Page 25

R & R

Calvin

H aley’s crying, and it’s because of what Rockwell said.

He’s grateful for us being here? It’s both sweet and a horrible thing to say.

It makes me want to punch him. Because he’s not wrong.

I’m glad I’m here. I wouldn’t have chosen it, but.

.. I push out the thought of it. You can’t choose what you get served.

Life isn’t a restaurant. You can’t pick from a menu.

You eat what you’re served or you go fucking hungry.

The rest of them are circling around Haley.

And I’m standing back, watching, listening to the fucking jungle.

Waiting. For what, I don’t know. Enough time has passed that if the pirates were going to come after us, they would have already.

I shut down my inner alarms and focus on the light around Haley’s hair.

The flashlights are wedged into the sides of the rocks. It’s where we normally put them. It gives enough light to see when we’re swimming. But now it gives a ghostly effect as it shines on the underside of everyone’s chins.

Easton wipes the tears from her cheek and kisses up the trail of tears.

“Do you really mean it?” Haley places her hand in the middle of Easton’s chest.

“Absolutely I do. There is no place I would rather be than here.” Easton’s eyes are locked on her.

“I agree.” Sam’s voice is on edge.

“I third that. But running water would be nice,” Zane says. “And maybe some take away?” He moves around to her other side.

“What’s wrong with the food?” Dante laughs. He places the bedraggled float on the ledge next to us.

“Fuck, am I the only one who hasn’t gone completely nuts?” The five of them turn and stare at me. “What? I’m not saying that I don’t appreciate all the things we just said, and I meant every word I said.”

Haley turns from Easton to me. “I...” She puts both her hands on my chest like she just had them on Easton.

But then she pushes, hard enough for my feet to fly out from under me, and my ass hits the water with such a big splash that I hear the cries and laughter from the rest of them as I douse them with water before I sink down.

Only for a moment. My feet hit the bottom of the pool and I jet upward. In time to see Easton swipe Haley’s feet out from under her. He tosses her in the water five feet from me. I’m on her as she comes up, shaking her hair out from in front of her face.

“Chiefie,” I growl out a warning. “That wasn’t very nice, now, was it?”

It’s dark, but I can see the panic in her eyes about what I’m going to do back to her. I internally laugh, because the evilest thing I could do to her now is nothing. Make her think something’s coming.

“No, I suppose it wasn’t.”

There’s a splash behind me. But unlike Haley and me, the rest of the guys have surely taken their clothes off.

“So, how are you going to punish me?” She splashes water in my face and swims backwards, away from me. It’s hard to laugh and swim at the same time, but she’s managing it.

Fuck, the way the moonlight picks up her smile... I’m pulling off my shirt and tossing it to the rock as I swim. My shorts are next. I’m to her before she makes it to the weak side of the waterfall. The side that’s a little drizzle.

There’s a thin ledge that lets you wiggle past the rougher rocks to where the years of rushing water has smoothed the rocks.

It’s refreshing and a damn good hiding place.

If my ass wasn’t so damn large, I’d love to push her to the wall and take her.

Two good strokes and I’m able to get my thumb and forefinger around her ankle with a quick pull and I have her at my side.

“You got your shirt wet there, Bunny.”

Her arms loop around my neck. “Yeah, you’re right. What are you going to do about it?”

I pull her back from the waterfall, back to the ledge. Because as much as I’d like to rip her shirt off her, I do care about what happens to it. I do care. She’s going to need what she has for as long as I can protect her.

I keep the backward strokes going until Easton and Dante are beside us.

“I’ve got you, Sassy. Hands off the Viking. Let’s get this thing off your pretty titties, and then we’ll work on getting that kitty of yours unwrapped.”

“Titties and kitties?” Haley laughs but does as the chef commands.

I put my knee up, giving her a place to sit while they yank at the shirt.

Dante tosses it to the big rock with a swack.

Then I lean back and hold her around her waist, leaning her on my chest, one hand on her stomach and the other on her breast. My hand covers the entire thing.

It’s the perfect size. Never thought I would say there’s the perfect size, but there it is under my fingers.

I pinch her nipple between my index finger and ring finger. I’m lost in her. In this part of the pool, I can just barely stand. I’m the only one who can. I lick along the shell of her ear.

“Calvin.” It’s husky and breathy, and it makes me want more. So much more. More than I can ever tell her.

“Haley.”

“What, no Bunny?” Sam growls and leans over her, kissing her.

I laugh. “Ready, Bunny?” I’m a bastard because I don’t want to share, not yet.

She pushes Sam away, knowing what’s about to happen.

I pull her under with me. My flat feet hit the pebbled bottom of the swimming hole and I shoot up, launching her into the air.

Her laugh fills the night breeze before she splashes down into the water.

Easton and Sam are there, instantly buoying her up.

The loss of her solo attention on me rakes against the inside of my ribs.

I’m hollow without her in my arms. No matter—this is what I signed up for.

