The juice felt cool against his hot shaft and he moaned as her lips brushed the swollen tip. Trey knew what was coming and he waited, the anticipation of it almost too much to bear.
A moment later, a jolt of pleasure coursed through his body as she took him into her mouth. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before, the sensations so intense that it made rational thought nearly impossible.
She took her time, using her tongue to bring him closer to the edge before allowing a gradual retreat. He’d enjoyed this same act with other women, but his reactions had never been quite so powerful. Every movement sent a flood of sensation racing through his body.
Trey felt the breeze on his skin, her silky hair sliding across his abdomen as she moved above him. He heard the palms rustling and the tarp snapping. Every nerve had become more attuned, until he was alive with desire.
This was paradise, he thought as he gave himself over to the rush of surrender. He reached for her, knowing he was close but she continued making love to him with her lips and tongue. And when he finally allowed himself, he found exquisite release in the warmth of her mouth.
He lay back, his body tingling and his thoughts hazy. Nothing had prepared him for this. Her touch was so arousing, he was barely able to control himself. And the feeling of surrender that she evoked was becoming dangerously addictive.
Trey pushed up on his elbows and looked down at Sophie. He reached out and tipped her chin up until her gaze met his. A satisfied smile touched her beautiful lips and she reached for another mango and bit into the tough skin before sucking on the fruit.
“Are you still hungry?” she asked, holding out the mango.
Trey shook his head. For the first time in his life, he felt completely satisfied. And that scared him.
“I DON’T THINK THE FISH are hungry.”
Sophie leaned out of the plane. Trey sat on the float, his back braced against the wheel strut, his feet dangling in the water. “Your feet are probably scaring them away. Haven’t you ever fished before?”
“No,” Trey said. “Maybe you should do this and I’ll try to fix the radio. I built a ham radio for a science project once.”
Sophie had pulled the radio out of its bracket and exposed the wires, but no matter how she attached them to the battery, nothing seemed to work. With a frustrated groan, she reached for the pocketknife that had fallen beneath the pilot’s seat. As she searched, Sophie noticed a small plastic case shoved almost out of reach. To her surprise, she found a flare gun and an EPIRB transponder inside, part of an old life-raft kit that had once been stored in the tail of the plane.
All the tools they’d need for a quick rescue, she mused. But did she want to be rescued? If the batteries were still good on the transponder, she’d merely have to flip a switch and an emergency radio beacon would go out from their little island to any passing planes or ships. They could be back in Tahiti by dinnertime.
Already, she was coming dangerously close to feeling something for this man. When he touched her, she became alive and aware. He made her believe she was the most desirable woman in the world. And though this was a fantasy world they were living in, she didn’t want to leave it. Not yet.
Still, she had a responsibility to her father. A night filled with worry for him was not worth a night filled with pleasure for her, was it? Once Jack Madigan realized she wasn’t coming home, he might do something stupid, like borrow a plane and come looking for her.
“Have you figured out what’s wrong with the radio?” Trey called.
“No,” she replied. “I think this battery is dead, too.” She stared at the emergency radio beacon, turning it over in her hands and rubbing her thumb over the activation switch.
“Why don’t you just leave it? You said they’d find us.”
“It’s Christmas Eve,” she said. “It would be nice if my father didn’t have to spend Christmas Eve wondering if I was dead or alive.”
A moment later, Trey opened the passenger-side door and slid into the seat. His hair was dripping and his khakis were wet. “I guess I shouldn’t have asked you to take this trip,” he said. “Not on Christmas Eve.”
Sophie shook her head. “We needed the money. I could have turned the job down, but I didn’t. Besides, who could have predicted we’d end up here?”
Trey took her hand and drew it to his lips, pressing a kiss in the center of her palm. “Still, I’m sorry. I guess I’ll have to find a way to make it up to you. Once we get off this island.”
His words sent a shiver skittering over her body. Did that mean there would be something between them after they were rescued? Or was she just reading meaning into words that had none? Drawing a deep breath, Sophie held up the EPIRB. “Do you want to get off the island?”
“What is that?” he asked.
“An emergency radio beacon. It will send out a signal. Passing planes will pick it up, ships, too. Maybe even some of the nearby airports.”
He took it out of her hand and examined it carefully, then glanced over at her. “Do you have to turn it on for it to work?”
Sophie nodded. “There’s a switch right there.”
“Why haven’t you turned it on?” he asked.
What was she supposed to say? That she was contemplating putting it back in its case and forgetting she’d ever seen it? “I-I just found it,” she said. “You turn it on.”
“Do you want me to turn it on?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Sophie asked, frustrated with the back-and-forth debate.
He handed it back to her. “Then you turn it on.”
“You don’t want to be rescued?”
“Of course I do. Don’t you?”
She bit her bottom lip as she fingered the switch. “I have to do this,” she murmured. “My father will be worried. I can’t do that to him.” Closing her eyes, she gathered her resolve and flipped the switch. But when she opened her eyes, she noticed the little light above the switch wasn’t blinking.
“How long?” he asked.
Her fingers trembled as she moved the switch back and forth. “It-it’s not working. The battery must be dead.” A flood of relief washed over her, followed quickly by guilt. Was she really so desperate for a man that she’d put her father through the worst worry of his life? At least the decision was out of her hands now.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “I seem to be having bad luck with batteries today.”
“I’m not sorry,” Trey replied. “I’m not going to lie to you, Sophie. I don’t mind spending the night on this island. With you.”
She handed him the plastic case, then crawled out of the door to balance on the float.
“What is this?” he asked.
“Flare gun,” she said. “In case we see any passing boats or planes.” Drawing a deep breath, she jumped off the float into the lagoon, sinking down to the bottom before bobbing back to the surface. She swam toward the beach, then turned and floated on her back, staring up at the sky.
Was it wrong to want this time with Trey to last a little longer? Was she being selfish? Or was she simply taking pleasure where she might find it? She’d already given up her life for her father. Would he really begrudge her just one day of happiness before returning to her ordinary existence?
The sun broke through the clouds and the ocean breeze cooled her wet skin. She felt weightless, as if all her concerns had sunk to the bottom of the lagoon and only pleasure had risen to the surface. She’d never wanted a man the way she wanted Trey. It wasn’t just about his body, or about him satisfying her desire. There was more there.
Sophie heard a splash and a moment later, she felt his arms around her waist, pulling her beneath the water. They surfaced together, wrapped in each other’s arms, their limbs tangling.
He kissed her, his mouth molding to hers, his hands tangled in her wet hair. She wasn’t sure what he meant by it, but she knew there was a reason. He demanded a response and Sophie returned the kiss in full measure, her tongue savoring the taste of him.
When he finally drew back, Trey looked down into her eyes. “There are moments when I don’t want to go back,” he murmured. “Ever.”
Sophie nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. The more time they spent together, the more it felt as if they
