Illusion (Swept Away Book 1) (23 page)

“It’s too hot.” I shook my head and straightened my shoulders. I was no longer self-conscious that I was only in my bra and panties.

“Or you can take them off.” He grinned and licked his lips. “I wouldn’t tell you that’s a bad idea.”

“It’s not your place to tell me anything,” I snapped back, annoyed.

“I’m just concerned about you.” He took a step toward me and ran a finger along my shoulder. “I don’t want you to get sunburned.”

“And being naked will help prevent that how?”

“My body will shield you from the sun. I can make sure that all you have is a healthy glow.”

“That sounds really comfortable.”

“I don’t think you’ll be complaining.” He took another step toward me, and I could feel his chest brushing against my breasts. “In fact, you might even find that you like it.”

“I don’t think so.” My words were barely a whisper as I stared up at him. My fingers were aching to reach out to touch his taut stomach. His abs were mocking me with their perfection.

“I can take your mind off your worries.” His eyes crinkled
as he stared at the top of my breasts. “You have so little on, yet still I feel you are teasing me with your modesty.”

“My modesty?” I laughed. “I’m in a bra and panties.”

“A full-coverage bra and panties.” He sighed.

“Sorry I didn’t wear my thong and half-cut bra in anticipation of getting kidnapped and meeting you.”

“That’s okay.” He smiled at me. “The anticipation is what makes it sweeter.”

“The anticipation of what?”

“Seeing your body.” His tone was gruff. “When I finally see all of you, it will—”

I cut him off. “You’re not going to see all of me!”

“No?” He laughed as his arm reached around my waist and pulled me toward him. This time, my breasts were crushed against his chest and I could feel his growing manhood pressed against my belly. “You’re so hot,” he whispered against my ear as his hands fell to my ass and pulled me to him.

“Thank you.” I gazed up at him, barely able to hide my lust.

“Why did you have to be so hot?” His voice deepened as his fingers massaged my behind. “I like a girl with a big butt.” His lips whispered against mine as he squeezed.

“I don’t have a big butt,” I muttered back indignantly.

“It makes doggie style so much more enjoyable.” He winked down at me as his fingers moved up my hips and held on to my waist. “Don’t you think?”

“I don’t know.” I was starting to feel feverish by his closeness. I wanted him to make a move, but I didn’t want him to
know how badly I wanted him to touch me. “Wait, what?” I glanced up at him. “Did you say ‘doggie style’?”

“Don’t you like it?” He cocked his head and grinned.

“You’re disgusting. Do you really think I’m just going to sleep with you? Do you think that I—”

“I like it when you’re feisty.” He took a step back. “Now that you’ve gotten your energy back, it’s time to work.”

“Excuse me? I was working, I was just—”

“Try not to stare at my ass too much this time.” He walked away, laughing, and I turned away with a red face before starting to gather more branches.

“Ass,” I muttered to the ground, and tried to ignore the rumbling of my stomach. I was starving, but sick of bananas, too. “It’s starting to rain.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the shack for protection?” He walked over to me. “Though, I don’t think it’ll rain that long.”

“I’m positive. Why do you think it won’t rain long?”

“Rain comes in short bursts in the tropics.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “And no, I don’t want to go back to the shack ever again. That place is spooky.”

“You think it’s haunted?”

“I don’t think it’s haunted, but I also don’t want to come face-to-face with some crazy person.”

“Like Casper the ghost?”

“Very funny—
not
. Casper was a friendly ghost. I’m talking about Freddy Krueger or the Sandman. If I saw either of them, we’d be rescued pretty quickly, trust me.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because if I saw them, my screams would be so loud that they’d hear me in outer space.”

“I wonder if I can make you scream that loudly.”

“When? During Halloween?” I asked stupidly, only realizing my idiocy after I spoke.

“When I take you and make you orgasm.” He took a step toward me. “Maybe we should see right now? Feel free to scream as loudly as you want as I enter you.”

“No, thank you.” I blushed.

“Maybe after we find Steve?”

“Yeah, that’ll happen.”

“If we go back to the shack, we might catch Steve there, then we’d know that he left the notes for us.”

“Not right now, thanks. You can go if you want.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know why Steve is here?”

