The mudslide wraps me in its slippery embrace, pulling me down the steep mountainside at an alarming speed.
"Ahhh!"
I dig my fingers into the wet sludge, trying to slow my rapid descent. Kai follows me down carefully, allowing himself to be swept from one still- standing tree to the next, holding onto the trunks to stay upright.
"There's a tree down and to the right. Grab it!"
I glance back to see the tree rushing toward me! I fight against the grasp of the mud, preparing to fling myself at the trunk.
Only one shot at this...
With a burst of adrenaline, I lunge toward the tree and wrap my arms around the sturdy trunk.
"Got it!"
I cling tight to the coarse bark as the mud continues flooding down the mountainside, trying to pull me with it. Kai calls out across the way.
"Hold on!"
He pushes hard against his own tree, launching himself toward me. He wraps his muscular arms around my waist and shoves off again, pulling me out of the mudslide and to safety. I lay back on the muddy ground, catching my breath and resting my aching legs. Kai hovers over me, worry written on his face.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine...thanks to my guardian angel. I'm glad to know if I throw caution to the wind, you'll always be there to save me."
"This isn't the time to joke. If you had just stayed by me—"
"I'm fine. Plus, I got my samples."
"You were lucky. You could've hurt yourself. And I can't—"
He stops himself short and turns away from me, obscuring his face from view.
"You can't what? You can say it, Kai. You care. That kiss was real."
"Forget it. Did your samples survive?"
He turns back, arms crossed. I study his face, but realize the moment's passed, so I busy myself by pulling my heliconia samples from my muddy bag.
"Looks like everything's still intact."
"Good. 'Cause I'm not going back to that death trap."
"It's valuable research."
"It's a plant that could've killed us."
Kai stands over me and extends his hand to help me to my feet.
"Let's go. The sooner we get to the top, the sooner we get off Moku."
I roll my eyes, anger flashing through my mind. My fingers dig into the mud surrounding me...and I realize how clean Kai comparatively is.
He deserves to be covered in mud for disrespecting my research like that.
Kai cocks an eyebrow, impatience flickering across his face.
"You staying down there forever, or what?"
His face is inches from mine, his outstretched, clean hand taunting me. My heart races at his intense glare.
Muddy revenge would taste so sweet...
I grip his hand tighter...and drag him into the mud with me!
"Oof!"
He throws his hands out to brace himself as he lands on top of me, flinging mud everywhere. I'm trapped beneath him, his arms on either side of my head. The wet, sticky surface of my clothes suctions him to me.
"Seriously?"
"Whoops. How clumsy of me."
"You're not fooling me."
"I have no clue what you could possibly mean."
Kai scoops up a dollop of mud and smears it across my neck.
"Ugh. No fair!"
"You started this."
"Then maybe I should finish it."
I gather a fistful of mud, then slip my hand up the front of Kai's shirt. I glide my fingertips down the natural slope of his sternum, spreading the grime across his skin.
"You're making a real mess, you know."
A shiver courses through his body, still poised over mine. He presses closer into the heat of my touch. Mud seeps through my fingers as I rake my nails along the valleys and curves beneath his top.
"Do you want me to stop?"
"If you did, I wouldn't have a chance to do this."
I feel cool mud against my stomach. I look down and see his palm tracing steady circles over my abdomen. His eyes twinkle with mischief as his pinky brushes the fabric at my hips.
"Surrender or else."
"Like I'd give up that easily."
Before he can act, I quickly roll him on his back, pinning his wrists above his head. He strains against my grip, his taut body writhing beneath me.
"Good luck getting out of my hold. I'll take that surrender now."
"Ha. You think I haven't escaped worse?"
Suddenly, Kai heaves his body to the side, and the momentum sends the two of us rolling down the slick hill!
"Ahhh!"
I try to keep my hold on him...but he wrestles free and grabs my wrists! The two of us finally roll to a stop with Kai on top, his toned thighs tensed as he straddles my hips. I glance up at my hands above my head and sigh.
