DesertIslandDelight (2 page)

Chapter Two

“Try not to kick your legs around. Do you have any jewelry
on?” Chase asked Diana. He could barely suck in a breath, incredulous that a
shark was about to attack them.

“No. The hijackers took it all.” She gasped.

“Shit. It’s a hammerhead.” He shook her off his back then
lunged at the shark and managed to poke his fingers right into the creature’s
eye. Then he punched its nose. The shark immediately jerked away then swam in
the opposite direction at warp speed.

Diana eased up the death grip she had on his shoulders. His
skin stung from the bite of her fingernails. “Thank God. Where’d you learn to
do that?”

He turned himself around to face her and managed a smile
although his heart was still thudding so fast and hard he felt like Pete
Marovich was dribbling a basketball on his ribs. “Shark Week on one of the
nature channels, I think.” He took the clothes from her and hooked them over
his arm. “I can’t believe it worked.”

She laughed but the lines etched around her mouth didn’t go
away completely. She leaned her head against his chest then apparently
realizing what she was doing, backed away and met his stare. “Why do I have the
feeling this is only the beginning of a harrowing odyssey?”

Damn, she was pretty.

I want to kiss her.

“We’re going to come out of this.” He studied her cat-like
eyes, as brown as fine sable, and those sexy lips. Even wet, her blonde hair
curled a little around her face. All rational thought drifted away like seaweed
on a lazy current. Their bodies met at all the right spots—chest to chest, abs
to abs, thigh to thigh.

She exhaled and he drew in her breath. They could very well
die out here.

Together.

He pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. They were
just as soft and sweet as he remembered. When she didn’t protest or back away, he
deepened the kiss.

But before he could get a good taste of her, she abruptly
shoved him away.

“Come on.” She started swimming again, leaving her cold and
feeling like a complete idiot.

What the hell?

Had he conjured up that jolt of torrid electricity arcing
between them? No. She’d obviously had a change of heart. Probably for the best.
He had no business concentrating on anything but getting them safely to land.

Snapping himself out of his dumbfounded silence, he managed
a swallow then took off after her. What the hell had he been thinking?

He passed her then kept glancing over his shoulder to make
sure Diana was keeping up. He swam fairly regularly at the gym and he couldn’t
remember ever spotting her in the indoor pool there. Hell, he’d have noticed
that hot body in a bathing suit. Good thing she seemed to be keeping pace with
him. They had to make it to the island before another shark appeared. No
telling if he’d be able to poke another one in the eye. He’d been acting on
pure adrenaline and more than a little luck.

Damn his libido for roaring to life back there, but after
two near-death experiences in less than an hour he’d forgive himself for doing
something stupid. He’d always been attracted to her, how could he not be?
Between her model’s face, those high, perky breasts and that incredible ass,
what red-blooded male wouldn’t be turned on?

But he
knew
her. He’d heard that razor-sharp tongue
do its dirty work. He’d witnessed her fileting the competition one of the times
he’d come up against her. She’d carved him up like a damn Christmas turkey when
she presented after him to the Three Anchor Foods people.

And then there was that damn date when he’d been dumb enough
to kiss her. He’d been sure she was three hundred percent onboard—at first.
Then suddenly it was as if she’d flipped off a switch and shut him down. Too
bad his hormones hadn’t remembered that humiliating episode when he’d kissed
her back there. Didn’t matter that they were stuck together in this harrowing
situation. She was off limits. Just because they were attracted to each other
didn’t mean it was smart to act on those impulses.

Hell no. He’d protect her and try to make sure she stayed
out of harm’s way the best he could, but it wouldn’t go further than that. He
had no idea what had possessed him to ask her out in the first place.

Might have been those skimpy outfits she wore to work out,
not that he’d paid much attention. But she’d been a poor choice when he’d only
been looking for a woman to satisfy his physical needs on a short-term basis.
She got way too deep under his skin. He reminded himself of his vow to avoid
all entanglements except the purely physical kind. And anysort of
sexual liaison with a competitor was suicidal.

Adrienne had taught him that he sucked at relationships. His
job always got in the way. Even two years after the divorce, the memories still
hurt.

He checked on Diana again. She was slowing down. He glanced
toward the island and grunted. They still had a long way to go. “You okay?”

She stopped and gave him a thumbs-up but her gasping breaths
betrayed how hard she was struggling.

He eliminated the distance between them and offered his
hand. “Grab on. I’ll pull you for a while.”

