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Chapter 13

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Bailey dressed as Noah moved toward the beach to check on the remains of yesterday’s fire. She supposed he’d wanted to give her some privacy to put her bikini back on, but it was amusing and unnecessary since she’d literally been splayed out in front of him, screaming his name.

Maybe the rescuers heard that, she thought wryly.

If it got them home sooner, she should demand a few more screaming orgasms.

That wasn’t exactly how she’d planned to start the day, but holy wow.

The man certainly knew his way around a woman’s body. She’d been with her fair share of guys, so it’s not like she could fault him for that. And in many ways, it worked to her advantage. Noah wasn’t the guy that needed to stop and ask for directions on the way to o-town.

He delivered exactly what he’d promised—having her cry out for him, coming at his expert touch.

She tugged her shorts back on, lamenting that she didn’t have any shoes. Walking around on the beach wasn’t exactly a problem, but she wasn’t sure how far the waterfall was that he’d discovered. Then again, maybe they should just stay right here. What if the rescuers spotted the bonfire and she and Noah were off frolicking through the woods?

She walked over toward him, tucking his sweatshirt back into his backpack.

Noah was poking at the pile of driftwood, frowning. “It’s soaking wet,” he muttered. “Not surprising since it rained all night, but disappointing.”

“They should be out looking for us soon though, right?”

“Absolutely. We still don’t know what happened with Mason and Taylor yesterday, but if they didn’t return the boat, his buddy would’ve notified the Coast Guard. They knew we were out fishing just for the morning. Hopefully they got back safe and sound, and the storm just held up the rescue.”

“So what do we do about the fire?” she asked.

“Hunt for more wood I guess. Or give it a couple of hours to dry out. If we see or hear a helicopter, I can shoot off a flare.”

“Let’s make a sign on the beach,” she said. “You know—like they do in the movies. We can find some seaweed or driftwood and spell out the word ‘help’ in huge letters.”

“Good idea, but I’m worried it might not be big enough to spot from the air.”

“We’ll make it huge,” she said, growing excited. “We can gather the driftwood together. It can be in massive letters right across the sand, taking up a huge portion of the beach.”

“Sunshine, this is low tide,” Noah said gently. “I had to build the bonfire back here so it didn’t get washed away by the incoming tide. Anything we spell out in the open area of beach will be washed away by the ocean.”

“But—” she broke off, her eyes watering. It was silly to cry over something like that. They were already stranded here for goodness sakes. But her idea was so simple and would work if they just had a spot to execute it.

“Hey, don’t cry,” he said, roughly pulling her to him. His muscular arms wrapped around her, and Bailey rested her head against his cotton tee shirt, sniffling for a moment. His large hand ran down her hair, and she felt his lips lightly brush against the top of her head. “We’ll be okay,” he murmured. “They’ll be out looking for us today. We’ll get that fire lit later on. Someone’s bound to fly by eventually.”

“I know,” she said, pulling back and swiping at her tears. He gazed down at her, and her eyes roamed over the dark whiskers of his jaw. The slight bump of his nose. He looked sexy as hell with a slight beard starting, and she probably looked like a raggedy mess.

Not that he’d complained when he’d spread her out before him like a feast he couldn’t wait to devour.

His whiskered jaw brushing up against her bare sex had been exhilarating. He’d been careful with her, gentle, but there was something totally erotic about his very male hands and face up against her most feminine parts.

“What do you know?” he asked gently.

“If we can’t spell out the word ‘help’, let’s put one of those emergency blankets out. The reflective material will show up from the air, right? They’ll know that we’re down here!”

Noah reached down, wiping away a stray tear rolling down her cheek. “Yes, they will, sunshine. That’s a great idea.”

A few minutes later, they’d secured one of the blankets with some soggy pieces of driftwood. Stretched out on the sand near the tree line, it would be visible if a helicopter flew over. “Do you really think someone will see it?” Bailey asked, hope rising within her.

“They will if they fly close enough,” he said.

“Oh.”

“They might come this way, sunshine. They’ll be doing a grid search from where the boat was yesterday, starting close to the coordinates and then spreading out. We’ll build a fire in a couple of hours. They’ll definitely see the smoke from miles away once we get that lit. And the good news is the sky is clear today. There shouldn’t be any more rainstorms to put out a fire. We’ll find enough driftwood and debris to keep it burning all day.”

