Shipwrecked! Page 5

  “I’m fine,” she snapped.

  Lawless grabbed her arm as she passed by. She stared at him. “Hey, we’re on the same side, remember?”

  “Do you have a side or are you just a freelance boyfriend?” she retorted as she marched past him.

  Lawless didn’t move. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for her to stop. After a few feet, she noticed he wasn’t coming with her. She turned around and frowned. “What?”

  “That’s a good question,” he said. “Let’s start there. What is your problem?”

  “Nothing. I’m just a little irritable, that’s all.”

  “Bullshit. You’ve been treating me like crap ever since last night, and I want to know why.”

  “I told you, I’m just tired. Let’s go before we lose all the daylight.”

  “Wait, Morgan. We’ve been having a lot of sex since we got here. Do you think you might be pregnant?” he asked.

  Morgan laughed but he could tell there was no real humor behind it. “That’s impossible,” she said. “I’ve had the shot.”

  “That shot is not one hundred percent effective. Plenty of women have gotten pregnant while on the shot. Just look at Penny.”

  Morgan’s face turned beat red. “I am not pregnant, Lawless!”

  “Then what the hell is wrong with you?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Lawless took a deep breath to stay calm. “Morgan, listen to yourself. You can’t seriously tell me there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re coming unglued over the simple suggestion you might be pregnant.”

  Her pupils dilated so large her eyes looked black. “For the last time, I am not pregnant!”

  He leaned against a tree and stared at her. Something was definitely not right with her, and raging hormones seemed like the best fit. “Yes, but how can you be sure? It’s not like we have a pregnancy test on hand . . .”

  Morgan stormed up to him stopping inches from his face. “I think I know my own body, and I’m telling you I’m not pregnant!”

  “Don’t you want my baby?”

  She blinked as if she hadn’t understood the question. “What?”

  Lawless sighed. “I said don’t you want my baby?”

  “Why are you bringing this up now? Why are you dragging out this argument to piss me off?” She paced back and forth along the trail like an angry panther.

  “I want to know the truth. Are you in love with me or not?”

  Morgan stopped, her mouth twisting into a tortured frown. “Yes, I’m in love with you. I’m hopelessly in love with you, and I’m afraid of losing you once we get back with the others.”

  Lawless felt a great weight lift off his chest. He unfolded his arms. “Show me,” he said softly.

  “Right now?”

  “Right here, right now,” he said and touched his lips to hers.

  * * * *

  The kiss was smooth and sweet like milk chocolate. Morgan pushed her breasts against him aching for the closeness to make her feel loved again. What she hated to face was he had become everything to her and she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Deep within her, she hoped she was pregnant. Then at least she’d have something from him if their relationship dissolved.

  She didn’t know what to expect when they met up with the others. She ran her hands in his hair, rubbing the texture through her fingertips. Morgan buried her face in his neck and hugged him. “Please tell me I won’t lose you,” she whispered.

  “I thought you knew me better than that, babe.”

  Morgan was so ashamed that she just shook her head. Lawless responded by sliding his hands under her shirt and caressing her skin. The feel of his hands on her flesh was pure bliss. Every fiber of her being came alive, wanting and needing him to be inside her. Grabbing him by the lapels of his uniform, Morgan pulled him down to the ground and straddled his hips. The insistent bulge of his erection pushed against her begging to be encased within her.

  With trembling hands, she undressed him and then herself. His hands feasted over her nakedness, touching her in all the places she loved. The alien world around them melted away, and they were alone. Lawless moved his hands down and explored her pussy with the light, gentle touch that drove her mad. Rolling the idea that she might be pregnant with his child, she arched her back as he teased her. Did it really matter? She guessed not, and the more she thought about it, the happier she became. He worked his magic with touch, arousing the tiny bud of her clit. It plumped growing more sensitive with each stroke of his lips. Repositioning herself down on his hips, she took his stiff cock and rubbed it against her slick folds. He moaned her name with a heady passion, and she smiled at the sound of his voice.

  Sex with Lawless was intense and magical, not like the many fumbling encounters she’d had with other men. Was this what love was all about? Easing herself onto his cock, she felt the carnal pleasure of him filling up her aching channel. His masculine scent was all over her body, and she loved every draw of breath. The hunger was taking him now, and he grabbed her hips and pulled her down over and over again, mumbling her name like a man in a delirium. Morgan let her emotions out of the tiny cage she kept them in. Currents of unspeakable cheer filled her until she thought her heart would explode. She ran her hands through the hair on his chest and pounded her pussy down onto him until her orgasm seized her will and drained her mind.

  Then he was on top of her like a tiger, rolling her onto her back and pounding his lust into her. His words meant nothing, just primal grunts and hungry words but they spoke a language of love all their own. Morgan arched her back and wrapped her legs around his thrusting hips. “More, my love,” she whispered in his ear. His sweat dripped onto her cheek and neck. “More, deeper . . . yes, that’s it.”

  Lawless became another man, a man possessed by his passion. He whispered delicious threats to her as he labored and with every thrust of his cock, her womb thrilled. With a harsh snarl, he climaxed inside her empting his desire in several lusty bucks. Morgan ran her hands down his back as he rested on top of her. Please let me be pregnant, she thought. Please let me have something to cherish from this dazzling affair.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The waterfall was the most beautiful place Morgan had ever seen. The water poured from a ten foot perch above a small crystal blue pond. Bright green moss covered the grey rocks surrounding the magical water.

  “Guess we’ll make camp here,” Lawless said lowering his backpack on a patch of bright green grass.

  Morgan sat on the ground feeling exhausted. For the past few miles, she’d been thinking through a bunch of scenarios on what it would be like when they rejoined the others. The fear that their affair would be over when they rejoined the others evaporated. Would they still have a relationship when this was all over? She felt confident they would.

