Stranded With The Billionaire by Brynn Paulin

Chapter Three

~ Lily ~

“Tighten your life jacket, and find something to hang on to,” Silas yelled.

Clutching my seat, I stared at him while he wrestled with the boat. An hour ago, I’d thought the giant, muscled man was the hottest male specimen I’d ever seen. He’d been brusque and growling ever since then. And…damn it, I still thought he was sexy, even though I didn’t want to.

The guy had an obvious bad-boy vibe telling me he wasn’t someone I should mess with. You’d think my attraction would lessen every time he grunted in my direction. Nope. Not so much. It figured that the first time my girl parts came to life, they were interested in someone so obviously off-limits and out of my league. Sheltered and fresh out of college, I was about as inexperienced as someone my age could get. Coming here was about the most reckless I’d ever done.

Now, his muscles bulged as he fought the wheel while waves buffeted us. I hadn’t been able to stop covertly staring at him the whole trip. At the moment, I watched him for a whole different reason as he tried to get us through the surprise storm that had cropped up. Terror gripped me, and my hands slipped on the vinyl seat. I reached for the edge of a rounded holding bin in the boat’s wall and wrapped my arm around the opposite armrest.

As he fought to control the small vessel, worry lined Silas’ previously carefree face. The iron-gray skies had been dark when we’d departed, but they’d grown steadily more ominous while we’d traveled the choppy seas. Silas had told me not to worry. A storm was coming, but we’d make it to Blue Water long before it caught up.

I bit back a small scream as a pair of waves simultaneous slammed us from the front and the right, canting us up and to the side. We were going to flip over! Somehow, Silas managed to right us, but that didn’t stop us from wildly bobbing on the stormy sea. How much control did Silas really have? The force of nature easily overwhelmed the small fishing boat, proving Mother Nature’s power compared to that of mere humans. We were jerked in all directions on the violent waves.

Silas shot a fleeting glance at me as if to check if I was still there then immediately turned forward as he continued wrestling the wheel.

Were we facing death?

We were. My stomach churned as violently as the water, knowing every breath could be my last. My run for freedom would be pathetically short-lived. I’d looked forward to escaping my parents’ grip and spending time on the sunny island. Would it have been better to bend to their will? Then Kyle came to mind—was this what they meant by your life flashing before you? Even death was better than being with him, but maybe, I could have found another way. Right now, safety on any dry land would be just fine with me.

The boat careened on another huge swell spawned by the tropical storm. I mentally berated every single person who’d told me it would be an easy trip to Blue Water. David, Professor Rutherford, Stacy, my hopper pilot, and even Silas.

My stomach lurched with every wave, and I knew I’d be sick. I fought it just as hard as I struggled to hold on as we tipped this way and that, at angles I was sure no boat should take. Silas gritted his teeth and wrenched the wheel, the tendons and veins in his arms defined with the effort. There was nothing he could do against the power of the stormy ocean. I wasn’t an expert or even a novice at boatmanship, but even I understood the peril we faced. We were in dire trouble.

I couldn’t hold back my scream as a massive wall of water careened toward us.

“Fuck!” Silas bellowed just before it hit.

Everything tumbled, spinning. One second, I clung to the boat’s seat; the next, the churning dark sea surrounded me. I couldn’t tell what way was up. Something smacked into me, and I gasped, sucking in a mouthful of saltwater. My life jacket dragged me toward the surface—not that it helped. The waves threw me back and forth, and the violent ocean slammed over me again and again, shoving me in circles.

I knew I had to swim, but I had no idea which way to go. Up. I needed to stay above the surface. The boat loomed behind me, I realized I needed to maneuver away from it before the water flung it into me and knocked me out—or worse, killed me. I couldn’t imagine getting hit by a who-knew-how-many-ton boat and surviving.

Desperate, I swam in a parallel from the capsized motorboat, intent on getting out of its path. I didn’t know where I’d go, but survival was my only thought as my brain clicked into analytical mode. Panic later. Survive now. First, I had to get away from the boat. Second, once clear, I’d swim in the direction of the waves. Third…

Dear Lord, I hoped there was some land nearby.

My muscles burned. Still, I struggled through the turbulent surf, all the while sure I wasn’t moving fast enough. Oh God, and where was Silas? We hadn’t exchanged more than a few sentences, but I hated the thought of him drowning. With his experience and strength, he was probably fine. Had he left me?