“Okay,” she said, a feeling of calm washing over her. Her idea of the blanket was a little silly now that she thought about it. That would only work if someone was directly above them. Still, she felt like they had to do something. They had to leave something on the beach in case they fell asleep or were at the waterfall.

It would just kill her if someone did come and assume it was just another small deserted island.

They sat down on the beach under the palm trees, Noah pulling a few protein bars from his backpack. He tossed her one, and she ripped it open and took a bite, frowning. “This tastes awful.”

He chuckled. “It’s loaded with calories, sunshine.”

“Normally I’d be against eating something like that, but when in Rome...” She took another bite, trying not to gag.

Noah handed her a bottle of water, and she twisted the cap off. “These are the last ones,” he said ruefully. “We’ll fill the empty bottles and my canteen at the waterfall. Luckily, it’s not far, so we can go back and forth if needed.”

“Is the water safe to drink?” she asked.

“I’ve got water purification tablets. We’ll drop those in to be safe.”

She watched as Noah wolfed down one of the protein bars. He was a big, muscular guy and had to be hungry with only that for breakfast. “How many more protein bars do you have?”

“Just a few,” he admitted. “We might have to fish today if we don’t see signs of anyone searching for us here.”

“Ironic since we already caught plenty of good fish.”

“That it is,” he agreed. “We’ll see what we can catch. It’ll be tricky without a fishing pole. I don’t think I have anything to make a net out of in my backpack either—just a few basic supplies.”

“Do people ever fish with their hands?”

“It could happen,” he said, taking a long pull of his water. “It’d be hard to do unless a big school of fish swims close. We’ll investigate after we head to the waterfall.”

“There are coconuts up in the trees, too,” she said, glancing up at the palm trees.

He nodded. “We can drink the coconut water if we can manage to get any down. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll find some that fell down in the storm.”

She eyed the rough bark of the tree. “I don’t think we can climb it. The coconuts are all the way at the top.”

“It’ll be hard without climbing gear. Or shoes. I can attempt it if we have to, but let’s see what else is around and hope like hell we see signs of the Coast Guard today.”

Bailey rose from where they sat, walking over to the remains of yesterday’s fire. It was a soggy, disappointing mess full of waterlogged driftwood and wet ashes. “This doesn’t look like it would catch fire at all,” she said.

Noah followed her over. “Nope. That’s why I said we’ll have to wait a few hours for everything to dry. The waterfall’s not far, but I’ll bring my backpack full of supplies. If we hear a helicopter or small plane, we can hurry back to the beach and shoot off the flare gun.”

“All right,” she said. “I guess there’s not much else we can do. I’d kill for a cell phone right now,” she muttered.

“We need a sat phone.”

“A what?” she asked, glancing over at him.

“Satellite phone. There’s no cell service out here in the middle of the ocean, sunshine. But on missions, we bring sat phones with us to stay in communication with each other and our CO.”

“Wow. Well you’d know better than me, I’m sure. How about I wish we were back on the boat, relaxing with Mason and Taylor, and none of this ever happened?”

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I wish like hell I could make that true for you.”

***

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BAILEY GASPED IN SURPRISE as Noah pushed away some branches, and they stepped into a clearing in the trees. A waterfall from a rocky cliff poured into a small pond, the sound filling the area. The trees and wooded foliage completely surrounded them, and it didn’t even feel like they were on the island anymore. The beach was completely out of sight.

“How’d you find this yesterday?” she asked, looking around. Tall palm trees swayed in the slight breeze, a bird swooped through the air, and sunlight danced through the leaves.

“I heard the water. It took me a hell of a long time to get here through the brush, but then I spotted those smooth stones that form a path of sorts. It was easier today coming around that way.”

“It’d be easier to get around if we had shoes,” she said ruefully.

“That it would, sunshine. Just be careful where you step.”

Noah took her hand, and they edged down toward the small pond. “Is it safe to go in?” she asked. “What if there are alligators or something?”

“It’s too small for an alligator to hide in,” he assured her, tightening his grip on her hand.

