Free Gillian’s Island by catjohnson Page B

have it up and running
in no time.” He grabbed her and kissed her hard once more.
“We’re gonna make that wedding after all. Your sister
will be so happy.”
    With that, Jamie was out the door and headed up top leaving Gillian
alone with her thoughts.
    Her sister. God, she’d forgotten her sister had been within
hearing distance in the room directly across the hall all night with
Rob. Gillian was sure she and Jamie had gotten pretty loud at times,
too involved in what they were doing at the moment to care who heard.
She remembered burying her face in the pillow to muffle what could
only be described as screams of pleasure while Jamie thrust into her
from behind. Her face burned with embarrassment.
    They’d been like rutting animals, unable to get enough of each
other. Somehow, when the future had been uncertain and they’d
been desperate castaways, their behavior had seemed justified. Now
that the real world was sailing toward them at full speed, her shame
overwhelmed her. She’d practically jumped him last night.
They’d done things together she’d never even thought of
doing with a man before and in the heat of the moment she’d
begged him to do those things.
    The cheers from the stranded wedding party up on deck got louder and
the rescue ship’s horn sounded again. Her sore muscles
protested as Gillian bent to retrieve the condom box off the floor.
Never before had she woken up feeling so good, sore and ashamed all
at once, and all from just one night of sex.
    She sighed. For better or worse, reality beckoned.
    After she threw the box of condoms back into the drawer, she gathered
the garbage and stashed it deep in the pail in the bathroom. With
another bout of embarrassment she wiped off the flashlight with the
towel. The towel went in the hamper and she stashed the light in the
nightstand drawer. After straightening the still damp bed coverings,
she grabbed the bottle of cooking oil to return to the galley and
exited their little castaway love nest.
    Gillian arrived up top just in time to see Rob grinning and slapping
Jamie on the back as they both laughed. Her stomach twisted. Had Rob
heard them? Was he congratulating his buddy on the conquest? They’d
probably all heard last night. She didn’t dare make eye contact
with either Brandon or Reilly. Instead, she slipped closer to Julie.
    “Hi.” Gillian kept her eyes focused on the military ship
as it anchored in the distance and lowered a smaller boat filled with
sailors into the water. When she finally allowed herself to look at
her sister, she found a smile there.
    “Hi, yourself.”
    Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, Gillian turned fully to face
Julie. “Okay. Go ahead. Get it out of your system.”
    “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Julie’s
sly smile didn’t match her words.
    Gillian lowered her voice. “I know you heard us last night. If
you’re going to tease me, get it over with now.”
    One blond eyebrow rose above Julie’s ocean blue eyes. “It
was hard not to hear you, but I’m not going to tease you. I’m
thrilled. Rob and I wanted you and Jamie to hook up. You two are
perfect for each other.”
    Instead of noting that crazy, one-night—okay two-night—hookups
did not a relationship make, Gillian pointed out the other obvious
issues. “One, he lives and has a good job in Chicago while I
live and work here in California. Two, it was just sex. I don’t
know what got into me. I think I was convinced we were going to all
die here, but whatever it was, it was brought on by the situation and
probably won’t ever happen again.”
    The sway of Julie’s head stopped Gillian from adding to her
list of why she and Jamie couldn’t be together. “What?”
    “Jamie is not the kind to have sex with a girl unless he’s
serious. At least that’s what Rob told me. I wouldn’t be
so sure it won’t be happening again, and often.”
    Gillian thought back to the first day they’d met. He didn’t
know her at all and they’d