“No…way…José.” Her chest heaved and the tops of her creamy
white breasts broke through the surface for a moment. But it was her dogged
determination that turned him on even more.

Damn, she’d caught his roaming gaze. She pinched her
perfectly arched eyebrows tight. “I’m…fine.”

Shrugging, he said, “Have it your way.” When he resumed
swimming, he made sure he stayed closer. Since there were obviously sharks in
the area, he didn’t want her too far away.

A bubble surfaced a few feet ahead of him. As he got closer,
he realized it was a jellyfish. “Look out.” He stopped swimming and pointed it
out to Diana. “Keep your fingers crossed that we can avoid the rest of them.”

She sucked her lips into her mouth and he was sure she was
going to burst into tears any second. Instead, she shook her head as if willing
herself not to.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he made a
wide arc around the jellyfish. Trying to see under the water, he led her
through the area with no incident. He squeezed her hand before releasing it.
“Let’s hope we don’t run into any more.”

She nodded then swam past him. “Thanks.”

After what felt like an endless journey, they finally made
it into shallow waters and shortly after, to the island. They both collapsed on
the shore. He resisted kissing the ground since he didn’t relish a mouth full
of sand.

Diana’s breasts heaved as she greedily gulped in breaths.
Since she had her eyes closed, he allowed himself a long look at her body,
mentally removing her sexy red lace bra and panties. He could practically make
out her erect nipples through the fabric. His mouth watered as he wondered how
they’d taste.

She had her knees bent and he imagined spreading those
perfectly toned thighs and sliding between her legs. His cock grew inside his
seawater-soaked boxers. There’d be no hiding his reaction.

The second those lashes fluttered, he rolled onto his side
facing away from her. Sex was the last thing he should be thinking about, but
damn. This was going to be a challenge.

I’m alive.

Diana lay on her back on the hot sand and stared up at the
bluest sky she’d ever seen. Puffy clouds lazily drifted past along with
occasional clusters of seagulls. The sun warmed her and dried the wetness from
her skin, but soon those powerful rays would be her enemy. For the moment,
though, the intense heat felt wonderful.

She glanced at Chase with his back to her and couldn’t help
but admire those massive shoulders with their nicely developed deltoids. All
she could think of was how he’d handled that shark like an expert. If he hadn’t
known what to do they’d be chum for sure. He’d stepped up to the plate and
taken charge.

In some primitive place of her modern, feminist brain, she
was not only impressed but incredibly turned on. He’d also shown his protective
side in the water taxi, something she hadn’t expected from him.

She’d obviously misjudged him. A twinge of guilt poked at
her for all the times she’d said less-than-kind words
about
him and
to
him back in New York. But dwelling on what she had or hadn’t done was totally
futile now. They had a serious situation on their hands, although she wanted to
take a few moments to appreciate that they’d managed to survive the last couple
hours despite all the obstacles the universe had hurled at them.

She sucked in a breath of salty air. “I can’t believe we
made it here.”

“But we did. And I’ll be damned if it’s not true, what they
say about living through an ordeal like that.” He turned onto his back.

She met his stare and tamped down the powerful spark of
desire as she recalled that kiss after he’d fended off the hammerhead. But he
was still her most formidable competitor in their real lives. “What are you
talking about?”

He propped himself up on his elbows and his washboard abs
rippled with so much raw male power that she nearly moaned aloud. “You know,
about colors and smells becoming more vivid after a near-death experience. I
feel more alive than I ever have, like I want to take a bigger bite…” He slid his
gaze over her body, not even attempting to be discreet. His sexy grin made her
insides even hotter. “I want to grab the most I can out of every moment.”

She lifted an eyebrow but the not-so-veiled implication of
his statement intrigued her. That kiss after their shark encounter was hot as
hell, but it wasn’t as if they could have stayed in the middle of the gulf
making out, getting to shore meant life or death.

She couldn’t deny her physical attraction to the man and the
fact he’d saved her life only intensified her lust. Truth be told, she’d had
the hots for him since the first time they’d pitched against each other. She
couldn’t recall the client, but she’d recognized in Chase the same drive and
determination that she possessed. It wasn’t often that she’d come up against a
truly worthy opponent in the advertising field. After only a few years in the
business, she’d made a name for herself and very few competitors made her
nervous. Chase was definitely one who did.

The intense attraction didn’t help matters. After one
ill-fated date and the most mind-blowing kiss ever, she’d put the kibosh on any
possibility of a relationship. Well, after she’d regained her steadiness and
could stand on her own. They came up against each other way too often in
business. Besides, they were too damn competitive to peacefully coexist.