“Well what if there’s a baby alligator in it?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“I’ll toss something in to check. It’s shallow though and pretty clear. There’s probably not a waterfall here all the time—it might be flowing down this way from the heavy rain yesterday.”

Noah dropped his backpack to the ground, grabbing a fallen branch from nearby. He tossed it into the pond, watching as the water rippled. Bailey’s gaze was drawn to his tall, muscular form. He hadn’t questioned her, just immediately taken charge, tossing in a branch to ensure they’d be safe.

She liked that he reassured her. Not that she needed a man around back in Virginia Beach to take care of her, but here?

She was out of her element. Noah knew more survival skills than she ever would, but he didn’t fault her for it. He explained things when she had questions, was patient when she was upset or frightened.

As much of a flirt as he was, he seemed to genuinely care about her. He would’ve rescued anyone from the water, that she knew. But would he have been as careful and attentive to anyone else?

They were attracted to one another, certainly, but there was something more than that, too.

“Looks like it’s just us, sunshine,” he said, gazing over at her with those smoldering green eyes of his. “No alligators in sight. We can rinse off and fill up our water bottles. Don’t drink it right away though, just in case.”

“How long do the water purification tablets need to work?”

“About thirty minutes. This water is clear, so it’s just to be on the safe side. They release chlorine into the water, just like water purification plants.”

“That’s kind of amazing,” she said.

“Yep. Always carry them with me,” he said. He grabbed his empty canteen from his backpack, filling it with water and dropping in a tablet. Bailey grabbed the empty water bottles and crouched down beside him, filling them both to the top.

“Too bad we don’t have more empty bottles,” she said. “We’ll have to keep coming back here.”

“I hope not,” he said with a chuckle. “They’ll be looking for us today. Mason and Taylor, too, because you know there’s no way in hell that Mason will just sit silently waiting for word from the Coast Guard.”

Bailey watched as Noah dropped the water purification tablets into the bottles they’d filled. She pulled off her tee shirt and shimmied out of her shorts, smiling as Noah’s heated gaze landed on her. “Hell, you’re beautiful. Far too tempting,” he said with a chuckle.

She dropped her clothes by his backpack, leaving him standing there watching her as she stepped into the water. It was warmer than she expected, but fresh and clear. The small pool of water barely came up to her knees, but she crossed over to the waterfall, eagerly letting it wash the salt and sand off of her. She ran her hands through her hair, wishing she had shampoo or something to really wash it with.

Fresh water would have to do.

She’d need a major deep conditioning treatment after being out in the saltwater and sun for a few days. Her hair currently was fried.

Bailey heard a splash as Noah stepped into the shallow pond after her, and then he was joining her under the waterfall. Their eyes locked for a brief moment as she gazed up at him, and then he was beside her. Kissing her. Holding her in his muscular arms.

Water ran down his biceps and impressive chest, pouring over their faces as they kissed. He tasted masculine and slightly salty from the ocean. His erection prodded against her stomach, and she wondered why she’d been pushing him away the past few days.

His mouth moved surely against hers, confident and commanding.

His tongue trailed over the seam of her lips, and she opened to him, yielding to his silent demand. His tongue rubbed against hers as she gasped, thrusting in and out of her mouth. It was erotic and sexy kissing under the waterfall, and she knew she’d never forget this moment.

Noah ducked down, his teeth grazing over her neck as she gasped. His thumb ran over the tiny studs in her ear, and she ran her own hands up and down his abdomen, feeling his six—no, make that eight-pack. He was solid muscle and strength—nothing but pure, powerful male.

Daring to explore lower, she cupped his erection, feeling him jump slightly in her hand. He was thick and long and hard—perfect in every way imaginable. Noah was big and muscular all over, and she’d had no doubt his cock would be, too.

“Fuck, Bailey,” he muttered, gasping into her neck as she teased him.

“Take off your swim trunks,” she demanded, and he shucked out of them quickly, tossing them onto the rocks.

“Your turn, sunshine,” he said, his voice gruff. He reached behind her neck, untying her bikini top, and then spun her around to pull the strings across her back. Noah pushed against her, his erection against her ass as he cupped her full breasts, her hot pink bikini top falling into the water.

