Night fell over the island, and it couldn’t have come soon enough. Shannon looked over to her left and saw nothing; no one. She looked to her right and Boone was fast asleep. No one was awake on the beach.

Standing slowly, Shannon tiptoed across the sand and squinted against the darkness, trying to adjust to the loss of firelight. She was looking for Charlie.

She passed each slumbering person as quietly as possible and hoped she would find him soon; she could feel the dull throb between her legs—the ache that told her it was time for Charlie to pay her back for what she’d caught him doing.

Finally, she found him, alone and, perfectly enough, far from any other island resident. Shannon took off her sandals and dropped them gently to the ground, squatting down beside him.

Careful not to wake anyone, Shannon whispered his name. “Charlie…”

She looked from left to right to be sure she hadn’t awakened anyone else in the process.

Her feet sunk into the sand and the grains itched between her toes. “Charlie,” she tried again, tapping him on the shoulder. The rock star rolled over onto his side and yawned, eyelids still fluttering with whatever dream he saw behind them. Shannon hoped beyond hope that she was one of his images…that would make this so much easier for her.

Rolling her eyes, Shannon dropped onto her bottom and sat beside him for a moment, trying to decide the next best thing to do. Grinning, she crawled closer to him and straddled him, hovering over him with her face nearly within kissing distance.

“Charlie,” she whispered, a tiny hint of husky voice making its way into her airy words.

Charlie’s eyes shot open and he gasped, seeing her.

“Shhh…” Shannon hissed at him as he opened his mouth to speak. “Charlie…you owe me.”

Looking up at her in awe, Charlie’s mouth snapped shut as quickly as it had sprung open, and he silently stared at her. After a few moments, he realized he had no idea what Shannon was getting at, and decided it was best to ask before giving in to her again. This might be just like the fish, after all, he reminded himself.

“I…what…?” Charlie knew as soon as he said it how stupid he sounded and that Shannon would probably even hear the sleep in his voice, but he couldn’t think of how else to say it.

Shannon lowered her face so close to his that her lips fluttered against his as she spoke. “You owe me, Charlie…and I need a fix…”

“You need a…what?” Charlie asked, thinking he knew exactly what she meant but not wanting to push his luck after having been caught with, as they say, his pants down.

“You heard me,” Shannon whispered and closed in on him, pressing her lips hungrily to his, giving him a teasing taste of what she wanted, then standing up, looking down at him, not minding the wind tickling the hem of her skirt and sending it into a flutter. She minded even less that Charlie’s eyes widened abnormally when the wind kicked up her skirt enough to reveal her lack of underclothing.

“You…” Charlie paused and sat up quickly, looking from left to right. “Oh!” he gasped, finally allowing himself to believe it.

Shannon grinned and started off without him toward the wreckage.

When the beautiful, leggy blonde disappeared behind the remains of their ill-fated flight, Charlie scrambled clumsily to his feet, and ran in the same direction, tripping in the sand but hurrying back to his feet to get to her as quickly as possible.

Again, Charlie’s eyes widened when he saw Shannon. She’d sprawled herself gracefully in the sand. Charlie looked at her and could feel himself rising to the occasion already. The fire burning still on a piece of wreckage lit up her face beautifully and Charlie shivered. He couldn’t believe his luck.

“Charlie,” Shannon said in the same husky voice that had snapped him into attention when he’d been caught, “come here…”

She hadn’t expected to feel a nervous lurch in her stomach as Charlie stepped toward her, but she did, and fought to hide it. Shannon looked up at him as he slowly
reluctantly, Princess
lowered himself to the ground beside her. She could feel the burn in her nether regions and knew that calling upon him was not the wrong choice after all, when she’d feared it would be.

Closing her eyes, Shannon let out a soft sigh when Charlie kissed her neck and unbuttoned her blouse. Her sensitivity burned with desire as his fingers snuck under her skirt.

Charlie’s fingers moved slowly up the inside of her thigh, lingering just below her. Shannon’s kisses on Charlie’s skin were dreamlike. Charlie released himself from his jeans and climbed onto Shannon. All at once, though everything seemed blurry, surreal and so much faster than what reality was allowing, he was thrusting himself into her and she was groaning her approval.

Shannon arched her back and bucked against him, enjoying her payback immensely. She deserved it, after all, didn’t she? He’d used her to give himself the very same pleasure that she’d desired since forever, it seemed. So, why then, would it be unfit for her to use him to get that pleasure? It wasn’t, she decided as the two of them sped their pace and gasped for air as they came together. It wasn’t wrong…

Smiling down at Shannon as Charlie hovered over her with his weight on shaky arms, he slowly let himself down and rolled off her onto his side. He reached over with a shaking hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Shannon tensed immediately and grabbed his hand. “Don’t ever touch my face, Charlie,” she said, sitting up.

Charlie’s euphoric expression morphed into confusion. “What? I just—”

Shaking her head, Shannon stood and tugged her skirt down around herself. “No Charlie, this wasn’t about that,” she said. “I thought you understood,” she added as an afterthought, turned, and left him alone with his emotions again.