15. Fifteen
The next day, Kat saw the sun rising through the vines covering their hiding spot. In the full morning light, she could see how close they were to the rock wall, as the boat barely fit in the small space. She had a blanket and a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her, and it took everything within her to not sigh in contentment. Where West had found the blanket, coarse as it was, she had no idea.
They slept reclined on the bow of the boat, where one would usually lie to sunbathe, and he had tucked her into his side. Somehow, he had moved her without her noticing. He looked so angelic as he slept. His dark blond hair, slightly graying at his temples, practically glowed as the morning sun showed through, bouncing light off his head. She was loath to wake him, but it was time for them to get home. They needed to get to safety. As much as she wanted their time together to never end, for it to be the two of them lost to the ocean forever, they were being hunted by drug dealing murderers and needed help.
Her mind was still reeling after shooting a man. Kat had never felt comfortable with guns or considered them a means for solving problems. It had been one reason she had left the Midwest. When every neighbor, classmate, and even friend seemed to think guns were the answers to problems, she felt like she didn’t belong. It was going to take her a while to process the fact that she might have killed someone. The more disturbing part was that while she aimed for his shoulder, she hadn’t cared if she had killed him in the moment.
When she had seen Lock level the gun at West, her heart fell out of her body, and she knew instantly that she would do anything to save him, even throwing herself in front of the bullet, which she had almost done. For a split second, she had almost yelled out to Lock to take her instead, to do what he wanted with her and to let West go, but then she had seen the gun cabinet and grabbed a gun instead. While she had aimed for his shoulder but had hit him in the chest, and in that split second, she hadn’t cared. West didn’t deserve to die, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
She couldn’t tell him she might have feelings for him, of course. What if he said it back? What if he didn’t? Kat couldn’t decide which scenario she preferred because either way it ended with her brokenhearted.
She felt him stir at her back, and turned in his arms as he opened his eyes, entirely too blue and even brighter against the backdrop of the ocean.
“Mmmm, good morning, sweetheart,” he grumbled, his voice still gruff from sleep, the sound instantly sending shockwaves through Kat’s body. He gripped her tighter and pulled her close, his mouth coming down on hers, his tongue slipping between her lips. She sighed and he took advantage of the invitation as his tongue met hers, and she felt warmth instantly pooling at her center. He had given her the orgasm of her life a day ago, and yet she wanted more. His large hand cupped her nape, pulling her closer as he sat up so that they were now face-to-face. He explored her mouth with his, while his hands explored her body, cautious of her injured arms. Kat wanted nothing more than to keep this going, but she knew they couldn’t. They had to get back. She couldn’t let her heart win over her head this time.
“West,” she said into his mouth, pushing his hands off her, pulling herself back. “West, we have to go.”
“Go?” He looked surprised.
“Yes, go.” She gave him one quick kiss on the underside of his jaw. “We have a boat. We need to get to safety. It’s time we got home and alerted the authorities about those men.”
He looked down at his crotch and back at her. “We’re not going to take care of this?”
Kat laughed. “West, come on!”
He grimaced and adjusted himself. “Fine, Kat, but we’re not done with this conversation. You can’t let me taste heaven and not let me have the whole meal.”
She smiled, but inwardly she knew it couldn’t be. She, too, wanted to give him everything. It was better she ended this now before she became even more attached.
“What are you thinking?” He always seemed to notice when she was deep in thought.
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
“Liar.” He smirked. “But we might as well get a move on, so I’ll make you tell me later.
Before she could respond, he gave her a quick kiss, then stood to pick up the boat keys, jingling them in front of her. “Are you driving or me? You did such a good job getting us out of there, but I’ll let you decide.”
West could feel her mood. She didn’t know how he did it. He knew her better than she knew herself. He knew she didn’t want to drive, but also knew to ask. When did he become considerate? A single tear rolled down her face, followed by another until it all came flooding out of her.
He didn’t run away—not that he could—or ask her what was wrong. He simply pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in his warmth, and rubbed her back in soothing circles. He spoke softly, telling her how amazing she was, that they were almost to the end of all this, and his kind words made her cry even harder.
