Page 6 of Stranded

But that’s long enough to learn what everyone knows about our boss. If Berty corners you, the sun will set—and rise again—before you get a word in edgewise.

“Hey, Berty! All done for the night. See you tomorrow,” I call out, nodding good night to Kieran on my way out the door.

From here, it’s a quick scramble down the path to the shore, and then I stop dead in my tracks.

“Holy shit.”

Despite its name, Sunrise Island gets pretty damn good sunsets too.

The sun has dipped below the mountains, sending waves of crimson and gold across the shimmering sky. The neighbouring islands are fading from lively green shapes to black silhouettes smudged against the orange horizon.

It’s breathtaking. And only one thing is missing—one thing that would make the moment perfect.

Someone to share it with.

“Not this again,” I mumble to myself, running my fingers through my hair. It’s too late to shake off the thought—or the bone-deep ache that comes with it.

Loneliness.

“Home,” I say out loud to snap myself out of it.

Speaking of snapping, the last thing I need is a twisted ankle in this fading light. With summer drawing to a close, the sunset is earlier every day. There’s only just enough light left to safely scramble across the beach.

Keeping my gaze fixed on the stones underfoot, I set off in a steady but careful stride while my thoughts race recklessly ahead.

What would my friends say?

“Stop being such a dumbass,” I mumble, rolling my eyes as I picture the exasperated looks on their faces. “If you want to date someone, go on a date.”

They’d be right, too. But the thought of swiping right endlessly until I find a nice woman to go on a perfectly respectable date with…

It doesn’t loosen the knot in my chest. If anything, the ache is getting worse.

“Ugh. At least I’ll always have lasagna... wait.”

Shit.

I trail off and stumble to a halt, squinting through the deepening gloom. I don’t even know what I’m looking for, but I’ve been a big brother my whole life, so I know this feeling.

Someone’s in trouble.

There!

I squint across the strait at Maple Island, and I find the reason I stopped. There’s a guy walking erratically back and forth along the shoreline.

And, uh… that’s a lot of bare skin.

Either he has a weird-ass mosquito kink or he missed the last ferry. My money’s on the second one. But whatever the case, the stranger on the other side of the water is stripping naked right here in front of me.

The only thing separating us is a few hundred feet of open water, and the sudden darkness that slipped in while I was distracted—hiding everything but his silhouette.

The really weird part is how I’m reacting to that silhouette. A hot flush rises under my collar, and then it turns into a tingle that sweeps across my skin until all my muscles are tensed up.

And that’s not all.

I’m getting hard.Realhard. The kind that suddenly I can’t stop myself doing something about. If I weren’t in public, I guarantee my hand would already be down my pants.

Unfortunately, I am, so my dick is pushing a painful tent against my thick jeans and I can’t do anything about it.

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