"How the tables have turned."
"Give up yet?"
"Definitely not. I will win."
Kai hovers just above me, his breath tickling my face. I can hear the pounding of his heartbeat, echoing my own. He raises a brow, challenging me.
"You sure? Because your chances don't look so good from here."
"It's just a matter of knowing my enemy."
I surge forward and press my lips to his! He immediately pulls back, eyes wide with surprise.
"That's... Uh..."
The air is tense with anticipation as he holds my gaze. In the next instant, his lips capture mine, a hungry growl escaping him. He releases my hands and I melt into his embrace. His tongue sweeps against my bottom lip, sending a delightful shiver down my spine.
"Ohhh..."
My hips buck against him, searching for the friction I crave. His hand finds its way beneath my shirt, his thumb ghosting over my nipple. My kisses grow more frantic, rising to a fever pitch.
"I need..."
But I can feel what he needs hard against my body, and my mind wanders to all the ways I can satisfy him. I blaze a trail of open-mouthed kisses against his neck. The sudden taste of gritty mud on my tongue reminds me of my initial purpose. He's so thoroughly distracted by my body that I easily roll him onto his back...then pop to my feet and dash away to lean casually against a nearby tree.
"Told you I'd win."
He shakes his head and adjusts his clothes before joining me by the tree. My heart flutters as he approaches, thoughts of his lips still heavy in my mind.
"You are such a tease."
"But a victorious tease."
I take a step toward Kai...and the soft ground beneath me begins to shift!
"Not again."
Kai pulls me against him, helping me retreat away from the questionable spot. Our muddy bodies are slick against one another as I grip him for purchase.
"Staying here any longer might push our luck."
"We do have a long trek ahead of us anyway. I don't want to risk any more setbacks."
Kai starts ahead of me, giving me a full view of his muddy backside.
"What's the holdup?"
"Just...realizing I'll need a shower later. Because of the dirt. And watching you—I mean, walking with you."
"Whatever you say, Doc."
The glint in Kai's eyes raises heat in my cheeks as I resume my ascent up the mountain. The rain has stopped by the time we emerge from the thick jungle vegetation. When we finally crest the peak, the sky clears, giving us a breathtaking view of the island.
"If there wasn't a minor extinction event expected within the year, I could see myself living on Moku."
"There are loads of other islands you could live on that wouldn't kill you."
"Yes, but it doesn't get any more private than this. It's perfect for basking in the quiet."
I stand at the edge of the cliff next to Kai, reveling in the island's beauty extending as far as the eye can see. I close my eyes, enjoying the tickle of a light breeze on my face as I listen to my serene surroundings.
"We don't have time for this."
Kai starts to move away but I catch his hand before he can get too far.
"A couple minutes won't make a difference. Might even do you good."
Kai sighs, then returns to my side at the edge. His hand remains in mine and a light thrill runs up my arm. After a little while, he lets go of my hand. I reopen my eyes, and the two of us continue our climb.
"Alright. So maybe I feel a little more relaxed."
Kai turns back to the clearing and drops his bags.
"This'll do. Highest peak around besides Mount Moku. And I don't care to make a signal fire at the top of a volcano."
"At least here any incoming planes won't mistake us for an eruption."
He crouches down and tests some of the dirt in his hand.
"It's pretty damp. The fire will be harder to start, but it'll make more smoke. Should be a good signal fire. I'll dig the pit. You gather some wood."
"Why am I always on firewood duty?"
"Because I'm the captain. That means I give the orders."
"But I'm the one funding this expedition. You can get the firewood. I'll make the fire pit."
"But I—"
"Get a move on, Captain. That wood won't collect itself."
He opens his mouth as if to argue again, but shakes his head and disappears beyond the tree line. I get to work building the fire pit, modeling it after the one Kai made at the beach. Soon, he returns, arm laden with kindling and logs.
"Successful?"