Stupid thought. Pointless thought.

There was no leaving out here. Just survival.

There was no control as the waves flung us around like pieces of dry driftwood. He was probably doing the same thing I was. I hoped so. I prayed he hadn’t gotten hit by the boat when we’d been thrown.

Swim. Just swim.

Suddenly, something grabbed me, and I screamed in surprise, treating myself to another horrible mouthful of seawater.

“I’ve got you,” Silas panted, barely loud enough to be heard over the storm. Despite our still-dire circumstances, an instant sense of wellbeing covered me. He would get me to safety; I knew it. We could do it together, two being better than one and all that teamwork stuff. With one hand laced through my life jacket, his other arm cut powerfully through the waves. I’d known he was strong. This just proved it. Intent on helping, I did my best to swim along with him. Anything to assist—I couldn’t wear out my lifeline. Teamwork. We would do this. I wasn’t a helpless damsel or anything.

Shut up and let me keep my illusions.

We seemed to struggle through the water for hours, Silas obviously intent on a destination.

“Is there…land…nearby?” I asked at one point, only getting two mouthfuls of saltwater and choking a bit. He didn’t immediately answer, and I thought he either didn’t hear me or just couldn’t be bothered to reply.

“I hope so,” he finally said, albeit sounding reluctant to reveal that.

Well, crap. That wasn’t reassuring. No wonder he’d stayed silent so long.

And so, I just kept paddling along. I’d keep going until my body wore out. Then I’d try to keep on until I just couldn’t move. My muscles screamed from the effort to stay afloat and cut through the waves. Weakness invaded my limbs, scaring me, and it was only adrenaline and desperation that kept me in repetitive motion. My legs felt like useless spaghetti against the stronger tide. Determination to live kept me going. I would survive. I wasn’t dying today. Not when I was finally free.

Swim. Just swim.

Don’t stop for anything.

“There!” Silas yelled just as I thought my body would give out. We bobbed for a moment as he pointed, and I sobbed in relief. Through the torrential rain and waves still pounding around us, I saw a dark mass and what appeared to be trees. He got us going forward again, and I fought on with new hope. God, I prayed the place had a hotel or something. Food. Somewhere comfortable to rest.

It seemed like hours later when we finally stumble-crawled onto the beach. Panting, I lay there staring up at the sky through the rain pelting me. It hurt, I think, but I wasn’t sure. I barely felt anything other than the worst exhaustion I’d ever experienced. Solid ground was heaven beneath me. Somehow, I forced myself to scoot a few feet farther onto the beach so I was out of the waves lapping at my legs and threatening to drag me back in. Silas’ arm was solid around me, and I knew he wouldn’t let the ocean reclaim me.

His face was pressed into my shoulder as he panted heavily. He had to be exhausted from practically dragging me ashore. Still, his embrace held me tight to him. Somehow, I lifted my arm around him, needing to touch him, to reassure him we here safe on land, to… I don’t know. Connect? My fingers sifted through the thick, wet strands of his dark hair.

“You saved us,” I whispered.

“I’d never let anything happen to you.”

I couldn’t help chuckling.

“Silas,” I chided. “Something definitely happened to me. We wrecked.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “But I’ve got you, and you didn’t drown.”

“True, and we’re…” I trailed off as I looked around in growing horror. There were no lights anywhere near shore…or anywhere else to be seen. There was…nothing. Just shadowy trees.

“Yeah.” He lifted his head and looked around, too. “Looks a little deserted,” he said, saying it before I could.

Oh no…

“A little deserted? Is that anything like being a little pregnant?” I was getting a bit hysterical. I took a deep breath then blew it out. Not helping. “It’s deserted.”

“Is that something we need to worry about?”

“Being stranded on a desert island? Yeah, I think so!”

“You being pregnant.”

I sat up and stared at him, open-mouthed, while the rain kept pelting us. What was he not getting here?

“No! No, I’m not pregnant, but I am—” My arm indicated wildly at the empty expanse, letting that be my words.

“Good. I’d hate to have to kill a fucker.”

“And good luck with that. You have an extra boat in your back pocket?”

“Are you saying there is someone?”

I huffed and collapsed back in frustration. “Are you for real? I’ll give you the short list later. We’ve got other issues first.”

He scowled, obviously disliking my reply. He shook his head as if ridding himself of the conversation then looked around.

