Who Needs Mistletoe?. Kate Hoffmann

tongue slip between his lips for just a second. Though she was tempted to pull him back down on the blanket and have her way with him, Sophie fought her need for instant gratification. If he wanted her, he’d have to wait, at least until they found something more than sex to sustain them.

      “Are you hungry?” she whispered, her lips still touching his.

      “For you? Always.”

      “No, for something to eat.” Sophie stepped back. “When we were circling the island, I think I saw some old rainwater tanks over on the other side of the lagoon. I’m going to see what there is. Meanwhile, you can build a fire and then we’ll try to catch some fish.”

      “Do we have a fishing pole?”

      “There are hooks and line in the bottom of the toolbox.”

      “Do we have matches?”

      “Yes, but using them wouldn’t be much of an accomplishment for a man so well trained in wilderness survival, would it?”

      She found his shirt and slipped into it, then tied the tails at her waist and rolled up the sleeves. Sophie grabbed the plastic water jug he’d pulled from the tail of the plane. Despite having shared an incredibly passionate encounter, they were still virtual strangers. She didn’t know how he took his coffee, whether he preferred showers to a bath, or whether he slept on the left or the right side of the bed. But she was learning what made him hard with desire. And for now, that was enough.

      Though he was ready and willing to have her again, Sophie thought it might be a good idea to take things a bit slower. He only had one condom left and they had the whole night ahead of them. She intended to make the next seduction last a lot longer than the first. Their gazes met and it was as if there was a silent understanding there. They would touch each other again, but next time would be much more powerful than the first.

      “Maybe I should come with you,” he said, his hands braced on his hips. “I wouldn’t want you to get eaten by alligators.”

      Sophie laughed. “There are no alligators on this island.”

      “Well, there are probably all kinds of poisonous snakes and spiders.”

      “In the water. There are sea snakes.”

      “Poisonous?” he asked.

      “Yes, but very rare. You have more to fear from the centipedes. They have a nasty bite. And there may be taramea and jellyfish and rori and nohu in the lagoon. And sea urchins. Although, if we find any sea urchins, we should eat them. They’re a delicacy.”

      “I’ll come and protect you from sea urchins then.”

      “I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Why don’t you finish the shelter and get a fire started. We’ll probably need to boil any water we want to drink. The old fronds from the coconut palms burn really well. And you can probably find some driftwood if you walk over to the ocean side of the atoll.”

      “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” he asked.

      “If I get in trouble, I’ll scream and you can rescue me.” Sophie pointed to the other side of the lagoon. “Over there. I’m just going to follow the beach around. You’ll be able to see me most of the way.”

      He crossed over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought his mouth down on hers. It was a sudden, almost possessive, gesture, followed by a long, deep kiss. “Don’t get lost,” he murmured when he finally drew back.

      “I—I won’t,” Sophie stuttered, stunned by the fierce tone of his words.

      She started off down the beach, her knees wobbling from the power of his kiss. Sophie glanced over her shoulder to find him staring at her, his head cocked to the side as he watched.

      In truth, she needed to put a bit of distance between them. Given time alone, she’d be able to reexamine all the details of what had happened—the way his lips felt on her breasts, the scent of his skin, the sound of his moans as he buried himself deep inside her. Even now, she got goose bumps at the thought of the two of them, naked, limbs entwined.