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, crying like a fool. Eventually, the tears dried, and she wiped her eyes on his already dirt-stained button-down. She stepped back, looking into his eyes, and the care and compassion she saw reflected in them made her almost break down again.
He cupped her cheek and smiled. “Let’s get home.”
Eight hours at sea, driving in what felt like circles, and they were almost out of gas. West looked over the bow of the boat at Kat as she watched the waves pass by. She had been quiet and not herself. Being kidnapped and shooting a man would probably do that to a person, but he felt it was something else, like she was distancing herself from him. He didn’t like it.
As they moved closer to society, West couldn’t tell what was going on in Kat’s mind. He wanted to see where this went. To see if they could be together in the real world. It would kill him to let her walk away, but if that was what she wanted, he would never stop her. Deep down he knew she cared for him too.
He had opened himself up to her. Came almost too close to revealing his feelings for her, but since her tears that morning, she had been almost silent. He was worried he had said too much.
In the distance, he saw another island but was unwilling to get his hopes up. They had seen multiple islands, and each time they had driven around only to find them uninhabited. As they got closer, the island grew in perspective, looming larger in front of them, the trees growing from the craggy hills sticking out above the surface. Kat was standing on the bow of the ship pointing excitedly toward her left. He looked, almost falling to his knees as relief swamped his every last nerve.
A group of fishermen was working off the beach while other men sat at the edge of a dock. There were multiple boats floating in the water. The island wasn’t large, but it was large enough. There were people here! Now, hopefully, they could find a way to get to Jakarta. West pulled the throttle back, putting the engine in neutral.
“West, what are you—” Kat asked, stopping mid-sentence as he prowled toward her. He was in front of her in two steps, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. He didn’t know if it was from the relief of ending this nightmare, or if it was because he needed her to know that even if this was the end of their predicament, it wasn’t the end of them. Either way, he needed her lips on him.
She nipped at his lower lip, and he reveled in the feel of her. He pulled her closer, feeling her breasts pressed against his chest. He wanted to rip her clothes off and finish what they’d started this morning, but they had an audience. A boat didn’t just sail up to an island and not draw attention.
Stepping back, he broke the kiss, a deep sense of longing overtaking him. He wanted to pull her back into his arms, but instead, he walked back to the steering wheel, pushed the throttle up, and steered the boat toward the dock. A man directed him where they wanted him, and he docked their vessel. The men jumped onto the deck and started inspecting it. West did not know what they were looking for, and he grabbed Kat as they both got off.
The men started asking him questions, but he didn’t understand them. They most likely spoke Indonesian or a dialect of their own island. They pointed at the boat, and then at him and Kat, and he shook his head, gesturing that he didn’t know what they wanted.
“It’s not our boat,” he said, hoping someone might understand him.
One of the men looked at a kid of maybe ten or eleven who took off running.
They talked, and Kat looked at West, concern etched on her face. He wanted to smooth away the lines on her forehead and make her forget all her worries. They were going to get home; they were too close not to make it. He squeezed her hand, and she leaned into him.
The boy ran back with someone new who looked to be in his forties, maybe his father, and was wearing Western clothing.
“Hello,” he said in clear English.
“Oh, hi, you speak English?” Kat asked him.
“Yes.” He nodded to the boat. “Where have you come from?”
Kat and West spoke at the same time, saying that it was a bit of a long story. They looked at each other and laughed, and West could feel his heart swell for the woman at his side. He couldn’t even think of the last time he’d just laughed with a woman without pretense.
The man across from them didn’t seem amused.
“You tell him,” West said, looking at Kat.
“Is this your boat?” he interrupted before Kat could say anything.
“Oh . . . well . . . no, we stole it,” Kat admitted, as her feet began drawing pictures in the sand that had built up on the dock.
Dear god, Kat!
They were going to Indonesian jail now. He elbowed her in her side.
“What? It’s true. Might as well be honest.” She gestured to the man, who raised his eyebrows at her declaration. “You see, we washed up on this island with a bunch of men growing coca plants and manufacturing cocaine, then we escaped on their boat, ended up here, and now we need to get to Jakarta so we can fly back to the United States.”
He looked at her and blinked a few times.