“The boat beat us here,” he said dryly.

“It did?” I leaned up to look around him and followed his gaze. “Can we use it to get out of here after the storm?”

I knew the answer before he answered.

“Don’t think so,” he told me.

As I stared, I easily saw the vessel had hit something—or something had hit it. The entire hull has smashed in, and a huge gouge had been torn into it. Why the boat wasn’t at the bottom of the ocean was beyond me. There was no way it could float.

“Damn,” I whispered and fell back onto the wet sand again, defeated, exhausted and ready to die—though, I really was grateful to be alive.

“Yeah…” Silas collapsed beside me. “About like that.”

Lightning sizzled through the air, and he shot upright. “We need to move,” he said urgently as if the lightning had spoken to him or maybe, reminded him of something. “Get away from the water; see if we can find some shelter.”

Okay, it had shocked some sense into him. More than it had me. I would have just lain there as long as possible.

Before I could respond, he dragged me to my feet. I groaned in protest as fiery discomfort weighed my limbs. My legs wobbled, but I stumbled after him as he headed for the trees.

“But…” I protested, pointing at the boat.

“No,” he replied, cutting me off. “Not a good option. It might not even be there once this storm passes.”

So not what I wanted to hear.

* * * *

~ Silas ~

What a clusterfuck. First, a business call had kept me from leaving the plantation on time. Then my brother had called to alert me Lily’s parents were searching for her. Apparently, she’d left without telling them anything, not even that she was leaving, though she had left a vague note of some sort. I suspected she had a good reason for that, so I’d told him to keep her whereabouts to himself. For now anyway. They’d need to know, eventually. Maybe. Lily was an adult and didn’t need to answer to them.

Then the storm had blown in. I’d been stupid to take off in it, but I’d been anxious to get my girl home to Blue Water where she belonged. My home. No. Our home.

My girl…

She’d been mine since I’d seen her on the university campus when I’d visited my brother a few months ago. Seeing her that first time had sucker-punched me right in the center of my chest. I’d made him tell me everything he knew about her.

Once I’d known her full name, I’d done my own research to learn everything I could. Lily Slater. Neglected daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the Midwest. Twenty-two almost twenty-three. Just about to be certified as a teacher and the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Long, curling honey-colored hair hung to her waist and brushed the top of her delectable ass. Her wide, green eyes were lined by long, sooty lashes. She was so tiny yet with delicious curves I itched to grasp and hold on to…forever.

One look and I’d been a goner. I’d wanted her in my bed, beneath me, right that second. I wanted her to have our children. I saw a future with her, me growing old with her. And that was something I’d never felt for another woman. I’d had my fair share of female company, but nothing compared to the immediate attraction for this girl.

Thankfully, my brother had held me back from just claiming her right off the bat. Then I’d come up with the plan. I’d hire her, get her onto my turf then woo her into my bed and my life. The job wasn’t manufactured. We really did need a teacher. That was secondary to my primary intention, however. Convenient. Just not as important as claiming her.

All good until today. Fuck, fuck and double fucking fuck! What did they say about best laid plans?

Right now, the only good I saw as I practically dragged poor Lily toward the trees on what appeared to be a deserted island was that she was with me. We were alive, and we might be alone for a while, able to get to know each other without the realities of civilization getting in our way. Hey! I hadn’t gotten to where I was without being able to find silver linings. This wasn’t even close to ideal circumstance, but I’d make the best of it while keeping us alive to enjoy our long life together.

Lightning streaked behind us, so close my body hair lifted. Lily screamed, and we both ran faster. I didn’t let her slow down as we broke the tree line. Instead, I pulled her deeper into the growth and farther from the open beach. We hadn’t gone twenty feet when I skidded to a stop.

“No fucking way,” I exclaimed and suddenly realized why our passage had been relatively clear. We’d maneuvered around some organic debris, but we’d traveled down a fairly worn path. I’d just been too intent on Lily’s safety to notice until now.

Though the storm darkened the sky, there was still enough daylight for me to make out several small structures. The compound was dark and seemed as deserted as the beach had been, but I moved forward with more caution than I had through the trees. I held Lily close to my side at the edge of the clearing.

“Hello?” I called. “Anyone here? We could use help.”

