Page 23 of Wild for You
“Ours.” I wink.
“And on that note, I need to make another visit to my special bush.” She hops up and scurries away, grunting and griping under her breath the whole time.
I bite my lip, holding in the retort about wanting to visit her special bush later because, at this point, I know she’s basically a rabid animal with zero fucks to give. And we’re deserted in the middle of nowhere. She could literally get away with murder.
* * *
I haveno reference of time other than it’s been about three hours since sunset. I’ve built us another shelter against an old palm tree. I think I’ll expand it a bit tomorrow, and I’ve got to do something to help waterproof it.
Gwen’s stomach has finally calmed down, and after forcing her to drink three pots of clean water, she’s finally found a comfortable position and seems to be resting a little. I relax my muscles and snuggle into her warm, soft body. She’s so exhausted that she’ll probably sleep like a log, and my curiosity gets the best of me. I know this will probably be my only chance to sneak in a snuggle, so I suck in my breath and just go for it, wrapping my arm around her tiny frame, pulling her as close to me as I can get.
My oxytocin receptors fire off like the Fourth of July as warmth flows from my stomach to every nerve in my body. Gwen’s body fits next to mine perfectly, her head just below my chin, so she’s all tucked in and safe. For the first time since we landed on this island, I let myself relax.
I’d never admit to her that I have zero ideas for getting us out of here, but I do know I’ll think of something. I always do. Only this time, having to keep Gwen safe makes this whole experience actually scary. I feel so much pressure to keep my emotions at bay. I want to appear calm and confident because the last thing I want is for her to feel like she has to worry any more than necessary.
The muscles in my back ache from the constant chopping of wood and overall manual labor, and I’m exhausted to the bone from having to be on high alert twenty-four-seven.
I inhale the scent of her hair, happy that the shampoo scent has dissipated since she hasn’t washed it recently, letting me smell the real her. I can’t hide my growing boner from the contact, but I’m not trying to take advantage of her. I just want a cuddle while my little feral kitten is too exhausted to fight me. Tomorrow, she can go back to biting my head off if she wants to, but I’ll savor this moment while I can.
Closing my eyes, I drift into a soft, peaceful sleep.
* * *
Drip.Drip. Drip. Cold raindrops land between my eyebrows in succession, and I shiver as a gust of wind blows through the poorly structured shelter. I curl into Gwen, my source of warmth, and try to fall back asleep before another gust of wind sends a stream of ice-cold rain down my back. It’s like an ice bath after a full-body workout, and it certainly gets my attention.
“Shit.” I shoot up, rubbing Gwen’s arm to wake her. “Hey, wake up. We need to find a new spot to sleep to wait out this storm.” I turn on my small solar-powered lantern, shining a warm light on her.
She sits up with sleepy eyes and the cutest bedhead I’ve ever seen, and I have to stifle my laugh. We don’t have time for teasing right now, and the last thing I need is for us to be drenched and cold all night long. We need sleep, so we can conjure up an escape plan tomorrow.
She blinks, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Huh?”
“Wait right here. I’m going to take the lantern and find us a dry spot. I’ll come back to get you in just a minute.”
“Ok.” She goes to lay back down, but a crack of lightning lights up the tree-covered sky above us. “Fuck that. I’m not staying here to get struck by lightning under this flammable shelter. I’m coming with you!”
“Then you better stay close. Don’t let go of my hand. The storms out here can get nasty really quick, so we need to make our way to higher ground. We’re going to have to climb.” I glance down at her bare feet as the crack of thunder rumbles through my chest. I scoop her up, throwing her on my back. “Here, hold the lantern and hold on tight.” I pull her arms around my shoulders, shoving the lantern in one of her hands. “We don’t have much time before it really starts coming down.”
I grab my backpack with my recording equipment and pull it around my chest before ducking as I climb out from under the collapsing shelter, heading north away from the small pond, up the rocky hillside.
“Fucking shit, this rain is cold!” Gwen cries.
I hike her up higher as the rain loosens my grip on her legs. “This is nothing, only a fraction of how bad these spring storms will get.”
I climb the steep hill, trying my best to balance with the unequal weight distribution, using small saplings and weeds as a grip to help me climb. Once I’m up the worst part, I take the lantern from Gwen and look for any signs of a cavernous overhang. The range on this lantern is absolute shit, and I’m spending more time walking around than I’d like to be.
Gwen’s shivering like a leaf, and I grit my teeth, trying to keep myself focused on finding a solution rather than worrying about her pain. Every second that ticks by while the cold rain pelts against her has my blood boiling with rage. Rage that I didn’t build a sturdy enough shelter. Rage that I should’ve prepared better ahead of time.
When I finally see a glimpse of what I think is a cave, I launch toward it and am relieved to find a good overhang of at least four feet. It’s small, and it’ll be a tight fit, but tonight, this is all we need.
I sit Gwen down next to my backpack, happy to be out of harm’s way, as we watch the lightning show in awe. She leans against the hard rock, tossing and squirming to get comfortable before I pull her into my lap. “I promise not to take advantage of you. Just get some sleep, ok? We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I’m surprised at her lack of fight, making me wonder what’s got her so quiet. She curls her body against me, laying over my lap, and I caress her silky blonde hair. I can feel her quivering against me, and even though I know it’s cold, I know she’s terrified, too. And I can’t blame her.
“Get some rest. I’ll be right here. I’ve got you.” I tuck her hair behind her ear and rub my palm up and down the length of her arm, like my mom used to do when I was a kid and couldn’t sleep.
Something about this woman drives me wild, and I have this carnal sense of protection over her. It’s not something I’ve earned or even deserve, but she scared me today. I can’t protect her from everything out here, which scares the shit out of me. This storm is just another reminder of the dangers to come. Tomorrow’s top priority is figuring out a plan to get us the fuck out of here. There’s no content worth the risk of staying here any longer than necessary.
I close my eyes and do my best to relax, knowing I’ll need all the rest I can if I want my brain to actually function tomorrow. But each crack of thunder and streak of lightning has my nerves standing on edge. It’s going to be a long night.
