Naked and Defiant Read online

  He hopped onto the sand bar, glad of his sneakered feet as a stingray scurried out from under him. He grabbed the rope tow line and banked the boat on the sand, tying it to a crooked palm tree laden with large, green coconuts. He unloaded the majority of his camping, fishing and diving equipment from the storage compartments, pausing long enough to take some of the nuts off the tree with a long-handled tree saw. He used his machete to crack open the outer shell and then peeled the husk away from the small nut inside. With a grin, he jabbed the tip of a nearby stick into the 'monkeys mouth', the third hole between the two 'eyes', and tilted the nut back to drink from it. After taking a long draught of the sweet juice, Griffon ventured deeper into the island to seek out higher ground to set up camp.

  It took him an hour to find an area he was satisfied with. He started to dig a hole in the ground for a fire-pit when the sound of a boat engine reached his ears. Dread filled him as he raced to the beach, skidding to a halt as he watched the vessel tearing from the cove with Jade at the helm.

  "NO! You stupid fool!" Griffon yelled, as she raced straight over the reef front, leaving behind the majority of the cruiser's bottom behind her. "Fuck!"

  Griffon stripped to his shorts before diving into the temperate waters. The boat was sinking quickly, and he cursed angrily as the hope for saving the radio vanished. He mentally considered other items he could use, fuming as he neared the ship—and Jade.

  "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wreck the boat! I just wanted to get off this island and find a way home. I didn't have radio reception and ..."

  "If you knew what was good for you, you'd be very quiet and contrite right now. Swim to shore, and don't move a muscle until I get back," Griffon hissed.

  "What are you going to do?"

  "Try to salvage what I can, before the tide takes everything away. Your stupidity just left us stranded for at least a month."

  "A month?" Jade treaded water, grabbing pieces of the hull that Griffon pushed towards her. "We can't possibly ..."

  Griffon dove under the water, ignoring her comments. Salt water stung his eyes as he wrapped the anchor rope to the reef as best as he could, to stabilize the wreck. After coming up for air, he plunged under the surface again and grabbed the first aid kit, a seat cushion, and a roll of trash bags he had lodged under the pilot's seat. Using the seat as a float, Griffon began swimming back to shore, growling as the tropical weather took a sudden turn.

  "Damn! You couldn't wait just one more hour to make me miserable?" he called out to the darkening sky. "Of all times to be predictable ..."

  The horizon flashed with lightning and Griffon gritted his teeth against the slap of cold wind sweeping over the waves. He had wanted to be out of these waters before the daily late-afternoon storm found its way to the island. He hoped that it would be short-lived and mild when it hit; regardless, he had little time to build a decent shelter and seriously doubted that Jade would offer any assistance. Well, he fumed, that particular princess can be on her own for a while. Let her be cold and hungry for a couple of days. I will not cater to her.

  Jade was sitting on a palm leaf, arms around her knees, as Griffon loaded himself to shore. The thunderous look on the man's rugged face was enough to warn any prudent and reasonable person to remain silent. Unfortunately, those two words were never used in conjunction with Jade Brockton.

  "When are we going to get out of here? There is a storm coming and I have no intention of being here when it strikes."

  Griffon said nothing as he tried to cool his temper. He began to gather fallen banyan and bamboo trunks from the beach's tree line, dragging them up towards drier ground and away from the high tide line. Jade watched silently, digging her toes in the sand and holding her arms around her shoulders.

  "A little help with setting up around here might warm you up, Your Highness," Griffon shouted sarcastically in her direction. "Gather dry firewood."

  "It's not supposed to be cold. The tropics are always warm," Jade complained, burying her toes under the sand.

  "I thought you lived in Cairns? They have a regular monsoon season with weather like this."

  "I do live in Cairns, but I don't ever have to go out in this type of weather. Be serious!"

  "Unbelievable. Okay, just get it in your head that these seasonal storms are unpredictable and can get downright nasty. Now haul your keister off the ground and begin to gather firewood. You need to understand the necessity of finding seasoned woods."