If he wasn’t so freaking gorgeous, she’d have never agreed
to go out with him in the first place, but she’d mistakenly suspected that
she’d found a kindred spirit in him, someone as ambitious and
almost
as
talented as she.

He sat up and stared at the water. “We need to figure out
where the hell we are and what we’re going to do about it.”

A warm breeze rustled through the foliage on the edge of the
beach. Chase stiffened and glanced over his shoulder toward the dense brush.
“What was that?”

She shrugged. “Just the wind.”

He got to his feet. “We have no idea how big this island is
or if it’s inhabited.” He narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze across the
landscape.

“Who in their right mind would live all the way out here?”
She hooked her arms around her bent legs and drew her knees in close. “Sun’s
pretty strong. We should find a shady spot or put on our clothes.”

“We’ll need some sort of shelter. I can put together a
canopy with palm fronds after I search the island.”

The notion of him building something—that hot, toned body
working in the sun, every yummy muscle flexing—turned her inside out. A bead of
sweat rolled down her chest and she caught his gaze following it to her
cleavage. A different kind of moisture pooled between her legs.

I should be thinking about survival, not what it would
feel like to have Chase’s hands…and tongue on me.

Still, her nipples puckered and hardened to needy peaks. She
shoved away a quiver of desire. It was hardly the time. They had to make sure
they were safe. But she wasn’t about to hang out on the beach all alone while
he disappeared into the woods. “I’ll search with you.”

“Like hell you will.”

Chapter Three

Chase set his hands on his waist and eyed her. No telling
what he’d run into in the forest. He refused to put her in harm’s way,
regardless of how tough she thought she was. “Stay here in case a plane or a
boat comes near. The sheik is expecting us on his island. I’m sure he’ll alert
the authorities when we don’t show up.”

He wanted nothing more than to roll around on the shore with
her and make love to her for hours. But figuring out what or who was on the
island and how to survive until they were rescued was way more pressing than
his hard-on.

She folded her arms over her breasts and shook her head.
“I’m going wherever you go. We’re in this together.”

He clenched his jaw at her stubbornness, but he didn’t want
to argue with her. Maybe he should let her come along…unless he ran into a wild
animal or an unfriendly native. And in her sexy underwear she’d be way more
distraction than help.

He scrubbed a hand over his chin. Already she was skewing
his rational thinking with her dangerous curves and those amazing sable-colored
eyes. Their situation was precarious enough without him muddying the proverbial
waters by letting his libido take him over. He glanced toward the line of pine,
sycamore and palm trees again but the thick foliage made it impossible to see
more than a few feet into the woods. “It may not be safe for you to come. You
never know what could be in there.”

She furrowed her brow skeptically. “Yeah, like what?”

“I don’t know, scary creatures.” When her complexion paled,
he added, “Could be snakes and giant poisonous lizards. No telling what could
live here.” His sisters were terrified of such things and with any luck, so was
Diana.

“What?” She darted her eyes all around. “S-snakes and
poisonous lizards?”

“Might be some Saw Scaled Vipers or even a Komodo Dragon.
You ever seen pictures of those giant lizards? They’ve been known to eat
people. Their venom is poisonous but it takes a full day for it to work. Could
you imagine waiting around in a place like this, knowing you’re about to be a
lizard’s Christmas turkey?” Who knew his subscription to
National Geographic
would come in so handy? She stood way too close, so close that he could touch
her. There was no hiding his erection in his damp boxer shorts. He cleared his
throat and clasped his hands in front of him.

“Do you really think creatures like that could be on the
island?” Her voice trembled.

He hadn’t meant to frighten her
that
much. She’d had
enough of a scare already today. “Probably not, but I want to know the lay of
the land. Just stay here and I’ll check it out. It might be too thick to
negotiate with all that palm scrub.”

She pinched her eyebrows together as she took a step away.
“Wait a second. Who said you were in charge here?”

Had she forgotten how terrified she was of the shark and how
she’d been perfectly happy to let him deal with that situation? “I’m bigger and
stronger than you. The advantages of that were evident out in the open water.”

That shut her up, might have even made her a little
repentant, judging by her apologetic expression. “And I appreciate that you
saved my life out there, I really do.”

Uh oh. He felt a
but
coming on.

“But
I’m a grownup and an equal partner in
this…castaway situation. I’ll have you know I was a Girl Scout when I was
growing up and I’m quite capable of exploring the woods.”

He held back a chuckle but why did she have to be so damn
difficult?

