The sun broke through the clouds and the ocean breeze cooled her wet skin. She felt weightless, as if all her concerns had sunk to the bottom of the lagoon and only pleasure had risen to the surface. She’d never wanted a man the way she wanted Trey. It wasn’t just about his body, or about him satisfying her desire. There was more there.
Sophie heard a splash and a moment later, she felt his arms around her waist, pulling her beneath the water. They surfaced together, wrapped in each other’s arms, their limbs tangling.
He kissed her, his mouth molding to hers, his hands tangled in her wet hair. She wasn’t sure what he meant by it, but she knew there was a reason. He demanded a response and Sophie returned the kiss in full measure, her tongue savoring the taste of him.
When he finally drew back, Trey looked down into her eyes. “There are moments when I don’t want to go back,” he murmured. “Ever.”
Sophie nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. The more time they spent together, the more it felt as if they could live a lifetime on Suaneva. But they couldn’t survive on passion alone. And though their desire might feed the soul, it didn’t go very far to feed the body.
“A REN’T YOU UNCOMFORTABLE in those?” Sophie asked.
Trey glanced down at his shorts, the khakis still wet from their swim in the lagoon. “Yeah. I guess. I suppose I could wear my boxers.”
Sophie shook her head. “Take them off,” she ordered, levering to her feet from her spot beneath the shelter. “Go ahead. As long as we’re staying here for a while, you might as well dress like a native.”
Regarding her suspiciously, Trey stripped out of his shorts. She pointed to his boxers dismissively and he skimmed them over his hips and kicked them aside, too. Though they’d already been intimate more than once, he felt a bit exposed running around the island naked.
“I’m not sure I like this,” he said.
“It doesn’t feel good?” she asked.
“Well, yeah. It feels really good. But I’m not used to running around with all my bits and pieces showing. Something might bite me.”
“I promise I won’t,” Sophie teased. “Besides, you don’t have to be embarrassed.”
“Well, you’re dressed and I’m not.”
She glanced down at her outfit, his shirt tied beneath her breasts, and the flowered pareu knotted around her waist. “I think you need to get rid of your inhibitions,” she suggested. “No one is going to see you…or your bits and pieces, except me. And I’ve already seen you naked.”
“There are times when I’d prefer to hide my reactions, if you don’t mind.”
She let her gaze drift down below his waist and then back up again. “It’s a perfectly natural thing,” she said. “It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I find it flattering.”
“It kind of takes all the mystery out of things, don’t you think?” He paused. “I mean, I might as well have a big neon sign on my forehead that blinks Horny every time I get aroused.”
“I don’t need a neon sign to know when you’re aroused,” she said. She unknotted the pareu from her waist and wrapped it around his, fastening it low on his hips. “How is that?”
Trey wriggled, enjoying the feel of the thin fabric on his skin. It felt much better than the damp khakis or his boxer shorts. “The breeze just blows right up beneath it and makes everything very…pleasant,” he said.
Sophie giggled. “You look nice in a skirt. Not many men can carry it off, but you can.”
“And what are you going to wear now?” he asked.
She was dressed in just the shirt and her thong. Sophie picked up his boxers and held them up. “We are a little short on clothing. I could wear these.”
Trey shook his head. “No, I think I like you just the way you are.” The thong was sexy as hell, showing off the sweet curves of her backside. And the shirt was thin enough that he could see her breasts through the fabric. Any fewer clothes and he’d be walking around with a perpetual hard-on all day. Any more and he’d be depriving himself of his one true pleasure-looking at Sophie’s delicious body.
Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, arching against him as he held her close. “See, already you’re starting to adapt to the ways of the island.”
“I’m wearing a skirt,” Trey said, looking down at the brightly flowered fabric.
“I know. But it’s practical. When you want to swim, you just untie the knot. And if it gets wet, it dries very quickly. It’s the perfect thing. You’ll want to buy five or six of them for yourself when we get back to Pape‘ete.”
Trey chuckled. It was a fair swap, but still, he liked the way she looked dressed in his shirt. It made him feel as if she were his and his alone-at least until they got off the island.
She grabbed her bag from beneath the shelter and rummaged through it until she found a brown plastic bottle. “You should put some of this on.”
She handed it to him and he screwed off the top and sniffed. He recognized the scent from her skin. “What is it? Your perfume? First a skirt and now perfume?”
“It’s called monoi. It’s for the sun, to keep you from burning. It has coconut and sandalwood and jasmine in it. And citronella for the mosquitoes. They can get bad at night.” She glanced around. “Although, they shouldn’t be too bad on an atoll like this.”
“Why?”
“There’s not a lot of standing water. And it’s always pretty windy. But it is the rainy season and they’re at their worst when it’s damp.”
Trey sniffed it again. He liked the way she smelled, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to smell the same. “I think I’m all right.”
Sighing impatiently, Sophie grabbed the bottle and squeezed some of the oil into her hand. As she began to rub it into his chest, Trey started to believe in the benefits of the oil. Her touch was like a narcotic, relaxing him, yet exciting him all at once. The scent of the oil filled the air and he pressed his hand to the small of her back, pulling her closer.
