The Pathway To Us (8 page)

It only took a few moments for Lily to arrive at the refreshingly cool waters. Since Logan wasn’t coming, she felt free to strip down to nothing. She undressed and dived into the water. It felt heavenly against her hot skin. As wonderful as the water felt, she was still unsettled by how she’d left things with Logan. Maybe she should have pushed harder to get him to tell her what was wrong. Lily drew a complete blank. She couldn’t think of what could have made him angry.

Lily broke through the surface of the water just as Logan came upon the lagoon. He stopped dead in his tracks. He’d spent the last fifteen minutes trying to bury the sexy images emblazoned in his mind from his dreams, only to walk up and see that the real thing couldn’t begin to compare to anything he’d dreamed. She was perfect. Logan stood half covered behind a tree unable to pull his eyes away. His fingers itched to caress her smooth skin and run them all over her body.

Lily had no idea Logan was watching when she arched her back and lifted her arms above her head in an attempt to wash her hair. It was hard to do without shampoo, but it was better than having oily, sweat filled hair.

He licked his lips as she thrust her full breasts in his direction. There was no doubt in his mind that those rosebud nipples would taste delicious in his mouth. Logan was so hard it was almost painful. He wanted her plain and simple. He inhaled deeply to try and gain some control. It wasn’t working. He needed a release. Logan buried his hand inside his jeans that were cut-off at the knees as he continued to watch her. He gripped his manhood and slowly began to move his hand up and down while imagining that he was lost inside Lily’s milky folds. The thought of being inside her actually made him tighten his grip and move faster. Logan unzipped his jeans, and his manhood sprung out almost touching his navel as he continued to stroke himself to the vision in front of him.

Logan growled deep when he saw Lily run her hands over her breasts, her firm, flat stomach, then dip low into the water. His heart was pounding in rhythm with each pull of his hand. The pressure to release was building. He felt it start to bubble to the surface. Logan continued to pump and clench his hand around his thickness until he couldn’t hold back any longer. Moments later he threw his head back as his seeds spurted out onto the ground. He buried the sound of his pleasure deep within his throat. It took him a second to catch his breath and realize what he’d done. Logan had just masturbated. He hadn’t done that in years. Even after this release he was still left him in a semi-state of arousal. It provided him with just enough relief to keep from going crazy. Embarrassed, he put himself back into his jeans and decided it was best to wait for Lily back on the beach. It took all of his willpower to keep from satisfying his craving for her. If he stayed, there was no doubt he’d join her in that water. He would join her, make love to her, and hurt a lot of people. Quickly, Logan made his way back to their campsite.

When Lily came back from the lagoon, Logan was sitting cross-legged looking out over the sea. She dropped down next to him having no idea what he’d done and had been struggling with. “Logan, I don’t know what I did to make you angry, but I’m sorry. If I’m not doing enough please just tell me what you need me to do. You’re the reason I’m sitting here today, so there’s not much I wouldn’t do for you.”

He looked into her eyes. They were sincere and honest. He felt even more like a bastard. “You don’t owe me an apology.” He scratched the spot over his eye. “Actually, I owe you one. I’ve been struggling with something, and I took it out on you.”

Lily smiled. “I guess that might happen from time to time since we’re the only two people around. Care to share?”

“Nah. I’ll work through it. The bottom line is I shouldn’t have taken it out on you and I’ll do my best to keep it from happening again.”

“Forget about it. I have.” She noticed his hair. “Your hair is wet.” Gently, she touched it. It had grown an inch or two since they’d been on the island. She had no idea what her touch did to him. He gave her a half a smile.

“I took a dip in the ocean. I really needed to cool off and didn’t want to bother you over in the lagoon.”

Lily thought about Logan seeing her naked, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She drove those feelings to the back of her mind
. Off limits, Lily.
As honestly as she knew how, she responded. “You’re never a bother, Logan.”

Another day when it had been way too hot but the oppressive heat dropped to bearable levels when the sun went down. As the fire crackled, Logan and Lily sat around it like they did every night since they’d arrived, eating dinner. Except tonight, dinner had been a real coup. Earlier, Logan had shown Lily how to fish, and now they were taking great delight in eating what she’d caught.

When she finished, Lily lie back on the sand and placed her hands over her stomach. “I can’t tell you how satisfying that was. I think if I had to have another banana or coconut, I might have just turned into one.”

He laughed. “I know how you feel. The fish was a nice change. However, I would give my right arm for a nice juicy steak.”

She moaned. “
Mmm
and my left arm for some of my peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You bake?”

Lily closed her eyes as if she could see and smell them in the oven. “Yeah. I love to bake, and it’s so relaxing.” She purred. “The peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies are an old family recipe. My mother showed me how to make them when I was about nine years old. They are not as good as hers but still delicious.”

“The way you describe them, when we get back, you’ll have to make me some.”

Lily turned a little melancholy. She’d began to doubt being rescued. “Do you ever think that’s not going to happen—getting rescued?”

He paused before answering. “I try not to, but it would be a lie to say no.”

Lily sat up on her elbow and turned her eyes on him. “Logan, you know you can tell me anything. You don’t always have to be so strong with me. I promise I would never reveal any of your secrets.”

“Why would you say that?”

She shrugged. “I can see that you’re holding a lot back probably to protect me. But, you don’t have to. I know it may seem like it sometimes, but I’m not weak. I can pull my own weight. It’s okay to be scared.”

“Is that what you think I’m thinking? Because I don’t, you know. I don’t think you’re weak at all.”

She tilted her head slightly as if she didn’t believe him. “I don’t know. You don’t share very much.”

“You want me to be honest with you?’

Lily perked up as if she were finally going to be accepted into a very exclusive club. “Of course.”

