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he explored her mouth with abandon, dipping into each crevice and

sliding across her teeth, touching her tongue with scandalous

friction. When he finally released her, she was breathing unevenly

and her heart pounded. Worse, her nipples had hardened, poking

against the damp material of her thin shift. Confusing roiling

emotions filled her as she looked up at him. “My lord, perhaps you

should put me down.”

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23

“Perhaps I should,” he agreed, his aqua eyes alight, his grin

rueful. “That was undoubtedly a mistake, though I have felt since

the first moment I saw you I was doomed to make it. I am not sure

how to proceed now. I want to toss you down and ravish you, as

would any savage living on an island far from the reaches of

civilization. I don’t suppose the idea appeals to you, does it?”

The problem was, it did in a secret, forbidden way. For the past

days she had become very aware of her femininity and the

differences between men and women. Whether she wanted to

admit it or not, living in close quarters, under such conditions, the

four of them were bound to each other for survival and a desire for

sex was a natural part of life. The trouble was, she could hardly

choose only one of them. If she chose one, possibly causing any of

them to turn on each other, it would perhaps spell the doom of

them all. In a way, her concern was selfish, for right now she had

three very capable men ready to defend her, providing for her, and

…in the course of all that, wanting her.

Not answering, Jenna continued to look at him.

“Jesus,” he said softly, his azure eyes darkening, “don’t look at

me that way. I am doing my best to be a gentleman. We all are. But

if you are willing—”

“You have to put me down,” she said firmly, averting her gaze.

“Now.”

“I will touch you again,” he growled, his voice husky with

passion denied. “We both know it is inevitable.”

“Put me down,” she said again, more distinctly.

“Yes, Richmond, put her down.”

There was lethal warning in the soft order, and Jenna stiffened,

though she felt no real response in Jonathan’s body. He leisurely

let her slip out of his arms, setting her on her feet, before he turned

around. “Reeves, it was a simple kiss.”

Jenna said quickly, “He’s right.”

“It didn’t look particularly simple to me,” the major said, his

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gaze darkly challenging. He must have recently been in the ocean,

for his bare chest gleamed with moisture and his breeches clung to

his powerful thighs. His blond hair was damp and wind-tossed, the

expression on his good-looking face tinged with anger. “I

wondered what the devil was taking you two so long and started to

worry. I guess I have my answer.”

“We were arguing over the way you all follow me about,”

Jenna told him, unable to keep the flash of irritation out of her

voice. “The pool is barely inside the jungle, just paces from the

beach. I do not understand why one of you has to lurk there and

watch me. I can scream for assistance if I need to. I have a voice.”

“It’s rather hard to argue with his lordship’s tongue in your

mouth, isn’t it?” he said coolly. “Besides, whether you like it or

not, my lady, we aren’t going to let you go even a few paces into

this jungle alone. You are in our care and it is our duty to see you

safe every moment.”

“What did you do, have a meeting and assign bodyguard

schedules?” she asked caustically. Next to her, Jonathan simply

lifted a brow in his signature, mocking arch and she had her

answer. She muttered, “I am surprised one of you doesn’t insist on

sleeping in the hut with me.”

The two men exchanged a swift glance. It was the earl who

remarked, “Not a single one of us has the willpower for that, my

dear. We are all on the edge as it is, sweet Jenna.”

As she walked away and felt their burning gazes follow her,

she realized fully, he spoke the exact truth.

* * * *

Lightning flashed in the distance, a storm far out to sea evident

in the show of light and low murmur of thunder. Jenna sat primly

by the fire, her lusciously long, bare legs tucked underneath her,

her hair a glorious riot of golden curls around her delicate face and

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25

shapely shoulders. Charles had cleverly fashioned a comb for her

out of a shell by using his knife, and she sat and worked the tangles

free, brushing it through the shining strands. Under the thin

material of her chemise, her breasts thrust up firm and high each

time she lifted her arms, emphasizing the mounded fullness, her

nipples visible through the thin cloth. They all watched the very

feminine act, each of them trying to pretend they contemplated the

fire, and Jonathan thought with an inward curse, undoubtedly not

fooling her a bit. The tension in the air was nearly visible.

Adjusting his position to ease the discomfort of his half-rigid

erection, he said, “It looks tonight like we might sleep in the rain.

Perhaps we should build a second shelter. In monsoon season we

could be miserable otherwise.”

“That’s months from now,” Anthony said in objection, then

resignedly agreed. “But you are probably right. With not one

sighting of a ship in all these days, I begin to wonder how long

we’ll be here. I have heard of stranded people thought lost being

found after years.”

“Years,” Charles muttered bleakly, his young face morose as

he sat cross-legged by the leaping flames. “No liquor, no…” He

shot Jenna a sidelong look, “No cards, no beefsteak. I hope I don’t

go mad.”

“If you start frothing at the mouth, don’t worry. Anthony and I

will dispose of you promptly,” Jonathan murmured. His valet

always had a pretty young maid dangling after him, and he had

discreetly occupied the beds of several society ladies, as well.

Having a healthy sexual appetite himself, Jonathan understood his

frustration over their plight completely.

“Are any of you married?” The soft question took them all by

surprise since Jenna had been remarkably quiet all evening.

Anthony shook his head. “No, my lady. I was engaged a few

years ago, but she contracted cholera and died while I was fighting

with Wellington in Spain.”

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“I am sorry,” she said, looking sincere.

Charles gave her one of his winning boyish smiles. “The word

marriage isn’t in his lordship’s vocabulary, and I am too young yet

to tie myself to one woman. None of us are wed. Why do ask, my

lady?”