She marched over to the tangle of their seaweed-covered,
saltwater-soaked clothes and rooted through the pile until she freed her skirt.
“Just let me get dressed real quick then I’ll join you.” She pulled on the
ruined garment then faced him with her hands on her waist and her chin jutted
forward defiantly. “I appreciate this macho, take-care-of-the-fragile-woman
thing you’re trying on but frankly, I’m not some weak damsel in distress. I’m
perfectly adept at handling myself in
any
situation so I’ll be going
with you.” She yanked her blouse free from the bundle then shook it out and
slipped it on.

He couldn’t help but laugh at her in her ridiculously
wrinkled outfit. “I think you’re overdressed for this affair.”

“Affair? In your dreams, buddy.” She huffed then started
toward the trees.

Geez. What was her problem? Didn’t she get that they were in
real danger? He’d never understand women. “If you encounter any hostile
natives, give them my regards.” Chase followed, keeping a close eye on her rear
view, which was almost as spectacular as the front. He hung back a few yards so
he could fully appreciate the swing of her slender hips, but near enough to
protect her if anything threatened.

She swatted branches away as she forged through the low scrub.
He had to admit—if only to himself—that he admired her chutzpah. But only ten
yards into the woods, she screamed then hopped around like a jumping bean.
“Shit, son-of-a-bitch. Ouch!”

Chase eliminated the distance between them in seconds.
“What’s wrong?”

“My feet. Oh God.” Her face was a mask of agony.

Instinct took over. He lifted her into his arms and carried
her back to the beach. Her feet had turned bright red and were already starting
to swell. She sobbed like a child.

“Speak to me,” he ordered.

“Ants or something. I think I stepped into a freaking nest.
My skin is on fire.” She hooked her arms around his neck and howled so loud it
made his ears ring.

He picked up his pace and sprinted toward the shore. She dug
her fingernails into his arms as he set her down in the water then kneeled in
the surf.

“Oh God, it hurts.”

A lone ant disappeared between two of her toes. He splashed
water on her feet, washed away the ant along with sand and dirt.

“Ahhh. That already feels better.” She buried her face in his
chest and a jolt of desire caught him off guard. Her skin was soft against his.
She looked up at him and parted her lips.

The expanding bulge in his thin cotton boxers paid no mind
to the cool water. Erotic heat ricocheted between them. He took her mouth like
a pirate plundering a long-sought treasure. She tasted of the sea and something
else—desire.

He closed his eyes and ran his hands up and down the firm,
smooth skin of her back. She curled her fingers into his shoulders and moaned
softly as the waves lulled them deeper into the sensuality of the moment.

He tangled his tongue around hers, recalling the power of
their first kiss so long ago, and the last one, earlier in the day. This was
even better, more electric.

A receding wave sank him deeper into the sand and seemed to
pull Diana away from him. She must have felt it too because she broke the kiss.
He could have sworn he saw fear in her eyes, only for a split second, before
she fixed her armor back in place. Their precarious situation definitely
should
frighten her, but he suspected it was the kiss that had made her uneasy. He
remembered that look from their first kiss, in front of her apartment last
year.

She eased away and stood, wiping a hand over her hair. “I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have…rushed off into the woods that way.”

Dangers could be everywhere. He had to keep a clear head.
Good thing she’d stopped them from going any further than a kiss. He had to
quit thinking with his cock and start using his brain. “I survived eleven years
of scouting. It probably would’ve been a good idea for me to go first.”

She started to say something but stopped and nodded. For a
woman as strong as Diana, keeping her mouth shut as she ate crow had to be
tough.

“How do your feet feel?”

Standing, she glanced down at the water. “They burn. But I’m
a big girl.”

He’d had his share of fire ant bites and with so many, it
would hurt for a while. Most women would still be complaining. But Diana
apparently wasn’t most women. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and led her back
to the edge of the woods, thankful she was okay.

She didn’t hesitate when they passed the spot where she’d
been bitten. He could have been stranded with worse company. “Stop. Listen for
a stream or a waterfall.”

She did as he requested but there was only the rustle of
leaves as rodents and insects crawled the forest floor. “The foliage is so
lush. There has to be a source of fresh water somewhere here.”

“What’s that?” She pointed to a clearing ahead.

He tightened his grasp on her when he noticed a few stumps
with smooth, neat tops. Those trees had been cut. He automatically tensed.
“Someone was here. Or still is.”

