Island Fire

by Bobbi Smith

  Ka soon suggested he and Tommy begin their trek back so they could make the village before nightfall. Leaving Tommy alone with his friend for a minute, he started off across the clearing with Jacques and Espri.

  "Mitch," Tommy began earnestly, "I can't tell you how glad I am that it was you. Are you sure that you'll be coming to the village tomorrow?"

  "As soon as I get this bandage off."

  "Good, although you may change your mind once you do," Tommy remarked, his eyes following Espri.

  "Why do you say that?" Mitch frowned.

  "Believe me, once you see her, I don't know whether you'll want to leave Espri. She is gorgeous and obviously she cares about you—I mean she didn't leave your side all afternoon." Tommy sounded more than a little envious of his friend's good fortune.

  The news that Espri was truly beautiful disturbed Mitch. While she'd been beside him during the visit, he'd imagined her as young but unattractive in order to remain indifferent to her nearness, but now . . ."You say she's gorgeous?"

  "Absolutely." Tommy was enthusiastic. "Anuitua has a good-looking daughter named Tana, but she doesn't hold a candle to Espri. Are you sure you want to leave?"

  "Positive," Mitch answered stonily.

  "Well, maybe you'll change your mind once you see her."

  "Don't count on me changing my mind."

  Tommy was curious about Mitch's attitude, but he didn't question him. "Ka is waiting for me now. I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow?"

  "Tomorrow."

  Not wanting to be in close contact with Espri, Mitch pleaded exhaustion and retired to the hut shortly after Ka and Tommy had gone, leaving Jacques and Espri alone. After building their nightly fire, father and daughter sat before it, enjoying its welcoming brightness as darkness claimed the land. Finally Jacques tossed aside the now-empty rum bottle and, much to Espri's dismay, retrieved a container of kava.

  "Papa, do you really need more?"

  "Yes, chérie, I do," he answered firmly.

  "But why?" she protested, though she knew doing so was futile.

  "Because I want it." Jacques's voice hardened, and he took a drink of the highly potent liquor. He'd been thinking, not only about Espri and the possibility that she might be coming to care for Mitch, but also about his time with Laiti. The guilt he'd felt earlier in the day had not lessened.

  Annoyed, Espri turned away, looking quickly in the direction of the hut.

  "He's not the man for you, Espri," Jacques said coldly.

  "What do you mean?" She was truly surprised by his words.

  "Do you think I do not see? Never before have you ever shown this kind of interest in a man."

  "I'm not interested in Mitch," she said, wanting to believe that herself.

  "Then that is good." Not sure whether to believe her or not, he took a deep swallow of the kava. "He is a white man and you know nothing about dealing with them. You are an innocent."

  "You're a white man," Espri remarked thoughtfully. "Is he so different from you?"

  "He is an ordinary sailor, chérie. He plans to leave here as soon as he can, and he will not look back once he's gone. It is far better that you do not become attached to him."

  While Espri listened to her father, consciously acknowledging that he was probably right, a part of her fought against the harshness of his words. "That is probably true. At any rate, he is planning on moving to the village tomorrow."

  "That is good." Jacques nodded, satisfied.

  "I suppose," Espri murmured, and then, feeling restless, she stood. "I think I'll go for a walk."

  "Be careful, ma petite. The night is not always gentle," her father murmured thoughtfully as he watched her walk away.

  Chapter 7

  The moon cast its silvery beams across the solitary island, bathing it in gentle, glowing light, while stars spangled the sky in a surreal dusting of twinkling brightness. A faint, night-cooled zephyr floated across the land, carrying on its gossamer wings the heady scent of the tropical flowers.

  The hour was late when two figures clad in voluminous cloaks crept through the outskirts of the village. Pausing often, they moved stealthily toward Anuitua's hut.

  "Which hut is he in?" Tikiru whispered to Nelani.

  "It's that one, but you must not do this. What if someone sees you?"

  "No one will see me," Tikiru declared. "Who else would be in the hut?"

