Trial Run: Addicted To Love Romance Collection (14 page)

The dawn of day thirteen was barely lighter than the night. Dark clouds hung low and thick right over their heads, and rain lashed down by the bucketful. Rob ventured out to find breakfast, but returned soon, his hands empty and a somber expression on his face.

They finished the last of their smoked fish and topped it up with fresh coconuts. Amelie felt full, but Rob was grumpier than usual, so she reckoned he must have still felt hungry.

Eager to wipe the frown off his face, Amelie wriggled into the enclosure of his arms and leaned against his chest, dropping little kisses wherever her lips happened to touch his skin. He kissed the top of her head, but his arms didn’t move to lock around her middle, and she felt his coldness like a physical ice blanket, chilling her to the bone.

“At least we’ll have plenty of drinking water,” she hazarded a comment, smiling up at him with wary eyes.

Rob grunted in response, his eyes still trained on the churning sea.

“I know I said I couldn’t wait to get back home,” Amelie tried again, “but being stuck here, with nothing to do…” She flashed him a sassy smile, her hand stroking lower and lower down his chest, inching closer to the string of his shorts.

His hand landed hard on top of hers, halting its progress.

“I just thought… you know what they say about rainy weather…” She left the sentence unfinished and searched for a sign he wanted her too.

Rob’s eyes burned hot and dark into her own, making her self-conscious. Amelie swallowed and turned her face away. It was unnerving. After all this time, she still couldn’t work out what his expression meant. Was he angry? Turned on? Fractious about the weather, or about to kiss her senseless?

She took her hand back from beneath his and turned on her knees, facing him. His eyes were still locked onto hers, still smoldering right below the surface, ready to explode. As she saw it, he either wanted her, or he didn’t. If he did, then they were wasting precious time. If not, she would rather find out soon, so she could start work on getting over him, shoving him firmly in the past, to keep the memory of his younger self company in the far recesses of her mind, and rebuilding the crumbled walls around her heart back up again.

One fortifying breath later, Amelie placed her hand firmly on the prize. His cock was hard as steel and felt burning hot to the touch. She wanted to be branded by it.

Before she could let a breath out, Rob’s lips descended onto hers. His arms were steel girders around her shoulders, and he took possession of her mouth with an almost ferocious need. He demanded, and took, and plundered, and she let him have all he wanted, opening herself to his touch.

This feverish lovemaking had the feel of a goodbye to it – she could sense it – and if it really was to be the last time she could have him, she gave herself permission to binge. Her fingers ripped at the waistband of his shorts, and Rob kicked out of them without letting go of the nipple he was latched onto. Her clothes had been ripped off already.

He entered her with force, drawing a cry of pain and passion from her parted lips, and he continued to take her like a man possessed. His arms were locked around her, elbows supporting his weight, hands keeping her head turned to the side so he could feast on the soft skin of her neck and shoulders. She felt helpless in his arms, but she would have changed nothing. It was an incredibly erotic feeling, being taken this way, and every brush of his buff chest over her erect nipples, every ripple of muscle in his shoulder, every slap of skin on heated skin with each pounding from his relentless hips brought her closer and closer to the brink.

And then he changed his grip, letting go of her head and pulling back slightly, his hands locked on her ribcage, right beneath her breasts. His mouth locked onto a nipple and she exploded into a million sparks. On and on he sucked, sending additional lashings of heat to her already over-engorged groin, and she screamed her release, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him away, or maybe holding him closer to her breast – who could tell in that moment?

Rob grunted, too, and for the first time she felt him really let go. He shouted her name, free and wild, completely hers body and mind, and Amelie smiled. No matter what her future held, he was hers then, in that moment, and she was pretty certain this kind of lovemaking neither of them could possibly forget, ever.

His face hidden in her hair, Rob tightened his grip on her. She stroked his back gently, fingers playing along the contours of his muscles. He shuddered violently, and finally settled, his breathing harsh, his body slick with sweat, his lips calling her name.

For what felt like forever, she held the most important man in the world to her chest, unwilling to let go. Rain lashed their shelter, the wind threatened to blow it right off and away, but Amelie felt calm and happy, loved and protected, his for eternity.

Blown! Completely mind-blown!

