Stranded Together

MAX

My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would explode out of my chest. Carefully, I lowered myself over the edge, gripping roots and jagged rocks that stuck out of the ravine wall.

“I’m almost there, Cassie! Just hold on!” I called, my voice steadier than I felt.

Her face was pale, her grip weakening. “Please hurry,” she whimpered.

I finally reached her, bracing my foot on the narrow ledge. “Okay, I’ve got you,” I said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She nodded, but I felt her slipping.

“Max—” Her voice broke.

“Trust me,” I said. “Let go.”

Her wide eyes met mine, filled with fear. But after a shaky breath, she loosened her hold.

I gripped her tightly and pushed off the ledge, using every ounce of my strength to pull her up.

My arms burned, but I didn’t stop. Inch by inch, I dragged her up, and then—finally—she reached the top.

We tumbled onto the ground, breathless.

I landed on my back, Cassie half on top of me, her fists clenched in my shirt. She was shaking so hard that it made both of us tremble.

My heart was still hammering. I could still feel her weight in my hands—the sheer panic of almost losing her.

For a moment, neither of us moved. Her head was tucked against my chest, and I held her tight.

Then she lifted her head, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Max,” she whispered.

I brushed damp strands of hair from her face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. “You okay?”

She let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, I think so. Thank you.”

Her eyes searched mine, something unspoken passing between us.

The fear.

The adrenaline.

The overwhelming relief.

“See? I’m not always smart,” she said softly before smiling.

I cupped her face, my thumb brushing over her cheekbone.

She didn’t pull away.

“Max?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you…?” Her cheeks flushed as she hesitated. “Would you kiss me?”

My breath caught in my throat. “Cassie, I…” I didn’t have the words, so I leaned closer.

Her eyes fluttered closed as I pressed my lips to hers—soft and tentative at first, then deeper when she didn’t pull away.

She parted her lips and moved her tongue against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. The kiss quickly grew more intense, heat building between us.

I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t think I could stop.

Her hands found their way to my chest, and mine slid to her waist.

For a moment, the world disappeared—no island, no danger, just her.

When we pulled back, she looked fully satisfied. “That was… unexpected.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “But not unwelcome.”

We sat there a little while longer, taking in our temporary home.

Things could have been worse—far worse—than being stranded on a deserted island with a goddess.

Even after just one day, we’d already faced challenges, and while I tried to stay strong and positive for Cassie’s sake—and my own sanity—doubt still crept in.

But being positive was in my nature, and I refused to believe our story would end badly.

Finally, I stood and offered her my hand. “Come on. Let’s head back. I think we’ve had enough excitement for the day.”

She took my hand, and together, we made our way back to the cave.

We didn’t let go of each other the whole way back.

***

Once inside, the tension of the day turned into a different kind of energy.

The fire crackled as we sat down, side by side.

My body still buzzed—from the fall, the kiss, everything.

Cassie hugged her knees, staring into the flames.

I reached over, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “How are you doing?”

She blew out a breath. “I really thought I was going to die today.”

I swallowed hard. “Me too.”

She shivered, and before I could think about it, I turned and wrapped her in my arms.

She didn’t hesitate, curling up against me, her head on my chest.

I ran a hand down her back, feeling her breathing steady.

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, I held her close as the fire flickered.

I wasn’t sure if either of us would sleep, but I knew one thing—I wasn’t letting go.

CASSIE

With each passing hour, a growing sense of unease filled me. My mind was crowded with what-ifs.

What if no one ever found us? What would my family do? They must be worried sick.

What if I had broken a leg? Or we got sick?

There was no doctor, no medicine, except for a single strip of painkillers from the rescue bag. We’d explored a good portion of the island today, and it seemed deserted. What if—

“Cassie?” Max’s gentle voice interrupted my spiraling thoughts.

I turned to face him, finding him already looking at me. “Hm?”

“Are you worried again?”

“Yeah, a little,” I confessed.

“I could hear the gears turning in your head,” he said with a soft smile.

I bit my lip. “I was just thinking… What if nobody comes for us? I mean, I know you told me not to worry too much, but…”

“If you want to talk about it, we can. If you want to cry about it, you can do that too.” He patted my shoulder gently.

He was so kind.

“Aren’t you worried?” I asked.

“I try to keep it cool,” he replied. “I try not to worry.”

“You also don’t like to talk about those things—I mean, your own emotions, do you?”

“Maybe—and maybe that’s because I feel bad when I do.”

“Sometimes I fear we may end up in more trouble than we already are,” I said. “Like, we could get sick, get abducted by islanders, get struck by lightning…or killed by pirates!”

“Pirates?” he asked, chuckling.

“Yes, Max.” I playfully slapped his chest. “Modern ones, like smugglers—not the kind with a hook for a hand and a wooden leg.”

