Illusion (Swept Away 1)

“Yeah right. A stick with some extra pulp.”

“I like pulp.” He grinned and licked his lips, and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Let’s go find this waterfall.” I turned away, and he grabbed me. “You might find that I’ll repay last night’s favor if my massage is good.”

“Last night’s favor?” His breath caught as I reached down and rubbed the front of his briefs and smiled.

“Hold on.” He handed me his shirt. “You should put this on before we leave. I’m not sure we’ll make it to the waterfall if you’re walking without a top on.”

“Why, aren’t you thoughtful.” I pulled his shirt on and did the buttons up. “I bet you never thought about how useful this shirt would turn out to be when you bought it.” I grinned at him. “Catching food, covering strange women, providing cover and warmth at night.”

“I don’t think the girl who bought it for me considered any of that, you’re right.”

My stomach churned with jealousy at his words, and part of me wanted to pull the shirt off. “Who bought it for you?”

“No one important.” He grabbed my hand and we started walking toward the jungle. It was a nice day today; there were no dark clouds, and the sun was already beating down on us murderously. The setting was once again idyllic and serene, and I wondered at what point I would stop thinking about ever getting off the island. Being here made me forget all my everyday worries and concerns. It almost made me forget my father’s letter, my investigation, and Steve.

“What are we going to do about Steve?” I asked softly as we walked through the jungle. I wasn’t as scared as I’d been the first day. The trees that had seemed so tall and full of mischief on the first day seemed majestic and full of life today. The swaying branches and leaves no longer carried scary creatures but food and sustenance. I was accustomed to the different thuds of monkeys swinging and other animals. This was their habitat, and it was beautiful. We walked carefully through the thrush, making sure we stepped over the broken branches that lay in our way. The ground was relatively firm, and the sun had dried out the wet mud from the day before. Jakob held my hand as he led me through the bushes, and I felt safe in his company.

“We’ll look for him after we have a bath.” He squeezed my hand. “Is that okay?”

“I guess so.” I nodded. “I hope nothing bad happened to him.”

“I’m almost positive nothing bad has happened to him.” He stopped and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m listening to the sound of the water to see which way to go.”

“Oh?” My stomach lurched at his words. I no longer felt as safe in his company, though, I knew I was being ridiculous. It’s not as though I thought he had a map to guide us.

“Close your eyes and listen.” He suggested. “You’d be surprised at all the noises you notice when you don’t have the sense of sight.”

“I guess.” I closed my eyes and waited. At first, I heard nothing, but then I relaxed. First, I heard two birds that seemed to be chirping to each other as though they were in love. The sound reminded me of the opening scene from Cinderella, and I realized that the birds were happy. Their chirps were happy, and that in turn put a smile on my face. Then I heard the sound of dragonflies as they flittered around. I was surprised at the sound, as I hadn’t even noticed any since I’d been on the island. I was about to open my eyes, when I heard the sound of running water. It reminded me of the sounds I’d heard at a spa Rosie had taken me to once. She’d paid a couple hundred dollars for our entry and here I was enjoying the same experience for free.

“So, where do you think we should go?” Jakob asked me as we stood there, and I concentrated on the sound of the water for another minute before opening my eyes.

“I think we should walk forward and then try to head toward the left.” I pointed ahead. “Is that right?”

“I’m pretty sure it is.” He smiled and me gently, and we continued on our way. I started to feel excited as the sound of flowing water grew louder and louder.

“I have to say, I’m feeling pretty proud of myself.” I grinned at Jakob as we increased our pace. “I never would have believed I could locate a waterfall just by listening for it.”

“You can do whatever you want to do.” Jakob sounded like a motivational speaker as he responded to me, and I wanted to tease him. Then I realized that teasing him would ruin the moment. And this was a moment I didn’t want to ruin. “We’re here.” He stopped and pointed directly in front of us. I could see a small waterfall through the trees and I ran closer to get a better look.

“This is beautiful.” I looked back at Jakob for a moment and then stared at the waterfall in front of us. “Who knew this existed on the island with us?”

“Many Caribbean countries have waterfalls.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. His hand started unbuttoning my shirt and I held my breath. “Though, I don’t know if it is as beautiful as you.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I would never lie.” He shook his head and pulled the shirt off my arms before reaching back and massaging my shoulders for a few seconds. The tension crept out of my pores as his fingers banished it, and I moaned at the feeling of calmness that was overtaking my body. I closed my eyes for a second, wanting to think about nothing other than his hands squeezing my muscles, when his fingers crept to my stomach and then up the middle of my body. His hands cradled my breasts, and he squeezed them tenderly.