"Yup. I found this Flint. Perfect for fire-starting!"
He drops the piece of flint into my palm. It's flat façade is only a couple inches wide.
"Where did you find this?"
"Half-buried down the hill. It'll be easier than relying on a friction fire with how damp it is here."
I arrange some of the kindling in the pit, then begin to strike the hunk of flint with the steal blade of my pocketknife.
"Come on... Light already."
After a couple minutes without any spark, I stare at the setup in puzzlement.
"This is harder than I thought."
"It's never gonna light the way you're doing it."
"You couldn't have mentioned that a little sooner?"
"I was enjoying the show."
He crouches next to me and takes the flint.
"The rain makes this different than our campfire. And flint's a tricky beast."
"Good thing I'm a beast tamer."
"Then this should be no problem for you...if you're up for the challenge. I'm sure you'd pick up quickly with my close watch."
"I didn't realize there were so many ways to start a fire. Clearly, I could use some pointers."
"That's obvious."
"Ouch! Keep that up and I'll make you start every single fire from here on out."
"Relax, Doc. I'll show you how it's done."
I look at the wet logs, flint, and pocketknife in front of me.
"It was so easy when we made the fire back at camp. What am I doing wrong this time?"
Kai shakes his head as he runs a couple of twigs through his fingers.
"We need dryer tinder. Coconut husks would be perfect, but I didn't bring any with me..."
"What if we tore off strips of our clothes? If the fabric is dry enough, it would work..."
Kai takes his knife, then uses it to shear off a patch of his shirt.
"...But I see you're ahead of me."
"If it gets us off Moku, I happily offer my shirt as sacrifice."
Kai adds the dry material to the top of the pile of kindling and I strike the flint again...but no luck.
"Now what?"
"Bad technique. You've gotta hit the sharp at a slight angle."
He takes the flint from me, then demonstrates slowly with his knife.
"Just like this. Not parallel. Not perpendicular."
"Maybe we should stick to the rope thing... That seemed easier."
"Didn't take you as the type to give up easily."
"Give me that."
I snatch the flint from him, and ready my pocketknife. I run the pocketknife along the sharpest edge of the flint, angled just like Kai showed me.
"Sparks! I actually did it!"
"Good. Now, keep at it. Sparks don't matter if it doesn't catch."
I grit my teeth, determined to start the fire without Kai's help. A couple minutes later, the tinder finally catches! Little embers glow from within the pile.
"It's working!"
"Now blow. Before it goes out!"
Kai and I crouch side by side, blowing on the tiny embers. They begin to smoke more and more...
"Please tell me we're almost there."
The tinder burns brighter, and I finally see the first tongue of flame.
"I'd say we are."
He fuels the small fire with some of the twigs, building the flames taller.
"I'll admit, you are the perfect person to be stranded with. You can find water, build a fire several different ways, and let's not forget about the coconut foraging from earlier."
"I am the MVP of our little team-up."
"Hey, I bring plenty to the table. But scientists don't ignore evidence, and you have...talent."
allow my gaze to trail down his body, admiring the tight musculature of his calves and the way his still-damp shirt clings to his chiseled abs.
"So...how does a smart-ass captain like yourself know so much about building fires?"
"When I was sixteen, I was part of a sacred ritual where I had to survive in the wilderness for three day."
"Seriously?"
"Of course not. That only happens in the movies."
I playfully swat Kai on the arm.
"Ha ha ha. What's the truth?"
"It's just one of those skills a sailor has to learn. You know, in case you get shipwrecked."
"I get that... Reminds me of some of my basic training when I was studying to be a field ecologist."
"Seems your teachers skipped over the basic survival chapter."
"That's what our guides are for."
The two of us share a laugh. I lock eyes with Kai and I'm not sure if the heat that rises in my cheeks is from the fire or...
"I should get us some brush for the fire. The leaves should help create a bigger tower of smoke."
"Oh. Of course... I'll just be here. Waiting."