“I know, I wasn’t laughing at you,” he said, his eyes sparkling in the firelight. “I just liked the way you looked when you said it—and how great you are at imagining things.”

“But still,” he continued, “this isn’t a movie, Cassie. I feel like those things only happen in movies.”

“What do you think would happen to us if we were in one?” I asked.

“A movie?” He propped himself up on an elbow. “I dunno. I don’t watch many movies.”

I was really really tired, but I didn’t want to sleep. I was on a deserted island; I could sleep all day tomorrow if I wanted to. Right now, I wanted to keep talking to Max.

“You don’t?” I asked.

“No,” he answered. “I’m always busy with sports or hanging out with friends, being outside, school, work.” He shrugged. “You tell me what’ll happen then. Will we get a happy ending?”

“Oh, of course,” I said, trying to sound confident, even though I wasn’t so sure about our real-life rescue.

“We will definitely get rescued. But first, we will have this huge fight—”

“Hey, I don’t want to fight with you!” Max interrupted.

“Oh, but we’ll make up later,” I teased. “During our fight, I will do something incredibly dumb, like explore the island alone during a thunderstorm to prove that I am just as capable as you are. Then I’ll trip and sprain my ankle. Of course, you will come to rescue me and carry me back to the cave.”

“So, basically, your whole adventurous trip would be for nothing?”

“Uh, yeah. You’d still have to save me. But I’d still be as capable as you because I’ll stand by your side when you get sick with fever.”

“Actually, I think we have already gone through the first half of that yesterday.” He laughed.

I shuddered, not wanting to think about my near-death experience.

“And then what? What happens after I recover from my illness?” he continued.

“Well, then we’ll face things together again. And we will have grown closer. And then we will…make up,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

I was joking, but my heart skipped a beat.

“We…will?” he whispered, swallowing hard.

“If it were a movie, then, yeah…”

We were quiet for a few seconds, eyes locked, until Max’s gaze dropped to my lips. He licked his bottom lip.

Damn, that was sexy.

A loud clap of thunder shattered the moment, and I let out a shriek.

“Fuck, that was loud,” I said once I’d recovered from the shock. We both started laughing.

“It’s still raining,” he said, lying back down.

I stole a glance at his bare chest, my eyes drifting lower to the noticeable bulge in his pants. Yeah, he was definitely well endowed.

One thing my ex did appreciate was my talent for giving a great blow job. It didn’t stop him from cheating, but I knew he loved them. Seriously, he had no room for complaints.

I’d taken care of him a few times a week for five straight years—I knew what I was doing.

I was pretty sure I could blow Max’s mind with my skills…well, not literally.

A warm sensation started to spread in my lower abdomen. And by abdomen, I meant between my legs.

Another loud clap of thunder echoed through the cave, and I screamed, grabbing onto Max like he was the only thing keeping me grounded.

My heart pounded as I clung to him, my face buried against his chest.

When I finally looked up, I found his eyes on me.

Something shifted between us, and before I could overthink it, he leaned in and kissed my temple.

“Maybe we should get some sleep,” I said, my voice a little unsteady as I moved to the makeshift bed. “It’s been quite the day.”

“Maybe we should…but is that what you want?”

I knew exactly what I wanted, and it wasn’t sleep. “No, I don’t…”

He lay down beside me, his body warm against mine. “I don’t either. I’d rather…” His arm slid around me. “I mean, if you want that too, of course…uh…I want to be close to you.”

I turned to him and whispered, “We can be close.” Then, I kissed him.

Our lips met, more passionately than before. His hands roamed my body, while my fingers tangled in his hair.

I felt his cock press against me through his pants—hard and aroused. I felt the same.

“Ah, Cassie, I want you…” he breathed into my mouth but didn’t make the first move.

I sat up straight, and I pressed him back down when he moved to sit up too. “I want you too. I want to please you with my mouth.”

I pressed my hand between his legs, cupping his bulge. “If you’d like that too.”

On our way back to the cave, Max admitted he’d never gone past second base. I knew that involved hands, but a blow job? I was pretty sure that wasn’t part of it—so maybe he just wasn’t into the idea. But I doubted that.

“Are you—” He swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling quickly. “Are you serious?”

“I’m very serious.” I reached into his pants and wrapped my hand around him, enjoying the feel of him in my palm. “I’d really like to do that for you.”

I pulled his hard cock out, letting it slide across my palm a few times—definitely not disappointed by the way it felt. It was hard as a rock, so thick my thumb and index finger barely touched.

His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. “Cassie…”

“Are you sure about this?” I asked before kissing him on the mouth.

“Yes.” Another kiss against my lips.

“Because I don’t want to pressure you—”

“I’m one hundred percent completely sure.”

“Good.” I chuckled. “Then let’s get these pants off and just…relax and enjoy.”