Part 32 (1/2)

Jonathan reached out and touched Sarah's arm. She nodded at him, acknowledging his support.

Sarah caught Kevin watching what was going on between them, a mystified expression on his face for a moment, before he turned back to address Candi's attentions. ”Hey, little sand fairy. Rasta girl. I'm okay, you can let me go now.”

”Oh, yeah, right.” Candi let go and stepped back quickly. ”Sorry about that. I was just happy you weren't, you know, dead.”

Kevin chuckled. ”Yeah, well, me too. Let's go home. And here's a tip everyone ... put your spear out in front of you while you're walking, and poke it in the ground. If it pokes in too easy, don't step there.”

They laughed, letting Kevin's humor help wash away the fear and stress that lingered over their heads. It was all too easy to forget how dangerous this island could be if they lowered their guard too much.

They eventually reached the point where Jonathan said they had to turn in eastward so they wouldn't end up taking the long way back around the whole southern end of the island.

They arrived at the treehouse with about an hour of daylight left.

”I'm going to go try and get us some dinner,” said Candi, grabbing two spears.

”Mind if I come along?” asked Kevin.

”No, not at all. I'd like the company.”

They made their way over to Candi's favorite fis.h.i.+ng spot in companionable silence and climbed up on the rock together. ”Aren't you going to fish?” she asked him.

”Nope, I'm just gonna watch you. I'm not very good at it. Yet.”

Candi laughed. ”Okay, suit yourself.” She got quiet, her eyes scanning the water for telltale signs that a fish was nearby. She didn't have to wait long, noticing movement in the shallows below her.

Kevin squinted at the place he saw her focusing on. It was more difficult to see with the sunlight fading, but Candi looked like she had her target locked in her sights.

Kevin watched as she poised on the b.a.l.l.s of her feet, her right arm c.o.c.ked back. She was holding the spear in her fist and he could see her grip was solid. The muscles in her forearm were bulging. He looked down at her legs, admiring the way her quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles were flexing, showing off their lean definition. All those morning workouts, rugby games, and karate lessons were really making a difference. Sweet.

He thought back to how she had looked in school versus how she looked today. She was super tan now and had some really cute freckles across her nose and cheeks. Who knew freckles could be so s.e.xy? Her hair was nearly blond with all the sun streaks. She had those cool dreadlocks, that for some reason really worked for her, making her look all bada.s.s and, well, different. He'd never seen anyone but a professional athlete look as lean and fit as she did standing here on the rock in front of him today. All in all, her look had changed and Kevin approved, even though admittedly, she had looked pretty fine even before they got to the island.

Probably the biggest difference he saw in her was not in her appearance, though it was in her self-confidence. She walked differently. She had a stride now, when before she'd had just a plain old walk. Before, she'd been afraid of her own shadow; she was always hiding behind her shyness or something like she wanted things but didn't have the guts to go get them. Now, she was different. s.e.xier. Funnier. Cuter. More powerful or something. The more he studied her, the more he realized he was seriously attracted to her, and it wasn't because she was the only girl in his world.

He thought about his last three girlfriends. Compared to her, they were empty sh.e.l.ls. They had nothing going on upstairs and there was nothing different or special about them that he had ever noticed. They were like cookie cutter girlfriends they all looked and acted the same. He couldn't imagine any of them standing here on this rock, wearing dreads, and spearing fish to feed his family. Not a chance. And yet, here was Candi, his little sand fairy. The girl who today couldn't stop herself from grabbing him when she had thought he was going to die. Man, am I stupid or what? What am I waiting for with this girl?

”Candi?”

”Shhh.”

He whispered back. ”Oh, yeah, sorry. I'll wait.”

No sooner had he said that than she sprang into action. Two seconds later she was standing in the water with a huge fish on the end of her spear, up in the air wiggling around, trying to break free.

”Woo hoo, that's a big mother!” she yelled, smiling wide as she climbed back up onto the rock. She pulled it off the spear and ran a string through its gills and mouth, pa.s.sing the knot that closed the string through the loop at the other end.

”You were saying?” she asked Kevin, sitting down across from him. Water was dripping down her face so she gave her head a quick shake, spraying him with water.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

”Oops, sorry about that.” She reached up to wipe a drop off his cheek.

Kevin opened his eyes, grabbing her hand midway, holding onto it.

Candi looked at him in confusion.

”You really are amazing, you know that?”

Candi looked down at the rock, instantly appearing self-conscious and embarra.s.sed. ”Stop.”

”No, I'm serious. Look at me.” He used his other hand to take her chin and gently force her face up. ”I was watching you. You've changed since we came here. You were pretty and cool before, but now ... now you're even more amazing. You take care of all of us. You're a good person. And you're hot as h.e.l.l with your dreads and your tan and that rockin' body.”

Candi breathed out a single note of laughter. ”You're crazy.”

”No, I'm not. I consider myself very observant of the female form, actually, and you have the whole package. Not only do you have a killer body, you're also a really nice girl and super smart. Normally I'm scared to death of girls like you, so I go another route, but I'd like to think I've learned a few things since we came here.” He took her hands in his and continued. ”I don't want to screw up what we have here, but if you're willing to seriously give me a shot, I'd like to ask you to be my girlfriend. Like, officially.”

Candi's face got redder and redder, the more he said, but she didn't respond right away.

”What are you thinking? I can tell your brain's going a million miles an hour right now,” he said, smiling at her encouragingly.

”I'm not sure. My head is pretty much spinning right now.”

”In what way? A good way or a bad way?”

”Both, maybe. I don't know.” She sat there staring at him, occasionally glancing down at his arms and then back up to his face.

He'd give anything to be in her head right now and know what she was thinking. She wasn't letting any of her inner thoughts show on her face.

”I'm waiting for your answer ... but hey, if you need more time, just tell me. I mean, I'm not going anywhere, you know?”

Kevin was trying to make her laugh to ease her stress.

”I guess I'm wondering if you'd still want to be my boyfriend if we weren't on this island.”

”I'd say yes, I would want to, but would you even believe me? And does it even make a difference? This island is where we are now. This is our life for the foreseeable future.”

Candi bit her lip for a few seconds and then said, ”Oh, what the h.e.l.l ... why not?” A huge grin split her face.

Kevin was taken aback by her sudden and unconventional answer. ”Well, that's good, right? I mean, that's a yes, isn't it?” It sure looked like a yes, her eyes sparkling with humor.

Candi laughed. ”Yes, that's a yes. Sorry about that. Just fighting some inner demons.”

”Ah,” said Kevin knowingly, ”my reputation has preceded me, I think.”

Candi smiled at him and squeezed his hand. ”I'm not who I was, and you're not who you were. Let's just be us who we are, right now on Peanut Island.”

”Good idea,” said Kevin softly, as he leaned in closer to Candi, his eyes moving to her lips.

They met halfway, the fish on the rope and the spear completely forgotten. Kevin released her hand so that he could reach up and touch her face while his lips met hers. He immediately tasted the salt there. They were so soft and delicate, barely touching his. He turned his head to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth, finding it warm and inviting. Her tongue was soft and wet, moving over and around his in a way that made him instantly aroused.