Nice fire.
Trey turned around to see Sophie standing on the porch, her hip braced against the railing, her hair tumbled around her sleepy face. He slowly let his arms fall to his sides.
Hey, he said. How was your nap?
Good, she murmured, rubbing her eyes. I think I drank a little too much wine.
Headache?
She nodded, smiling winsomely. But my foot feels much better.
Thats good, he said. I thought Id make us some dinner. Maybe heat up those beans. And I found a tin of crackers. They might be pretty tasty with the oysters.
I am hungry, she said.
Good. Why dont you sit and Ill get things ready.
Sophie plopped down on the top step and watched him as he gathered up the collection of canned goods for their meal, her elbows braced on her knees, her chin cupped in her palm.
You know, if we didnt have this pocketknife, wed be in pretty big trouble. Trey held it out. Corkscrew, can opener, knife, scissors, tweezers. If we just had a few more tools we could build a boat and get ourselves off this island. Kind of like MacGyver.
Does he have a lot of tools? she asked.
Trey chuckled softly. He kept forgetting that he and Sophie had grown up on opposite sides of the world. Her cultural references were completely different from his. Still, he was amazed at how easily she moved between cultures. Now that shed spent the day with him, her accent had all but disappeared. Yeah, hes got a lot of tools. He could make a luxury yacht out of a chewing-gum wrapper and a rubber band.
She stared at him, her head tilted. How is that possible?
American television, he said. Trey set an open can of beans on the edge of the fire, then stood back to watch it. Im going to buy myself one of these knives when I get home.
You can have that one, Sophie offered. As a memento of our time together.
Thanks, Trey said, staring down at the knife. Thats nice of you.
Though the knife was a thoughtful gesture, Trey wanted more than that. He at least wanted a promise that theyd see each other again. A chance to find out if there was anything between them once they were off the island.
You are about to enjoy the full extent of my cooking skills, he said, when the beans began to bubble.
Sophie watched as he straightened and carried the can over to her, using a piece of canvas as a potholder. He set them down, shaking his hand, burned from the heat from the can.
Sophie took his fingers and licked his fingertips, then blew on them. The cooling effect sent a flood of desire racing through his body and Trey cursed inwardly. Would there ever come a time when she could touch him and he wouldnt automatically think about sex?
When she was satisfied that his fingers would be all right, Sophie sat back and waited while Trey laid out the rest of the feast between them. Sliced papaya, smoked oysters, another bottle of red wine. A tin filled with crackers that they could use to scoop up the beans. All in all, Trey thought it was a rather well-rounded meal.
Five star, he said.
Are you sure we should eat these oysters? she asked.
He sat down opposite her. I dont know. Do you think they might make us do something crazy later? Trey asked.
Sophie giggled. I hope so. She plopped one on top of a cracker and gobbled it down. Whats the craziest thing youve ever done in your life?
This was not a game Trey wanted to be playing. Hed done far too many crazy-and stupid-things to recount. Things he was ashamed of now. I dont know.
Have you ever had sex in a public place? Sophie asked.
Oh, were talking about crazy sex? I thought you meant like losing a hundred thousand on one spin at roulette in Monte Carlo or wrecking a vintage Ferrari sports car the day after I bought it or punching out a policeman in Paris.
Sophie gasped. You did all that?
Oh, were talking about crazy sex? I thought you meant like losing a hundred thousand on one spin at roulette in Monte Carlo or wrecking a vintage Ferrari sports car the day after I bought it or punching out a policeman in Paris.
Sophie gasped. You did all that?
Trey had almost forgotten that Sophie knew nothing of his life before shed met him. No, he lied. I was just using those as examples.
She ate another oyster. So. Tell me.
Hell, he didnt want to lie to her. But his sexual escapades were a lot worse than anything else hed ever done. Well, there was this one time. With this woman I barely knew. We met on an airplane and-well, you know the rest.
I do?
He nodded. You were there.
That was the craziest sex you ever had?
Yeah, Trey said. That was pretty crazy. How about you?
She drew a deep breath. Ive always wanted to do something crazy. I guess attacking you on the beach was the high point for me.
It was a decent concession, he mused. Trey certainly didnt want to hear about her past lovers. And he didnt want to talk about his. Theyd start fresh, without a romantic or sexual past for either one of them.
