Chapter 11
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B AILEY STIRRED, WARM sunlight beating down on her.
Her pillow felt harder and lumpier than usual, but she was so tired and so warm.
She shifted slightly, trying to fall back into a deep slumber and ignore her slightly stiff neck.
The sun was so damn bright though. Had she forgotten to close her shades last night?
Sniffing the air, the scent of wood burning had her instantly awake.
She sat up with a start, gasping. The bonfire fifty feet away on the beach was baffling. Smoke rose high in the air, and she noted with a frown that dark clouds were off in the distance.
The boat.
The storm.
Memories of their day came flooding back.
She wasn’t at a beach bonfire with Taylor and the guys. She wasn’t dreaming, sound asleep in her own bed.
She was stuck here with Noah.
Rubbing her eyes as she pushed away the emergency blanket and glanced around, she realized he was nowhere in sight.
The sun was lower in the sky than earlier, and fear crept through her as she realized they might be stranded out here all night.
The fire should alert the rescuers, but with the rain in the distance, would they even be able to come?
Would the rain put the fire out before they even saw it?
A hot tear slid down her cheek, and she hastily swiped it away.
She was being silly. She was safe here with Noah. They had food. A few basic supplies. The pending rain would be somewhat of a challenge, but they could move back beneath the shelter of the trees.
Her gaze tracked upward, focusing on the tall palm trees. Her eyes widened as she spotted some coconuts. They could drink coconut water, too, to stay hydrated. If they could somehow get one down.
Sniffling, she swiped at her eyes again as her stomach rumbled. She’d barely eaten anything all day—just the few crackers earlier. And breakfast this morning at the condo, which now felt like a lifetime ago.
Were Taylor and Mason out looking for them now? Had something happened to them, too?
“Hey!” Noah called out, suddenly appearing from the tree line. He looked tall and self-assured as he moved forward, barefoot and wearing his swim trunks and tee shirt. He frowned as he walked toward her, his eyes crinkling with concern. “Hell, sunshine, are you okay?”
He crouched down beside her, and she instantly felt foolish. Noah had been out here gathering wood and starting a fire while she slept. He’d probably been searching the skies and water for any sign of someone. She should be helping him, not sitting here feeling sorry for herself.
She could smell salt and sweat as he leaned closer. His gaze searched her face, and he wiped away some of her tears.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’m just being silly.”
“It kills me to see your tears,” he said, his voice gruff. Despite herself, another one rolled down her cheek, and he gently wiped it away. “We’re going to be okay. There’s a storm in the distance, so it looks like we might be stuck here tonight. They won’t search in severe weather.”
“Have you seen anyone?” she asked quietly. “A boat or plane or—anything?”
“No,” he said gruffly. “And that does concern me. We don’t know if Mason and Taylor are stranded out there, too.
They should’ve been able to radio for help, but we have no way of knowing what problems they encountered in the storm.
The engine could’ve given them trouble again.
And if they made it back or were able to radio the Coast Guard, we sure as hell would’ve seen someone out here looking for us. ”
“What if they got washed overboard, too?”
“I don’t think they did,” he said, sitting down beside her in the sand. He stretched his long legs out, and she gazed at the springy hairs. He was the epitome of masculinity—strong where she was weak. Tall. Muscular.
Briefly she wondered if he was sorry he wasn’t out here with Mason. Not that either of them would want to be stranded, but at least Mason would’ve known what to do. Mason would’ve been able to help some.
“You were near the starboard side of the boat, but they were right by the steering wheel,” Noah said. “The entire boat would’ve had to capsize for them to go over.”
“I just hope they’re okay. Wow, it’s getting hot.” She started to pull off Mason’s sweatshirt as they sat in the sunshine, and then she realized she was wearing nothing underneath. Her gaze landed on her clothes, still drying under the driftwood.
“Your things should be dry by now,” he said. “I’ll grab them.”
He handed her the bikini top, shirt, and shorts, their fingers briefly brushing together.
Something about seeing his masculine hand gripping her hot pink string bikini sent heat surging straight through her.
Noah was handsome as hell, and she admired the way he’d handled himself during the whole ordeal.
He’d been calm and clear headed. He’d dove in after her in the middle of the storm to save her. And ever since they’d gotten here, he’d put her needs before his own.
Not every man was like that, she knew.
The guys on the team were all protective to some extent. Goodness, it was practically in their job description.
She’d seen a different side of Noah this afternoon than all the flirting and teasing though. They’d had fun before, yes, but now she knew she could literally trust him with her life.
It brought things into an entirely new perspective.
He eyed her skimpy bikini top with interest but then turned away from her so she could have some privacy.
She tied the strings behind her, imagining those thick fingers of Noah’s working them.
Flipping her hair to the side, she tied the top string behind her neck and then adjusted the triangle cups.
“I’m decent now,” she said, smiling as he immediately turned back around.
“Smoking hot is more like it,” he said with a low chuckle. “There’s nothing decent about it.”
“Very funny,” she said, sticking out her tongue at him.
She shimmied into her shorts and then pulled her tee shirt over her head.
Her skin felt dry from spending the day in the salt water and sun.
There wasn’t much she could do about it now though.
Noah might have emergency supplies, but she doubted moisturizer made his list.
“I’ve got a bottle of sunscreen,” he said, as if reading her thoughts.
“Awesome.”
He reached into his backpack and tossed the sunscreen to her. She nabbed it from the air and then spread some over her arms, eyeing the dark clouds in the distance.
“I don’t think this fire will last very long,” he said with a frown. “If this moves as quick as the other storm, we should probably gather up our few things and head for the trees to get some shelter.”