“I know it sounds crazy,” West added, “but—”
He put his hand up. “I believe her. We thought you were with those men. We see these boats drive by, with their motors day and night. These White men with no regard for our customs or our waters. I am glad you are not one of them, but we can never be too sure.”
Then he smiled. “Welcome to Sawu Island!” He opened his arms wide, gesturing for them to follow him off the dock. “Let’s get you cleaned up and get you some food.”
Kat smiled up at West. “Did you hear that?” Her eyes sparkled.
“What? We’re going home?”
She laughed. “No. Food!”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head as they followed him off the dock; she would finally be safe.
A few hours later, Kat had showered, and had eaten real cooked food for the first time in what she had estimated to be ten days. Her whole body relaxed and felt slightly normal—aside from her aching arms—for the first time, and she sat on the bed, looking out at the ocean finally able to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings.
Sawu Island was small, not a destination for tourists, but thankfully had a place for them to stay. West used the man from the beach’s phone to call his father, who in turn said they would be picked up in the morning.
It wasn’t as spacious or gorgeous as her room in Bali, but there was a beautifully carved bed, a small powder room, and half of the space opened to the ocean breeze. The moonlight streamed in, and Kat thought she might never go back home. What was she even going back to? She still didn’t have a career. Her family loved her, but they all had their own things going on, and she couldn’t face seeing West with someone else, which would inevitably happen. Here she could toss her phone into the ocean, write music, and live a nice peaceful life.
You’d be lonely.
She pushed her intruding thoughts aside and sat at the edge of their room on the steps. She watched West as he walked up from the bathhouse and crossed through the moonlit clearing to reach her. His tanned skin glistened with water droplets. A towel was draped around his neck, and he had a new pair of shorts on, but no shirt, and it took everything within Kat’s power not to start drooling as she watched his muscles bunch and flex as he walked toward her.
He smiled as he saw her watching, and her body felt like a live wire buzzing with anticipation.
“I thought you’d be asleep by now,” he said, his deep voice wrapping around and warming her.
West leaned his arm on one of the columns that held up the rumah adat’s roof, looking the perfect picture of a relaxed male, his crisp clean scent floating all around her. Kat had to get away or she was in serious trouble. Who was she kidding? She was already in trouble.
She uncurled herself from her seated position, and as she rose, her arm grazed his bare chest. She heard the catch in his breath and stumbled back a step, desperately searching for something to say. The noise of crickets filled the silence between them, but their eyes remained locked.
He grasped one of her hands, pulling her into his arms and started swaying back and forth.
“Dance with me,” he whispered in her ear.
Kat leaned her head on his shoulder, listening to the crickets chirping around them, and the wind rustle through the trees.
“There’s no music,” she said breathlessly.
“Aren’t you the one who hears the music all around you?”
She nodded against his chest, inhaling his scent. “I hear it. I wasn’t sure you did.” She looked up into his eyes, half shadowed in the dark, and he smiled at her.
She couldn’t handle the emotion she saw, so she rested her head back on his strong, warm chest.
And then he started to sing. A song she had never heard before. One he had just made up, or one she just didn’t know. Either way, her legs were failing her.
His voice was soft, but his deep sultry tone still wrapped itself around her body. If there was ever a fantasy she’d had over and over growing up, this was it. The sexy rock star, singing a song just for her. This had to be a dream. Famous stars did not sing love songs to women like Kat. She jerked her head up, surprising West.
“Is that a new song?”
“Yeah. Something about being lost on an island has been rather inspiring.” His deep voice reverberated in his chest and warmed Kat’s body.
“That means you’re going to forget the acting then?”
He was silent for what felt like an eternity. “Nice try, sweetheart.”
Kat pulled away, moving across the veranda, annoyed with his answer. “So, you write a new song, but won’t do anything with it? I don’t get it. Acting just seems so superficial for you.”
Was she purposefully picking a fight with him?
Most likely. He was breaking down all her defenses, and her heart was becoming a puddled mess in his hands. If they crossed the line tonight there would be no going back for her. He would own her, body and soul.
A corner of West’s mouth quirked up, and Kat backed up farther into the room, feeling her pulse pounding with fear, or maybe it was something else, as his gaze bore into her. He pushed away from the column and moved toward her slowly and deliberately, like a panther stalking its prey.