On the far side of the clearing was a thick tree with
uniform cutouts etched into the trunk, some worn down more than others. Someone
climbed up the sycamore regularly. He held a finger to his lips then inched
closer and tilted his head back to follow the path up the tree.

He gasped at what he saw.

Diana snapped her jaw shut the instant she realized it had
fallen open.

Chase eased her back a few feet, which gave her a better
view of the tree house looming above them. What if someone was inside? Someone
hostile? Her throat constricted.

She stuck close to Chase as he circled the clearing and
darted his eyes all around. He pointed to the notches on the trunk then started
climbing. “Stay here.”

But when he approached the manmade structure, she ignored
his whispered order and headed up after him. She winced when her sore feet
scraped over the rough bark but she wouldn’t let him leave her alone. For all
they knew, the person or people who’d built the tree house could be nearby.

Alarm bucked through her but she forged on. Above her Chase
crawled through the opening.

He muttered a curse under his breath when he glanced down at
her. “Didn’t you learn your lesson before? I told you to stay behind for your
safety.”

“What if some crazy native shows up and I’m alone down
there? I
did
learn my lesson. Like it or not, I’m going wherever you
do.” She let him help her through the square cutout in the floor of the tree
house.

Chase tested the floorboards on his hands and knees then
stood up. “Feels pretty sturdy.” He picked up a half coconut shell and blew on
it, sending a dusty plume into the air. Wincing, he set it back on the floor.
“I think we can safely assume that no one’s been here for a very long time.”

A little of Diana’s apprehension slipped away. “Thank God.
But if there was someone here at one time, how do we know more won’t come? They
could be hostile.”

He nodded. “Or they could rescue us.”

She took a tentative step into the small space. A handmade
basket sat in the corner beside a ragged denim pillow. She made a beeline for
the basket and found a spool of thread and some individual packets of alcohol
swabs. “Look.”

Chase joined her with a carved wooden tool in each hand.
“What’d you find?”

“First aid stuff. You?”

He held up a crudely made stone axe with a wood handle and a
short spear with a small hole in the tip. He grabbed the thread and pushed an
end through the tiny opening. “Voila!”

She widened her eyes at the rudimentary fishing pole. “Fish
for dinner, huh?” Her ant bites started burning again. Bending to scratch them,
she grumbled.

“Sit down.” He pointed to a spot on the dusty floor.

“Why?”

He narrowed his gaze as he set aside the tools. “Do what I
tell you for once, woman.”

Huffing, she did as he directed, secretly a little bit
turned-on by his bossy side.

He tore open a couple alcohol swabs and gently dabbed the
cotton pads to her bites. The pads were barely damp, probably long past their
expiration date but even with the miniscule amount of alcohol on them, they
helped. The sting gave way to blessed relief. He rubbed her foot, circling her
ankle and shifting his touch higher up her calf.

Red-hot awareness stole through her as he massaged her skin.
He made no attempt to hide the evidence of his arousal in his tented boxer
shorts. He moved to her other foot and a sigh escaped her lips.

“Who told you what a sucker I am for a foot—and
leg—massage?” She leaned against the rough wood wall, her itchy ant bites all
but forgotten. Images of the two of them kissing in the surf a few minutes
earlier filled her head. Moisture pooled between her legs.

“You did, the moment I touched you.” A wicked grin curled
his lips. But in seconds it was as if a light switch shut off. He furrowed his
brow and backed away. “We should get out of here. We have a lot to do.” He
grabbed the fishing pole and a few of the alcohol swab packets and quickly
ducked out of the tree house.

Blood rushed to her face but she wasn’t sure if the cause
was humiliation or disappointment. “Don’t you want to…investigate more?” But he
didn’t respond to her loaded question so she followed him down to the ground.
It was probably a good thing they hadn’t taken things between them any further.
If they got involved, that would only make it more difficult after they were
rescued when she had to pitch to the sheik against Chase.

“Right now I want to learn more about this island. We know
at least one person has lived here. From the looks of this place, the person is
long gone but maybe there are others, although if I had to guess I’d say any
past residents abandoned the island.” He exhaled heavily. “If we plan to stay
alive I need to find fresh water and something for us to eat.”

He started to walk away but she hooked his arm. “Hang on.
You’re not alone in this so don’t feel like that entire weight is on your
shoulders.” There was strength in numbers. She’d learned that as a girl when
she and her three sisters stood up to their father to protect their mother from
one of his abusive tirades. She shoved the painful memory from her head.

“I’m the one with more wilderness experience.” He gestured
at her feet. “You obviously need a guide, someone to be in charge.”