Sacrifices in Paradise Read online

  * * * *

  On the third day, Jenna was just about to give up hope of ever seeing land again. She’d done her fair share of complaining like a spoiled brat and received glaring looks in return from Carter. Jenna had come to realize that he didn’t think too much of a complainer. Her parents and Brody had let her get away with her demanding ways, but Carter was different.

  That evening, she glanced out across the water and her eyes widened. Maybe it was a mirage way off in the distance. She hoped it wasn’t. It looked like greenery surrounding a raised mound. Even if the island was small, anything was better than the tiny cramped lifeboat they now shared.

  “Carter.” She excitedly gave him a shake. He had only been asleep for a short time, but seeing the island was too important a deal not to awaken him.

  “What the hell . . . ,” his words tapered off with the expletive flowing from his lips. “What’s happened now?”

  Watching his handsome features, she saw the look of irritation filling them. Well, he would just have to be irritated with her because she needed to show him what she had spotted in the distance.

  “Look,” she pointed to where the lush green scenery was becoming clearer. They didn’t have much daylight left so Jenna was hoping they could reach the tiny island before it became totally black. With the darkness, they would only have the moon and stars to guide them.

  “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” he asked gruffly. “We’ve almost passed it.”

  “Because I just saw it,” she retorted, stung by his accusing tone. “If we both row, we should reach the island before nightfall.”

  “Just scoot to the front of the boat. It will be easier for me to use both paddles.”

  Jenna did as he said. Excitement began to fill her as they drew closer to the greenery-filled land. She placed her hand on her forehead, shading her eyes to get a better look where they would soon be docking the boat.

  By the time Carter reached the sandy beach, total darkness shrouded the area. They were farther out than she thought and it had taken quite some time to reach the safety of the island. Once they got out of the boat, Carter pulled it out of the water. He certainly didn’t want to lose the boat in case they weren’t found and had to use it again later to try and find their way back to civilization.

  * * * *

  Jenna was grateful when a cloud slipped past the moon. This gave them enough light to find their way up the sandy beach toward the wooded area. It was rough going, but eventually they came to a clearing.

  “I don’t think we should sleep out in the open tonight.” Carter struggled to pull the lifeboat behind him into the trees.

  “What do you mean?”

  “There could be someone else on this island, or wild animals could be roaming around. Take your pick.”

  Jenna shuddered inwardly, listening to his explanation. When she had spotted the land from the boat, she hadn’t given it a thought that danger could be waiting for them on the sandy shoreline. Without saying another word, Jenna picked up the other end of the lifeboat and helped Carter carry it farther into the trees. She stumbled a few times and he had to slow his pace, but eventually, they could hear what sounded like water falling.

  * * * *

  The moon peeking through the clouds lit up a patch of land. Carter saw what he thought looked like a cave near a small waterfall. This would be ideal, he thought silently, hoping that the cave wasn’t already occupied.

  * * * *

  It wasn’t long before they were placing the lifeboat near the entrance and entering the cool interior of the cave. Suddenly, a small flame lit up the darkness so they could find their way around inside the shelter. Jenna glanced at Carter and saw that he had a lighter. She wondered how he had managed to keep it dry while they were in the water and everything else had become wet.

  “Where did you get that?” she asked.

  “I packed it in the backpack inside the medical kit. This pack is with me all the time when I take trips, in case of emergencies. I’m glad I had it strapped onto my back before we were thrown overboard.”

  “How did you manage to bring the small case with you once we hit the water?”

  “After I got you in the lifeboat, I glanced around and saw that the case had been swept overboard with us. I grabbed it before it had a chance to sink.”

  “What do you have in it?” she asked curiously.

  “A change of clothes, some soap, a towel, toothbrush, and tooth paste.”

  “Wow, you thought of everything,” she murmured. “I did manage to grab a brush and compact mirror.”

  “We have about everything we need,” he stated, getting up and walking around their dark shelter. “This lighter isn’t bright enough to read the writing on the wall, so we’ll have to wait until morning to find out what it says. You can use the shirt I packed to cover with.”

  Jenna could hear the snap on the case opening. Within seconds, Carter was handing her the shirt. She felt her way around the cave and sat down on a sandy patch of ground. She was too tired to worry about spiders, or insects, as she lay down and pulled the shirt up to her neck. For the first time in several nights, she was able to fall asleep peacefully, knowing that the next day was the first day of working toward being rescued.

  All through the night, Jenna would awaken and wonder where she was. Realty would set in when she heard Carter’s heavy breathing as he lay next to her. Eventually, she fell into a deep sleep, blotting out the cave and her companion only inches away from her on the hard ground.

  * * * *

  The following morning Jenna awoke and glanced over to see if Carter was up. When she didn’t see him, her gaze drifted around the rock shelter finding him standing near the wall reading the scribbled messages. She got up and shook the sand out of his shirt.

  “Can you make out what the writing says?” She made her way over to where he was standing.