  "Kohea, Anuitua, and their daughter Tana."

  Tikiru nodded. "I will be careful. Wait here."

  Wrapping the concealing cloak more tightly about her, she edged forward, taking care to stay as far out of the light of the night fires as she could. Undetected, she finally reached the open doorway to Anuitua's home and looked inside.

  The single room of the hut was divided into three sleeping sections, each sheltered from the other by the hanging partitions commonly used by the islanders to provide a modicum of privacy. To one side, she could see Anuitua and her husband fast asleep in one another's arms. Tana, their daughter, was sleeping in the area at the center. But besides noticing their locations and how deeply they were sleeping, she paid them little attention. She was here to see her golden man. The gods had predicted this; they would protect her.

  Though the divider at the far side barred the last area from her view, she stepped boldly inside, feeling certain that the man was there. Silently, her encroachment unnoticed by the resting family, Tikiru walked past Tana and then disappeared behind the partition.

  A shiver of illicit excitement surged down Tikiru's spine as she saw Tommy for the first time. Though there was little light, she could make out his sleeping form, and she moved to his side, trying desperately to see the features that had haunted her since the night of her vision.

  Kneeling, wanting so much to touch him, she held herself back. She could make no mistake. To touch him would awaken him, and she could not take the risk that he might speak out and rouse the others. No. Tonight, she would just look at him and commit to memory the beauty of his features, the yellow gold of his hair. Her golden man. Tikiru stayed by Tommy for some time before finally rising to go.

  Tommy had been sleeping deeply thanks to the inordinate amount of rum he'd consumed that afternoon with Mitch and the others, and he didn't, at first, understand what had awakened him until he opened his eyes and gazed up at the ephemeral creature hovering above him. She was smaller and infinitely more delicate than any woman he'd yet seen on the island. He knew it wasn't Anuitua or Tana, but he couldn't see her face. He wondered if this was a woman or a ghost. Following his instincts, he sat up quickly and reached out, snaring her arm. He knew then that she was no fantasy, but who was she? And why had she come in the middle of the night? He drew her nearer, and she dropped to her knees by his side.

  "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

  Tikiru knew a moment of complete panic. She had never meant this to happen.

  "You must release me. I must go." Her whisper was melodic, naturally seductive, and Tommy immediately fell under the spell of his night visitor.

  "But why? I will not hurt you." He did not want to let her go.

  "I cannot stay here." She emphasized the words. "Release me now and I will meet you . . . tomorrow." Desperate to flee, she would have promised anything to escape his potent presence.

  "At dawn?" Tommy pressed her for an answer.

  "No. At midnight, when the moon tops the trees." She was struggling slightly against his grip. "But you must tell no one."

  Tommy, still in a bit of a liquor-induced haze, nodded his agreement. "Where?"

  "At the edge of the beach near the cove."

  "Cove?"

  "It is north of the village. Please . . ."

  Unable to resist, Tommy pulled her to him and kissed her full on the lips, seeing for the first time in the night's dusky cover the loveliness of her face. The touch of his mouth on hers, forbidden by ancient law, sent a shaft of intense pleasure through her. Was this the emotion she'd felt in her v
ision?

  "You are beautiful," he told her huskily when the kiss had ended. "Do you have a name?"

  "Nelani . . . I am Nelani," she lied, shaken to the core of her being by his embrace, and when he released her, she fled the hut without being detected.

  Tommy started to go after her, but he stopped when he realized his actions would only awaken the others. Confused yet bewitched, he shook his head in disbelief. Who was this Nelani that she had to come to him so secretively? He'd met most of the islanders, yet he'd never seen her before. Where had she come from, and how had she known about him? He'd found her kiss unbearably exciting, and as he lay back, he was lost in anticipation of their rendezvous the following night.

  Espri sat on the beach, staring out across the moon-kissed sea. She was not anxious to return to her home, so she had lingered there for some time, hoping that the peace of the night would ease the conflict within her. But, to her dismay, she found that the silence and the solitude only intensified her feelings, leaving her all the more perplexed.