“I don’t suppose you have a tent in your emergency supplies.”
“That’s a negative, sunshine. I’ve got a couple emergency blankets though. We can huddle under one of those. And hopefully the canopy from the trees will provide some shelter. If it starts raining sideways or something though, we might get soaked.”
She finished spreading sunscreen over her shoulders and then handed him back the bottle. Noah rounded up the few things they’d left scattered around, stuffing them quickly into his backpack as thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Come on,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand.
His thick fingers twined with hers, and she felt a jolt of electricity surge between them. Electricity that had nothing to do with the pending storm.
Noah waited, watching as she stepped over a large piece of driftwood, and then they were hurrying toward the line of palm trees. A few fat rain drops began to fall from the sky and Bailey swiped them off her face, darting behind Noah under cover.
They’d just gotten underneath when the heavens suddenly opened.
She watched with disdain as the bonfire was suddenly out.
Without a smoke signal or flare, they couldn’t notify anyone where they were.
Of course, with the rain, she doubted anyone was out looking.
Even if they had been searching, they’d have called it off.
Noah sank to the ground, leaning back against the rough bark of a palm tree.
“Come sit with me,” he said. She nodded, settling on the ground between his legs, her back to his chest. It was intimate and comforting resting against him.
His muscular arms wrapped around her, and his legs splayed out beside hers.
He was powerful and strong, yet always so careful around her. A perfect study in contrasts.
She jumped in his arms as lighting cracked in the sky, and his lips brushed against her hair. “We’re fine, sunshine.”
“You’re not supposed to be under trees in a thunderstorm,” she said.
“I’m not sure we have many good options here.”
“This storm is insane,” she said as they watched the rain pound down and the wind pick up, whipping leaves and debris through the air.
“I don’t know, it’s kind of romantic sitting here watching the storm together.”
She burst into laughter. “I didn’t take you for a romance kind of guy,” she said lightly.
“I’m full of surprises,” he said, his voice husky.
His arms tightened ever so slightly, and she relaxed further back into his strength and warmth.
She could feel his chest rise and fall at her back, and even though they were outside in the middle of the storm, she inexplicably felt safer having him there.
Having Noah hold her close in his muscular embrace.
“I’ve watched some amazing storms from the bar,” she said, thinking of the view from the windows by the back deck.
“Customers would run in to wait it out, or on particularly bad days, no one would be around. The other waitresses and I would hang out, just watching the ocean pound against the shore.”
“I bet you’ve seen some great storms. Right there on the beach? It’s the perfect location. I’ll admit I enjoy storms more from dry land. We’ve trained in bad weather, out on ships in the middle of the ocean, and there’s nothing fun about it.”
“What made you want to be a SEAL?” she asked.
“I always planned to join the Navy after high school. The SEALs are the best of the best—special ops. The Army has Delta Force—the Rangers and Green Berets. SEALs are considered by many to be the most elite special ops group in the entire world.”
“I can’t even imagine what kind of training you had to do to become a SEAL,” she said, watching the rain pound down on the beach around them. “I’m sure it was something awful.”
“It’s tough. You’ve probably heard of BUD/S—Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL. There’s also parachute jump school.”
Bailey shuddered. “You couldn’t pay me enough to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.”
Noah chuckled behind her. “It’s a thrill like no other. Exhilarating. The high you get, when you’re falling through the air? Fucking awesome. Maybe not better than sex, but it’s a high right up there.”
Bailey giggled, feeling herself flush. “Oh my God, Noah. Seriously? You did not just say that.”
He chuffed out a laugh. “I did, and I was being brutally honest.”
“Well let’s be real—nothing is better than sex.”
“I’m with you there, sunshine.” He took hold of one of her hands, absently caressing circles on the back of it with his thumb. “But as much as I love sex, don’t worry. You’re safe here with me. I’d never do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“I know,” she said lightly, feeling shivers race down her spine at his touch.
“I’m attracted to you,” he said huskily. “But I know we’re trapped here together. I know that you’re scared. My first priority is making sure you’re safe.”
“Your first priority? Well, watch out for yourself, too. I don’t want to be stranded here alone.”
“I’m good, sunshine. I’m used to roughing it. Pitching a tent in the desert. Hauling a rucksack around on deployments. Hell, did I tell you that even after you become a SEAL, you train for eighteen months? Only after that will they send you on deployment.”
“Have you guys been together long? Your SEAL team, I mean?”
“A few years,” he said, his voice low. She felt his head move behind her, as if he were nodding.
“The Alpha team is stationed at Little Creek, too. Sometimes we work with them as well. But the guys on the Delta team are a tight-knit group. We’ve seen things we can’t even tell anyone about.
We train together, fight together. It forges an unbreakable bond between us. ”
“I guess so. I can’t imagine risking my life with my coworkers. I mean, sure, we get drunks at the bar, but that hardly counts.”
“I worry about you working late hours,” he said, briefly nuzzling the top of her head. “You’re a beautiful woman. And around all those drunk guys late at night? I don’t like it.”
“Yeah. I imagine Mason worries about Taylor, too. That’s the nature of the job when you work as a waitress or bartender. I wouldn’t be happy in a nine-to-five job. I’m a night owl, so it suits me.”
“I can’t imagine there’s ever a dull moment,” he said.
“Nope. And I don’t even have to jump out of airplanes.”
He chuckled, his deep laugh filling the air.
The rain continued to fall from the sky, but sitting beneath the palm trees in Noah’s arms, Bailey felt safe.
Secure. In their own little world. Part of her was terrified that it would be days, weeks, before they were found.
But another part of her knew she wouldn’t want to be stranded on a deserted island with anyone other than him.