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  Sacrifices in Paradise

  Copyright ã 2006 Mary Suzanne

  Coverart by Martine Jardin

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books 2006

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  SACRIFICES IN PARADISE

  BY

  MARY SUZANNE

  To our family…

  Sacrifices in Paradise

  Dark clouds filled the sky and the rumble of thunder was soon followed by jagged streaks of lightning hitting the water. Jenna Wade watched the sea churning up giant waves headed straight for the yacht. The cloudy skyline made it look as if night had already fallen, but it was still early in the afternoon. She stood at the railing of the bobbing yacht staring off at the rapidly approaching storm. Her stomach was beginning to do flip-flops over the constant shaking of the pleasure boat by the fierce wind striking its sides. She placed her hand across her mouth to keep from experiencing the dry heaves that had been attacking her for the last hour.

  She didn’t have any idea where her fiancé Brody Sullivan was, but she felt he should have been worrying about her safety instead of partying somewhere on the boat. As she lowered her head, she glanced at the large diamond ring Brody had slipped on her finger two months earlier. To Brody, money was no object when it came to lavishing presents on Jenna. His family had always been rich and he lived the lifestyle never worrying about where his next dollar was coming from.

  Lately, there were times, like tonight, when Jenna wondered why she’d ever taken a ring from Brody. At first, she thought what she felt was love, but now she wasn’t all that certain. Doubts continued to fill her mind every time she thought of spending a lifetime with him.

  Brody was handsome in a clean-cut way, but were looks enough to withstand a relationship with every day frustrations confronting a couple? When her thoughts drifted to the rugged Carter McPherson, the man hired to ferry the yacht across the choppy sea, she felt an awareness rise in her that she’d never experienced before.

  She knew she shouldn’t be feeling this way about the other man, but the thoughts of how it would feel to be held in his arms kept crowding her mind. There was something about him that made her acutely aware of his presence whenever he was close to her.

  A cold dash of water flew over the side of the boat to where she stood bringing a sobering thought to Jenna. It looked as if the weather was going to interfere with their planned three day excursion. She looked up at the skyline and she noticed the dark clouds forming a funnel shaped appearance. She had seen this before off the coast of Miami where she lived. It wasn’t a good sign. It was a certainty that rough weather was just around the corner.

  Jenna made her way downstairs, dripping water along the way from being doused by the giant waves sliding across the upper deck. She could hear talking and laughter coming from the galley. One of the voices that she immediately recognized was her fiancé. He was having a good time with a female companion and it didn’t seem as if they noticed how the yacht had begun to shake.

  When Jenna reached her cabin, she changed into her swimsuit and pulled a pair of jeans on. She removed a dry blouse from her suitcase on the bed and buttoned it in place over her two-piece suit. If things got too bad and they had to swim, she at least wanted to be dressed for what lay ahead. After glancing around the room, she picked up her small compact mirror in the silver case and a hairbrush. Shoving the items into her back pocket, she headed to the upper level.

  Her parents had insisted on Jenna taking the cruise so that she and Brody could spend more time alone. Since boarding the yacht, they hadn’t had a minute to themselves. Jenna supposed she was being overly sensitive, but her parents had always made certain she was the center of attention. Coming from a wealthy family had always given Jenna the idea that everyone should cater to her. Brody had done just that so far, up until the time they boarded the boat for the cruise. Now, he was acting as if she didn’t exist. That didn’t set well with her and she fumed inwardly as she slipped on her tennis shoes.

  As she left her cabin and started the climb up to the first level, she had to grab onto the railing for support. If she hadn’t, she would have tumbled back down the stairs in a heap. By the time she reached the deck, she saw that Carter McPherson was removing the straps that held the lifeboats securely in place. No one had to tell her that they were in trouble. Before too much time passed, the rest of the people taking the cruise were piling onto the upper deck.

  Brody walked carefully across the hardwood surface, bobbing and weaving from the thrusts of the seesawing motion. When he reached Jenna he cupped his hands to the sides of his mouth and leaned toward her. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here,” he tried to reassure her.

  His words weren’t very comforting as she watched a giant wave knocking him off his feet and his body sliding across the polished deck. Carter reached out and grabbed the back of Brody’s shirt, preventing him from being swept out into the turbulent sea. The rest of the cruise members and crew were holding onto the side of the yacht trying to keep from being washed over the side.

  “Everyone get a life jacket and put it on,” Carter cupped his hands and shouted out his instructions.

  Jenna didn’t waste a second in picking one up and securing the orange flotation device around the top half of her body. She glanced over and noticed Brody was struggling against the wind to hold onto the puffy orange jacket. As she started to move toward him to help, she saw that he had managed to secure it in place.