  Mitch . . . why did he affect her so? She knew many men from the village, had even been kissed by a few, but none had ever ignited such passions within her. As she thought of the embraces they'd shared, first when he'd thought she was Fifi and then just before her father had returned home, a flame of excitement kindled.

  Needing to escape the heated intensity of her wayward thoughts, she stood and ran to the water's edge, stripping off her sarong as she went. With abandon, she cast the garment aside and raced into the billowing surf, hoping that an exhausting swim would help to clear her mind and relieve the unwanted desire coursing through her body.

  She was here! Konga could not believe his luck as he watched Espri dive, nude, into the oncoming wave. He had known that Espri sometimes went for a late-night swim and he had decided to come to the beach on the chance that he might run into her. With undisguised excitement, he threw off his pareu and dashed into the water after her.

  The sea was tranquil, distinctly at odds with Espri's turbulent emotions, and she welcomed its warm caress as she swam steadily away from the beach, unaware of Konga's pursuit. Beyond the pull of the incoming surf, she paused to catch her breath, rolling onto her back to float motionlessly for a moment in the ocean's cradling embrace.

  Konga was a powerful swimmer, and he had no difficulty catching up with Espri. The roar of the outbreakers hid the sound of his approach, and when she stopped swimming to rest, he also hesitated, enjoying the sight of her sleek body, etched in silver by the moon's pale luster, drifting on the night-blackened sea.

  He had never seen Espri unclothed before. His eyes swept over her, settling on the gentle thrust of her breasts and the dark, inviting juncture of her thighs. She was beautiful, and he was certain that she would be his.

  No longer able to restrain himself, Konga silently slipped beneath the surface, his strong strokes quickly bringing him beneath her.

  The change in the current directly below her alerted Espri to his presence, and she knew a moment of fear as she considered the creature that was circling her in the inky depths. The possibility that it was a shark was terrifying, but, fighting down the urge to panic and strike out for shore, Espri slowly reversed her position and with a single, easy kick directed herself toward land, hoping the surf would take her the rest of the way to the beach.

  Konga understood Espri's moves, and he surfaced, out of her line of sight, only long enough to take another breath before diving deep beneath her once again. This time his intent was more bold. No longer content to observe without touching, he propelled himself up and snared her ankle, dragging her down beneath the waves.

  The shock of the attack completely panicked Espri, and there was no time for her to take a breath before she was pulled down into the black water. The memory of other shark-attack victims assailed her as she fought valiantly against her tormentor, but she wondered vaguely, as her strength began to fail, why there was no biting pain in its deadly grip.

  Enjoying himself immensely, Konga pulled her toward him with a caressing yet unyielding grip. The twisting of her body as she fought inflamed him, and he exulted when her struggles lessened and she became manageable in his arms. He held her tightly against his side with one arm, then brought them to the surface with one powerful stroke and made for shore.

  Espri's lungs were nearly bursting when she surfaced, and she took a deep, reviving breath, only to gasp and choke as sharp pain seared through her breast. Then, as awareness of reality returned, she understood what had happened to her, and fury erupted within her. With a violent move, she tried to wrench free of Konga's hold, but he only laughed victoriously and tightened his grasp.

  "You are mine, Espri. Have you not known that all along?" he told her huskily as he got to his feet and swung her squirming resentful form up into his arms.

  "You're a beast, Konga!" she cried hoarsely, though she felt helpless as he masterfully carried her to the beach.

  "Only because you drive me to it, woman." Konga smiled down at her coldly. "I warned you not to make me wait. I can no longer deny my desire for you. I want you, and I mean to have you. Now!"

  The feral quality of his smile unnerved her, but she knew better than to show weakness. With a strength she didn't feel, she tensed against his touch as he knelt and placed her on the warm sand.

  "I will not permit this. I do not want you or love you." Espri mustered what dignity she could, but her limbs were weak and she was shivering. She pushed herself into a sitting position and met his stare evenly.