Kai abruptly stands and disappears into the trees, returning after a while with more fuel for the fire. Later in the day, after several hours tending to the fire, the two of us stand back to watch the steady column of smoke rise across the mountaintops.
"This signal will be visible for miles."
"It'll take time. Not many people pass this way."
"Do you really think someone will come?"
"You want my honest answer?"
"Give me the blunt truth."
"I don't know. No one's gonna come looking for me."
"My work might send a search party..."
"How long before they realize you're missing?"
"A while... I wasn't sure if I'd be able to contact them until my research here was done. But I'm sure someone will come. We just have to push through until then."
I take a seat on the soft grass of the mountaintop. Kai eases down beside me, his thigh brushing mine as he leans back on his elbows.
"At least we can keep each other company in the meantime."
"Or we could enjoy the silence."
"Even though we'll be here for a long time?"
"I'm used to it. Not many people on my cargo boat."
"Except me."
"An exception. Not a rule."
"Why did you make an exception for me? And don't tell me 'because of the money'. We both know there's more to it than that."
He narrows his eyes, ignoring me as he moves to throw another damp log on the fire.
"Okay, I'll put it another way... Why do you keep walls up around me? After we kissed...I thought we'd be closer by now. But you're like a fortress. Did I do something to offend you or something?"
"No. It's just... It's complicated."
"Have you ever studied the metabolic processes of the Devil's flower mantis? I'm good with complicated. Try me."
Kai reclines in the grass and looks up at the great, blue sky. I lay beside him, watching the embers drifting into the atmosphere.
"...I tried having a business partner once. It's better to be alone."
"You said you were betrayed. What happened?"
"I told you before. It's the on thing I don't talk about."
"I get that...but you can trust me."
I reach out and squeeze Kai's arm, giving him a comforting smile.
"Sometimes the hardest things to share are the ones we need to share most."
"Doesn't make it easier."
"I know...but you get points for trying."
I sit in the awkward silence and wait for him to continue. Finally, he draws in a sharp breath, keeping his gaze skyward.
"When I first started my cargo business, I didn't have many clients. I barely survived. Then I met Tak Yakone. He knew everyone. Said he'd worked for a shipping company in the Caribbean, where he'd built up a contact list."
"Sounds like it was a good opportunity."
"I thought so too. He convinced me to make him a partner and, like a fool, I gave him a share of everything. By the time I figured out he was using our cargo business to smuggle drugs and weapons, it was too late."
"I'm so sorry. What did you do?"
"I confronted him. He tried to get me to go along with it, but when I refused... He knocked me overboard and left me to drown in the middle of the ocean."
He grabs a fistful of grass, and a twinge of hurt spreads across his face.
"It was the last time I ever saw the Whanau Ataahua. The boat my grandfather gave to me before he died."
"How on earth did you manage to survive?"
"I swam... Thank God I was on a shipping route and someone spotted me. Honestly, it's all a bit of a blur."
"For what it's worth...I think it's impressive you stood up to Tak."
"Yeah, and look at where it got me."
"There's something to be said for sticking to you guns and surviving being stranded in the middle of the ocean."
Kai lets out a shaky laugh. His gaze turns toward the vast ocean.
"At least Tak's far away from here."
A silence falls between us, making the few inches separating his body and mine feel miles across. The rest of the day passes slowly, with most of it spent on maintaining the signal fire. Kai stands nearby, loading more wood into it.
He's hardly said a word since we talked about his old partner.
He prods the fire with a large stick, sending a spray of embers into the air.
"Okay, I can't take this silence anymore."
Kai raises an eyebrow in amusement as he takes a seat next to me.
"You're the one who has a problem with it. Got any ideas for how to pass the time?"
"Hmm... Did you ever play those road trip games as a kid?"
"You realize I grew up on a small island, right? The longest 'road trip' I took was half an hour."
"What about long boat trips then? You must have played something like I Spy."
"So your big idea to pass the time is...a kids game?"
