Kate Hoffmann - Who Needs Mistletoe?

“Wow,” he said, coming to a dead stop. “Look at that sky.”

“You act like you’ve never seen a sunset before,” Sophie said, hopping down.

“I haven’t. I mean, I have, but I haven’t really taken the time to look. It’s beautiful.”

Sophie drew in a deep breath and nodded. It was the most beautiful sunset she’d ever seen. Or maybe it was just so wonderful because of the company she had. She wrapped her arms around Trey’s waist and tucked herself into the crook of his arm.

Physical contact between them was something she’d almost begun to take for granted. But standing here, she knew she wouldn’t always be able to touch him like this. There would come a time when she’d want to remember the feel of his skin, the way the muscle rippled beneath flesh.

She’d never been one to appreciate romantic clichés-candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets. But something had changed. She was seeing these things for the first time, with Trey. And Sophie was glad she could share them with him.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a wind gust sent a soft spray across the beach. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her, and she felt the goose bumps prickle her smooth skin. “Is it going to be bad?” he asked.

“It’ll probably be noisy and rainy and windy, but it probably won’t last long.”

“I never really notice the weather,” he said. “But here, I’m feeling a little vulnerable.”

“It’s not a cyclone,” Sophie said. “I’d be worried if it was. A cyclone would blow the cottage down around us.”

“If I hadn’t been so anxious to work on Christmas Eve, you’d be at home, safe and sound, enjoying the holiday like you should be, instead of stuck on this island.”

“It is Christmas Eve, isn’t it?” Sophie murmured. She turned to him and smiled. “Merry Christmas, Trey.”

Her hair blew around her face and Trey smoothed his hands over her temples so he could look into her eyes. “I wanted to forget it was Christmas,” he said. “I didn’t have anywhere to be this year. No one to buy gifts for. I thought if I kept busy, I wouldn’t realize I was all alone. But I’m glad I’m here with you.”

“Maybe we should sing some carols,” Sophie suggested. “Do you know ‘Good King Wenceslas’?”

Trey chuckled. “It just doesn’t seem right. There’s no snow.”

“But there’s been plenty of rain. The only difference is a few degrees in temperature.” She paused. “I know what we can do.” Sophie reached for the knot in her pareu and untied it, then let the breeze blow the fabric from her body. She kicked off her sandals and ran to the edge of the water, then turned to face him. “Come on.”

Trey watched her for a long moment, his gaze raking her naked body. Then, with a groan, he stripped off his shorts, slipped out of his shoes, and ran after her. As he passed, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the water, both of them falling head-first into the surf.

Sophie screamed and splashed water at him, but he yanked her into his arms and kissed her long and hard. Their bodies seemed to fit together so perfectly, her breasts pressed against his chest, her legs tangled around his.

He nuzzled her neck, biting her gently as they played. Sophie leaned back in the water and Trey cupped her breast in his hand, his thumb teasing at her nipple. This was paradise, she thought to herself. When she’d wished for a lover, she could never have expected this man.

Sophie kicked away from him, swimming a few strokes then turning to tread water. But he wasn’t watching her. Trey’s gaze was fixed on the horizon. “Sophie, look.” He pointed and she followed his arm to a spot not far offshore. The white sails of a boat were clearly visible against the sunset. Trey turned and looked at her. “The flare gun. I’ll go back and get the flare gun.”

He spun around and ran out of the water and onto the beach. But before he could get his shorts back on, Sophie called to him. “Don’t,” she shouted.

He turned to face her, tugging on his khakis over his damp skin. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to signal them.”

“Sophie, I’m not going to put you in danger. There’s a storm coming up. We’re here alone. The least they could do would be to radio someone and let them know we’re safe.”

“The waves are getting pretty high,” she said. “I don’t think they’ll risk coming through the reef. And the sun is almost down. They wouldn’t be able to get back out. We’d be putting them in danger.”

“They could call for a boat,” he said. “Isn’t there a coast guard around here?”

“Anyone sent to rescue us would have to deal with the weather, too.” She glanced over at him. “We’ll be all right for the night. They’ll find us in the morning.” Sophie stared into his eyes and she saw the indecision there. But there was more. A genuine concern for her safety. He cared about her, enough to put an end to their time together.

“No,” he said.

“Yes.” She held out her hand and motioned to him as he slowly walked to the water’s edge, the waves swirling around his feet. “I want to spend the night with you. I don’t want to be anywhere but here.”

He waded through the water to where she stood and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Then he kissed her, his hands tangling in her damp hair, molding her mouth to his.

“All right,” he murmured, his lips warm against hers.

She needed this night, Sophie told herself. After that, she’d be able to let him go without any regret. Just this one night.

B Y THE TIME THEY GOT BACKto the cottage, they could hear thunder in the distance. The wind had shifted direction and was blowing across the lagoon toward the plane. The pilot-side float had been grounded on the sand, and the plane sat at an odd angle.

“Should we try to tie it down again?” Trey asked.

Sophie stared across the lagoon, squinting into the diminishing light. “There’s nothing we can do now,” she murmured. “Except hope that the wind doesn’t get too high.”

The plane probably wasn’t worth a whole lot, Trey thought to himself. He suspected that Sophie and her father had sold the most valuable of their assets first, leaving her with something that was held together with chewing gum and duct tape. He probably ought to be grateful they’d had a problem with the engine when and where they did. Hell, they would have been in a lot more trouble had a wing or the propeller fallen off.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

“If it flips, we’ll never be able to get it off this island,” she said.

“It’ll be fine,” he said, reassured that money could solve any problem. If he had to send a boat over and find a mechanic to take the plane apart piece by piece and haul it back to Tahiti, he’d do that for Sophie.

Trey wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. In truth, there wasn’t much that he wouldn’t do for her, if she asked.

“Maybe it would be better if we couldn’t get it off the island,” she murmured. “Then it would finally be over. The insurance would pay for the plane. My father’s business would be done and we could move back to the States.”

“Is that what you want?” Trey asked.

She shrugged and slipped out of his embrace. “Yes.” She paused and turned to face him. “No.”

“If you could have anything you want, any wish, what would it be?” he asked.

“It won’t do me any good to wish,” she said, climbing the front steps of the cottage. “Wishing can’t make it happen.”

He stared up at her, studying her enigmatic expression. “Humor me. If you could snap your fingers and have whatever you want. Three wishes.”