  "I'm not doing anything."

  "Fine. Then you can freeze."

  Griffon ignored the penetrating look of hatred that bore into his back as he gathered dry wood in his arms and stuffed it under a narrow, rocky ledge to protect it from the elements. After collecting another armful and ignoring Jade, Griffon returned to the site and quickly pitched his small tent under the branches of the large banyan tree. He crawled inside, popped the cap off a beer bottle, and leaned back to wait for the storm to hit.

  CHAPTER 2

  Jade snarled, her temper simmering as she watched the man go about his chores. He was completely ignoring her needs and her feelings, and ignorantly disregarding the fact that she was not here by choice. Lightning flashed in the distance, and she jumped. There was no way he could be serious about leaving her out in the elements, could he? What kind of gentleman was he, anyway?! The selfish, arrogant piece of crap should be kissing her ass right now if he knew what was good for him, she mocked the words spoken to her earlier.

  "Screw you, Griffon Badger! I can take care of myself just fine!" she jeered, as the first cold, fat raindrop fell on her head. Determined to show the man that she did not need his assistance, she ran under the tree line and began to work her way in the direction opposite from where he had gone. The surf grew rough as she picked her way carefully down the beach, watching the placement of her bare feet on the debris. She looked around for shelter, holding her arms tightly around her body as she shivered; nothing but trees and an occasional outcrop of rock was to be seen.

  Glancing behind her, Jade paused to consider her situation. "It will be a cold day in hell before I ask for your help," she said out loud, fuming that Griffon had not bothered to come after her. What kind of man ignored a woman's needs?! She grabbed the wide, broad leaf from a small palm and held it over her head as the rain pelted down around her. A cold breeze whipped over her thinly-clad body, and she fought to keep her chattering teeth from clamping on her tongue. Just ahead, a cluster of trees caught her attention, and Jade climbed in the center of them with her palm frond still in hand.

  Her sanctuary provided protection from the wind and a good portion of the rain, but did nothing for either her need to be warm or comfortable enough to sleep. The tide rose, covering the roots below her feet, and Jade realized that she would have to move to another location before she was trapped in the surge. Swearing, she stepped into the chilled water and walked away from the beach and into the jungle. Insects buzzed around her head as she stepped timidly over the rain-saturated ground.

  "There aren't supposed to be bugs out when it rains," she muttered, holding back fear-filled tears as streams of cold runoff flowed across her feet. Soaked to the bone, she paused long enough to swallow a mouthful of rainwater that had collected in the basin of a large leaf. While it quenched the dryness in her mouth, it only emphasized the hunger that had begun to rumble in her belly.

  She plowed uphill, stepping carefully and trying to avoid the slippery mud that now lined the steep slope. She slipped three times, falling back several feet and scraping her knees and palms. Covered with mud, she finally crawled under the ledge of a rock and stared as the storm violated the once-tranquil setting. Jade curled herself into a ball, her body pressing against the sharp rock and cold soil. She cursed Griffon and his stubbornness, damning him to hell for the mistreatment she was suffering. But her feelings of hatred did not manage to heat her cold body or filled her empty tummy. She needed help, but swore to never ask for it from him again.

  After spending a mise
rable night stooped and freezing under the ledge, Jade watched the breaking of a new day. The storm had exhausted itself, and with several discontented rumbles it plodded away from the island and headed in the direction of open sea. The glimmers of the rising sun struck her face, and its caressing warmth kissed her cheeks. Slowly, Jade dislodged herself from her shelter and stretched her stiff limbs under the clement rays. A mist rose from the jungle floor as the water evaporated in the sun's heat, bringing with it a myriad of biting sand fleas and droning mosquitoes. Slapping blindly at the attack, Jade decided to head back down towards the beach, clean her scraped limbs, and look out for a better shelter and some food.