  “From what I can tell, this cave is used as a ritual sight for offerings for devil worshippers,” he told her. “And according to the last addition to the wall, they have a timetable that shows when the next meeting is going to be. They’ll be back in less than a month. It gives a date for the third week of this month.”

  “What do you mean by offerings?” Jenna asked as a chill raced down her spine over the unknown.

  “It could be animal, or human. Some of these people are way out with their thinking.”

  “Have you ever met anyone in a cult like that?”

  “Back in my hometown of Idaho, there were a few wannabes,” he said. “They tried sacrificing a cow from a ranch outside the city limits. The local sheriff got wind of what they were up to and put a stop to it before it had a chance to make any headway.”

  “Did you belong to their cult?” she asked shakily, hoping his answer was going to be no.

  “Are you crazy?” His tone was gruff. “I don’t believe in any of that stuff.”

  “I’m sorry for asking, but I had to know,” she murmured as her voice trailed off. “What are we going to do when they come back?”

  “We’ll worry about that later,” he told her. “We should go in search of that waterfall we heard last night. I don’t think we were imagining the sound we heard. And then there’s the problem of gathering food.”

  Jenna nodded as she followed him to the outside of the cave. The sunshine filtered through the trees and gave off such a bright sheen that she had to shade her eyes against the glare. When her eyes adjusted, she gazed around the wooded area. It was so beautiful her breath caught in her throat. Lush greenery sprouted everywhere, with wild flowers in an array of colors dotted the landscape. The island resembled a tropical paradise seen on postcards and in paintings.

  Off to the right of the cave was a beautiful, cascading waterfall shooting clear water into a small basin below it. The small pond looked so inviting to Jenna that she began stripping off her jeans and blouse. She felt grateful she’d remembered to put on her bikini before being thrown overboard.

  When she
turned and glanced at Carter, she saw that he was doing the same thing. But there was only one difference. He didn’t bother about his trunks beneath his jeans. It didn’t seem to worry him any to stand stark naked in front of her.

  The shock quickly left her and was replaced by a yearning that filled her entire body. He looked magnificent standing in the morning sun. What she had noticed outlined beneath his clothing in the lifeboat, now stood out long and erect for her to feast her gaze on.

  She slowly shook her head, realizing that should be the last thing she should be thinking about. But her gaze was continually drawn to it against her will as she watched him dive into the water. Some of the cold water splashed onto her, bringing Jenna to her senses.

  Wading out into the water, she needed the time to adjust her body to the cool spray floating across to her from the fall. She decided to completely dive in and ward off the chill that was causing her teeth to chatter.

  As she adjusted her eyes to the water, Jenna could clearly see the bottom half of Carter moving his legs to keep afloat. She had an urgent desire to move alongside him and grab his erect penis between her fingertips. She quickly raised her head above the water. Before she could change her mind, she swam over to him and let her hand glide across his muscular chest.

  Carter gave her a searching look as his eyes narrowed. His gaze locked with hers and Jenna couldn’t look away. A magical spell pulled at her, making Jenna want to explore the rest of his body with her fingertips. While he held her spellbound with his hypnotic gaze, she automatically moved her hands down his body. Reaching his desire, she slowly began to manipulate the hard length. His arousal was immediate.

  Jenna felt Carter slipping his fingers into the material of her bikini bottom and touching her skin. Slowly, he pulled the mini covering away from her body. Out of the corner of her eye, Jenna saw the skimpy material floating by. When his hands reached behind her, his deft movements had the tie of her bikini top loosened and soon joining the bottoms floating across the small pond.

  Jenna’s breasts quickly spilled out into the water. Carter’s gaze feasted over the huge mounds with the hardened pink nipples. His mouth moved to capture one of the nipples easily. The sucking brought spasms of delight racing through her. When he moved beneath the water, she could see the top of his head as it reached her hairy pussy below. His hands shoved her legs apart as his mouth captured the clitoris and he began nibbling away at the raised desire of her body. He was giving her such pleasure that she screamed out into the quiet morning. His continuous licking motions of her throbbing womanhood made her feel the need for his possession. She didn’t know how long she could hold out, but it didn’t look as if Carter was ready to take her just yet.

  He slowly rose to the surface when he ran out of air and placed his arm around her waist as he guided her through the still water to the bank. Jenna let Carter lead her into the cave without giving it a thought that she didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. Out of the corner of her eye, she kept a vigil of his masculine body as they had walked alongside each other to reach their destination.

  When they entered the cool shelter of the cave, she felt goose bumps rising on her body from leaving the heat from the sun behind. She shivered as she felt Carter’s arm dropping away from her.

  He moved across the room and placed the clothing from the case onto the floor of the cave. Slowly, he reached for Jenna and gently placed her onto the makeshift bed he had created moments ago.

  It didn’t look as if Carter was going to wait very long to possess her. She felt his mouth find hers, dropping down onto hers in an urgent display. All she could do was raise her head and offer him what he wanted. When his tongue slipped inside the moist interior of her lips, she groaned over the excited state he was beginning to bring to her senses.