She felt rooted to the spot and couldn’t move, even if she wanted to. In just a few short strides, he reached her. He leaned in close until his breath tickled her ear.
“Kat, what the hell are you so afraid of?” His voice was low and intimate, sending shivers down her spine. He saw right through her, and Kat hated him for it.
Wrestling out of his grip, Kat walked across the room. “Me? You’re asking me what I’m afraid of?” She let out a sardonic laugh. “How about you? You’re going to take the easier route simply because you can. God forbid you take a chance on yourself, on others in this infernal industry. You have a chance to make a change in alternative music, but you’re too worried about your bottom line, about your cushy lifestyle, about failure. It would be a shame if you couldn’t get into those rich-kid clubs anymore.”
It was a low blow; she knew it, but she had to put distance between them. Kat turned away from him, placing her hands on the dresser in front of her, willing the stinging in her eyes to go away. She wanted him to be more than he was. Deep down she had continued to hope that if he was willing to do the right thing and stand for something in the music industry, maybe he’d change in other ways too. Ways involving his love life. Ways, dare she think it, involving her. The wishful thinking was stupid on her part.
A firm hand turned her around and pushed her back into the dresser, his heat and powerful body igniting all her nerve endings.
“Fine,” West ground out, anger and something else glowing in his eyes. “You want me to start an indie label? I’ll do it, and guess who my first signed artist will be?”
Kat glared at him, both hating and loving the feel of him.
He tipped her chin up. “Take a guess, Kat.”
“I don’t know,” she said more breathlessly than she wanted.
“You.” He dipped his head, and his tongue blazed a scorching trail from her collarbone to behind her ear. Her body betrayed her with a shudder.
“I don’t want it,” she said through clenched teeth.
He bit her earlobe, and she turned her head away. His teeth raked up her neck.
“Now who’s scared?”
“I’m not scared. You’re not even serious, you’re just trying to bait me. You won’t do it. That would require giving a fuck about anyone besides yourself.”
He let out a guttural sound that sent a shiver through her, his powerful arms lifting her off the ground with a single movement. Kat yelped in surprise as West held her close to his body, their faces inches apart in the pale moonlight.
“Oh, trust me when I say I give a fuck,” West said, pinning her against his body and the wall, his face shadowed. “I give such a fuck that all I’ve been able to think about is you. About your smile. About your laugh. About how much you care for everyone else over yourself. About what you taste like, and what you’ll feel like coming apart on my cock, the sounds you’ll make as I push that pussy to its breaking point.”
Kat’s head spun. She was supposed to be mad at him, not falling to pieces in his arms with her legs wrapped around him, her panties wetter than if she’d just jumped in a swimming pool.
He pushed his arousal against her. “You feel that, sweetheart? You do that to me and trust me, it wouldn’t do that if I didn’t give a fuck.”
“I’m the only woman you’ve seen for days,” Kat reminded him.
“Dammit, Kat.” West spun her around, laying her down on the bed. “At some point, you’re going to have to trust me. God willing, I hope that moment is now because I’m about to take all your clothes off and fuck you until the only name you can remember is mine.”
Kat searched his face for any hint that he was just using her, but all she could see was the same intensity and passion that had been building up in her for days. “I trust you,” she whispered.
His lips crashed into hers, claiming her with a kiss like no other. Their tongues intertwined, tangling together as West explored her body with his hands. All conscious thought faded away, and Kat allowed herself to be swept away in his passionate embrace.
West pulled back, lifting her shirt over her head. She winced at the pain in her arm.
His eyes softened. “Sorry, I’ll watch out for your arm,” he said, leaning down to rain kisses on it. “Now,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “you’re going to be a good girl and do what I say tonight.”
Kat’s heart raced and she opened her mouth to protest, but West placed one finger to her lips, silencing her. “No, tonight you’re going to do as you’re told.”
Kat’s body became incendiary, her mind racing as she thought about what West had planned. He may sing sweet, sexy love songs, but this was a completely different side of Weston Monroe.
He grasped her hips, his fingers digging into her sides, and flipped her onto her stomach in one swift movement. She felt a strange mixture of fear and anticipation as he reached for the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down with her panties, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable on the bed. He licked up her spine and skillfully unhooked each tiny eye hook of her bra, seeming to savor every moment.