  She lifted her nose at the scent of a wood fire. Rounding the corner, she saw Griffon lounging on the beach with a stick of skewered fish held over a blazing fire. If he noticed her, he paid no attention, turning the skewer lazily as he sipped from a coconut shell. Jade's mouth began to salivate as the scent of roasted fish filled her nostrils. Her body trembled with need for warmth, and she began to gather sticks in her arms as she headed in his direction.

  "Did you sleep well?" he asked absently, not looking up at her.

  "Like a log. And you?"

  "Got a little too warm for me. You look like shit." He glanced up at her.

  "Then don't look at me," Jade snarled, stacking the sticks in her arms.

  "What are you doing?" Griffon asked, raising his brow.

  "What does it look like? I am gathering firewood."

  "Is that what you call it? See that tree? Break it down. I want you to fill two trash bags with dried wood. Include logs. That is one chore to be completed every day if you expect to share a shelter and a fire with me. Got it?" His brown eyes bore into her green ones.

  Jade threw the wood to the ground and placed her hands on the swell of her hips. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you will never speak to me like that again. Hey! Give that back!"

  Griffon grabbed the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing and pulled it from her body in one easy move, leaving her standing naked in front of him. She ran behind a tree, cursing loudly.

  "If you want clothing, girl, you will have to earn it. I have a feeling you will be spending this entire month as naked as the day you were born."

  "You son of a ..."

  "Enough!" Griffon ordered. "If you expect to eat and sleep here, you will put your ass in gear and get that wood before the next storm. Fires do not build themselves, and if you like being warm, that is the only way it is going to happen."

  "The storm is over!"

  "Are you that naive? This is the tropics, and it's rainy season. Expect a storm every day and be grateful when one doesn't come. You will also learn how to gather your own food."

  "That is not reasonable, and ..."

  "I want two trash bags filled to the brim with usable firewood. Wet logs are to be placed in the sun to dry and then can be put under the shelter. You have until I am done building a shelter. If those two bags are not filled by that time, I swear I will take one of these twigs and blister your bottom so you won't be sitting tonight. Understand?"

  "How dare you threaten me!"

  "Oh, it is no threat, honey. It is a promise. Go on and test me."

  Jade stared back at the man, her mouth flapping silently as she tried to voice her protests. Flustered, she stomped away, using the trees to hide her naked body.

  "It's not like I haven't already seen your bare butt!" Griffon shouted after her. "Keep to the path I made to the camp, and watch out for cobras!"

  Jade's squeal exposed the extent of her ignorance. The Tonga islands had no land snakes and the water snakes were non-aggressive. Even the sharks were known to be fairly shy in these parts, but her knowledge was purely based on assumptions, and assumptions were a detriment to survival. She needed Griffon and hated herself for it. Jade seethed with anger as she gathered arms-full of wood that she found on the beachfront and along the tree line. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Yesterday had been a long day, between her fight with Simon, the attempted abandonment, and the meeting of this bull-headed, arrogant jerk. Add to the recipe for pure misery one cold, sleepless night, an empty belly, and bug bites that covered every inch of her flesh with more diving towards her open abrasions. Her head still throbbed painfully where she had struck it on the bait box in Simon's boat. She had lied to Griffon, suspecting that any decent man would go ballistic if he heard Simon deliberately pushed her. But then, this was Griffon Badger and the word 'decent' was not listed in his job description.

  Exhausted after filling one bag, Jade sat down on a fallen tree trunk to rub her feet. She had numerous cuts from the sharp coral and her trek up the hill, and her sunburned shoulders ached from the unaccustomed activity. She yawned, deciding to take a break and maybe grab a short nap after such a restless night. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to enjoy the tiny kiss of warmth.

  It was quite dark by the time she awakened, startled by the brisk bite of the wind and the sound of rustling through the tall palms. She scrambled to her feet, groaning as her legs seized painfully beneath her. Ominous clouds loomed overhead, blocking the moonlight and decreasing her ability to find the little path that to the location Griffon had chosen for building a shelter. Jade's stomach growled with hunger, and her lips were dry and parched. Her need for food, water and warmth superseded her stubbornness and modesty, so she began to pick her way to higher grounds.

