Hed come to this island unsure of his future. Now, if things went well, hed be leaving with a purpose. That was a lot more than hed been able to achieve in the first twenty-nine years of his life.
Sure, the thought of allowing himself to fall in love was a little scary. And he wasnt sure he wouldnt want to take off after just a few months. But the possibility of finding a woman to spend his life with was intriguing, especially if that woman was Sophie.
SOPHIE SMOOTHED HER HANDS through her damp hair and tugged on her T-shirt. It was Christmas and she and Trey were going to have a date-of sorts. It was only proper that she dressed for the occasion. And though she might have preferred a sparkling party dress with a low-cut back and a high-cut hem, this outfit was what she had available.
She glanced at the preparations shed made for a light meal, laid out on the cabinets at the back of the cottage. They had wine, the rest of the crackers, another tin of oysters and a can of what seemed to be ham salad. Though they werent the most sophisticated hors doeuvres, theyd do in a pinch.
A knock sounded on the door and Sophie turned. Trey had been outside for the past half hour, biding his time and tending to the fire. But the rain had increased in intensity again, evident from the sound of it on the tin roof. She took a deep breath and walked over to the front door, then pulled it open.
But instead of setting eyes on Trey, she found herself staring at a clump of palm fronds tied together at the base with a short length of rope. Interwoven in the fronds were blooms picked from the vines on the porch. Oh, youve brought me flowers, she exclaimed.
He slowly lowered the fronds to reveal his face. Its supposed to be a Christmas tree, Trey admitted.
Sophie smiled. It did look a bit like a tree, if she didnt look too closely. And hed done the best he could in their circumstances for ornaments. Its lovely, she said, stepping aside to let him enter. Thank you.
He crossed the room to the lantern, then set the tree on the counter, leaning it up against the wall until it was balanced upright. Hed found his shirt and put it on, buttoning it properly and rolling up the sleeves, but his hair was still wet and his shorts soaked. Not bad, he murmured.
It does look festive, she said.
Trey plucked a blossom from the tree and turned to her, then tucked it behind her right ear. She fixed her gaze on his face, then reached up and turned the flower around. It was clear by the look in his eyes that he understood the signal. He bent closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and dropping a soft kiss on her lips.
Merry Christmas, Sophie, he murmured.
Merry Christmas, Trey, she replied, desire humming in her veins. Now that they were both dressed as they had been when theyd met, the thought of getting naked was even more exciting. She couldnt just look at Trey and admire his body as she had for most of the day. Now, she was left to imagine what was hidden beneath the clothes.
Would you like some champagne?
He blinked in surprise. We have champagne?
Sophie picked up the bottle and held it out to him. It was on the bottom, beneath the other bottles. Someone was thoughtful to leave it behind.
Very, Trey said as he pulled the foil off the cork. Lets hope its still good.
A moment later, the cork popped. He sniffed at the bottle. It still smells okay. Tipping it to his mouth, Trey took a sip and smiled. It would probably be better chilled, but Im not going to complain. Trey held out the bottle. A toast. To my lovely pilot and castaway companion. I cant think of another person I would have wanted on this island with me.
His words were incredibly sweet and Sophie couldnt help but blush. Everything seemed so different now, as if theyd brushed aside a curtain hanging between them. It was all right to admit she cared about him and that her feelings were more than just lust. Trey Shelton was a man any woman would be lucky to claim as her own.
We dont have much time left here, she said. Theyll send out planes at first light. And theyll probably come here first.
If they dont?
They will. Sooner or later, theyll find us. Or another boat will come along. If all else fails, we could try to fly out. I can drain the fuel sumps and we can hand prop the plane to start it. But I dont really want to do that without knowing whats wrong. Hand propping can be dangerous.
Hand propping? What is that?
Thats when I sit in the plane and you spin the propeller. If you dont pull your hands back in time, they-well, you dont have hands anymore.
Trey held up his hands. I kind of like these things. Besides, I dont mind staying a few more days.
Sophie smiled. Your family will come looking for you, no doubt. Whether we like it or not, Im afraid, were going to be rescued tomorrow.
Trey gave her a reluctant smile. Yeah. I know. But a guy can dream, cant he?
It hasnt been all bad, she said, taking a sip of the champagne, the bubbles tickling her nose. The landing wasnt so much fun, but after that, its been pretty nice.
He nuzzled her neck, biting softly. Just nice?
Better than nice. She shivered as his lips trailed to her shoulder. Its been interesting.