  When Jenna glanced at Carter, she saw that he not only had a life jacket on, but a backpack was strapped to his back. Near his feet was a small suitcase, making her wonder what he had in it. She had a hysterical thought that Carter was going to jump ship and leave the rest of them behind. She knew she was being melodramatic and shook her head to clear it of all thoughts she’d had seconds ago. There wasn’t much time for her to wonder what he could have in the other case as the wind kicked up and she had to hold onto the rail to keep from falling.

  Glancing toward the opposite end of the boat, Jenna saw that most of the people on the cruise were heading toward the lower part of the yacht. She was left alone with Carter at the far end of the polished deck. The wind was so strong that she felt like a rag doll as she was buffeted back and forth, hitting the rail with such force she almost cried out in pain.

  Wave after wave rose high into the air soaking the deck with swishing water. One giant wave came with such force that two of the lifeboats flew over the side of the ship. Jenna tried holding on, but it was impossible. She felt herself flying over the side of the rail and hitting the water with such force it knocked the air from her lungs.

  Jenna felt it was the end of her journey as a huge wave sucked her under the swirling water. She tried fighting when something grabbed at her. Her first thoughts were that a shark was ready to attack her. No, she thought silently, she shouldn’t be thinking this way. When she
was just about to give up hope, she felt someone lifting her into one of the lifeboats.

  She gasped for air, trying to fill her lungs with the precious commodity and expelling the seawater that had filled her throat. Jenna started to cough and felt the water flying from her mouth. She lay back in the small bobbing boat, trying to catch her breath. As she glanced around, she saw Carter using one of the paddles that had been secured on the lifeboat. He was fighting against the wind and the waves to keep the boat from going under.

  For what seemed hours, Carter fought against the raging storm, blocking out any sight of stars overhead. It was pitch black and Jenna felt so alone out in the middle of the huge ocean with only Carter as her companion. She silently wondered how the yacht was doing weathering the storm. Glancing around, she couldn’t see any outline of the ship they had just been thrown from. Again, a shudder passed through her and she wondered if Brody was safe.

  Eventually, the storm began to subside and the sky started to clear. Jenna could feel the upset rolling through her stomach over the continuous jostling movements the waves were making. She glanced up and saw a clearing in the sky. The moon soon came out with stars beginning to shine brilliantly. At least the worst of their experience was over. Little did Jenna know that this was only the beginning of an experience she’d never forget for the rest of her life.

  * * * *

  Toward morning, she felt stiff and sore from the cramped quarters of the small boat. There hadn’t been much conversation between her and Carter because of the noise caused by the storm. Now that the sea was calmer, she glanced up and saw that he was watching her.

  “Are you all right?” His voice sounded hoarse

  She supposed the exertion in rowing the boat and the seawater that he’d swallowed had caused the hoarseness in his voice. Even though they’d been through hell that night, she still thought he was the sexiest man she had ever seen. Now, he had a sexy voice to match that magnificent body. The unbidden thought made her feel guilty as she thought about Brody. For all she knew, he could be drowned by now, along with the rest of the crew on the yacht.

  “Yes,” she mumbled in a hoarse sound that matched Carter’s. “Do you know what happened to the rest of the people on the yacht?”

  “The last time I saw the ship, it was still afloat,” he answered. “Since there wasn’t anyone on the top side with us, they probably don’t know we were washed out to sea. I’m sure they’re going to find out this morning when they can’t find us.”

  “Where are we?” Jenna’s voice held a whiny sound. “I can’t believe it’s this hot so early in the day. My skin’s going to get cooked if we don’t find land soon. I need some water to drink.”

  He gave her a narrow look of disgust. Jenna didn’t miss the anger shooting from the depths of his dark eyes. If looks could kill, she’d surely be dead where she sat in the tiny lifeboat.

  “I would have to get a whiner for a companion,” he muttered softly, but Jenna heard every word.

  “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say,” she shot back at him, bristling over how he was talking to her. Never in her life had she had anyone treat her this way. She knew right then that she wasn’t about to start allowing it now.

  “Look, we have to make the best of a bad situation and no amount of complaining is going to help.”

  She clamped her mouth closed and watched as he removed one of the paddles where it was attached to the side of the boat. He slipped it in a slot and the paddle stood up at a vertical angle. He then took the remaining paddle and did the same thing on the opposite side. Jenna continued to watch as he stripped off his shirt.

  She didn’t have any idea what he was going to do next. The only thing that held her interest right then was the bulging muscles laid bare for her to see. His bronzed chest had a mass of dark hair across it. Jenna had to stop from reaching out and running her fingers through the thickness. Again, she watched in fascination as Carter removed his jeans and was only wearing tight black trunks.

  Jenna tried to look away, but the huge bulge in the front of his trunks had her hypnotized. She wasn’t able to look away and could feel Carter’s gaze on her. When she glanced up eventually, she saw how he was trying to hide a grin.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked in a raised tone.