  Desire raced through her in the next few moments. She’d never experienced this state with Brody and found her heart beginning to race out of control. When he moved down her body slowly, she felt his tongue licking away at her more intimate spots along the way, open for his capture.

  As he reached her dewy moistness with his swiftly moving tongue, she reached down with her hands and placed each alongside his head. The thought that she never wanted him to move from the spot he had found so easily with his tongue, had her writhing and moving in a sensuous display of wanton craving for more of the same.

  For what seemed an eternity, Carter continued with his nibbling on her pussy, bringing more sensuous sensations to fill her body. Eventually she felt spasm after spasm flow through her in a great tidal wave of rushing feelings. The need for his possession attacked her senses, sending delightful sensations racing through her body. She felt the need to scream out, telling him to hurry and show her the pleasure she knew was surely coming once he took her.

  When he started to lick his way to the top of her body, she felt the need fill her again for his total possession. But, he wasn’t ready to appease her fully just yet. His mouth stopped on the way and recaptured her nipples that now stood hard and erect.

  “Oh, Carter, I want you,” she managed to mumble from lips that were dry and parched from the excited state she found herself in.

  Wanting him as she did, Jenna moved her hands down to his manhood and began rubbing it vigorously. The small manipulation seemed to work in bringing him to a more aroused state. He mounted her body and his hard shaft entered her waiting wetness.

  What started out slowly and gently soon changed into a frenzied copulation that had Jenna’s head spinning. She felt eruptions quake through her body, filling her with pleasure. Again and again, she felt the same sensation, until the final explosion filled her entire body.

  * * * *

  Carter slowed down the pace, holding off from having a final climax so that he could increase the pleasure she was now finding in his lovemaking. He covered her mouth with his and sucked on her tongue greedily, exciting her even more.

  * * * *

  When she felt the quick shudder racing through Carter, she knew he had reached the ultimate climax. Hot juice flowed from him into her and Jenna savored every drop he was depositing in her. She held onto him, feeling the remaining shudders of ecstasy racing through her body. Carter slowly dropped down onto the clothing next to her and she could hear heavy breathing coming from him.

  Jenna didn’t know how long they lay alongside each other, but eventually Carter sat up. She watched from the corner of her eye as he stood and reached for the pair of jeans they were using as a bed on the sand-filled floor. As he slipped into the tight fitting pants, she felt a moment of desire filling her again. She smiled inwardly, realizing she could become used to Carter’s lovemaking. She was acting almost insatiable when it came to feeling his hard length inside of her.

  * * * *

  “Are you awake?” Carter startled Jenna out of her day dreamy state.

  “Yes,” she murmured.

  “We’re going to have to do some scouting around for food because I’m starving. Making love has drained any of the energy I had in reserve. But it was well worth it.” He glanced down at her and grinned.

  A warm glow enveloped her heart at hearing his words. She couldn’t figure out why in the world she should be feeling this way. She had only known Carter for a few days, but it seemed like a lifetime to her.

  “I’ll be right with you,” she eventually answered him.

  Jenna looked around and realized her clothing was still by the pond where she’d taken them off earlier. She silently hoped her swimsuit hadn’t sunk to the bottom and that she would have to dive to retrieve it.

  Carter walked out of the cave and Jenna hurriedly got up and brushed the sand from her bottom. As she walked back through the cave opening into the sunlight, she saw Carter turning to look at her. Even though they’d made love so openly earlier, she felt shyness overwhelm her as she walked across the open space without clothing.

  Another grin split Carter’s lips. “Don’t tell me you’re becoming shy,” he laughed. “I know every par
t of your body intimately. You shouldn’t be worrying about me seeing you now. You look more voluptuous than you did in the cave.”

  “I guess that was a compliment,” she murmured softly.

  “Yes, and I mean every word of it.” His features suddenly became serious. Gone was the laughter that filled the dark eyes that were watching her intently.

  Jenna glanced at him from lowered eyelids and kept on walking. She wasn’t going to read too much into what he had just said, but she felt as if her heart was beating a little faster just listening to him.

  It didn’t take her long to wade out into the pond and gather the two pieces of her bikini. She carried the wet garments over to a tree branch and hung them out to dry. After slipping into her blouse and jeans, Jenna headed off in the direction Carter had taken. She hurried to catch up to him as he entered a grove of trees. She almost stumbled over him as she came upon his bent figure near a bush heavy with blackberries. He had stripped off his shirt and was using it as a container to carry his find back to the cave.

  “Do you need any help?” She kneeled down near him.

  “Sure,” he answered.

  Jenna began gathering the berries and throwing them into his shirt that lay between them on the ground. When it didn’t look as if another berry would fit into their container, Carter rose and lifted the bounty over his shoulder.

  “Now, all I have to do is catch a mess of fish,” he told her as they walked back out into the clearing.

  “How are you going to manage that without a fishing rod?” A skeptical look lined her face.

  “You’d be surprised by what I can do.”

  No, I wouldn’t, she thought silently, after the way you made love to me this morning. Jenna knew that anything Carter tried to do in the future wouldn’t come as a shock to her.

  * * * *