Rob struggled to catch his breath, his shoulders aching, elbows locked just enough to keep the worst of his weight from squashing Amelie. This had to have been by far the most unbelievably good sex he’d had in his whole life. Extraordinary.

Whatever witchy magic did this girl possess, to make him feel this kind of intensity? He’d seen the heat in her eyes,
that look
which all but screamed ‘Take me, you dimwitted fool! I’m yours!’

This sexy girl, barely a woman, with her blue eyes, flawless skin and chestnut hair, this highly skilled temptress with nipple rings and a clit dangle he could enjoy chasing around for hours… This innocent creature, so hot, so passionate, and so in love with him… His perfect match…

Right then and there, Rob was gripped by the most insane urge to fall onto his knees in front of Amelie and beg her to be his for life, for he most certainly would not be able to survive a day without her. He’d deal with Jason, he’d deal with any fallout from this decision. There was nothing in the world he wouldn’t do, if only she would have him.

Late, but not too late to do something about it, it dawned on him: he was in love. All those years spent hurting over lost loves, all the vows of celibacy, all the fears for the future fell away, for they were nothing when compared to the depth of his feelings for this girl in his arms.

Slowly, as if waking from a trance, he lifted his head and smiled down at her.

“You okay?” he asked, putting as much love as he was capable of in his gaze.

Amelie nodded and smiled back at him, then stretched up to place a small kiss to his lips. He kissed her back, savoring her warmth. Yes, she would be his wife, but this was not the best time or place for coming up with a marriage proposal. He would do it properly – with a ring, and Jason’s approval, and a bunch of friends around them to join them in their celebration.

However, the raging storm outside would not allow for doing any boat building, and since they had so much time on their hands…

“So,” he started, chewing on his lips for a moment. “What exactly do people say about rainy weather?”

She let out a squeal and tipped him over, wriggling out and straddling him. He let her have her moment of victory. Her hands held his wrists and her face was split in two by the biggest grin he’d seen on it yet.

“They say that every man must be punished for his wrongdoings.”

“Do they? That wasn’t what I expected, I have to admit.”

“U-huh. And there’s more.”

“Christ! Can I take it?” he joked.

“Lesser men couldn’t, but you probably could. You are a fantastic specimen!”

Rob growled in pleasure. “Am I?”

“Yes, Rob Tyson. Yes, you are.”

“And if I resist torture?”

“Then I’ll have to torture you twice as bad.”

He caught the glint in her eye just as she swung around and in one quick motion she closed her lips around his rising cock. He sucked in a sharp breath. The woman was going to kill him! But then he remembered he had the body strength advantage and grabbed hold of her thighs. One quick tug and that infuriating clit dangle was tantalizingly close. Amelie squealed, but didn’t release him. So she wanted war, then! He smirked and licked his lips. Torture could go both ways.

She was sore, but warm and loose-limbed. Amelie smiled, hazy memories of the day before winding their way closer and closer to the surface. She didn’t know what had been more relentless – the storm, or Rob’s sex tornado. The man’s stamina was incredible, not that she was complaining. Pretty much everything about Rob was incredible, after all.

Eyes squinting, she searched for a sign of his whereabouts. There was steam coiling out of a leaf-wrapped package by the side of the fire and the hatchet was in its place. Hmm, she must have slept longer than usual if breakfast was cooking already. She smiled again as she revisited the reasons for her exhaustion.

As soon as she was dressed, she rushed outside to find him. Funny how strange it felt to not be in his close proximity – like part of her was missing.

But she didn’t have to search hard. Rob was kneeling in the sand, lashing logs together, his back to her. By the water’s edge, she could see the other two logs already tied, waiting to be attached to the boat.

Rob picked up the knife and cut a notch into the side of a log, then continued to lash vines around it. He worked in silence, completely engrossed in his work, his muscles rippling as he tugged and erased the vine rope around the heavy tree trunks.

Amelie walked closer, and he turned, as if sensing her approach.

“Morning, beautiful,” he said, eyes skimming over her body. “You look good enough to eat. Do I get a kiss?”

She had to laugh, as there had been plenty enough ‘eating her’ the day before, but she did kneel in the sand beside him to kiss him deeply.

“So, what’s the plan for today?”