“Not right now. Maybe after some food and when I have my clothes back on.” I gave him an arch look. “I need energy to do my kung fu moves. If I want to take Steve down, I’ll need to be fully prepared.”

“You know kung fu?”

“Well, not technically kung fu. More like karate.”

“Karate?” He looked impressed. “What belt are you?”

“You mean like black belt?”

“You have a black belt in karate? Wow.” He bowed down to me. “I guess you can take care of me, then.”

I blushed as I realized he’d misunderstood what I was saying. “I don’t have a black belt in karate.”

“Tae kwon do?”

“I don’t have a black belt in anything.” I shook my head. “Well, I do own several black leather belts. Some aren’t real leather, but you can’t really tell.”

“Sorry. What?” His eyes narrowed, and his expression became confused.

“I thought they were leather, but they weren’t,” I continued, but I could see him starting to look impatient. “Anyway, my point is I don’t actually have any vast experience in the martial arts, but I did take a weekend self-defense class with my friend Rosie. I also had a boyfriend in college who was into Shaolin movies, so I’ve seen quite a few.”

“Bianca.” His voice was controlled. “I think you missed your calling. You should definitely go into the profession of spouting absolutely useless random facts from movies.”

“That’s offensive.” I made a face at him. “And factually incorrect. I didn’t tell you anything about the Shaolin movies. I was just trying—”

“Though,” he said, cutting me off, “I suppose that it’s better than you saying you learned karate from watching
The Karate Kid
.”

I kept my mouth shut even though I wanted to tell him about the move I had learned from watching Mr. Miyagi.

“Wait, don’t tell me. That’s how you know about the aliens, right? You saw them when you had an out-of-body experience?”

“You’re going to have an out-of-body experience if you don’t shut up.” I turned toward him and caught him
laughing at me. “I’m glad you think it’s funny to make fun of an innocent, kidnapped woman who is trapped on an island with two psycho men.”

“You got part of that sentence wrong.”

“What?” I frowned.

“You should have said innocent kidnapped man who is trapped on an island with a psycho man and woman.”

“Whatever, asshole.”

“You really like my ass, don’t you.” His hands fell to the top of his briefs. “I can show it to you if you want.”

“No!” I exclaimed a little louder than expected. However, my gaze didn’t falter. If he wanted to show me, I wasn’t going to miss it.

“Let’s fish.” He suddenly released his waistband and grabbed my hand, and I jumped.

“What?” I looked at him in confusion and disappointment.

“We’re both hungry. And it’s raining. It’ll be easier to catch fish if it’s raining.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. They will be jumping more and they’ll be closer to the shore.”

“I guess.” I bit my lower lip. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to catch them with my hands. They seem like they can swim fast.”

“Catch them with your hands?” His lips trembled.

“I don’t see any rods or bait. Do you?” I snapped at him.

“Nope.” His eyes were laughing at me.

“What’s so funny?”

“Grab your branches and follow me.”

“Where are we going?”

“To catch our dinner.”

“More like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

“Would you like fries with that whine?”

“Funny joke—not. I used to say that when I was a kid.”

“Last year, then?”

“I’m twenty-five, ass.”

“You’re a twenty-five-year-old ass?” He seemed to be in good spirits now as we walked back to the sand with our arms full.

“I’m going to have so many muscles by the end of this trip.” I stopped then and made a face. “Well, I guess this isn’t a trip, but you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean.”

“So we’re going to fish instead of building the shelter?”

“If you don’t mind getting wet.” He nodded. “We can build the shelter later.”

“I don’t mind.”

“So tell me more about you. Do you have any brothers and sisters? Do you often compare your life to movies?”

“No brothers and sisters, no.” My voice trembled slightly as I thought about my parents. “My dad told me that he and my mom wanted more kids, but it never happened, and then she died.”

“How did she die, again?” His voice was soft, and I kept my eyes ahead.

“Car accident.” My words were short. “What about you? Any siblings?”

“I grew up as an only child with my mom.” His voice seemed to turn emotional. “She was a great mom. She did everything she could to give me the best life she could.”

“She was a single mom?” I looked at him in surprise.