These weren’t rustic huts, so I didn’t feel in danger of an attack from scared, primitive natives. Instead, the buildings seemed to have a very…military feel to them. That worried me a little. The last thing we needed was to stumble into some secret base. I certainly hadn’t heard of an outpost near my island.

Still, no response. No movement. Not a flicker of light, aside from the lightning overhead. I had to get Lily to shelter.

Running to the nearest structure, I tried the door. The knob turned easily, but I had to give it a hard shove to open it. The squeal of the hinges seemed louder than the thunder. After surveying the dim interior as well as I could from the doorway, I hurried Lily inside but kept the door open to allow a better look around.

In the tiny bit of ambient light, thick dust confirmed no one had been here in a while. Looking around, I saw two sets of bunks, a table with chairs and a desk. Everything appeared industrial and out of date. Was this a barracks of some sort?

After confirming it was truly empty, I took Lily by the shoulders and made her look at me. She shook beneath my palms, but I wasn’t sure if it was fear, shock from what we’d been through or just being cold, since we were both soaked to the skin.

“You okay?” I asked, pushing sodden strands of blonde hair off her face.

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Situation aside, yeah, I’m okay. We’re alive.” She glanced around. “And out of the storm. So that’s something.”

She might look tiny and fragile, but this woman had strength running through her. Pride expanded in my chest. This was my woman. She’d be an excellent partner at Blue Water.

Strong or not, she wouldn’t like what I was about to tell her. “About that… I need you to stay here. I have to go back to the boat.”

“What? Why?” she exclaimed. Her fingers gripped my biceps as she stared at me wide-eyed. “The storm. It’s not safe for you out there.”

“I know, baby,” I told her and leaned my forehead against hers. I needed the closeness before I ran back out there. She needed it, too.

I breathed deeply, inhaling her, getting her sweet scent despite the saltwater drenching her. “I have to get the distress beacon going. I couldn’t trigger it before we went overboard. Hopefully, my go-bag and your suitcase are still aboard, too, though chances are slim.” At least, for her suitcase. It had probably gone overboard. My bag was fastened down for just such a time as this. I prayed it was still there since it held essentials we’d need. “I’ll grab as many supplies as I can.”

“Can’t you wait until this passes?”

I shook my head. “The boat might get dragged back out. I have to do this before that happens.”

Lily took a slow, deep breath then nodded. “Okay. Just…be safe. Please.”

My sweet, brave girl.

I cupped her cheek. “I promise.”

* * * *

~ Lily ~

How long did it take to trigger the beacon? How long should I wait before freaking the hell out? Freaking out more than I already was, anyway. I’d tried to keep it together around Silas, but inside, I was in full-on panic mode. We could die here without anyone knowing what had happened to us!

It already felt as if it had been forever since Silas had taken off. Rubbing my hands together to warm them, I looked around. As crazy hot as it was in this region, I shouldn’t be freezing; yet, I was. It had to be the rain-laden wind whipping through my soaked clothes. I hadn’t shut the door because I’d wanted Silas to be able to get right back in; plus, I needed the bit of light the opening provided.

This building must have been a barracks or dorm of some kind. Heavy, wooden shutters covered the windows on two of the walls. I didn’t dare open them for more light since I was pretty sure the wood was the first defense against squalls shattering the glass. One wall was solid, with no windows, while the remaining one had the door we’d entered through.

“Home sweet home,” I muttered. “Hopefully not for too long.”

Since Silas was out risking his life, and we’d apparently stay here—or in one of these buildings—until someone caught the distress signal and traced it to us, I decided to do what I could to make things comfortable. Even if it was only for the night, we needed somewhere dry and relatively dust-free to rest. What were the chances of being found before nightfall? Probably slim. It was only mid-afternoon, but after a day and a half of stress and no sleep, followed by the near-death swim through the stormy ocean, I knew I’d crash as soon as my adrenaline wore off.

Besides, while nothing would get my mind off our situation, cleaning up would keep me busy.

While I explored the shelter, I prayed I wouldn’t find any critters, and I jumped at every crash of thunder. The place seemed sturdy—the walls weren’t shaking in the wind, and the roof wasn’t leaking. Despite us being thrown into the ocean then stranded here, I had to count that as a win. If Silas and I were stuck on this island, at least we’d have a roof.

