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Also, it smelled bad.
He rose to his feet with a wince. His knee was stiff, among other things. He lumbered toward the cave’s entrance and shoved aside the foliage. Light flooded the interior. Cady sat up and blinked at him owlishly. She looked like a forest sprite. Her hair was a tangled halo of dark curls with leaves in it.
“Sorry,” he said. “I was...invading your space.”
She rubbed her eyes. “What?”
“Never mind,” he muttered, and went out to water the nearest tree. She followed a moment later. He already had his pants unzipped, so he turned his back to obstruct her view. His knee buckled as he sidestepped. Cursing, he regained his balance.
She walked into the jungle and crouched behind a bush to do her own thing. By the time she returned to the front of the cave, he had his body under control. He didn’t ask how she’d slept, because he already knew. They’d both been awake half the night. She had dark circles under her eyes. Getting a good rest on hard ground was difficult, even for him. He needed to build a shelter today.
“How are you?” he asked.
She touched her throat. “Thirsty.”
“Your feet okay?”
“No, they hurt.”
He nodded, unsurprised. All of the hiking they’d done would slow the healing process. He knew she wanted him to be honest with her about the challenges they faced, but he was more concerned about keeping her morale up. There wasn’t much he could do for her cuts. With his bad knee, he couldn’t carry her.
“Do you want to stay here and rest?”
Her nose wrinkled. “Rest, in that hideous cave? I don’t think so.”
He smiled at her honesty. “As soon as we get to the beach you can take it easy.”
“How far is it?”
“Not far.”
“You have no idea, do you?”
“The island is only about five miles long. I think we’re close to the coast.”
She inclined her head east, toward the sunrise. “That way?”
“Yep.”
She gathered the extra fabric from her skirt to use as a shawl. As he collected his eggs and breadfruit and aloe plant, his stomach clenched with a sharp pain that surprised him. He’d been hungry before, but not like this. He’d never felt true hunger pangs.
“My stomach hurts,” she said.
“Mine, too. We’ll eat some more coconuts at the beach.”
They hiked all morning. The waterfall he’d spotted from the summit didn’t materialize. Neither did the white-sand beach he’d hoped to see. It was baking hot, with no breeze. The foliage that blocked out the sun also seemed to hold in heat. Sweat slicked his skin and tickled his mosquito bites. His damp shirt clung to his back.
In contrast, his throat felt like sandpaper. He was losing too much fluid to perspiration. Staying hydrated under these conditions was almost impossible.
Cady trudged along with a zombie-like stoicism that concerned him. Although she was stronger than he’d expected, he was afraid to push her too hard. When he found another cluster of liana vines, it was none too soon. She collapsed in the shade, her face pale. They drank until her color returned. Then they drank some more. She used the aloe on her lips, which were healing well. He did the same. His sunburn felt better. This environment was challenging, but it was nowhere near as harsh as the open ocean.
After a short rest, he stood and offered her a hand. She rose to her feet too quickly. Her lashes fluttered, and she swayed backward. He caught her before she fell, holding her upright. She didn’t faint, which was a good sign. She stared at him in surprise. His heart pounded against hers, half relieved, half...something else.
“I got light-headed,” she said.
“I can see that.”
She clung to him for a few seconds. Her fingers were curled around his biceps, her slim body pressed to his. He liked the way she felt in his arms, despite the circumstances. He’d liked the way she’d felt this morning, too.
“Okay now?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He released her slowly, struck by a wave of guilt. He was having a hard time keeping his hands off her, and his thoughts were completely inappropriate. She was weak from exhaustion. He should be taking better care of her.
His desire for her was awkward, but manageable. What really bothered him was the sense that he was letting her down. He was failing her, the same way he’d failed his comrade in Telskuf. If Logan hadn’t been injured, Hud would still be alive.
The loss of his teammate weighed heavily on Logan, and it made him feel even more protective of Cady. She was his team now, and she needed him to survive. She shouldn’t be hiking like this. He cursed himself for not being able to carry her. She could get heat exhaustion, and then they’d really be in trouble. There were a thousand ways to die here. She could contract dengue fever, or pick up a nasty intestinal bug. She could succumb to an infection, just from the cuts on her feet.
“I’m going to scout ahead,” he said.
“No,” she said, grasping his arm. “I can walk. Take me with you.”
He raked a hand through his hair, torn. She was afraid to be alone in the jungle, which was understandable, but he really needed to find the shore. He glanced around and spotted a seagull flying over the tops of the trees. They were close.
He nodded his agreement, and they started walking again. She seemed to have recovered from her dizzy spell. They followed the bird’s flight path to a clearing. From there he could see swaying palm trees, loaded with coconuts.
They’d made it. Thank God.
There was no gradual transition from inland to coast. The foliage just ended where the beach began. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees in the sand, basking in the change of scenery. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed fresh air and sunshine. The thick canopy had felt suffocating and oppressive.
This beach was paradise. Pure paradise.
It was all soft white sand and crystal-blue water. There were coconut palms for days. The tide pools promised a plethora of tasty seafood, and the underwater reef would offer even more. His chest swelled with emotion. He couldn’t see the waterfall from here, but a tall rock formation rose up in the distance like a monument of hope.
Cady didn’t stop on the dry sand. She raced straight into the surf and collapsed there, letting the gentle waves lap over her. He laughed at her antics, his spirits soaring. They were going to be all right.
He hadn’t allowed himself to feel relief until this moment. He also hadn’t dwelled on the dangers they’d faced so far. The days at sea had been dark, to say the least. The odds of arriving at an island like this were astronomical. He’d had brushes with death before, but they were the flash-bang kind, over in the blink of an eye. Slow starvation wasn’t his cup of tea. They were incredibly lucky to be alive.
He wanted to join her in the waves, fully clothed, but he couldn’t afford to get his fire-starting materials wet. So he shucked out of his pants and pulled his shirt over his head before he dove in. The water felt deliciously cool on his overheated skin. He submerged his entire body, getting his hair wet, rinsing away the dirt and sweat and jungle funk.
It was glorious.
She was right there with him, laughing and splashing around in the waves. He hadn’t seen her this happy since the night at the bar. She looked like a tropical goddess in her red dress, eyes dancing.
He drew her into his arms and kissed her. He couldn’t help himself. His relief overflowed, and his instincts took over. He pulled her on top of him and kissed her beautiful mouth. Then he rolled on top of her and did it again.
He didn’t put much thought into his actions. He just let his impulses take over and went along for the ride. They’d been through a lot together, and he felt a deep connection with her. He told himself it wasn’t even sexual—but he wouldn’t have done this with anyone else. He didn’t kiss his comrades after a successful mission. He didn’t grab random women and plant one on them when the mood struck.
She kissed him back with the same joyful ebullience, twisting her arms around his neck. It was all innocent fun, as frothy as the foam-specked surf. She laughed into his mouth as a wave crashed over his back. Then the water around them bloomed bright red.
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