Oh, no, not interesting. Watching someone pet a puppy is nice. Watching someone build a house is interesting. Certainly, you have a better word than that for us.
Sophie took another sip of the champagne and handed him the bottle. All right. How about intoxicating?
How about tantalizing?
Enthralling?
Mind-blowing?
Earth-shattering.
We are good together, he admitted. He set the bottle down on the counter and pulled her into his arms. A heartbeat later, his mouth was on hers, soft, yet demanding. His fingers ran through her hair, and he molded her lips to his.
Sophie had come to know his kiss so well. She could walk into a pitch-black room, filled with a hundred men and pick him out of the lot by just the fleeting touch of his mouth. How was it that she could know this part of him so well, the way he seduced her, the way he made her body ache with need, yet not even know what he liked to eat for breakfast or how he took his coffee?
She stepped out of his embrace and grabbed his hand, then led him over to the counter. Boosting herself up, Sophie drew him between her legs, her hands clutching the front of his shirt. Weve been on this island together for a day, but I dont know anything about you.
Im not very complicated, Trey said. But if youre curious, ask away. Ill answer any question you have. As long as you do the same for me.
This doesnt have to be the Spanish Inquisition, Sophie said. She turned and picked an oyster out of the tin and placed it on a cracker, then held it out to him. Well pretend that weve just met at a holiday party. Your friend Bob and my friend Danielle introduced us. We find ourselves sitting togetheron a terrace. Under the moonlight. Sophie held out her hand. Its a pleasure to meet you, she said. What did you say your name was again?
Peter, he said. But my friends call me Trey.
Peter. Sophie gave him a coy smile. Ill call you Pete. My name is Ann-Marie. But my friends call me Sophie.
Your name is really Ann-Marie?
She nodded. Sophie is my middle name. My mother is Ann-Marie. My father insisted I be named after her. But she always called me Sophie, so it stuck.
Trey nodded. I like this, he said. So, Sophie, what do you say we blow this boring party and find a place where we can be alone?
Where are you going to take me? she asked, toying with the top button of his shirt.
I have a really fast car outside. Well put the top down and ride up to Malibu.
Malibu? What is that?
A beach in California.
Oh, were in California? she teased. I just assumed wed be in Tahiti.
No, were in L.A., Trey said.
Well, if were not going to be in Tahiti, then Id rather be in Paris. We can take a ride along the Seine in your convertible.
Youre making this really difficult, Trey said, frowning.
Then maybe we should stay at this boring party a little longer, Sophie suggested. And get to know each other better.
So Im going to have to charm you?
Sophie nodded slowly, a smile curling her lips. Yes. And maybe, if youre lucky, Ill let you take me home at the end of the evening. She smoothed her hands over the front of his shirt. So, Pete, what do you do for a living? I want to know everything about you.
7
THE STORM RAGED OUTSIDE, the wind rattling at the old shutters and threatening to blow in the front door. It was raining so hard the sound from the tin roof had almost become background music. The darkness was broken only by the flashes of lightning and a wavering light from the old lantern Trey had found.
Sophie handed Trey the empty champagne bottle, then launched into another verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Theyd begun singing Christmas carols after the effects of the champagne had set in, Sophie standing before him in her pareu and fumbling through pipers piping and geese a-laying.
Though Sophie wasnt much of a singer, Trey found her performance endlessly charming. But when she got to five golden rings, Trey pushed off the wall and playfully covered her mouth with his hand. No more, he cried. I cant take it.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him playfully. Its Christmas Eve. What else are we going to do?
In truth, there were plenty of things that they could have been doing. They had one condom left and Trey intended to make passionate love to Sophie before the sun came up in the morning. And this time, he was determined it would be more than just a physical release for them both.
The doubts and insecurities that theyd both felt building had been banished by their argument. Like a valve releasing steam, theyd simply let go. They were laughing and having fun, dissolving into silly giggles and outrageous teasing, then taking time out to kiss and tease each other.
Trey couldnt remember the last time hed felt this close to a woman. Maybe hed never experienced it. He felt her laughter in the depths of his soul, as if the sound of her voice was vital to life. Like eating or breathing.
He couldnt stop touching her, couldnt seem to stop watching her every move. Every time she looked at him, he found some new facet of her beauty to explore. And when he finally realized what was happening, Trey wasnt surprised or even concerned. He was falling in love with Sophie and it was the most natural thing in the world.