“I’m here. I just — this cave — well, yeah, the cave is starting to suffocate me,” she said, her chest feeling compressed. Maybe this was her first panic attack. She hoped it was nothing worse than that.
“Lia…” She knew he didn’t believe her, but she couldn’t talk about this now.
“Let’s just go, Shane. I’ll feel better when we get back out into the sun,” she said, her voice unusually high as she tried to mask her growing agitation.
He looked at her for several heartbeats, then gave her a soft, almost sad smile, before turning around and looking at the cave once more.
“I hate to leave, but I do want to get back to the beach. We need to prepare a large area where we can light a fire that can be seen from far away,” he said in a falsely happy tone as he tried to hide his confusion. Then he walked over, bent down and nuzzled her neck.
“Thank you, Shane,” she said. She was grateful he’d let the subject drop. This was where she needed to be with him for now, right in his arms, where she felt safe and cherished. They didn’t need to worry about tomorrow or the next day — not yet. The sun would set and then rise again, bringing them a new day. It was inevitable. There was plenty of time to worry when there was something to worry about.
“I will cook you a spectacular seafood dinner on the beach with a nice fire and all-you-can-drink fruit juice,” he said, trying to pull her from her funk.
“A romantic seafood dinner on the beach. Why, Shane Grayson, you just earned some extra brownie points,” she said, giving him a kiss before moving through the entrance of the cave and walking outside.
Lia looked back, having to fight a slight tightening in her throat as the cave got farther away. She wasn’t a crier, and she wanted to kick herself for feeling that weak emotion right then. It was just that she couldn’t remember ever being happier than she had been during the past few days. Shane was incredible, and their time together — interruption free and distraction free — had been just what her soul had needed. It felt different being with him now. But even as they moved toward the beach, a little of that feeling was beginning to fade.
She was frightened that the farther they moved away from their special place of bliss, the less chance they’d have of making it together once they were saved.
She knew they needed to get rescued, but she really did hope it would take just a little more time. Selfishly, she wanted Shane all to herself. She’d been such a fool to waste so much energy on fighting him. It was unbelievable that it had taken a shipwreck for her to see what she’d been missing these last couple of years.
The two of them walked down the path back to the beach, reaching the white sands in about half an hour, since they were now familiar with the island, and knew the fastest routes to take. The sun was high in the sky, and as they scanned the water, there wasn’t a boat in sight. Lia felt a bit of relief, but a little panic as well.
Her feelings were seesawing wildly. What if they weren’t ever found? The past few days it hadn’t seemed so frightening, but she’d heard stories of people being lost for ten years before a rescue, their families having moved on, burying the memory of their lost loved ones on the assumption they were dead, and continuing on with their lives.
She knew her parents and her siblings wouldn’t give up, but the thought was rather daunting.
“They will find us, Lia.” Shane wrapped his arms around her.
“I know. It’s just easier to forget we’re stranded when we’re by that pristine pool of water. Being here with the vast ocean before us makes our circumstances that much more real,” she said, holding on to his hands as they rested on her stomach.
“You know your brother. He will move heaven and earth to find you. If he has to call out the Italian Coast Guard to search every island out here, he will. Hell, he’d try to hire the United States National Guard to do it. There won’t be a single expense that he will spare. There’s no way he will think you are resting at the bottom of the ocean. He can’t give up. It’s just not in him to do so.”
Shane’s words were helping to calm her.
“Thank you, Shane. I know I was teasing about us staying out here forever, but seeing the ocean is quite frightening. It just seems like it would be so hard for anyone to find us, especially since nobody knew you were coming here.”
“That was stupid of me, and selfish. I’m sorry that I put you in so much danger,” he replied, his tone full of remorse.
“If I hadn’t been such a stubborn fool, you wouldn’t have needed to go to such extreme measures,” she told him, generously taking a share of the blame.
“I don’t know how you originally fell for me, Lia, but I am eternally grateful,” he said; he turned her around in his arms and kissed her lips.
“Me, too,” she said when he pulled back.
“We won’t get the fire pit built if you don’t stop tempting me with your kisses,” he said.
She just gazed at him with her eyebrow raised. Men! He was the one who’d been wanting to play. OK, she’d admit she wasn’t doing anything to stop him.
They worked side by side the rest of the afternoon building a giant fire pit and getting their camp ready. As they settled in for the night, Lia lay in Shane’s arms, wondering whether this would be their last night lost at sea — well, lost on a deserted island in the middle of the sea.
It would be good to be rescued, but the worry of what would come next wouldn’t leave her troubled mind. She wanted to stay with him, get to know him, learn more about his life. But was she ready for what he wanted? Were they at the same place in their lives? Or were they bound to have only a day or a few days together, and then go their separate ways?
She just didn’t know. Falling asleep wasn’t easy, but finally she drifted off, Shane’s heartbeat sounding in her ear.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rachel
“We’re so very glad to have you here, Ms. Palazzo. I hope you will enjoy working for the embassy.”
“Thank you. I’ve gone through all of the materials and feel I’m ready to do this job well. I’m excited to be here,” she answered her new boss, Mr. Romano.
It had been only a few days since she’d slipped from Ian’s room, and she couldn’t believe the lingering ache that leaving him had left inside her. When she’d turned to look back at the room one last time, she’d paused, feeling an overwhelming need to run back to Ian’s bed and wait for him for just a little bit longer. Knowing she was being foolish, she’d shut the door with a final click and walked away, not allowing herself to turn around again.