“Well,” he said standing up and pulling her to her feet, too. “After breakfast, I thought we should try to build the raft around the boat. I’ve already done some of the work.” He pointed at the tied-up logs. “Then, if we get done in time, we should test it, to make sure it’s safe. With a bit of luck, tomorrow we sail!”

She smiled wide, allowing him to pull her into his embrace, uncertainty about their future tugging at the edges of her mind.

Throughout the morning, they worked hard and made good progress. The sun was directly overhead when they took a break. The boat was raised on some soft branches, and two logs had been lashed together along each side of the boat.

“You think four tree trunks will be enough to keep us afloat?” Amelie asked.

“Hmm. There is still some buoyancy left to the boat. These are only for safety’s sake. We can test it and improve the design, if necessary. One extra day won’t make a huge difference.”

“True,” Amelie agreed eagerly. One extra day with Rob would be incredible, in her estimation.

They finished their coconut snacks and tidied up.

Rob pulled the boat out into the water, grabbed a long tree branch and gestured for Amelie to hop in. Armed with two hollowed-out gourds for emergency water removal, she did as he said. So close to the beach, the worst thing that could happen was that they’d get their legs wet up to their knees.

Water started seeping in right away, despite the padding of mixed leaves, coconut fiber and resin Rob had stuck into the cracks in the hull, but it was not as bad as before, so Amelie tried not to worry unnecessarily. Then Rob pushed against the soft sand with his long tree branch and the boat moved steadily over deeper sea, like a flat-bottomed punt.

More water was seeping in now, but the boat was stable.

“Another post either side, I think,” Rob mused aloud. “Just to be extra sure.”

Amelie nodded and began bailing out the water. The gourds were too deep to make a good scoop, and the constant movement of the boat made the water move from side to side like a mini-sea. It was infuriating, chasing it around.

“Leave it,” Rob said. It’ll settle at some point. We need to know exactly how bad it can get, anyway, preferably while we’re still in sight of the shore. Shall we go over to the reef?”

Amelie eyed the water lapping around her ankles warily, but nodded. Rob wouldn’t let her get hurt. She trusted him.

As if reading her mind, he said, “I told you I would look after you, and I mean it. You’ll be safe with me, I promise.”

“I know. I trust you.”

They maneuvered the boat south, closer to the reef, then turned away, taking a diagonal course toward the northern edge of the beach. The boat moved well, though somewhat ungracefully, and the water level inside stayed at around four inches. Not great, but manageable. If the thing would take them to the nearest inhabited island, they could put up with a little discomfort.

The sun was still shining brightly when Rob decided to dive into the sea, coaxing her to do the same. Amelie pondered whether she really wanted to get wet when Rob stood on the edge of the boat and took an easy step forward, plunging into the water feet first.

Amelie giggled at his foolishness and drew back, to avoid being splashed. A minute passed, and then another. God, she hated him for playing with her like that! Why couldn’t he behave in a mature way just for once? She’d show him scary games when he came up for air!

Then a feeling of dread washed over her. Rob still hadn’t come back up.

Heart fluttering like a scared kitten’s, she leaned over the edge, staring at the spot where Rob had disappeared. First, she saw the narrow ribbon of red undulating up to the surface. Next, she became aware of the waters churning, despite the fact that the rest of the ocean seemed calm, with barely the odd small wave ruffling the surface.

Her head snapped up to the sky. Barely any cloud. Even the wind had dropped. She leaned farther over the edge, terror seizing her throat in an iron grip.

“Rob!” she screamed uselessly. He wasn’t going to hear her, was he?

“Rob, please!” she yelled again. And then in a whisper, “Where are you?”

A sob choked in her throat as Rob’s head broke the surface a foot away. He gulped some air and dived again.

“Rob!” Amelie screamed at him again. “Don’t you dare leave me like this!” Her fist hit the glass fiber, making no discernible noise. How pathetic!

The ribbon of red had turned to many strands, staining a whole patch of water pink. Tears sprouted in Amelie’s eyes, but before she could drive herself insane with worry something flew through the air and landed in the water, by her feet.

She let a bloodcurdling scream and hopped away from it, but in the next instant Rob’s head broke the surface once more. He pulled himself over the edge of the boat and let himself fall in.

