Desert Island

“You’re messing with me,” he says.

“I wish I was,” I say with a laugh. “You picked a good time to take a break from civilization, let me tell you. It’s getting crazy out there.”

He tends to the fish as he processes everything I told him—eight years rolled into one, and I didn’t even mention that the pentagon basically confirmed that freaking aliens exist!

Now that I think about all the craziness going on out there, I think this island might not be so bad after all. I could use a break.

It’s not like I’m missing anything interesting back home. What would I be doing tonight?

Being miserable at a karaoke bar? I don’t even like karaoke.

I know I’d be sitting at that bar, hoping that no man comes over to talk to me, but at the same time wishing that I’d meet someone special. Someone that would knock me out of my shoes and make me fall head over heels in love with him.

I bite my bottom lip, trying to hide my smile as Carson pours more wine into my cup, his muscular arm tight and hard as he stretches it out.

“Look!” I gasp when I force my eyes away from Carson and see dolphins jumping in and out of the ocean. There must be dozens of them!

“See?” he says softly as we watch them frolic in the waves. “We’re not totally alone out here. The dolphins, the monkeys, the birds. There’s always some company.”

“The big red ball with a face drawn on it.” I look up at him and grin teasingly.

He smiles. “You saw that, didn’t you?”

“A little bit.”

He laughs and shakes his head, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. “You should talk. You had an inflatable friend too.”

“Jeffrey!” I say as I look around for him. I laugh when I see him caught in some bushes in the jungle, looking half deflated. Poor Jeffrey’s erection is getting soft with age. I guess it happens to them all.

We’re both smiling as we stare into each other’s eyes a little too long.

I feel a warmth creeping up my neck and into my cheeks as I turn away and watch the dolphins.

“I’m sorry you’re here,” he says softly as we watch the show. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

I shift closer to him and rest my head on that big warm shoulder of his.

“So far, it’s not so bad,” I say as I look at the ocean, the beach, the bonfire with the crackling fish cooking on top, the gorgeous sun setting in the distance, splattering the sky with every vivid color imaginable. “Not so bad at all.”

He puts his arm around me, holding me against him and I feel like I can stay like this forever.

CHAPTER FIVE

Bridget

* * *

“This was the best night I’ve had in a long time,” I say as the last of the fire dwindles out on the beach. The stars are out in all of their glory, each one shining brighter and more vivid than I’ve ever thought possible. I guess when there’s no light around for miles, you can see deep into space without any obstruction. It’s breathtaking.

“Two more drops left,” Carson says as he dumps the last drops of wine into my coconut cup.

“You take it,” I say, handing it to him. “You haven’t had a drink in eight years and saved it all this time. You should have it.”

“I insist,” he says, ever the gentleman. “Please. Enjoy it.”

I smile as I take a sip, enjoying being spoiled for once. I can imagine this man taking me on a date back in civilization. He’d probably get the best table at the hottest restaurant and spare no expense with the wine and meal. I can picture him opening doors for me and sliding his hand on my lower back as he lets me walk into the room first.

It’s hard to be a gentleman with no doors or rooms anywhere around, but he’s managing to make it work. He’s making me feel like the most special girl in the universe.

“Thank you, Carson,” I say softly as I look at him. Somehow he’s even more gorgeous in the moonlight. He looks otherworldly, probably because he is. I’m not quite convinced this Bermuda Triangle is even on our planet. It might be in a new dimension, it could be purgatory, or heaven itself. It certainly feels like it right now. “Thank you for making me feel at home. For welcoming me onto your island.”

“Our island,” he corrects as he clinks his coconut glass to mine.

“Our island,” I repeat, smiling up at him. He smiles back and it makes me feel all warm and gooey inside.

I look into our glasses and see one sip left in each. “Bottom’s up,” I say with a deep breath.

We take a couple of seconds to enjoy the feeling of still having alcohol on this island and then down it at the same time.