“Holy fuck, Kat, how have I never seen this tattoo?”
Usually covered by her bra was the Indigenous Thunderbird; it spanned across her upper back, a symbol of power and protection in her culture.
Kat laughed. “My brother and I got them at a powwow when I was nineteen. I knew my mom wouldn’t approve, so I put it in a place most don’t see.”
“It’s so fucking hot.” He moved his hands over the tattoo, and she moaned, turning her body to look at him.
His eyes were full of fiery intensity as his hand found her bottom, delivering an expertly sharp smack that left a burning sensation. “Good girls do what they’re told,” he said into her ear, “and I didn’t tell you to turn over.”
Her ass cheek burned, and she verged between being insanely aroused and utterly shocked. She had never been treated this way in bed, and her body felt utterly delicious.
“West, what are . . .”
“No girl who bites like you do likes it soft and gentle.” He spanked her again. “Tell me, Kat, you want me to give it to you soft and sweet?” He smoothed where his hand had just forever imprinted on her ass.
Kat bit her lip and shook her head as waves of pleasure crept up, and she arched her back into him. His arms were like pillars of strength, holding her in position as he allowed one of his fingers to push deep within her, a moan escaping her lips.
“That’s my good girl,” West said, his voice rich with satisfaction.
Men had never really asked or been in tune with what she wanted, and she had never really felt comfortable voicing how she enjoyed both the pain and pleasure of sex, but West knew. He knew exactly what she wanted because he had bothered to notice her.
Kat twisted her fingers in the sheets beneath her and pleaded, “West please . . .” He wrapped his large hands around her ankles, pulling her to the edge of the bed and flipping her onto her back so that she could see him.
“What do you want, sweetheart?” he asked, his hands roaming up her body and his hand lightly gripping her neck.
Kat let out a long sigh as she felt herself melt into the mattress. “You.”
He sent shivers down through her toes as he tore her bra off with a growl, and his lips descended over one breast. His tongue moved in languid circles around the contours of the sensitive flesh, and she scratched down his back at the sensation, eliciting a moan from him. His exploration continued to the other breast, his hands beginning to venture lower.
Kat felt her breath catch as he reached inside of her, his expert fingers working their magic with practiced ease; it was almost too much for her, the feeling of him everywhere making her mind spin. His touch lit a fire inside her that seemed like it would never be quenched.
West’s mouth let go of one of her breasts, kissing and licking his way down her body. Landing at the seam of her pussy. His tongue circled her clit, sucking it into his mouth while he ran a hand up her thigh. His fingers worked in tandem with his tongue as he held down her hips, forcing her to take all the pleasure.
“Yes, Kat, come for me. Scream my name. Who’s making you feel this good?”
“Y-you are,” she said between hurried breaths.
“No one else will ever make you feel as good as I do,” he said as his fingers and tongue continued their assault on her body. “Scream for me.”
Kat dug her nails into his scalp and did as he commanded, screaming out his name and coming apart on his mouth. She felt every sensation of pleasure rush in, like the tide coming in on the coast. Her legs shook with need and desire, and her entire world caved in at his touch.
West continued to kiss and lick her as she breathed through the last convulsions. He stood, taking her in.
He bit his bottom lip, and Kat almost came again at the sight of him. She had no business being with a man who looked like this.
He pulled his shorts off, and Kat’s eyes widened at the sight of him. She had expected . . . well, she didn’t know what she had expected, but what she saw might not fit.
He smirked knowingly, bending down to kiss her. “That’s my girl, you came so hard for me.” Even in his state of undress, West managed to exude a powerful confidence that aroused Kat even more.
Kat sat up on the edge of the bed, emboldened by his dirty talk. Two could play this game. She licked her lips and reached for him eagerly, wrapping her hand around his hard shaft and pumping it up and down.
His eyes rolled back in pleasure, and a moan escaped his lips. “Fuck, Kat, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to touch me there.”
She laughed. “Ten days?”
He pinned her with his eyes. “I think it’s been more like ten years.”