“Christ! Rob! You scared me! Don’t ever do that to me again!” He was between her and whatever he’d thrown in, so she cautiously closed the gap between them, trying to work out what the gray lump half-floating in the shallow water was. It looked almost round, like a ray without a tail.

“What is that thing?” she asked him, kneeling by his side.

Only then did she see the wild agony on Rob’s face. His jaw was clamped tightly shut and his eyes were scrunched together. Even his breathing was labored, as if he was struggling not to scream.

She began to touch his body, checking for injuries, starting at the head and working her way down. She’d gotten as far as his knees when she saw the bloody spike embedded into the top of his foot.

“Oh, my God! What do I do? What should I do?” she asked aloud.

Rob made a noise in the back of his throat, and then he unclenched his jaw just enough to gasp out one word, “Home.”

Home! Yes, of course. He was clearly in no condition to get them back to shore, so she would have to do it. But what was she supposed to do? Gingerly, as if it were made of water-soluble glue, she picked up the tree branch and dipped it into the water. The sea floor was a long way down, but she pushed against it like she’d seen Rob do, slowly turning the boat on a direct course for their camp.

Rob lay in the same position all the way, his face not relaxing, his fists clenched, breathing still labored. As soon as the boat hit the sand, she dropped the branch and kneeled back by Rob’s side.

“We’re here. We got back. If I help you, can you get out?”

“Hot… water,” he hissed.

“You want me to heat some water? For your wound? Don’t you want to get out of the boat first?”

He opened his eyes just enough to give her an agonized glare.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go get some water heating up. I’ll be right back.”

She hopped out and did what she was told. A pain-filled cry made her turn around. Rob had gotten out of the boat by himself, and now he was sitting up on the sand, feverishly flicking the sand from around him over his bloody wound.

“Stop it!” she shouted, running to him as fast as she could. “Don’t do that! You’ll get it infected.”

“Hot,” he wheezed, and the rumble of a growl drifted out through his clenched teeth.

“Hot?”

He swallowed loudly and nodded once, then stayed unmoving.

“Hot,” she repeated, feeling dumb and useless. “What do you mean?” The question came out like a whine, because of her helplessness, but she couldn’t care less what she sounded like at a time like this.

“I need…” Rob said, then his nostrils flared and he took a deep breath. “I need the knife… and hot water.”

Amelie eyed his wound warily. The sand was already beginning to darken around his foot. Was he intending to dig that spike out with the knife? Then she clamped her mouth shut and went to retrieve the items he’d requested.

Her intuition had been right. As soon as Rob got his hand on the knife, he used it to pry the fragment of bone from his foot. Suddenly nauseous, Amelie turned around, willing her stomach to stay put. She glanced over her shoulder to see Rob splashing hot water straight on his wound, water that turned instantly red with his blood. The temperature must have been almost too hot to bear. His fingers and his ankle were bright pink from the heat.

“More water?” she asked, at a loss to knowing what else she could do to help.

“Yes, please. And a rag.”

She nodded and rushed off.

Several minutes and two more gourds full of hot water later, Rob’s pain had subsided enough for him to be able to string more than a couple of words together.

“I stepped on a stingray,” he explained. “It wasn’t the poor animal’s fault. I should have been more careful. Usually, I would shuffle my feet, going into the water, but this time I landed straight on it, and it fought back. The hardest thing was to break its tail off, so it didn’t continue to flutter around, hurting me further. Usually, they shed their tails like lizards. Looks like this one was a stubborn son of a bitch. Don’t ever let me go anywhere without my knife, will you?”

“Will you be okay?”

“Of course I’ll be okay. It’s only pain. The toxin is neutralized by heat; that’s why I asked for hot water.”

Amelie looked from the knife to the rag wrapped loosely over the top of Rob’s foot. It didn’t look a very salubrious procedure. Then again, they didn’t exactly have the luxury of an emergency room or ambulance nearby.

“I hope it doesn’t get infected,” she mumbled quietly.

“It won’t. Besides, we’ll be back to civilization tomorrow or the day after. I promise I’ll survive that long.” He winked at her, but Amelie didn’t feel like smiling back. “Give me a couple of hours, and then I’ll cook you dinner.”

He turned to look toward the boat. Oh, yeah. Skate wing was on the menu.

Amelie sighed and sat down beside him to wait out his sentence.