Silas…

My thoughts were split between the smoking-hot man and what I was doing right now. He seemed nice enough—more than, really. He was out there risking his life, and he’d seemed…protective of me. Maybe, that was just because of the situation. I’d have to see what tomorrow brought. Still, I felt safe with him—not because he rescued me. No, it was a different vibe I couldn’t place. Truly, I didn’t think on that too hard as I forced myself to focus on prepping this space for the next however long we’d be here. I had to stop dwelling on the captivating man, who’d essentially be my roomie while we awaited rescue.

It would be awkward if he caught me drooling over him. Especially if he had a girl back on the island.

Ugh. Get it together, Lily.

Right.

When life give you lemons…

When life strands you on a desert island with a hunk…

I giggled as I considered possible endings to that thought. None appropriate. Shaking my head, I went back to the task at hand, intent on proving to Silas that I wasn’t some useless girl.

Several storage cabinets had been placed at the front and back of the room. They’d been shut securely, and to my surprise, the ones in the front were stocked with neatly stacked blankets in one and cleaning supplies in another, though there were no cleaners. Fine. Everything looked pretty old, anyway, frozen in time as if whoever had been here had thought they might come back. A Roanoke-like mystery. We’d have to explore the other buildings and see what they held. I hoped we’d find more stuff to keep us going until help arrived.

I didn’t bother with the two cabinets at the back of the building since it was pretty dark and shadowy back there due to the limited light.

After grabbing the bucket from the cleaning cabinet, I stuck it out in the rain. Crap! Should I be figuring out a way to collect water to drink? The bucket smelled like old, industrial cleaner, so it wouldn’t be a good choice.

“Okay,” I said, talking to myself as I looked around. “One thing at a time. Worry about your first plan then worry about water. Silas will be back soon. He’ll know what to do.”

Intent, I found a stiff rag in the cabinet. After wiping down the table and chairs—twice—I spread a couple musty blankets over two chairs so they could air out. I returned to the door and tossed the filthy water then set out the bucket to collect more rain. Leaning against the doorframe and ignoring the spatters from the storm, I looked in the direction of the beach and wondered what was taking Silas so long. Was he okay? At what point should I start worrying? The poor guy had a piss-poor rescue party in me, so he’d better be okay.

The deluge quickly filled my pail with enough for me to get back to work. Using a second cloth, I went to work wiping down the four mattresses, sorely hoping I wouldn’t find evidence of mice invading them. They’d been on their sides against the frames and were thin and lightweight enough for me to move. The old plastic coverings seemed intact. Satisfied, I plopped two on the bottom bunks of each steel frame.

I’d just placed piles of folded sheets on the second one when Silas raced through the door with his arms full. Dropping his load of salvage to the floor, he pushed the hair back from his face, fisting the strands and squeezing out the moisture.

“You okay?” he asked.

I blinked at him. “Me? Yeah. Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Trying to salvage as much as I could and anchor the boat so it didn’t go back out and take our signal with it. I left more stuff in trees. I need to go back get it.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No. Stay here. I want you to stay here.”

“Silas—”

Taking three long steps, he was in front of me. His hands clamped on my shoulders, his eyes boring into mine. “Babe, please. I need you to stay here. This whole fucked up mess is bad enough. I need you as safe as possible while I get us situated.” His hands lifted, and he cupped my face with his cold hands. His thumbs stroked along my jaw. “Please.”

“Okay.” My heart thundered, my words breathless. Without thought, I tilted my cheek into his palm. I momentarily closed my eyes, enjoying his growing warmth, then sighed and nodded. Resolved to let him do this, alone, I stepped back.

I’d wanted to leave civilization, and I’d certainly gotten that. No chance my parents or Kyle would find me here. And now, there was Silas. He wasn’t treating me as if he had a girl back on the island. I almost hoped I was stranded with him for a while. Almost, but not quite. I wasn’t crazy.

It occurred to me I wasn’t afraid to be here alone with Silas. That was different for me. Since Kyle’s attack my freshmen year of college, I’d shied away from male contact. My attraction to Silas stunned me. It bore consideration later, but for now, I decided to roll with it. I had a feeling there’d be a lot of “rolling with it” in my future.

“Okay,” he echoed. “And Lily…?”

“Yeah?”

He looked at the two beds, swinging his gaze from one to the other. “Don’t bother making up both beds. We’re sleeping together.”

Leaving me to stare wide-eyed after him, he raced back out the door to gather another load of supplies.