Page 44 of Return to the Island

24

Juliet

I’m not certain how long we were in the stairwell, but it was embarrassing to be caught wrapped in a blanket, hinting that I was naked underneath. Of course, Tack was naked under me as well. Marco looked away quickly, talking to the dark wall.

“All seems clear, Boss. Not much damage, but I thought you’d like to assess it for yourself.”

“I would,” Tack replied, not embarrassed or even shifting to pretend we hadn’t been caught moments after having sex. “Give me a few minutes. Any running water yet?”

“We’re working on the generator.” Marco left the stairwell and Tack tipped my face to kiss me.

“Cave time over.” He sighed after he said it, and I sat back from him. “Remember what I said— different but the same.” He pointed to his chest and back at mine. I smiled slowly.

“Different but the same,” I repeated. He pulled me forward for one more kiss, mumbled he loved me to my lips and then helped me stand. We didn’t bother to properly dress. He slipped on his shorts. I pulled on his T-shirt.

“Like you in my clothing, Mouse,” he said, shaking his head as he gathered our small collection.

“Like you better out of them,” I teased, and we both laughed. My heart felt like we might just make it.

+ +

Our shower was sketchy. Brief, cold, and spotty, we rinsed quickly, taking off the sweat of a dark stairwell and the scent of sex. We’d had it three times, and my body ached. In three days, I’d had more sex with him than I’d had in a lifetime. I never imagined it would be so good.

We wandered down to the shops in the resort. The hotel felt strangely vacant as it was.

“Pick whatever you’d like, if there even is something you’d wear.” I was out of clean clothing, as my original stay was only for a few days.

“I’m not pilfering through the stores,” I laughed.

“I’ll let the management know. I think they’ll understand.” He winked, and I began thumbing through a small rack of dresses. They were either informal cover-ups or formal dress wear, and I had trouble deciding. I did find one I thought I might like. It was simple and white, like a few of my other things, but another white dress didn’t hurt.

“What do you think?” He walked out of a dressing room with an overly bright, floral button-down shirt and similar-looking shorts. I burst out laughing.

“I don’t think those are meant to be worn together.”

“Oh yeah,” he said smoothing down the shirt. “Let me see what you’ve selected.” I pressed the dress against me, shielding it with my arms.

“I think I’ll save it for later.” His eyebrow rose in question. “I also need some…essentials.” I didn’t mind not wearing underwear around him, but it felt a little strange walking around the resort without them. It felt improper, inappropriate, and a bit exciting. His eyes widened, and he pointed me to a shop across the way. It was small, but it was filled with tropical bath products and minimal lingerie. He followed me, but I stopped him. “I think I can manage in here.”

“I want to test all my products. See how they fit for comfort and such,” he said, and I laughed at his playfulness, but stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“I promise I’ll tell you all about it.”

His lips pouted but he let me proceed alone.

I found him twenty minutes later standing by a jewelry counter, his hands in his pockets while he stood with his back to me. He seemed deep in concentration as I approached. I stepped next to him, my things tucked into a paper bag.

“You don’t wear any jewelry,” he said, still looking down at the case. “Not even your own things.”

The comment surprised me, and I looked down at his wrist. He still wore a leaf-made bracelet but it wasn’t the original one. He sensed my eyes on him and slipped his hand free of his pocket.

“The first one broke, but I still have it in a glass case in my home in Baltimore.”

“Why a case?” I giggled, thinking it strange.

“Because no one’s ever given me a gift, handmade and in gratitude, like you did. I mocked it as a friendship bracelet but I realized shortly afterward, it was. You were my friend. Are my friend.”

I smiled with the thought, recalling the little prince and the fox.