arm draped over the pontoon. “We should pull the plane in,” she called.
It had drifted farther out into the lagoon, though it was still in shallow water. Trey swam out to where she stood, her words still drifting through his mind. Had she seduced him or had it been the other way around? Though it shouldn’t be important, it was. “Can you fix it?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “If it’s the battery, there’s no way to charge it. It might be something electrical.”
Trey wanted to reach out and grab her waist, to pull her into another kiss, to test the limits of her desire for him. Hell, as far as he was concerned, they could stay out here for the week, as long as he had Sophie with him. But he held his impulses in check.
Sophie unhooked a line from beneath the plane and swam to a spot where she could touch the sandy bottom of the lagoon. He grabbed the line and helped her pull. To his surprise, the heavy plane easily glided through the water.
He stood in the waist-deep water as he watched her walk across the beach to a nearby palm, where she tied up the plane. She was magnificent, her naked limbs slender and supple, her skin tanned all over and gleaming in the sun. She was obviously comfortable with nudity, making no attempt to cover up. Or was she deliberately trying to provoke his passion again? He felt himself growing hard and cursed softly.
He’d never been in this situation before. Usually when he had sex with a woman, it had come after a short but amusing chase. Once the flirtations and silly games had been completed, mutual desire led to the bedroom. But this time, there had been no games. The sex had come from a primal need to reassure themselves they were both alive. What was the etiquette in this situation? Was he supposed to act as though nothing had happened?
“Now what?” he asked.
“I’m going to radio for help,” she said. Sophie had waded back into the water and crawled up into the plane, providing him with a lovely view of her backside as she pulled herself up. She was oblivious to her nudity, but he certainly wasn’t. The sight of her was doing all sorts of things to his desire.
Taking the opportunity to hide his reaction, Trey walked back to the beach and retrieved his boxers and khakis. He tugged them on, then sat down in the sand to wait. Though he couldn’t see what she was doing inside the plane, Trey trusted they weren’t in any immediate danger. The weather was good, they had a cooler full of drinks and rescue was only a few hours away.
As he stared out at the lagoon, Trey mentally began to plan his next move. No doubt, they’d be back in Pape‘ete before dinner. He’d insist she accompany him, perhaps in gratitude for saving his life. Or maybe he wouldn’t need an excuse. Maybe she’d be just as anxious as he was to continue what they’d begun on the beach.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the plane, making a shallow dive off the float before she swam to shore. Muttering to herself in French, Sophie grabbed her pareu and wrapped it around her waist, tying it in a knot. “The radio’s not working,” she said. “I’m pretty sure the battery is dead.”
In any other situation, Trey might have been angry. After all, bad fuel, a dead battery and a useless radio didn’t speak well of Madigan Air. But he’d been looking for an excuse to spend more time with Sophie and now he had it.
“What are we going to do?”
“There’s not much we can do. There’s a small dry cell battery in the back of the plane. If there’s any charge left, I may be able to wire the radio to it and we can call for help. But I’m not sure the voltage is compatible.” She shrugged, then forced a smile. “I’m sorry, you must think-”
“No,” Trey said. “I’m happy to be alive. Besides, won’t they come looking for us?”
“Of course. They know where we went and they’ll easily be able to see the plane from the air.” She paused. “But they won’t know to search for us until after sundown. They might send out a plane then or wait until morning. Either way, we’re probably going to be here all night.”
“It’s not so bad,” he said, looking around. “There are worse places to be stuck.” He paused. “And far worse companions to be stuck with.”
She smiled, as if pleased by the compliment. “Of course, I will refund your charter fee. It wouldn’t be proper to-”
Trey reached up and grabbed her arm, pulling her down beside him. “You don’t have to do that,” he murmured, cupping her face in his hands.
She stared at him, wide-eyed, as she waited for him to make the first move this time. Gently, he ran his thumb over her lower lip and kissed her, his mouth lingering over hers as he traced the outline with his tongue. “Let’s just call this a side trip,” he said. “An adventure. We can continue our survey once we get off this island.”
“You may not say that when the rain is pouring down and you’re wet and miserable,” she teased.
He pulled her closer, his hand splayed against the small of her back. Her breasts brushed against his chest and Trey bit back a moan. “I’m a pretty tough guy,” he said. “I think I can handle a little rain.”
S OPHIE SAT WITH HER BACK against the trunk of a coconut palm, a seat cushion providing extra comfort. She’d retrieved an old blanket from the plane and spread it out in the sand and settled in to wait for someone to realize they were missing.
Though she should have been trying to get the radio to work, she’d decided to hold off. If she got it w
orking too soon, they might be rescued before sunset. If she got it working later, she could call in their location and reassure her father that everything was all right. Then, she and Trey would have an entire night together.
Still, if she couldn’t get the radio fixed, her father would be in for a very long night. Sometime after sunset, he’d come to the realization she might have been forced to ditch in the open ocean. Though the plane had floats, landing on open water was always risky. One wrong move, one swell, and they could have rolled end over end and sunk too quickly for anyone to get out. They’d been lucky to be where they were when the problems occurred.
In truth, after what had happened between them on the beach, she had to wonder if maybe this was more wish fulfillment than sheer luck. She’d been determined to find a lover and now she had one, complete with a deserted tropical island. They were probably going to be stuck on Suaneva until at least tomorrow morning. And she had every intention of taking advantage of her good fortune.
When Sophie had thought about finding a man, the individual had been just a vague image in her mind, someone with the physical prowess to satisfy her desire and to make her feel like a woman again. But Trey was much more than that. There was a powerful physical attraction between them, an attraction that wouldn’t be quelled by just one passionate encounter on the beach.
She recalled the conversation she’d had with her father about this trip. He’d wanted her to-what was the word-impress? Perhaps the gods had stepped in and given her the solution to all their problems. She’d get what she wanted and her father would get what he wanted.
Sophie pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees, silently observing her fellow castaway. She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Once her father realized they were missing, he’d be beside himself with worry. She, on the other hand, would be enjoying a host of carnal pleasures with her sexy passenger.
Trey had decided to raid the tail of the plane for anything that might improve their comfort while they waited and had come away with a wide variety of items he’d arranged on the beach. He was now focused on a canvas tarp and a length of nylon rope, the small toolbox she kept stowed beneath the pilot’s seat open at his feet.
Who Needs Mistletoe? Page 3