  Jade froze in wonder as she surveyed the campsite. Next to a cheerfully blazing fire was a small raised platform shielded on one side by a large Banyan tree. It was covered with a roof of braided palm leaves and secured to the support structure with long, slender vines. The small tent, anchored securely over the roof of the structure, was used provided more waterproofing. Several open trash bags were braced in different locations, their 'baskets' resembling upside down teepees. Long bamboo poles cut lengthwise and tied in angles from the trees so they would spill collected rainwater into the mouth of the plastic bags. Griffon did not acknowledge her presence as she crept towards the fire and huddled close.

  "This is cozy," Jade commented uneasily, watching as the man whittled a spear point from a long, straight branch. "Are those for collecting water? Very clever." When she received no answer, she tried again: "I got lost, and ..."

  "This island is less than two miles around, with a single high point on this side. A site that is surrounded by a dense grove that is only accessible by using that path I made. The path I told you not to stray from. The other direction is a sheer of volcanic rock. You will find," he put his spear across his knees and glared at her, "that being truthful will benefit you much more than lying. I loathe liars."

  "Since when do you care anyway? Don't you use the motto that Griffon Badger don't give a ..."

  "Did I tell you to bring me two bags of kindling and firewood?" His unwavering gaze pierced through her, the annoyance on his face magnified in the light of the fire.

  "Yeah, but ..."

  "What did I tell you would happen if you chose not to mind me?" Griffon sheathed the dive knife to his belt pouch, placed the spear on the ground, and then slowly and deliberately rose to his feet.

  Jade shook her head, her eyes wide as she backed into a tree. She watched in horror as Griffon ripped a long, slender twig from the Banyan tree, stripped it of leaves, and whipped it in the air. Frowning, he broke it in half and tossed it down as he selected another stick. He took his time performing this selection process, his collection growing as the gap between him and Jade narrowed.

  Her naked back cringed against the sharp bark of the broad trunk and Jade could feel the heat of Griffon's breath as he leaned over her. "Your survival depends on me, little girl. Get that through your thick skull, and don't you ever forget it. The things and the people you have taken for granted are no longer at your beck and call. You will learn to pull your share around here, or I swear to God, you will be sporting a mighty sore ass every day that we are here. Pick one." Griffon straightened an
d held out his collection of sticks.

  "F … for what?"

  "I promised you a good thrashing, and I intend to deliver it." A drop of rain landed on his cheek. He looked to the sky. "Too bad for you. A switching on a wet bottom hurts far worse than a dry one."

  "You can't do this!" Jade cried out, putting her hands in front of her to fend him off.

  "Pick one, Jade."

  "No!"

  "Either you choose one or I will use all of them together. Ever been birched?"

  Jade stared at his fire-illuminated features, torn between the need to run like hell and the desire to crush her lips against his. He was a handsome devil, especially with the day's growth on his face. Tall, broad-shouldered and quite fit, the man caused her pussy to twitch in excitement. She hated herself for it, too! Gulping, the hair on her arms tingled as she pointed randomly to one of the sticks. Her eyes were locked on the switch as he used the dive knife to peel away the rough bark.

  "Griffon ..."

  "Next time you will cut and clean your own switch, so you'd best pay attention to what I am doing," Griffon said in a grave voice. Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Bend over and touch your toes."

  "No! I most certainly will not! Ow! Let go of my earl! Griffon!" Jade protested, grabbing his wrist and trying to ease his hold on her ear as he led her to the entrance to the shelter. Unable to dislodge his hand, Jade found herself bent in half over the side of the raised platform.

  "No, Griffon, please! I promise to help and to listen to you and ..." Her pleading was interrupted by the swooshing of the switch in the air and the yelping of her own voice. The stripe blazed across her lower cheeks; it felt like a thousand bees stinging at once. Still holding his left wrist to prevent more tugging on her earlobe, Jade tried to protect herself with the back of her right hand. She screeched and jerked away as the switch landed across her palm.