Bailey moaned and rubbed against him, arching into his touch. He kneaded and caressed her breasts from behind her, so tall he could no doubt look down over her shoulder and see everything. He edged them closer to the rocks, so the water fell behind them, and it felt like they were alone in their own secluded little world, hidden behind the waterfall.

He pinched at her nipples as she gasped, and then one muscular hand trailed down, sliding over her flat stomach and edging inside her bikini bottoms.

She was dripping with arousal, already wet for him. Able fingers deftly parted her folds, and he slid his fingers up, expertly circling her clit and spreading her arousal around as she gasped. He gripped one breast in his other hand, curling his larger body around hers as he began to pleasure her.

She grabbed onto the rocks in front of her, crying out Noah’s name as he brought her nearly to the edge of her release.

“You’re so wet and ready for me, sunshine. God how I wish I had a condom.”

“I’m on birth control,” she panted. “Not pills—it’s an IUD. And I’m clean.”

Noah grunted, bucking against her. “I’m clean, sunshine. The Navy just tested me. You want to ride me bareback?”

“God, yes. Noah, please!” she cried out as he teased her clit more with his thick fingers. He tugged her bikini bottoms down to her ankles and bent her over the rocks, wrapping both arms around her hips and breasts to take the brunt of the friction. She cried out helplessly as she felt the tip of his erection rubbing against her swollen sex.

She was so close, so desperate for him—every moment he stalled and teased her felt like an eternity.

He prodded against her clit with his cock, growling with approval as she moaned.

“You’re mine, Bailey. You have been from the moment I first saw you.”

A moment later she cried out in pure pleasure as he speared her with his thick length, sinking in balls deep as he took her from behind. His thick erection stretched her inner walls, and she could do nothing but gasp at his intimate invasion.

“You okay, sunshine?” he asked, holding still as she adjusted to his size.

“God, you’re big—feels so good,” she murmured, practically delirious with pleasure.

He slid out a few inches and then slowly penetrated her again, the exquisite pressure of his cock inside her pussy nearly too much to bear.

“Noah—faster. Harder!”

He growled behind her, tightening his arms, and then began to fuck her from behind. He was so deep in this position, she thought he was going to split her right in half. Nothing else existed in the entire world. No one. Just Noah.

“God, you’re so tight,” he ground out, setting a steady pace as he took her.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” she yelled as he began to buck into her faster.

“Come for me, Bailey. Come on my cock. I want to hear you screaming my name.”

He adjusted his grip on her hips, sliding his hand to where their sexes joined, and as his thick fingers rubbed over her clit, she screamed, exploding in the most intense orgasm of her entire life. Waves of pleasure roared over her, and she couldn’t move, couldn’t even think as he drew every last ounce of pleasure out of her.

Her inner walls gripped his cock so tightly, she was shocked he was even still moving. He hardened impossibly more, and then Noah stilled as he released inside of her, his sticky come spurting all over her inner walls.

Noah eased them back from the rocks and turned, so that she was almost sitting on his lap as he sank to the ground, still buried balls deep in her pussy.

“You’re getting hard again,” she gasped in surprise.

His arms wrapped around her, holding her to him. “That was the best sex I’ve ever had,” he said, caressing her breast with one hand while his other lightly rubbed her clit. “I was so hard I couldn’t hold back. But now I’m going to make love to you, sunshine,” he said, slowly bucking into her again. “I’m going to hold you close and go slowly. Make you feel every inch of me. And then I’ll take you again on the ground, where I can feel your beautiful body beneath mine.”

“Oh God, Noah,” she said, looking down and watching his thick erection slide in and out of her. He was so hot and hard, he consumed her.

“You’re mine, sunshine.”

She lifted her arms up, wrapping them around his neck as he held her, her back to his chest. She was half-seated on his lap, and she twisted her head to kiss him, letting him take control of their lovemaking. He slowly moved in and out of her, letting her feel every inch of his male hardness and perfection.

She moaned at the intensity, unable to give in to anything but the feeling of Noah’s cock buried deep inside her. Of him commanding her body. Her soul.

His thick fingers circled her clit, his other hand toying with and pinching her nipple.

Sparks of desire began to shoot through her again, and as he moved faster, she ground herself down on his erection and came, screaming out his name once more.