  “You are,” he answered calmly. “Miss Prim and Proper has finally shown what she’s made of. Those snapping green eyes tell me only one thing. You like what you see so far.”

  She started to say something about what he was suggesting, but Carter held his hands up and stopped her. “This is going to be a tedious few days until we’re either rescued or we spot land, so let’s try getting along. Oh, and another thing, I give you permission to examine every last inch of my body whenever you want. In fact, I can take the trunks off now to give you a better look.

  He reached for the elastic with his thumbs and started to pull the fabric away from his body. For seconds, she watched, telling herself that she wasn’t interested in seeing anything, only wondering if he meant to go through with it. Sanity suddenly returned to her and she looked away.

  “Stop that!” she shouted. “I’m an engaged woman. Didn’t you see my ring?”

  “Well, if you are an engaged woman then you should start acting like one instead of ogling another man’s penis. What would your fiancé think if he were to see you now?”

  “Just shut up!” Jenna raised her voice, but she knew Carter was right. She had found studying his hidden penis through the fabric of his trunks intriguing. The thought of what it looked like kept buzzing through her head, but she wasn’t about to let Carter know what her thoughts were right then.

  “Scoot over here closer to me.” He began draping his discarded shirt across the extended paddles. “This will give us a little relief from the sun.”

  “I don’t know whether I should. You’ll be accusing me of trying to seduce you.”

  “I wouldn’t mind that at all,” he told her with a sly grin. “Now come on and get over here. The sun will burn that delicate skin of yours.”

  Jenna didn’t want to admit he was right but there wasn’t any sense in getting burned alive. She carefully moved beneath the makeshift shelter, feeling instant relief from the hot rays overhead.

  She could feel Carter’s body heat reaching out to her. When she accidentally bumped his arm with hers, an electric shock raced through her. The man was too potent with his dark over-long hair and the rugged chiseled features making up his handsome face. She knew she had felt something when she’d first met him, but she brushed aside the niggling sensation and concentrated on Brody.

  Jenna didn’t feel any anxiety over Brody’s fate, making her wonder what the extent of her feeling was for him. She shouldn’t have been ogling Carter, but something had possessed her to continue watching him. Now sitting so close to him was sending a chill of awareness racing down her spine.

  She felt Carter nudging her and she brought her head up with a start. When she glanced at him, she saw what he was holding. A canteen of water was only a reach away for her. She started to take it from his hand, but he stopped her.

  “Only a small drink,” he told her as he tipped the canteen up and dribbled some of the precious liquid into her parched mouth. “We may have to make do with this water for some time.”

  Jenna hoped he was wrong. She couldn’t imagine being marooned at sea with no chance of ever being rescued. Surely someone from the yacht had already used the radio to send a distress signal. She certainly hoped so.

  After she had greedily swallowed the small portion of water, Jenna felt the need fill her for more. Her only consolation was that she knew Carter wasn’t taking his fair share. She watched as he recapped the container and put it back in the backpack.

  Jenna glanced over and caught him watching her again. She realized she must look a wreck after being thrown overboard and doused with seawater, but she remembered that Carter had seen her as she had boarded the yacht. So maybe he remembered how she looked when he�
��d first seen her.

  Her auburn hair usually hung loosely along her shoulders, framing the delicate features of her small face. She had been told many times that her deep green eyes shrouded by dark sooty lashes held a look of mystery. She had gotten her fair share of proposals in her lifetime, but she had accepted Brody’s ring. There were times when she wondered what she felt for him was really love.

  She ran her hand down her hipline and knew there was no way that Carter couldn’t see the curves outlined by the tight jeans. Jenna wondered why he wasn’t showing more of an interest in being with her.

  * * * *

  By late afternoon, Carter removed crackers wrapped in cellophane. He handed her a packet, and again, he didn’t take any for himself.

  “You have to be hungry, or thirsty,” she protested, breaking open the wrapper and handing him one.

  “If it will make you happy, I’ll share with you.” He took her offering and bit into the cracker. “By the way, where are you from?”

  “Miami,” she told him. “Why do you need to know where I’m from?”

  “Usually, if you’re from a place as big as Miami, there will be more Coast Guard ships out looking for us. We’re not so far out that we couldn’t be spotted.”

  “If we’re going to share information, where are you from?”

  “Originally, I lived in Idaho, but the lure of the ocean and sunny weather brought me to Miami. I’ve been here for three years.”

  “I don’t remember seeing you before we boarded the yacht,” she stated curiously.

  “I doubt you would have,” he answered, lapsing into silence.

  She silently wondered what he meant by that remark. Maybe he was referring to their different lifestyles, but she couldn’t be sure. She wasn’t about to press him to go into more detail.