Stranded Together

CASSIE

I woke to the soothing sound of the rushing waterfall and golden sunlight streaming into the cave.

The fire had burned out, leaving only smoldering wood in its place.

I blinked a few times, taking in my surroundings before noticing the weight on my side.

Max was still spooning me from behind, his body snug against mine, radiating heat like a furnace. His arms were a warm haven, but there was something else I couldn’t ignore…

Down there.

It was only natural for a young man like him to have morning wood, but I was at a loss for what to do about it as it nudged against my backside.

I didn’t want to wake him, but I couldn’t stay in this position much longer. It was making me feel odd, and I really needed to pee.

Gently, I extricated myself from his arms and sat up. My body ached—sore from head to toe—but I felt better than I had the day before.

Max was still asleep, his face buried in the crook of his elbow, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He looked adorable. And colorful. And sexy. His abs and pecs were to die for.

I caught myself staring too long.

What is wrong with me? In the real world, a guy like him probably wouldn’t give a woman like me a second glance.

I shook my head and focused on myself. I felt gross.

My once-crisp white blouse and light jeans were a sorry sight, covered in sand and crusted with dried sea salt. I reeked of stale seawater—it was revolting.

I decided to wash up in the lake.

Walking carefully out of the cave, I stopped short. The ground near the entrance was disturbed—small, shallow animal prints embedded in the damp earth led toward the tree line.

My breath caught in my throat. The memory of the sounds and movement from the night before sent a shiver down my spine.

Shaking off my unease, I hurried to the water. Without hesitation, I stripped and stepped in, letting the cool water cleanse my skin.

As I scrubbed my body, the water carried away the grime, and I started to feel better.

After washing my clothes, I laid them out to dry in the sun and swam to the waterfall to rinse the seawater from my hair.

A few small fish circled my ankles—a good sign. It meant food.

I closed my eyes, letting the cool water cascade over my head.

The waterfall was small, so the flow wasn’t too strong. I swam around a bit, enjoying the water, and for the first time since the shipwreck, I felt some peace.

“Cassie?”

Max’s voice startled me. I looked up to see him standing at the water’s edge.

His gaze darted away when he realized I was naked.

I couldn’t help but laugh. The handsome, fit hunk had transformed into a blushing, shy boy. How adorable was that?

“It’s okay, Max,” I called, sinking into the water until only my head was visible. “You can look now. You must have sand in your ass crack too—join me. The water is amazing. I even washed my clothes.”

Turning my back to him, I added, “I won’t look. I promise.”

“Uh, okay. I suppose I do feel a bit gross.”

The sounds of rustling clothes, followed by splashing water, reached my ears, and I smiled.

“Nice, huh?” I asked, watching him scrub his pants underwater. Only his torso was visible above the surface.

As I swam around, I kept my eyes on him.

His damp, shoulder-length black hair was slicked back, dripping onto his shoulders.

His tattooed body glistened, each design standing out against his skin.

A colorful dragon climbed up on one of his pecs, its red, yellow, and orange scales vivid, while an angry-looking tiger adorned the other.

His arms were fully inked with a mix of colorful and black-and-white traditional designs. I didn’t love all of them, but I liked most.

His abs were defined and toned—nothing short of impressive—and a thin trail of black hair peeked from his waistband to his long, vertical navel.

Heat crept up my cheeks as his hands glided over his pecs and abs. Thank goodness for the cool water.

Suddenly, he looked up and smirked. “You were pretty cold last night, huh?”

“No shit?” I laughed. “Sorry for making you cuddle a popsicle.”

“No, it was okay.” He laughed too. “I didn’t mind it. I felt sorry for you and was glad I could help.”

I noticed him stealing glances at my body. Even though we were both submerged enough to cover our private parts, the contours were visible, and his eyes kept straying to my breasts.

I found myself liking the attention, though I wasn’t sure why. I should be focusing on our predicament, but I wanted him to look at me.

“You’re so sweet. Handsome and sweet,” I said, and he looked away.

“You don’t take compliments well, do you?” I teased.

Am I flirting with him?

We’d just survived a horrific accident and ended up stranded on an island—at least, I thought it was an island. I wasn’t even sure.

Maybe I was subconsciously trying to distract myself from the reality of our situation. I had read that people often become horny during stressful times, especially in the face of disaster.

“I can’t take a compliment to save my life,” he admitted.

“Don’t like talking about myself either. So… shall we go to the beach today to make that SOS sign? I’m sure someone will spot it soon and can save us.”

“Yeah, let’s do that… But what if nobody sees? What if we have to stay here for a long time? Our families, and—”

“Hey,” he interrupted, his gaze shifting to my face. “We have to stay positive. What good would it do for us to sit, be afraid, and worry all the time? It won’t save us any sooner.”

His calm confidence settled my nerves like a balm.

Max and I got out of the water, sunlight dancing off the surface like a thousand tiny mirrors.

He shrugged into his pants while I got dressed. My clothes, finally dry, felt rough and salty against my skin, but it was better than nothing.

Max attempted to wring out his damp hair. The longest locks draped past his shoulders, while the shorter layers framed his face—and his strong jawline. It suited him well. I liked that it was a little longer.

“We should head to the beach,” he said, his voice breaking the quiet. “That’s the best place to make the SOS. It needs to be seen from the air.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “We can make it with rocks and sticks.”

“Solid plan.”

Max went inside the cave and returned with a bag slung over his shoulder. He took out two knives and offered me one.

“Let’s see what we can find along the way.”

I nodded, gripping the knife. I felt so mighty with it. “I feel a lot like Robinson Crusoe now.”

Max chuckled, but his gaze flicked toward the disturbed ground near the entrance. “Before we head out, we should take another look at those tracks.”

We crouched near the prints, studying them in the daylight. They were small but oddly spaced.

“Not human, at least,” I murmured.

“Definitely not,” Max agreed. “Could be a scavenger or something nocturnal.”

I straightened. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back.”

Max smirked and held up his knife. “Well, if it’s not, we’re armed now.”

The air was thick with humidity as we walked to the beach. Birds chirped overhead, flitting between the trees. The ground was soft beneath our feet—a mixture of sand and fallen leaves.

The endless ocean stretched before us when we reached the beach. No boats. No planes. Just water.

Max scanned the area. “We need stuff that will stand out. Dark branches, seaweed—whatever we can find.”

We spread out, gathering what we could. Driftwood, tangled seaweed, branches, and even some dark rocks.

“Do you think anyone is looking for us?” I asked as I arranged a few thick branches in the sand into the shape of an S.

Max hesitated. “Yeah,” he said. “But we still have to make it easy for them to find us.”

We continued to work in silence, dragging things into place. The letters started to take shape—rough, but likely big enough to see from the sky.

Then, as we cut more branches, something moved in the bush just behind us.

I froze. “Did you hear that?”

Max straightened, eyes narrowing on the greenery. “Yeah.”

There it was again—a rustling sound. Not the breeze. Not a bird. Something bigger.

My grip tightened on the knife as Max took a cautious step forward.

The bush shuddered.

A branch snapped.

A shadow moved fast as a dark shape lunged forward.

And before I could stop myself, a scream tore from my throat.