Page 33 of Wild Idol (Tyson Wild Thriller #82)

I splashed into the obsidian water as Ivy climbed out, giggling.

“You think it’s funny, do you?” I teased.

“Yes, I do.” She collected her bikini and got dressed. The flickering light accentuated her figure, and water beaded, glistening her smooth skin. “You should have jumped in when you had the opportunity.”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t somewhat question my judgment. She looked damn good.

By the time I pulled myself out of the water, Ivy had scampered away, absconding with the small torch. The two remaining torches flickered as I dripped dry on the slab, water pooling around my squishy sneakers.

I peeled out of my clothes and rang them out, the water splatting against the stone.

When they were sufficiently dry, I put them back on and started back toward the village, down the darkened path.

I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and used the flashlight to illuminate the way.

Fortunately, it was waterproof. There was no service out here and no way to charge it up, but I had been using it sparingly and turning it off when not in use.

I followed the sound of the revelers around the campfire, making my way back toward the village. Darcy’s soft voice filtered through the trees as she sang aspirational songs.

The crowd had thinned out by the time I returned. JD disappeared with Whisper, no doubt to reprise their afternoon delights. Peace and free love seemed to be a common ethos around here. But Solomon definitely had his spell cast over the congregation.

I made my way back to my bungalow and settled in for the evening.

I peeled out of my clothes, climbed into bed, and draped the mosquito netting around the perimeter.

The fan above spun slow circles, moving just enough air around the room to keep it from getting stuffy.

The temperature had dropped to around 72°. It was a nice evening.

I was still detoxing from the interconnected world.

I hadn’t received a text message or a phone call all day.

Numerous times I had grabbed my device, looking to see if there were any messages.

It was a habit. This level of disconnectedness was unusual, and I had the slight sense that I was missing out on something.

I’m sure after a few days, that would fade, and the pace of life would slow down.

I didn’t know if we would be here that long.

But I had to admit, it was a nice break from the constant chaos.

I knew that Solomon was a cheat and a manipulator, and probably worse, but I had seen nothing to lead me to believe that the people here weren’t acting of their own free will.

However, I was still concerned about their ability to just up and leave.

The candle on the nightstand flickered, glowing the room. Shadows danced in soothing ways. Somebody had obviously come into the room and lit the candle while I was gone. This was like a true resort, with turndown service and all-inclusive meals.

A gentle knock at the door drew my attention.

An instant later, the door cracked open, and a soft voice whispered inside, “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet,“ I said.

“Do you mind if I come inside?” Sunshine asked.

How could I say no?

She slipped into the room and gently closed the door behind her. She looked delightful in the soft candlelight. She started across the room, still wearing that teeny bikini and sarong. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. I don’t want to keep you up past your bedtime.”

She had every intention of keeping me up past my bedtime. I can’t say that I would mind.

“Star said you turned her down.”

“Word travels fast,” I said.

“There are no secrets here.”

There were a lot of secrets here. I just hadn’t discovered them all yet .

Sunshine continued. “Star is beautiful. I don’t know many who could say no to her. Especially considering that Solomon doesn’t share her.”

“She’s not Solomon’s possession. And I don’t think it was in her heart.“

Sunshine smiled. “I’m nobody’s possession. Do you want to know what’s in my heart?”

Sunshine pulled the string of her bikini top, and her glorious endowments bounced free.

She had my full attention.

“Are you sure Solomon didn’t put you up to this?”

“Nobody put me up to this,” she said in an innocent voice. “I chose you. From the moment you stepped onto the island. I knew I wanted you.”

“I’m flattered.”

Her delicate fingers tugged her bikini bottoms, and she shimmied them over her hips, sliding them down her glorious thighs. The candlelight made her look absolutely edible. Sunshine pulled back the mosquito netting and crawled into bed with me.

The gorgeous blonde straddled my hips, and with a gentle rocking, sparked lustful desires. She teased the pleasures that awaited.

This was a moment that didn’t need any conversation. I didn’t need a road map or a procedural manual to know what to do next. Still, given the situation, I wanted to sort out her motivation. “Are you happy here? ”

“I’m happy now,” she cooed.

She flattened her body against mine and gave me a kiss. Her lips were soft and full and fit mine perfectly.

When we broke for air, I asked another dumb question. “Have you ever wanted to leave?”

Her face wrinkled like the notion was idiotic. “No. Why would I want to leave?”

“Do you ever feel unsafe here? Manipulated? Coerced?”

“No, silly,” she said with a giggle.

“You know he’s under investigation in the States.”

She dismissed it. “Complete bullshit. Visionaries are always persecuted. They don’t want us to do what we’re doing.

They want to control us. Tell us what we can and can’t do, tax us, make us conform.

Here, we don’t have any of that. I don’t pay bills.

I don’t buy things I don’t need. I don’t pay rent.

I’m not wasting my life at some dead-end job with no time to enjoy the things that truly matter.

What kind of life is that? Who would want to go back to that? ”

She was making a compelling argument for living off the grid.

“There’s no crime here. No war. No hatred. Is it so hard to understand why people would choose to opt out of modern society?”

“Not hard to understand at all.”

“This is a better way. I was miserable before. My life has meaning now.”

“I’m glad,” I said .

“Look, I’m not an airhead. I just play one on TV. I’ve got a Master’s in Psychology. I know all about manipulators and how to spot them. No one is going to manipulate or coerce me. Is Solomon perfect? No. But under his leadership, we built this place. That’s gotta count for something.”

“Fair enough.”

“Most of my friends have mountains of debt. They buy things they can’t afford, so they can flex on social media.

They married the guy with the best earning potential, not the best emotional intelligence score.

While he’s at work, banging the secretary, she’s bored and starved for attention.

Some guy on the internet tells her she’s pretty and how he’d treat her like a queen, and she spreads her legs for him.

Their entire lives are a facade. They’re miserable.

They’re always going to be miserable because their priorities are all out of whack. That’s never going to be me.”

I chuckled. “Okay. You’ve almost got me sold.”

Sunshine smiled. “Good. You might find you like it here.”

“Anything is possible.”

“Now, if you’re done talking, I’ll go back to being a ditsy blonde without a care in the world, and you can treat me like a blow-up doll. How does that sound?”

“That sounds pretty damn good.”

“I thought you’d see it that way.”

She pressed her full lips against mine again. Our tongues danced, and she got this train back on track. My hands found her full peaks, and I caressed her smooth skin. Soon, our hips collided, and we worked up a hell of a sweat. She was smart, sexy, and insatiable.

I did my best to satisfy her appetites.

The raised bungalow creaked and groaned, rocking back-and-forth with our escapades. We tried to keep it down to a dull roar, but I suspected the entire village could figure out what was going on.

She was soft and firm and slick in all the right places.

Whatever tension I was holding onto, I let go of rather quickly. Our passion erupted in a tempestuous storm that would make the local volcano envious.

We collapsed beside each other, steamy and sweaty, basking in the bliss of the afterglow. Sunshine snuggled close and caressed my chest with her soft fingers. Her breathy voice whispered in my ear, “I’m so glad you stopped talking.”

“Me too,” I replied with a chuckle.

“Rest up. Because we’re going to do that again and again, and again, and again,” she said, her voice like satin.

Sunshine was the kind of girl I wouldn’t mind having a repeat performance with. Or perhaps a dozen. Dare I say, I might never get bored of such a thing. She definitely made a compelling argument for giving up your worldly possessions and living an idyllic life off-grid.

But I knew this story wasn’t going to have a happy ending.