Setting aside the comb, she visibly squared her slender

shoulders. Her voice was even and she glanced around the fire,

looking each of them in the eye one by one. “Because it seems to

me that we cannot exist together peaceably without coming to

some sort of…arrangement. I am naïve I suppose, in many ways,

but not quite as much so as before the shipwreck. Men’s bodies

seem to have a…wayward need for copulation. I cannot help but

notice—that is—sometimes—it is obvious—” she stammered, two

spots of color visible high in her cheeks even in the firelight.

Realizing she meant that she had noticed the telltale bulge of

an erection at some time or another, of which every single one of

them was probably guilty, Charles flushed too and shifted

uncomfortably. “We apologize most sincerely but it isn’t

something a man can help, my lady. I don’t know which one of us

offended you, but it wasn’t on purpose. You are…very beautiful,”

he finished lamely.

“Thank you,” she said in a hushed voice, her gaze lowered

demurely. “And I wasn’t offended particularly. I was a little

surprised, I suppose. It seems like such a basic response.”

“Men,” Jonathan admitted wryly, “are basic creatures.

Enforced abstinence is difficult at any time, but a little more so

when one spends time with a lovely half-dressed woman. It is

simply a fact.”

She nodded. “That is my concern. I do not want you fighting

over me, which is what I feel might eventually happen. We are not

in a London drawing room any longer. You are all gentlemen, but

that is learned behavior, not innate.” Jenna took a deep breath, her

breasts swaying provocatively under her shift. “Your urges are not

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27

tempered here by the opportunity for a discreet affair. I might be

innocent but I have been around soldiers before. Each one of you is

attractive, so I have no doubt you are rarely…abstinent. However,

I would not ever give myself to any man if it would betray his

marriage vows.”

For a long heartbeat, no one spoke. Jonathan felt a frisson of

pure anticipation run through his body. “What exactly do you

propose, Jenna?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded odd.

Her hand shook slightly as she lifted it to smooth back a

shimmering strand of hair caught by the light breeze. In the

distance, thunder rumbled again, growing closer, and the sea licked

the shore nearby in a sibilant whisper. “You could share me. Back

home, I suppose that would make me a whore—”

“You are the farthest thing possible from a whore,” Jonathan

interrupted shortly, not even certain how to feel about what she had

just said. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

She continued with impressive dignity. “However, I cannot

think of another way to prevent discord. My virtue means nothing

if we never leave here. If we are rescued, I will have been here

with the three of you all this time, so my reputation will already be

tarnished even if you never touch me.”

“You do not have to do this,” Anthony Reeves said, but his

gaze suddenly glittered and his wide shoulders were tense. “We

can behave ourselves.”

“I realize you would try.” She shook her head, moving her

luxuriant hair. “But already this afternoon I saw the fury in your

eyes, Major, when you found me with Lord Charbeau. Besides,

this is not exclusively your problem, either. I am a normal female

and I cannot help but be curious over what it would be like to lie

with a man. Who knows now, with this twist fate has given us, if I

will ever marry. I enjoyed Jonathan’s kiss this afternoon and could

probably be convinced to allow him greater liberties.” Her smile

was faint and slightly ironic. “I have a feeling he is a most

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persuasive man and recall hearing rumors of his romantic exploits

while in London last year. Do you honestly think he will not be

able to seduce me eventually? And when he does, will you not be

frustrated and angry?”

Reeves looked uncomfortable. He shoved his fingers into his

thick hair, his mouth twisting. “Since you are being so forthright, I

cannot deny you affect me. But I feel as if we are forcing this upon

you.”

She rose, graceful in the firelight, framed by the eerie

flickering lights over the water, and daintily brushed a little of the

obsequious sand that seemed to be everywhere from her arm. “We

are comrades, so to speak, trapped in a most unusual situation. You

all take care of me right down to providing food and shelter. I

suppose this is my contribution, if you will. All I ask is that you

work things out between you so there is no rancor.”

Out of sheer habit, they had also gotten politely to their feet

when she stood, old customs deeply ingrained and exercised even

on a wild island in the middle of a foreign sea.

Jenna stood there, a vision in her lacy attire, all soft voluptuous

curves and glorious beauty. “I am retiring now. I assume one of

you will join me soon enough. Good night, gentlemen.”

“Jesus,” Charles said explosively as they watched her slip into

the hut, brushing back the fronds that covered the simple doorway.

“What the devil are we going to do, my lord?”

“There is no way on earth I should ever lay one finger on

Hayward’s daughter, no matter how powerful her allure. Further

more, I should kill either one of you should you touch her.” The

major’s face showed his evident frustration. “However,” he

conceded, “I am a little afraid she is right. The longer we are here,

the less we will remember the constraints of polite society. All

three of us want her. There is little to prevent one of us from

murdering another, either by design or in a quarrel over her favors.

We are all armed, and all healthy males. The longer we go without

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29

sexual release, the less reasonable we will become. This

afternoon,” he admitted slowly, looking towards Jonathan, “I was

angry to see her in your arms, embracing you back, Richmond.”

“It’s too bad we are not monks, any of us, but you are right.

We aren’t and we will end up at each other’s throats. Perhaps if we

had washed up in the Artic and she wore a fur coat buttoned up to

her neck it would help, but that isn’t what happened.” Jonathan

gazed at the hut, his cock swelling just knowing she was there,

waiting. “I think we should handle this with strict rules. Jealousy is