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  Without saying a word, Jenn’s eyes grow even wider as her grip of my hand tightens.

  “There is a red flag,” Miguel goes on. “Only fly that for emergencies. Once a day, we’ll stop and bring supplies to the central building. Right now, it is equipped with over a week’s worth of food, water, and medical supplies. It’s not too late to decide to have a chef on the island. After all, besides the center building, there are two empty huts. Someone can stay here with you.”

  “You’re sure there’s no one else here?” Jenn asks as she continues to look downward at the island.

  “Yes, ma’am. The only way on and off is helicopter or boat. The tides are unpredictable this time of year. Helicopter is the safest. If you decide to do an excursion, we’ll fly you to the marina.”

  “Thank you for the offer,” I say. “We decided it would be more fun to just be the two of us. The website said there are grills and other cooking facilities.”

  “Yes, sir. The freezer is well stocked and there is even fishing equipment available if you want fresh seafood as well as a map to let you know where to fish and swim. Remember, this isn’t Disney. The sea creatures are wild. Please heed our safety instructions.”

  I smile at Jenn. “This will be fun. It’ll be like camping.”

  We both look out to the blue sea that goes on forever, the white sand of the beach, and the tall palm trees making the middle of the island a dense forest of green.

  “Like camping in paradise,” Jenn says. “With sharks.”

  “And jellyfish,” Miguel offers. “However, stingrays, cone shells, and man-of-war are the biggest concerns in the water. On land, it’s spiders and snakes.”

  “Paul?” My wife’s voice sounds uncertain through the earphones.

  “Ma’am, your hut is treated against the spiders and ants. Being over the water helps. That’s why we constructed them that way. I’m not trying to scare you, only warn you.”

  “We have spiders and snakes in Wisconsin,” I remind my wife.

  “Okay,” she answers with the same uneasy cadence.

  All at once, sand begins to fly as the helicopter descends, the propellers whirling, until the landing blades beneath us settle into the soft sand.

  “Stay seat belted until the propellers stop,” our guide warns.

  Once we’re back on solid ground, Miguel unloads our suitcases and bids us to follow along a narrow, well-packed path. Quickly, the elevation increases along with the warm tropical breeze. From the highest elevation we can see out over the sea.

  “From the air, you should have seen all three huts at relatively equal distances around the perimeter of the island. This island is our farthest one from the mainland, nearly twenty nautical miles. The closest island to you is over three miles away. During calm seas, that can be reached by a ten-minute boat ride. This time of year, we wouldn’t risk it.” He points one direction. “The west side of the island is lined with red mangroves. You can walk over thirty yards and still be in shallow water.” Over near your hut, there’s a cove where the water becomes deep quickly. It’s a great place to dock larger boats during the busy season. It’s also perfect for swimming and fishing.”

  Swimming and fishing? Jenn mouths with uncertainty in her eyes.

  “What kind of fishing?” I ask.

  “Lionfish are the best. Just be sure to cut off their spines.”

  “We’ll remember that,” Jenn says to Miguel. And then, leaning toward me, she whispers, “Please only fish in that well-stocked refrigerator or freezer. I’m certain in this temperature it will defrost quickly.”

  “Oh, isn’t this vacation about adventure?”

  “No, it’s about our marriage. I’d like to make it home without either of us being poisoned by a fish or spider.”

  Miguel laughs. “Our country is beautiful. You’ll be safe. Enjoy what nature has made.”

  We continue to follow as Miguel carries our suitcases, one on each shoulder, until the trees part to a stunning, wide white-sand beach. Our feet sink as we trod out to a wooden pier. The clip-clop of our sandals is lost in the sound of waves as we walk out on the wooden dock that leads out to a thatched hut. The pictures in the brochures and online didn’t do justice to the reality. Suspended above the water on solid wood stilts, our home for the next ten days is exactly what I imagined—paradise.

  With each step upon the wooden planks toward the hut, my anticipation builds. Excitement is mixed with uncertainty. This adventure will make or break our marriage, and with everything inside me, I’m hoping we come away closer than before.