Logan sat up straighter and rested his elbows on his knees. “For starters, we can’t continue to live like this, and I’m worried. I’m not sure how much time we have, but the rainy season is coming. We need to do something about shelter.”

“Rainy season? It rains almost every day. How much different can it be from now?”

“A lot. The downpours last a lot longer followed by much stronger winds. I’ve been working on sharpening the machete and designing plans for a sturdier dwelling, but I’m not sure if it’ll be enough or if we can finish it in time.” He paused then gazed into her eyes. “Does that scare you?”

Lily chewed the bottom of her lip. “Of course, it makes me uneasy, and I’m not thrilled about it, but other things freak me out more than rainy season. Like those big old turtles, sharks, and that snake I came across the other day. So, yeah, I think I can deal with rainy season. Is that all that keeps you up at night? Does anything really scare you, Logan Tremont?”

Lots of things scared him but none more than what he hadn’t allowed his mind to think even possible. Logan pressed his lips together. The sound of the ocean waves gently rolling ashore had never been louder.

Lily thought he was going to keep his secrets to himself, Logan responded. “Not getting back to the people we love and who love us.”

It was understandable he would feel that way, who wouldn’t? Still, there was a small pain in Lily’s chest knowing there was really no one waiting for her. Maybe her co-workers would miss her, but she didn’t have anyone in her life like family or a fiancé, maybe Megan. Her voice was low, wistful. “She’s lucky to have you, your fiancé, and your family. I’m sure you miss them a lot. Tell me about her. How did you two meet?”

A lopsided grin appeared on his face. “It seems like a lifetime ago, but we met in college.”

Genuinely interested she responded. “College sweethearts? That means you’ve been together a long time. How did you know she was the one?”

That was a good question. Logan couldn’t actually think of a moment. It had just always been Logan and Bree. Even when they weren’t together, they seemed to always find their way back to each other. “I’m not sure of the exact moment, but Bree gets me like no one else ever has. Don’t get me wrong we’ve had our issues over the last ten years. We’ve broken up too many times to count but this time we’ve decided to make it work.” It was true his blood didn’t boil like it did with Lily but that was lust. Lust wears thin, but love lasts forever. At least he hoped it did. Logan was uncomfortable talking about it especially after his episode earlier in the day. He decided to change the subject. “That’s what scares me. What scares you?”

Lily debated if she should answer the question honestly. She couldn’t demand the truth from him and not give it in return. She turned away so he couldn’t see her face then whispered, “I’m afraid that I’m going to die out here never knowing what it feels like to be touched by a man.”

Logan almost choked on her words. “What?”

Her smile was full of fear and embarrassment when she turned back to face him. “Yep. I’m the world’s oldest virgin. I didn’t mean for it to happen this way, it just kind of did.”

He couldn’t believe it. There was no way Lily was still a virgin. “I-I just. I do find it kind of hard to believe.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why because you don’t think anyone would want to make love to me?”

“No. God no. You’re beautiful. It seems like you’d have to fight men off.”

Her eyes softened. “You think I’m beautiful?”

He hesitated before answering. They had already moved into dangerous territory, but he’d promised her honesty. His voice was husky. “Yes. I think you’re gorgeous.” For a brief moment, Lily thought she saw desire in his eyes, but it was gone too fast for her to know for sure. “If I weren’t already committed I’d ask you out on a date.” Jokingly, Logan wandered further into forbidden territory. “And I’d certainly relieve you of your virgin problem.”

The familiar ache in her core when she was around him started to increase dramatically at his admission. Breathlessly, she laughed and murmured to herself. “And, I’d let you.”

The days dragged on and felt endless. Another two weeks passed on the island. They had been there about a month, but it seemed like years especially since it had been a particularly grueling day of working on their new dwelling. Tonight, they hoped to sleep in it instead of on the sandy beach. They’d worked themselves to the bone trying to get it to a point where they could. Even though there was still quite a bit left to be done, it had a sound roof and a sturdy floor. That was good enough to move in.

It never ceased to amaze Lily how smart Logan was. She hadn’t known that he was an engineer by trade and owned an internationally renowned architecture firm. It was better than being stranded with another accountant given that Logan put his skills to use building a very sturdy place for them to live. He’d also shown her how to weave a covering for the roof, baskets and mats.

Lily was finishing up a second mat for them to sleep on. Thinking about sleeping always brought her mind back to his admission weeks ago; that he thought she was beautiful and if he weren’t engaged he’d ask her on a date, and
relieve her of her virgin problem
.

Softly, she spoke to herself. “Stop it, Lily. Logan is off limits. Crazy she still had to tell herself this. Maybe not considering he was the only other man or person on the island. If she had something else to focus on, Lily was hopeful that her crush on him would go away. It was actually admirable the way he loves his fiancé. Lily spoke to herself
you’re no home wrecker now get it together
.

It was getting late, and she didn’t have the energy to go to the lagoon to bathe, so instead she took a quick dip in the ocean.

Logan was still out doing something. He’d been quiet most of the day. She decided to give him a bit of space to work out whatever was going on with him. Sometimes he would clam up, but eventually he’d come out of his shell.

Lily drug herself into their new place after taking a bath completely exhausted. Logan still hadn’t appeared. She’d wanted to do an elaborate housewarming but was too tired, and he’d been in a foul mood so she would save all of her preparations for tomorrow. Tonight, she was just going to go straight to sleep. The moment she lay down and closed her eyes, she was gone.

Later in the night, something woke her. Quickly, she turned looking for Logan. He’d always made her feel safe. When her eyes found him, he was sitting over in a corner with his legs extended out in front of him crossed at the ankles staring at her.