Well, maybe well have to work on that, he said. We could always aim for something higher, dont you think?
She gave him a sexy smile, then popped another oyster in her mouth. Its good, Sophie said, nodding at the meal.
You know, this is the first time Ive ever cooked for a woman. Until now my culinary skills stopped at ordering takeout and reading French menus.
So what else are you good at? she asked, her brow arching up. I mean, besidesyou know
I do?
Sex, she said. Youre good at sex. But Im sure you already know that.
So are you, he said. He considered her question for a long moment, trying to come up with an answer. Most men his age had at least one thing they could do well. But all the things he could list didnt really make a whole lot of difference in the world. He could drive a race car really fast, he could ski better than anyone he knew. He was a daredevil when it came to motorcycles. He was good at blackjack and could speak six different languages. He could seduce a stranger in less than an hour. And he knew how to spend money.
Im good at taking care of you, he said. And thats all that really matters. He picked a cracker out of the can and held it out to her.
I guess life really isnt so bad on this island, she said.
After we get back to civilization, Im going to take you out for a really good meal. The best restaurant in Papeete. Well drink champagne and order the most expensive entrée on the-
You dont have to say that, Sophie interrupted.
Say what?
That well go out. I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but I think it would be best if we just went our separate ways once this is over.
Why would you say that? Trey asked, startled by her indifferent attitude. At the least, they ought to leave the island as friends.
Sophie shrugged. Because its silly to pretend. Were attracted to each other. Were the only two people on this island. Believe me, if there were another woman here, youd be attracted to her, dont you think?
Not if she looked like my aunt Marjorie, he teased.
She smiled. All right, any reasonably attractive women under the age of forty.
Forty-five, Trey said. Ive always liked older women.
See. Its just a matter of availability.
So you dont think theres somethingspecial to this attraction?
She shrugged. No. Because it wont last. My mother always said its the chase that fascinates men. Once a man has caught a woman, he tires quickly and moves on to another. Like my father. Once he was certain of my mothers love, he moved on to someone else. She always said that was her biggest mistake. She let him know how much she loved him.
Im not your father, Trey said.
Sophie scooped up some beans with a cracker, then put them into her mouth. No, she said, shaking her head as she chewed. But you are a man.
Trey stared at her for a long moment, before reaching out and smoothing his hand over her cheek. Was she really that cynical? And youre a very special woman. Theres something very exotic about your eyes. He ran his finger along her collarbone and let it drift down to a spot between her breasts. And about the way your skin feels. He leaned forward and kissed her, taking his time to tease a response out of her. And you taste better than any woman Ive ever kissed.
I think the oysters are working, she said, a tiny smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Either that, or youre too charming for your own good.
He should have put aside his doubts right then and pulled her into his arms. But instead, her words brought his past crashing back to the present. How many times had he heard that? Peter Shelton the Third was all charm and no substance. Do you really think this is just a game? Trey asked, his mood darkening suddenly. That Im just interested in the chase?
I-I dont know what to think. I think maybe youre used to getting what you want from women.
And you dont get what you want from men?
Sophie shook her head. Not usually. She picked another oyster out of the tin and held it out to him. Trey shook his head. At least, not until now.
The rest of the meal passed in more subdued conversation, Treys mind occupied by the admissions spoken between them. He may be good at sex and even better at seduction. But it was the other stuff he needed now. He wished he were better at the whole romance thing.
For the first time in his life, he wasnt quite sure what to do. How could he get Sophie to look at him as more than just the man who satisfied her sexual needs? A man only interested in the chase?
SOPHIE GUZZLED THE LAST of the bottled water, hoping that it would ease the tiny hangover shed gotten from the wine. Trey had found an old coffee tin in the cottage and had used it to collect rainwater to refill their bottles before the night set in.
He truly seemed to be enjoying their exercise in survival. Hed made a hammock, started a fire, cooked dinner and was now replenishing their supply of drinking water. Sophie had to admit she could have been stuck on this island with a far less useful guy than Trey Shelton.
And far less sexy, as well. Dressed only in his ragged shorts, Trey might have looked a bit disreputable to some. But Sophie couldnt take her eyes off him. His skin had been burnished by a day of Polynesian sun filtered through the cloud cover, and the thin sheen of sweat on his torso only highlighted the muscles of his shoulders and back.