  Jenn’s dark hair blows about her face as the breeze from over the sea whips around us.

  “It’s absolutely stunning,” Jenn says, voicing my thoughts, as Miguel opens the door to the hut and we walk inside.

  Turning a full circle, I take in the large living area complete with a kitchenette. Off to one side is an archway leading to the bedroom. In the center of the bedroom is a large canopy bed, protected by mosquito netting attached to four solid posts. The walls to the ocean are missing, replaced with only flowing white curtains bellowing in the wind.

  “Is it safe to have this all open?” Jenn asks.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Miguel replies as he goes to the side of the opening and tugs out a wall on wheels. “You’re welcome to pull these closed if you’d like more privacy or in the case of rain, but as I said, other than when we stop—and when we do, you’ll hear the helicopter—you two will be the only ones on the island.”

  When she turns back to me, there’s something in her expression that I haven’t seen in too long.

  “This is just what the doctor ordered,” she says with a smile.

  I know at that second what I’m seeing.

  Hope.

  I’m not only seeing it but feeling it too.

  These ten days are our last chance. Our forever is riding on it, and I plan to do everything I can to avoid a trip back to Jonas’s office.

  “It is,” I say, leaning down and kissing her smile.

  “Your refrigerator is stocked, and there is more food in the center building we passed up on the hill. There are fresh sandwiches and fruit ready for you in case you’re famished after your trip. Also, in the main building on the hill, there’s a wine cellar and a well-stocked bar. You may eat or drink anything you find. If you need anything...” He walks to a table near the far corner of the living room and lifts a round microphone attached by a curly cord to a large box. It reminds me of the CB radio my grandfather used to have. “...just push this button and call.”

  He demonstrates. “Cabin six. Cabin six calling Narvana.”

  “Cabin six. Narvana here.” The voice coming from the box is gravelly.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Masters are safely to their bungalow. They’ve declined a cook and know about the flag. I’m about to head back.”

  “Very good. Cabin six is set for ten days. Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Masters.”

  Jenn and I smile at the box, knowing we could only respond if we were the ones to hold the microphone and push the button.

  “Over and out,” Miguel says, hanging the microphone back on the side of the radio.

  “If there is nothing else, I’ll leave you two alone. It’s customary for either me or one of our other tour guides to check on guests within the first twenty-four hours. So... we’ll see you tomorrow?”

  We both nod. “Thank you, Miguel.”

  I try to offer him a tip, but he refuses. “No, Mr. Masters. This is your vacation. Everything has been taken care of. Enjoy.”

  Jenn and I stand looking out at the stunning view until we hear the whir of the helicopter fade into the sounds of the sea.

  I reach for her hand and pull her close to me. “Jenn, I want to make this work. I think we have a chance. I hope you agree.”

  She lifts herself to her toes in her now-bare feet and gives me a chaste kiss. “I thought I was all right with our decision. It wasn’t until we were faced with those papers that I unexpectedly realized how much I
don’t want a divorce. I want a chance.”

  “Oh, baby,” I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her even tighter to me, her body flush with mine. “That’s what this trip is all about.”

  Chapter Three

  Jenn

  I close my eyes and allow my body to simply react.

  It’s been too long.

  It seems as if recently I’ve overthought everything—every action...word...everything—between Paul and me. The process is exhausting, and I’m too tired to continue. I don’t know what will happen over the next ten days. All I know is that I want what’s in front of me.

  Forget that.

  I want what’s intoxicating me—my husband’s embrace, the spicy scent of his skin, the way his erection probes my tummy through our clothes, and the sweet sensation of his kiss.

  Sex may not save our marriage, but damn, right now as our kiss deepens, I’m on fire. Like a field of grass that’s withstood a drought, the flames grow. Small explosions detonate throughout my body—tiny flares roaring to a blaze and blasting our world. Each is a reminder that there’s been only one man who has ever made me feel completely and utterly loved, worshipped, and satisfied.