  The defiance in her eyes made Konga angry. "You may not love me, Espri," he rasped, "but we do not need love to share the delights of our bodies."

  "No! Konga, don't do this!" Espri's eyes widened in final acknowledgment of her perilous situation.

  But Konga did not heed her plea. There would be no more talk between them! He was tired of her sharp words and her ridiculous denials of the passion she had for him. He would show her how absurd her protests were.

  Boldly, he cupped one of her breasts as his mouth descended to claim hers. Espri tried to get loose, but he pushed her down and covered her body with his own, pinning her in the soft sand.

  Cringing away from him, Espri felt sick as he probed her most secret places, brazenly exploring her with an almost hurtful touch. When his mouth left hers to taste of her breasts, she gasped in outrage and screamed out as loudly as she could.

  Her shriek irritated Konga, and he clasped a huge hand over her mouth, silencing her.

  "No one will come." His voice was husky as he kissed her shoulder and throat, enthralled by his own dominance over her. For so long, he had waited for this moment . . .

  Mitch awoke suddenly and lay still, listening to the night sounds and wondering what it was that had awakened him.

  "Jacques? Espri?" he called, thinking them nearby, but when there was no immediate response to his call, he knew he was alone in the hut. Sitting up, he touched his forehead lightly, and he was relieved to find that the pain had lessened considerably. He was musing on the rapid improvement of his injury when he heard the scream. It was a shrill unworded cry for help that pierced him to his very soul.

  "Espri . . ." Mitch murmured in frantic recognition, and he hesitated only briefly before ripping the protective covering from his brow. Getting to his feet, he hurried to the door of the hut, squinting uncomfortably as he tried to bring the glade into focus. The night fire had burned low, and it now cast an eerie reddish haze over the clearing. Mitch glanced around, trying to orient himself.

  "Jacques?"

  There was no answer, for the older man, unbeknownst to Mitch, had passed out long ago beneath the comfortable cover of the ironwood trees. Another, fainter cry of distress reached him and he raced from the hut heading in the direction from which it had come.

  Though totally unfamiliar with the terrain, Mitch luckily discovered the path to the shore quickly, and he followed it to the crescent beach. In the dimness of the moonlight, he could make out, in the d
istance, the figures of a naked man and woman intertwined in what appeared to be a lover's embrace. He was almost convinced that he'd made a mistake when another shriek of outrage split the night air.

  "Konga! Please!"

  Recognizing Espri's voice, he started forward. "Espri?"

  Konga had been so engrossed in taking his time with Espri and drawing out his own pleasure that the presence of another man, so close, startled him. For a moment he stopped mauling Espri, and in that split second, she made her move. Nauseated by his loathsome gropings, she took full advantage of his brief hesitation to grab a handful of sand and throw it in his face.

  "Argh!" Konga screamed as the coarse grit blinded him. "You!"

  While scrambling from beneath his heavy body, Espri accidentally brought her knee up, and a cry erupted from the huge islander's throat. Startled by what her simple acts had accomplished, Espri froze, looking at Konga in bewilderment.

  "Espri! Are you all right?" Mitch was near now, staring back and forth from the prostrate form of the naked warrior to the crouching, slender, nude figure of the exotic island girl.

  The sound of his voice shattered Espri's moment of immobility, and she launched herself into his arms, sobbing with fright. Mitch's arms encircled her automatically, cradling her against him in a protective, secure embrace.

  Konga recovered enough from her accidental, yet incapacitating, blow to glare up at the two of them.

  "I will have you, Espri!" he growled viciously. "No man on this island can keep you from me! Not Jacques and certainly not him." Konga sneered.

  Mitch tensed at the insult, and putting Espri from him, he took a threatening step forward, his dark-eyed gaze unflinchingly meeting Konga's hate-filled glare.

  "You'd better go while you still can," he said in a calm yet deadly tone.

  Konga, still feeling the effects of Espri's devastating blow, knew this was not the time for a confrontation. Trying to maintain some semblance of his warrior's dignity, he got slowly to his feet and glowered malevolently at the white stranger.