Kat swallowed. He didn’t mean it, he couldn’t, he was just lost in the moment. His hand shot into her hair, wrapping it around his fist and he pulled her toward his straining cock. She licked him from the base to the tip, swirling her tongue as she reached the top. He groaned as she took the whole of him into her mouth.
While he was the one who held her head, moving her up and down his hardness, she was the one who felt powerful. As West moaned and cursed into the darkness, Kat knew she was the one giving him such pleasure.
“Fuck, Kat, you have to stop or I’m going to be done before we start.” His fist pulled hard on her hair, sending delicious waves of pleasure through her as she released him from her mouth.
Before she knew what happened, West lifted her up and she was straddling him on the bed.
“I want to watch you,” he said, and while she would normally have felt self-conscious, he made her feel powerful. “Protection?” he asked her.
Kat gave him a sardonic look. “You’re going to ask that two seconds before you’re inside me?”
West fingers dipped inside her. “I promise I’m clean, but it’s up to you.”
She arched her back, pushing into his hand. “I have an IUD and haven’t been with anyone in a couple of years. I’m clean.”
West was going to bust if he wasn’t in her soon. He groaned at the confirmation and with one swift thrust buried himself deep inside her, impaling her with no gentleness. Kat gasped at the sudden sensation and West feared he had hurt her; yet the grip of her perfect tightness around him told another story entirely.
Her head tilted back, and he ached to change their positions so he could bite and taste the column of her long neck, but first, she was going to ride him until she cried out his name again to the universe. The world would know that Kat was his.
He moved his hips and she moved with him, and then his entire plan to take her multiple ways went to shit. His fingers dug into her hips and moved her in time with his thrusts, slow at first, but he couldn’t maintain his relaxed tempo. He wanted her too badly.
“God, sweetheart, you feel like pure ecstasy. I never want this to end!”
She looked down at him through a veil of velvet hair and West could barely contain himself. The emotion in her eyes was raw and real. A passion that seared through his very soul and lit up every inch of his body with desire. He thrust deeper into her as he pressed his finger to her clit, needing her to come with him as he lost all control.
Kat’s cries echoed around them, quickly followed by West’s throaty roar of pleasure as they both came together in a frenzy of blinding bliss.
With a final powerful thrust, West spilled into her with a force he had never experienced with another woman. A feeling of complete connection and fulfillment.
Kat dropped onto his chest, her body radiating heat and comfort. His heart burst with warmth when she pressed her lips against his skin, sending shockwaves through his body. He was used to being the one who put in the effort, always taking care of women and seeing to their needs, so this newfound connection made him feel both uneasy and content all at once.
She slid beside him on the too-small bed, his feet dangling off the mattress. West had rarely opened up to another person enough to cuddle after sex, but as Kat settled into the curve of his arm, he felt as if he would fight the devil himself for this moment together.
Kat kissed his neck and looked up with a smirk. “That was . . . surprising.”
He returned her smile. “Surprising?”
“I thought you were more of a ‘Your Body Is a Wonderland’ John Mayer-type than”—she gestured vaguely toward the disheveled state of their room—“the whole dominating, spanking thing.”
West gave a soft laugh. “I told you; I just knew what you’d like.” With a gentle touch, his hand traveled along her arm like a feather, and he asked with a sly raise of his eyebrows, “Was I wrong?”
He saw a blush spread across her cheeks. “It would seem you were right.”
They both laughed and West pulled her into his arms. “Should we try again? I can be ‘Your Body Is a Wonderland.’”
“Mmmm, I don’t think I’d like that as much,” she said.
His hand moved lazily on her back. “So, do you really hate actors that much, or is it just the thought of me being one?”
Kat yawned. “I dated one once. Archie Llewellyn played the lead every year in our school musical. He was such a diva, but we dated for one year. I’m never dating an actor again.”
“You’re judging all actors from a high school relationship?” He laughed, nipping her shoulder.
She nodded and whispered. “He broke my heart, and I have a feeling they’re all the same.” Her eyes fluttered shut as she fell asleep.
West was unsure if she was talking about him or Archie, but the feel of her body wrapped in his at that moment was the most natural thing he’d ever felt in his life. He had to convince her that he had every intention of taking care of her heart.