It’s who we are now. I can’t change it, and I’m not sure I’d want to.

My right arm’s asleep. And there’s a head on my chest. Haley’s tight body is pressed against me to my left. I crack open my eyes and pull my arm out from underneath Zane’s chest. The guy sleeps like the dead. He rolls over, grumbling.

But then I smell it. Bacon. Well, not bacon—we haven’t had the time to cure the beast yet. Dante’s got a whole plan.

I roll toward Haley, pulling her into my side. After swimming for ten minutes, Haley crawled onto the big rock and fell asleep. But she’s rubbing her naked self over me now. I smooth her hair back and skim my fingers down the sides of her arm. She moans. It’s light, and my dick twitches in reply.

“Hey!” Dante yells from below. “No starting Thanks-o-weenie without me.” He laughs.

“The guy has sex-dar,” Zane says sleepily.

“Indeed,” I agree.

Haley rolls over. “Five more minutes, just five minutes.”

I kiss her on the back of her neck. “Take all the time you want, Bunny.” I cover her up with the sheet and make my way out of the sleeping loft.

“What’s that?” I stare at the brown liquid in the cup Dante’s offering me. It definitely doesn’t taste like the tea that Haley and Dante have been perfecting. Honestly, the tea isn’t that bad, or maybe I’ve just lost my addiction to caffeine.

“It’s coffee. We’ve got enough for a few more pots. And I figure for as tired as everyone was after the Island Olympics, the boar, and then swimming at the waterfall? Yeah, we’re going to need a little bit to have the best Thanks-o-weenie day.”

“You’re... Whatever, we’re not going to break her. Okay?”

“You wound me, Viking. I would never dream of hurting Sassy. I just don’t want anyone falling asleep.”

I take the cup out of his hand, and fuck... “This is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.”

Dante brings his up to his lips and has a sip.

“Not me. Mine was in a cafe in a little village in Southern France. Made by this woman who had to have been over a hundred. I speak halfway decent French, but she wasn’t telling me her secret.

She had the best smile, though.” He shrugs, looking over my shoulder like he can still see her.

He’s less than ten years older than me, but it’s like he’s lived twice as long. Chefs do that, though—they come and go. One season or two at the most. A guy like Dante? I’m sure he’s a leave-them-wanting-more kind of guy.

It gets me thinking. “What’s your endgame?”

“You talking about when we get off this lovely island? Damn, Green. You really are changing.”

I shrug. Because no, I don’t think we’re getting off here alive. “That’s not what I asked.”

He sits down on the end of the new table, testing its legs before fully committing his weight to it. “You asking me if my intentions are honorable?”

“I suppose.”

“You don’t live through something like this and then walk away. At least, I couldn’t. I’ve always been a nomad. But Sassy? Sure. I could figure out how to stay in one place if that’s what she wants.”

I nod.

“Did I pass your test?”

“Sure.” There’s no test to pass. I’m not his keeper. I’m not anyone’s keeper.

“What about you?”

I take a small sip of my coffee, savoring it. “I’ve never been big on change.”

“Not sure what that means, Viking, but okay. You want some breakfast? I have pig with a side of pig.”

“I’ll take the pig.”

“Good choice.” He slides off the table and makes me a bowl. There’s more than pig in it. It’s good.

“Thanks.” I pull up a stump. With enough work, I can make some chairs to go around the table. But first, I want to get the WaveRunner working. It will make going to the other side of the island easier and use less fuel.

I’m taking the tub of dishes from last night out to the beach to wash them when Haley tiptoes down the ladder.

“Morning.” I put the box down and pull her into a hug.

“Morning. Where’s everyone else?”

“Sam and Easton are off on another secret project,” Dante says. “They should be back soon. No one wants to miss?—”

“Thanks-o-weenie,” Haley and I say together. Her laugh vibrates through my chest.

Soon turns out to be not soon at all. I’ve got the dishes washed. I peer at the WaveRunner. I guess I’ve got some time. I flip open the toolbox and sift through the few tools I have.

The carburetor was a gummy wreck—the whole machine was. It reeked of stale fuel. I drained it as soon as I had it back here on the beach. But I need to finish removing the carburetor.

I steady my hands, and with my smallest wrench, I loosen the bolts and lift the carburetor free.

The fuel bowl has a murky liquid in it—definitely water contamination.

I was hoping it hadn’t gotten this bad. It’s slow, meticulous work, but it has to be done right.

It’s going to take a lot to get the gunk out of everything.

You’d think I’d have all the time in the world to work on it. But somehow I don’t.

Someone’s running down the path from camp. Zane pops out onto the beach. “Let’s go. We’re ready.”

“Ready?”

“The thing, the day—you know.” Zane pivots and zips away.

I tuck everything back under one of the few tarps we have. Easton might have come up with this holiday, but I’m sure it’s Dante who’s made the agenda. And that scares me just a little.