Day 12 -Deserted Island

"God, Nate, I had no idea! You've always been like a big brother to me." Megan sounded genuinely shocked and he couldn't blame her.

Of course he had. And he could have kicked himself for bringing this up. What on Earth had possessed him to confess his love to her now? This was neither the time nor the place: not with her boyfriend injured and asleep in the shelter nearby; not when all three of them were stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere, their boat too damaged by the sudden storm to attempt the journey back home.

But he hadn't been able to stop himself. It must have been the sight of her, her hair gleaming like copper in the dim light of the driftwood fire, her green eyes wide and dreamy. Or, maybe it had been the thought that she would leave with Carver after the holidays and he would never have a chance to tell her how he felt. But, yeah, it had been stupid. Stupid and pointless.

He was so busy wallowing in self-recrimination that he was hardly listening to her, but her next words tore him out of his thoughts. "If I'd known… I was so in love with you back then, but I'd thought you weren't interested."

"You were only sixteen," he reminded her, still struggling to process her words.

She shrugged. "Old enough to dream of you. But Fergus said…" She caught his gaze. "He said you weren't interested in girls."

Damn it, Fergus, you blasted idiot! Nathaniel inhaled sharply. "Not only in girls," he amended.

"Oh." Megan's eyes widened.

"It doesn't matter." He busied himself pushing a stray log back into the fire. "You're with Carver now and-"

"It matters to me." Suddenly, her hand was on his wrist. Such a simple touch, but it sent sparks all along his skin.

"Meg." He swallowed. "I'm sorry I-"

"Don't be." Before he knew it, she was in his arms, her lips meeting his, eager and sweet, and he couldn't stop himself from kissing her back.

"Well, that certainly makes for an interesting situation." The sound of Carver's deep voice tore them apart. "I guess we need to talk."

For a long minute they were both silent, too stunned to speak. Nathaniel's mind was racing as he tried to assess the situation. It could be worse, though not by much. The shipwreck wasn't really a problem. If all went well, they would probably be home safe and sound in less than a day. The Couslands would send out search parties and, in the meantime, they had fresh water, blankets, and provisions from the boat's emergency stash. No big deal, really.

On the other hand, here they were, stuck on this island together for the whole night; just the three of them, because Fergus had pulled out at the last minute, claiming his pregnant wife needed him. Nathaniel snorted. Oriana had his friend well and truly whipped, no doubt about it. He should have stayed, too, left the two lovebirds alone, and it would never have come to this. But Megan had begged him to come. "Oh please, Nate. It will be just like the old days. And, we need you. Carver has no clue about sailing."

Just like the old days indeed. For as long as he could remember, he'd spent the week after Christmas on the Couslands' private island off the coast of Australia. He had a standing invitation, one of the perks of being friends with the super-rich. Not that his own parents were precisely poor, but the Couslands were in a league of their own. Anyway, he'd always looked forward to his time here, a week without cares and worries, just him and Fergus hanging out and, more often than not, Megan tagging along behind them.

He'd missed her when she hadn't shown up for the last two years. She'd chosen to spend the time with her aunt in Paris instead, claiming that the trip back home from Oxford was too stressful. This year she'd come back, but not alone. When she'd introduced her boyfriend, it had been like a stab in his guts. Carver Hawke was from a good family, a successful sportsman and independently rich, despite his youth, thanks to a substantial inheritance. He was also tall, dark, and muscular - damnably attractive, really.

If Megan had to choose-

"So, this is the part where we get all melodramatic and the two of you tell me I have to choose." Megan's voice seemed to echo his thoughts.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Carver beat him to it. "That depends."

Megan raised a surprised eyebrow. "Explain."

Carver shrugged, surprisingly gracefully for someone his size. "The way I see it, there's no need to get all worked up. You know how I feel about you, and it seems I'm not the only one. I don't want to lose you. I won't force you to decide."

"You mean you'd… share?" Megan's eyes were as round as saucers.

"Not the way I would put it." Nathaniel plucked up all his courage and met Carver's gaze. Yes, he hadn't been mistaken. There was more than a little interest in those warm brown eyes.

Their corners were wrinkled with humor now. "It wouldn't be much of a sacrifice, Meg."

"You mean- oh. Oh!" Megan's tongue darted out to lick her lips. "So, that's the way it is?"

"If you want it to be." Nathaniel's throat felt far too tight. "Do you?"

She still had her arm around his neck. Now, she motioned for Carver to come closer, frowning when she saw his slight limp. "Are you okay?"

"Never been better." Carver's hands settled possessively on her hips and he bent down to brush his lips along her throat, making her shiver.

Nathaniel closed his eyes, momentarily overcome by a rush of feelings. A hint of jealousy again, but also arousal, sharp and heady, and something else he couldn't quite define: doubt and fear and something perilously close to despair at the thought of messing this up. Can we really make this work? What would happen once they were back with the others? What would Megan's parents say? How would Fergus react if he found out about this?

"Nate?" Megan's hand trailed slowly down his chest, brushing against a nipple through the thin linen of his shirt.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to throw his scruples to the wind. Maybe they'd change their minds later. But he'd be damned if he didn't take what was offered now. Even if he had no clue how to proceed from here.

In the end, it was surprisingly easy. He'd worried about the mechanics of the whole thing, who would do what to whom. But they managed to sort it out with a minimum of awkwardness, thanks mostly to Carver who was… amazing, all raw need and instinct and hunger, and also quite obviously a whole lot more experienced than Nathaniel had expected. They ended up in a wonderful tangle of limbs and bodies, hot lips pressed to salty skin, tongues and teeth tracing hard muscle and soft curves, nothing but heat and glorious breathless ecstasy.

They fell asleep together afterwards, right there on the beach. When the brisk cold of the hour before dawn awakened them, they stumbled back to the shelter and shared the warmth of the few blankets until the first rays of sun brought back the heat of summer. Later, they bathed together, naked in the surf, and then made love again, laughing when they bumped into each other, then gasping and shuddering as their bodies joined.

The search party arrived at noon, led by a very worried Fergus who glanced suspiciously at their happy, glowing faces. Megan embraced her brother with a cheerful smile and took his arm to lead the way back to the boat, turning back to wink at both of them. "Let's head home, guys. That was quite the adventure."