“That feels good,” he murmured.
She smoothed her palms over his shoulders, then circled around behind him to rub the monoi on his back. Did she have any idea what her touch did to him, how deeply it stirred his desires?
With Sophie, even the most benign things became seductive. She could wiggle her toes in the sand and he got turned on. Or she could lick her bottom lip and he’d lose himself in a fantasy about how those lips might feel on certain parts of his body.
When she was finished with his back, she put the cap on the bottle and tossed it on the blanket. “There. You’re ready to go,” she said.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” she replied. “Since we didn’t have any luck at fishing, we’ll have to find dinner. And I know the perfect place.”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“A date?”
He slipped his arm around her waist as they began to walk. “I think you just asked me to dinner. Before we go, I want to make something perfectly clear. I don’t kiss on the first date.”
“I see,” Sophie said, giggling. “That’s good. Because neither do I.”
As they walked along the lagoon to the south end of the atoll, Trey wondered what other delights he and Sophie would share before the night was over. Once they settled in for the evening, there was nothing else to do but amuse themselves with sexual activities.
But then, there was always conversation. With Sophie, Trey enjoyed that almost as much as sex. This time together had proven one thing-they enjoyed each other’s company. For Trey, that was saying a lot.
There were very few women he’d met that he’d wanted to spend an extended period of time with. Mostly, he enjoyed their company in bed, and that was about it. The women he’d known had usually been silly and shallow and interested in only one thing-his money.
But Sophie didn’t seem to be aware of who he was, or of the life he’d led. Their acquaintance began in the hangar at the airport and she didn’t care at all about what had come before.<
br />
“Tell me more about this resort you want to build,” Sophie said, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked. “What would it be like?”
“Luxurious,” he said. “But primitive.”
Sophie frowned. “How is that possible?”
He’d been turning the idea around and around in his head for such a long time that Trey was almost afraid to talk about it, afraid that if he did, the idea might not hold up to scrutiny. “There’s a segment of the population, a very wealthy segment, that’s looking for a completely unique vacation. I want to find a location so secluded that they can feel safe enough to relax and enjoy themselves.”
She didn’t say anything for a long time, but he could see she was thinking about what he’d said. “It will be very expensive to build on an island,” Sophie warned.
He shrugged. “Money really isn’t a problem.”
“What about the other things? You’ll need electricity and fresh water. A way to get materials on and off the island. A way to get guests back and forth to a major airport.”
“You’ve thought about these things?”
“Well, haven’t you?”
“Yes,” he said. “Of course.”
“I live in these islands, Trey. I know what it’s like. It’s not like living in a big city with all the conveniences. Everything is simpler there, yet it’s much more difficult, as well. Here, everything comes in by boat or plane and it’s expensive.”
“Well, if we build it right, then it will sustain itself,” Trey said, pulling her to a stop. “We’ll power everything with windmills. We’ll collect rainwater. We’ll sail our guests to the island. We’ll prepare simple meals with all-natural foods, grown on the island. We’ll serve the kind of meals that islanders have eaten for centuries.” He paused. “What do you think?”
“What does your father think?” Sophie asked.
“I haven’t told him about that part of the plan yet. He’s kind of a traditional hotel developer. He really doesn’t have any imagination. Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“Yes!” she said with a smile. “I think it’s a marvelous idea.”
They continued to walk, Trey suddenly more excited about the project than he’d ever been. It was a good idea, but he’d been afraid to talk about it, afraid that his father would immediately find fault or discount it completely because he’d been the one to come up with the idea. But Sophie lived in these islands and she knew them well. If she thought the concept would work, then maybe it wasn’t so crazy.
“If you’re bringing people by boat, your location needs to be closer to an island with an airport,” Sophie suggested.
“I’m kind of flexible on that,” he said. “We could bring people in by plane.”
“Then an atoll is a better idea,” she said. “You can land in the lagoon or you can build a landing strip on a larger motu. And if there’s a deep enough channel, you could bring boats right into the lagoon.”
As they continued their walk, they discussed more of the details, Sophie listening quietly as he explained everything he wanted to accomplish. In the end, Trey felt as if the project were suddenly real. This wasn’t just a pipe dream anymore. He could make this work.
But he could use Sophie’s help. Why not hire her? After all, she’d be in on it from the very beginning. They could work together on the project. She certainly knew enough to coordinate all their transportation needs. And Madigan Air could use the business.
“I should hire you,” Trey said. “I’ll need someone here to be my liaison if the project goes through. Someone who knows the islands. Someone who can cut through the red tape.”
Once the offer was out there, Trey realized just how stupid it sounded. Though they might get along quite well as lovers, stuck on a deserted island, what made him think they could have a working relationship once they went back to the real world?