"What if it is?"
"You'd have to make it worth my while."
"Name your terms."
"Winner gets to... Hm..."
He looks me over, a mischievous smile playing on his lips...but I sense the fire behind his eyes.
"Winner gets a kiss. Otherwise no deal."
"I find your terms agreeable."
"Then the game is I Spy. The terms? A kiss if I win."
"And if I win?"
"Aw, it's cute that you think you have a shot."
I roll my eyes as Kai tosses more brush into the fire.
"Now, pick your subject. And no PhD advantages."
I scan the lush, colorful landscape of the island surrounding us on all sides. A vibrant violet flower catches my eye, and I risk a look at it before glancing away to avoid detection.
A purple hibiscus should do nicely.
"Okay, I got it. I spy with my little eye...something that has its own language."
"I'm a little rusty, so bear with me. Is it a flower?"
"You didn't even ease into it."
"So that's a yes."
"I'm starting to think you're better at this than you let on."
"You talk about flowers nonstop. It wasn't a big leap."
"Using your powers of deduction. Well played. Next question."
A mischievous smile spreads across his face, and I notice him watching me instead of searching the area.
"Is it purple?"
"How—"
"And a hibiscus?"
"You must be psychic. That's the only way you could've guessed so quickly."
"Yup. I'm just that good..."
A ripple of laughter erupts out of him, causing him to nearly topple over.
"...Or I caught you look at that flower at least five times."
"I thought I was being discreet."
"Not in the slightest. So about that kiss..."
"Not so fast. We barely even played."
"We can make it best two out of three if you're going to be stubborn."
"I am."
He quickly glances around, then his eyes meet mine again.
"Alright. I spy something..."
"—You spy with your little eye. If we're playing ,we're doing it correctly."
"Fine. I spy with my little eye something... I almost lost."
"Hm...that's a tricky one. Is it me? You know, since you've saved me several times..."
"Nope."
"Seriously? I thought I had that for sure."
"Well, you didn't. Give up already?"
I watch Kai carefully for any hints... His eyes dart to the knife beside the fire.
"That's it! Your eyes betrayed you. It's your knife."
"What? I— Okay. You've got me. It was the knife."
"It appears we're all tied up."
"Get that kiss ready. I'm gonna get this one."
I look around the clearing for something to trip Kai up. My eyes finally land on his red shirt.
"I've got another. I spay with my little eye...Something hot."
I sneak a peek at the crackling fire in between us, then back at him...
That should throw him off the scent.
"Something hot, huh... Not many things that could be."
He looks around his surroundings, then takes his shirt off. My eyes go wide as he stuffs it behind him.
"What are you—"
"Do you spy your hot thing now?"
"You are infuriating. I could've sworn I covered my tracks."
"I figured you'd try to mislead me. It was obvious when you looked at the fire. Not to mention you were definitely ogling my shirt."
"Again, I call psychic. And I don't ogle, I...examine."
"Could've fooled me. Now, I think I've earned my prize."
He smirks, leaning toward me. The sweat clinging to his bare chest glistens in the firelight, highlighting the firm contours of his pecs. My breath comes quick as my gaze moves upward to his luscious lips.
"You've earned every bit of this."
I lean forward, closing the distance between the two of us... His mouth opens in anticipation... But I pull back right before our lips touch. A wicked grin appears across my face.
"How's that victory taste?"
"Like I'm still owed my prize."
I press a soft kiss to his cheek, then growl in his ear.
"Too bad you didn't specify where you wanted that kiss."
"I guess this is payback for bending the rules."
"No fair fight, no fair prize."
As Kai puts his shirt back on, a low, distant rumbling noise draws our attention up to the sky. We look up, expecting to see a storm coming, but instead...
"A plane! Are my eyes deceiving me? Please tell me I'm not hallucinating."
"I don't believe it. It really is a plane!"
I launch to my feet, waving my hands while jumping up and down.
"We're saved! "