  The one man who is with me now.

  A moan escapes my lips as Paul reaches for the hem of my sundress and lifts it over my head. Just as quickly, he tugs off his own shirt, and I’m surrounded by his strong arms. His wide chest smashes against my breasts, and our hearts work together, the presence of the other increasing their rhythm. The faint taste of the salt air lingers on my lips as I kiss his neck, chest, and torso.

  His body stiffens as he speaks. “Take me out. I want to watch you suck me.”

  I’m taken aback by not only his command but also his unfamiliar tone. It isn’t like I’ve never given him head, but it’s always been my doing. This feels different, scary, and yet somehow inviting. The strange dichotomy twists my already-tightening muscles, the ones growing painfully taut by the second. “Paul?”

  His eyes darken as he shakes his head and presses a finger to my lips. “No, Jenn. No talking.” His jaw clenches, the muscles in his neck bulge, and his Adam’s apple bobs as he seems to weigh his next words. “We both know that this time together is it. We’re walking away from this island with no secrets. We’ve both been keeping them. No matter what happens, it’s time to let them out. Right now, my secret is that I want you to suck me...like a good wife.”

  A good wife?

  “I-I...” I stutter my response as within a millisecond I recount our entire sexual history. It’s been good. I’ve been happy, but never has he ever acted this way. I know exactly what he wants, what he’s doing. I’ve read about it. I’ve done more than read about it. I’m not sure I’m ready for this from him. Before I can give it more thought, Paul’s shoulders go back as he seems to grow larger before me.

  “On your knees, baby. Now.”

  There is a strange duality in his command. Though it doesn’t invite refusal, it’s also the voice of the man I love and trust.

  I fall to the floor, my panties—my only remaining clothing—dampening with desire as my nipples harden. I don’t have time to process my body’s reaction to his behavior before my fingers do as they were bid and unbutton his shorts and release his cock as I open my lips. Musk fills my senses as he takes over. With his fingers wrapped in my hair, he moves in and out of my mouth. Each thrust goes farther than the one before.

  Though my scalp screams from the way he’s holding my hair, my attention is on him and the growing need between my legs. With one hand holding his cock, I reach down to the crotch of my panties, hoping to relieve the building pressure.

  Paul steps back, the loud pop filling the air as he pulls away from my lips, and my eyes grow wide as I’m met with his stern and unexpected expression.

  “No.” The word hangs in the air, a heavy weight crushing me until he finally speaks again. “No, Jenn. You’re only allowed to touch yourself if I tell you to. Your pleasure comes from me. Only me. Just as mine comes only from you. No more jerking off in the shower for me or your fingers finding your own clit. That’s over. This is the only way our marriage is going to work. When we want something, we have to tell each other.”

  His heavy cock bobs with need before my eyes as he reaches for my hand and helps me stand.

  I bite my lower lip as his words hit their target. It’s what our counselor had said. She was right and so is he. “I’m just not used to you—”

  He doesn’t let me finish. “Get used to it, baby. Tell me what you want.”

  “I want you. I’m so...”

  His lips find my neck as he once again pulls my long hair, exposing more of my vulnerable skin and my squeal fills the space between us.

  “...You’re so what?” his deep voice questions. “Tell me. Tell me what you are.”

  “Horny...turned on...please...I need you...”

  I can’t say more as his kiss lands possessively upon my mouth, and his body pushes me back onto the bed. As I bounce and crawl backward, he reaches for my panties and pulls them down my legs until the place I want him to be is exposed.

  “Show me,” Paul demands.

  I don’t hesitate as I move my knees apart, giving him a view of what he wants to see. I do it willingly, hoping that soon I too will get what I want. My eyes close and back arches as two of his fingers find my opening.

  “Oh, damn, you’re soaking wet.”

  “Please, Paul, we haven’t made love...” The truth is that it’s been nearly a month. What used to be good has become a bargaining chip that neither of us has chosen to barter or perhaps it was that we both found the cost too high.