“I-I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be in the islands,” Sophie said. “The business isn’t doing real well and-”
“But don’t you see? This would be an answer to all your problems. I could hire you to fly me back and forth. I’d pay you well. And-”
“We’ll see,” she said, cutting him off.
They continued the rest of their walk in silence, their fingers laced together as they waded through a narrow channel that fed the lagoon.
After five minutes of silence, Trey was certain he’d made a mistake. Perhaps this was all they were supposed to have, just twenty-four hours on this island. She didn’t seem interested in anything more than that. But he didn’t want to believe it would end so soon. He was beginning to care about Sophie, and he wanted to know her much better.
He silently chastised himself. Hell, he’d never in his life felt so vulnerable. And it was his fault, letting himself believe what they were sharing was more than just a temporary passion. From now on, he’d accept the fact that their affair would end the moment they got off the island.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the pleasure her body offered. He just wouldn’t attach any expectations to their relationship. It would be purely sexual.
4
T HE CLOUDS HAD BROKEN and sunlight filtered through the grove of coconut palms, illuminating the remains of the old resort. Trey stood at the edge of the beach, staring at the rotting fares, an odd expression on his face. He seemed almost perplexed by the ruins of the village, the scene putting a damper on his good mood.
Was he having doubts about his plan? Sophie wondered. The person who had tried to develop Suaneva thirty years ago had had big dreams, but this was all that was left of them. “Maybe he just didn’t know what he was getting himself into.”
“Maybe,” Trey said. He shook his head. “At least he tried.”
“Just because he failed doesn’t mean you will. With enough money, you can do almost anything.”
“My father is the one with money,” Trey said. “I was thinking if he doesn’t approve of my plan, then I might strike out on my own. You know, build the resort anyway. I could find investors or take out a loan against my trust-fund money.” He drew a deep breath. “Then again, maybe I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
She reached out and grabbed his hand. It seemed to help, for as soon as she touched him, he glanced over at her and smiled. “I think it’s a great idea,” Sophie said. She pulled him along toward the cottage. “Come on. Let’s go find something for dinner.”
They walked past the fares into the grove of trees and she led him up the steps of the weather-beaten cottage. The flowers on the vines created a thick scent in the air. Trey stopped to pick one and tucked it behind her left ear.
“There,” he murmured. “I like that. It’s perfect.”
She reached up and plucked it out, then drew a deep breath of the scent. “You have to learn the meaning of the flower,” she said softly as she ran it along his bottom lip. “When you wear it behind your left ear, it means you’re taken. When it’s behind your right ear, you’re available.”
He reached to take it from her, but she shook her head and held it back. “There’s more. If you wear flowers behind both ears, it means you’re taken, but available for the right person. And when you wear the flower backward, it means follow me and you’ll have a good time.”
With a playful smile, Sophie turned the flower around and put it behind her right ear, the bloom facing backward. Then Trey pulled another flower off the vine and did the same. “Now we know where we stand,” he said with a rakish grin.
Sophie opened the door to the cottage and stepped inside and he followed her into the dark interior. Light filtered through the slats of the shutters, creating an odd pattern on the floors and walls. Trey pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his hands running freely over her body. “Alone in a dark room. Is this what you mean by a good time?”
They’d gone past the point of denying themselves pleasure, Sophie mused. Now, it was possible to act on their urges without a second thought. If she wanted to touch him, sh
e could. If he wanted to kiss her, he’d do just that.
The kiss was slow and delicious, his hands making her body come alive with wonderful sensations. He cupped her bare backside and pulled her against him, the evidence of his arousal growing hot and hard between them. Sophie sighed, desire aching deep inside her. Though they were still new to this passion, it didn’t make it any less powerful. Instinctively, she reached down and ran her fingertips along the length of his shaft, the thin fabric of the pareu providing little protection from her touch.
Slowly, they explored each other, using touch instead of sight to guide them. Sophie wondered if she should be playing harder to get. But why deny themselves the pleasures? They were both consenting adults and they only had a limited time on the island. Besides, she had every intention of keeping her emotions in check. This was about sexual gratification and nothing more.
If she had learned anything from her parents’ relationship, it was that love couldn’t be trusted to last. As a small child, Sophie had looked at her mother and father as a fairy-tale king and queen. But her innocence was slowly stripped away by her father’s infidelities and her mother’s abandonment.
She’d never be able to trust a man with her heart and soul. But she could give him temporary custody of her body. Passion and desire didn’t need to transform into an emotional connection.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” Trey whispered.
“You can’t even see me,” she said, his touch sending a rush of sensation through her body.
“But I can feel you. And you feel beautiful.”
He kissed her again, Sophie melting into his arms. She’d grown so familiar with this, the way his tongue invaded her mouth, the way he tasted. It felt good to know a man again. But then, she didn’t really want to know him. Sex with a stranger was so much less complicated.
Sophie drew back. “This is kind of silly, don’t you think?”
“Kissing you?”
“No, hiding in a dark room while you kiss me. There’s no one here to see us. We don’t have to sneak around.”
Who Needs Mistletoe? Page 6