“Yes.” His voice was curt. “She was a poor single mother, and I was her life.”

“So you didn’t grow up rich?”

“No, I didn’t. I was around rich people due to my mother’s work. She was a maid, but we weren’t rich. I got to where I am by my own blood, sweat, and toil.”

“Sounds ominous.”

“Maybe because it is.” He shrugged. “You don’t become a billionaire by being gentle.”

“You’ve done bad things?” My eyes narrowed, and my breath quickened as I thought about his acknowledging that he would kill someone if he had to.

“Let’s just say I’m loyal to those I think I should be loyal to.”

“How do you make that decision?”

“Family, business, life.” He shrugged. “My mom always told me it was important to hold off judgment until I knew someone personally. Though, of course it’s hard in certain circumstances.”

“Why is it hard?”

“Because sometimes loyalties are so strong they can’t be broken.” He paused. “And then there are people who can break loyalties in a second, if the price is right.”

“Is that why you fired Bridgette?” I interjected smoothly. “Was she disloyal?”

“Bridgette liked to carry information, yes.” He nodded. “Once someone shows me who they are, I don’t give them a second chance to break my trust.”

“What did she do?”

“She valued her relationship with David more than she valued her job.” His eyes grew distant, and he didn’t notice my sudden intake of breath. So he did know David.

“You didn’t like that?”

“It was a stupid game for someone in her position to play. She thought she bet on the right brother. She had no idea.”

“What do you mean?” My voice was sharp, and I watched his face change into an impenetrable mask.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Bridgette is one of those women I’ve been telling you about. She’s nothing but a gold digger. She decided to betray me because David is a fool.”

“She played you?”

“She was just looking for someone to marry her.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t about to marry her.”

“You slept with her?” I felt my stomach tense up as I thought about Jakob being intimate with Bridgette.

“She meant nothing to me. I would never marry someone like her. I think the bond of marriage should be sacred. I don’t think it is for many people. I don’t find that people go into marriage for the right reasons anymore.”

“Oh.”

“So to answer your earlier question, my loyalties are related to blood, duty, and trust.”

“It’s hard to know when to trust people.” I dropped the branches on the ground, grateful that we’d finally arrived back at our spot. I wanted to confront him. I wanted to tell him I didn’t trust him, but I didn’t know how that would help. I didn’t think that confronting him would lead me to any new answers related to the kidnapping. However, I was starting to wonder if perhaps he couldn’t provide other answers. He obviously had access to Bradley Inc. in some capacity. Perhaps I’d be able to use him to gain access to the corporation when we got back to the States. Whenever that was.

“Yes. Sometimes it’s easy to be deceived.” He looked up at the sky and then back at me. “It’s about to start pouring. We should gather some leaves and tie them together, see if we can weave some sort of bowls. That way we can catch some of the rainwater. Are you prepared to get wet?”

“I’m grateful for the rain on my skin, to be honest. It’s so hot here.” I put my face up toward the sky and grinned as drops of water crashed down on me. “It feels wonderful.”

“Yes, it does.” His voice was soft, and I looked toward him. He was staring at me with an odd expression as I danced around in the rain.

“Everything okay?” I asked him softly.

“You have many pieces to your puzzle, don’t you, Bianca London.”

“Yes, I do, Jakob.” I nodded back at him seriously. If he only knew how many pieces I had, he’d be a lot less cocky.

“Come. Let’s go in the water.” He grabbed his shirt and two branches in one hand and then grabbed my hand with his free one.

“We’re going to swim?”

“We’re going to catch dinner.”

“Oh.” I laughed as we ran to the ocean. “I guess we’re not going to be using our hands?”

“You guessed right.” He smiled. “We’ll tie the arms of the shirt to the branches, and then we’ll scour the water with the shirt and treat it like a net.”

“I hope it works,” I said as my stomach grumbled. “I’m so hungry.”

“I hope it works too.” He gave me a reassuring smile, and my heart melted for a second as I stared at his water-drenched face. His hair was wet and slick, and he had never looked sexier. “If we don’t catch any fish, I’ll go back into the jungle and see what fruit I can find. I’m pretty sure I saw some more banana trees, and we already know there are coconuts. I think I even saw some five-finger.”