  I writhe under his touch as he curls his fingers inside me. My mind fills with memories of the two of us as my body warms and tingles. He works me like an instrument that only he can play, until my full body tenses and he removes his fingers. The loss is an immediate void, but before I can complain, he leans over me with his cock teasing my thighs and folds. I wiggle, trying to get him where I want him.

  “Is that what you want, Jenn, to make love?”

  “I...yes...Paul, stop doing this.”

  He sits back. “You want me to stop?”

  “No, God, no. I want you to do it.”

  He shakes his head as he pushes my knees higher and eyes my most private area. His lips curve into a smile, yet his eyes remain dark. “Seeing your pink pussy all shiny and wet, I don’t want to make love.”

  My chest clenches as I try to understand his meaning.

  Before I can make sense of what he’s saying, he leans down and sucks my clit, sending my body into overdrive. Shouting out, I reach for the covers as heat floods my circulation and goose bumps blanket my skin. Again, his fingers find my need. “No,” he says, his fingers resuming their earlier rhythm. “I don’t want to make love. I want to fuck you like I’ve never fucked you before. I want to spend the next ten days making you hear me...” He adds another finger, causing me to gasp, before pulling them out and viciously rolling my clit between his fingers. The pleasure he’s creating edges on pain as he tightens my insides like the winding of a top. “...even when I don’t speak.”

  More taunting and my mind and body are at odds.

  He leans over me until all we can see are each other’s eyes. “And I want to hear you, even when you don’t speak.”

  I’m trying to comprehend, to hear what he’s saying, but my body is winning the war and my mind can’t stay focused.

  “Right now,” Paul goes on, “without talking, your body is telling me it wants the same thing that I do.”

  Hell yes!

  He moves over me again, his thick, hard cock poised at my entrance. “One answer, Jenn, choose it well. Do you want us to make love like two married people, or do you want me to fuck you?”

  I don’t even think about the consequences of my answer as I blurt out my desire. “Fuck me.”

  A scream echoes out to sea as in one thrust he fills me to the hilt. There’s
no ease or finesse, and I’ve never been so turned on. My nails threaten to penetrate his skin as I grip his shoulders and take the man I’ve made love with hundreds of times. I take him, willingly allowing him to ravage me in a new, powerful, and dominating way. This isn’t making love. It’s fucking, and my body is about to explode with pleasure. My legs stiffen and toes curl as he pushes me higher, fulfilling his need while awakening ones I’d buried.

  With each gyration of his hips, my orgasm builds until I’m at the precipice. It’s my voice I hear begging him to never stop and my hands holding on to him for dear life, afraid that when I fall from this height, I may never find my way back.

  Chapter Four

  Paul

  My wife is absolutely stunning with her strained neck that’s peppered red from the abrasion of my facial hair and her swollen lips poised into the perfect ‘O’ as her orgasm builds. I lift myself up on my hands and bend until I can suck one of her nipples and then the other, pulling each one taut with a quick nip that each time causes her to flinch. The quick movement sends shock waves to her core and then to my cock. It’s the best example of chain reaction I’ve ever experienced, and I’m fascinated to see what else I can do to make it happen.

  All of our love life I’ve worked to keep her satisfied. Of course, I came too. But that’s not all that I want anymore. I want more. I need more. Having her body at my complete disposal, I am reminded of what it was like before we met, when I fed my need to dominate. I squelched that desire for Jenn, afraid it wasn’t what she would want.

  I’m still not confident.

  Dr. Kizer told me to be honest with Jenn. I was afraid it would push her away. I told myself that I didn’t need control in our lovemaking.

  That lie has eaten away at me until it nearly lost me the love of my life.

  Now on this island, it’s all or nothing. I’ve opened the gate, and I couldn’t stop the flood if I wanted to.

  Jenn’s nails pierce my shoulders, and her pleas fill the air, drowning out the surf as I continue to tease her, taking her to the brink and backing away.