Part 7

He had never been more comfortable in his entire life. He had never slept so well. As a soldier he was used to sleeping lightly, and to wake at the slightest noise. He had never felt so safe before, and he was with a woman he barely knew.

Michael wanted to just continue sleeping. He didn't want to wake up. With Maria in his arms, soft and as uncaring about the world as he was, he really wasn't concerned if the two of them just lay in the sand entwined forever.

But the irritating cold droplets of water wouldn't cease, even though he cursed mutely. He found it funny that he would mutter voiceless oaths just so he wouldn't wake one woman. When the raindrops didn't stop, Michael groaned and decided he better get up. He cracked open one eye and peeked at the water. And then he was wide awake. There it was. The dark whirling wind and water whizzing offshore. It was whirling and screaming then whistling. The eye of the storm was only several yards away.

As much as he hated to wake Maria, he figured it might be better for her being wakened now than later when they were trapped between a possible tidal wave and falling coconuts and timber.

"Maria," he said urgently, shaking her.

"Ummm," she moaned. And then she delved deeper into his arms. Michael felt a rush of something warm and almost fluid in his chest, spreading through his limbs and pulling the muscles of his face into something like a smile. Whatever it was, it felt good. But it was also dangerous. It was making him want to stay here and sleep with her and to hell with the storm.

"No, no, Maria. You have to get up." They fell asleep around one earlier, right after eating. And by the looks of it, it was almost night. Of course he couldn't be too sure since the heavy clouds obviously darkened the sky. "We're going to be drenched."

"You'll look good drenched," she murmured, still burrowing deeper.

Those muscles were pulling his mouth wider at the sides, for a bigger smile. "Yeah well let's test that theory in the privacy of my cabin, okay? Right now I don't appreciate the idea of getting wet in the middle of something so natural and possibly deadly."

He didn't know what she'd been doing last night for her to be this sleepy. Maria just won't wake up. Taking matters into his own hands, he slipped one arm under her knees and the other just below her shoulders and lifted her up in his arms. He turned around and cursed at the sight of the rapidly closing in typhoon.

Michael started running as the rain started falling heavier. Finally, Maria sputtered in his 

arms. He was glad she decided to wake up before she drowned in rainwater. "Michael!"

"Welcome to the land of the living," he grinned.

"It's raining!"

"You noticed."

"It's so cold."

Michael lifted her higher up his chest and kissed her forehead again. He was getting awfully chummy today. Not that she minded really. Actually she wouldn't have minded if it wasn't for the whole her-own-existence-to-him-was-a-lie-formulated-by-his-king-and-best-friend-who-suspected-him-of-treason deal. But then every beginning couple had problems, didn't they?

"So maybe you'll let me walk now. Or should I say run?"

He shook his head. "No. We'll make it in better time with me running and you just staying put right there."

"Are you sure?" she asked, uncertain. She wasn't exactly a waif.

"Well no." He paused. "You could do something to make things better."

"What is it?"

"Put your arms around my neck."

Maria fought a smile and complied. Soon they arrived at a form of shelter. It was actually a nice looking twig house she hadn't seen before.

"I've been building some sort of hut for us for the next time we went here. I'm not even halfway done. But it'll keep the chill out."

She looked at the pathetic little hut doubtfully. "Will it hold against the rain?"

"Great thing about vegetation like this, Maria, is that this deep into the forest, you don't even notice the rain. We're protected here." The two of them crawled into the small opening.

Maria liked the sound of that. It's almost like they're Adam and Eve. The only two people in existence. "Like we're in our own world?"

"Pretty much."



The storm continued into the night, and the pouncing rain hardly touched them then. Still wet from their mad dash (or rather Michael's mad dash) from the sand, Michael reached over and wiped Maria's cheek with his hand. Maria thanked him and decided to offer the same service to him. She scooted closer and stared at the droplets of water rolling from his hairline down his face. Maria caught one from his chin with the tip of her tongue. She followed the trail up, passing over his full lips and then he cheek, over his eye which drifted shut at the sensation.

"Maria," he whispered over the rumble of the thunder.

She struggled to slip off his shirt and revealed the glistening skin of his chest. Her eyes gleamed as she reached to touch him. "Yes, Michael?" was her only reply, before her mouth was crushed by Michael's seeking lips.

It was a crime how bright and warm the sunlight that fell over their naked bodies the morning after was. Neither wanted to wake up and face the fact that they were actually not in a world all their own, and that they eventually had to go back.

"Why can't we stay here? We've got a house," Maria said, pointing to the tied up twig walls around them. "And we have all we can eat here. We'll go on a fruit and fish diet," she finished lamely, knowing while she spoke how stupid her idea was. She was just a drowning woman, holding on to whatever to remain afloat.

"You know we can't do that, Maria," he said softly, taking her chin in his hand and dropping a kiss on her lips. "I need to be there when Max realizes that I will never marry his sister whatever he says. I have to be there on call because my country needs me. When he calls, I have to answer."

"I know," she sighed. If only you knew.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened to your arm?"

Spitefully, she bit out, "As.shole Billy! He… I'm scared of him. He can hurt me and he won't care. He looks at me like…"

"He did this to you? He's your brother!"

She was tempted to tell him everything. That he's not her brother. That she just wants out. But then an image of her real brother comes to her, and she knows she has to remain mum a little while longer. Alex's life depended on it.

"Forget it," she muttered. "Let's go back now." Maria stood up abruptly and walked away.

"Maria."


"Let's go, Michael."

"Maria."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Maria."

She whirled around. "What, Michael?! What!"

He was holding up her shirt. "You wanna get dressed first. The sun's gonna be a bitch on your skin if you don't."