  Lawless stood and stretched his long, athletic body. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he peeled it off his torso revealing his thick chest and muscular arms. Morgan’s breath caught as she admired his masculine beauty. His skin was the color of sun-baked sand, and his chest and belly were lightly covered in hair. A light sheen of sweat made his flesh glow, and Morgan found she couldn’t look away from him. Just watching him move made her heart ache with want.

  He unbuttoned his pants and slid them off with his underwear until he stood before her completely naked. His cock was long and graceful against his thigh with a hint of stiffness. Lawless dipped one foot into the pond and swirled the water. The water grew murky from the stirring. Satisfied that the temperature was pleasing, he walked into the pond and submerged himself into the deepest part. For a moment, Morgan panicked, watching him go under. Then he came up again, the glossy water dripping off his face and body. “Come in,” he said, grinning.

  Morgan chased her worries off and stood. She undressed before him, taking her time to let him see every inch of her. His eyes smoldered with a fiery need that she knew all too well. When she, too, was naked
, she crept toward the pond’s edge and moved into the water. It was cool but pleasing, and she lowered herself into it to get used to the temperature. Lawless swam up beside her and pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his broad back and rested her head on his chest. How she wished this moment would never end.

  Lawless playfully grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back. He kissed her then said, “I have to admit, Morgan, I’m a little worried about how you’re going to treat me when we rejoin the others.”

  Morgan took a step back from him. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, it seems like you’re always looking for an excuse to run from me and end our relationship. I can’t live like this, babe—I can’t have you hot and cold. Either you’re with me or you’re not. You need to choose.”

  “Well, if I’m a little defensive it’s just because I don’t want to be used—”

  Lawless held up his hand. “I know, I know. But did it ever occur to you that I can feel used too?”

  Morgan’s stomach dropped. He was right. She’d been so worried about getting hurt that she hadn’t noticed how much she’d hurt him. She was very ashamed. He’d never done anything to make her distrust him. In fact, he’d been nothing but honest from the start. She was the one who’d been pushing him away sometimes.

  Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him on the jaw, then dragged her lips up to his mouth. “I’m sorry, Jon,” she said softly. “I’m just so used to having to wall up my feelings. It’s been so long that I don’t feel comfortable expressing them anymore. I don’t want to feel this strongly about you. I’m confused, and I don’t know if you’re telling me the truth about how you feel. You have to admit, you’ve been with a lot of women.”

  Lawless pulled her arms from around him and stared into her eyes. “Okay, yes, there have been a lot of women in my life, but I never lied to any of them about how I felt.” He shook his head and frowned. “Let’s just drop this. If you can’t trust me after all we’ve been through, then you never will.”

  Morgan wanted to say she was sorry, to make it all better with words but she had none. She just stood there feeling her guts fall to the ground.

  Climbing up onto shore, he turned to her and said, “Hurry up and get dressed. We only have a few more hours of daylight to find the others.”

  Morgan just nodded and got out.

  They walked in silence for a long time. Lawless wasn’t angry anymore, but he wanted Morgan to think he was. How could he stay mad at her? She had become everything to him. It was true that there had been many other women in his life, but none had made him feel like she did. When she opened up to him, he felt like the sun shone a little brighter and the world was a little warmer. He loved her but didn’t have the words to make her believe it.

  He stopped for a moment to let her catch up and that’s when he noticed it looked like she’d been crying. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah,” she said.

  She came up alongside him and he put his arm around her shoulder. He kissed her on the cheek, and she gave him a warm smile. “You’re not still mad at me?”

  He shrugged. “I was mad, but I just can’t seem to stay that way.”

  They resumed walking, and Morgan suddenly stopped. “What’s that?” she said pointing to something grey in the bushes ahead.

  Lawless unsheathed his machete and moved forward slowly. “I think it’s a hunk of metal,” he said when he could see it clearer.

  They both rushed over and stared down at a large piece of the Defiant lying in the shrubs. The ruined ship’s hull number was partially printed on the side in white block letters.

  As they continued on, they spotted a few more pieces randomly scattered along their path. The next thing they encountered was the sound of voices off in the distance.

  Lawless felt a rush of relief. He turned to look at Morgan, and she looked as stunned as he was. “It’s them, Morgan,” he said as if trying to make himself believe it. “It’s the rest of the crew. We’ve found them.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The survivor camp was bustling with activity. A few large huts had been constructed out of branches and, although impressive, weren’t as sturdy looking as the one Lawless had made. Rustic signs hung over each door indicating what service was offered inside. The two huts closest to where Morgan stood were marked “Clinic” and “Store.” Someone cried out in surprise, and Morgan turned around to see Penny, very pregnant, waddling toward them.

  “Oh my God,” she said with her arms outstretched. “We thought you guys were dead!” She threw her arms around Lawless and gave him a bear hug. He smiled and hugged her back much to Morgan’s dismay.

  Lawless pulled Penny off him and looked her up and down. “You’ve gotten big.”

  “The doc says a few more weeks, but I can’t wait.” She beamed.

  “Got a name yet?” he asked.

  Penny winked at Morgan. “I though I’d call him Jon.” Both she and Lawless laughed, but Morgan could only muster a smile. They sure were chummy for two people who hadn’t slept with each other. Penny reached out and squeezed Morgan’s arm. “What’s the matter, honey? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Morgan forced herself to smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just really tired. We trekked a long way to find you guys.”

  Suddenly there was a chorus of delighted gasps. A group of crewmembers who knew both her and Jon rushed over and began talking a mile a minute. Morgan thought her head was going to explode. Her feelings were so confused. She was happy that they’d found the others safe, but she didn’t look forward to her relationship with Lawless possibly ending. Worse yet, what if he was right and she was pregnant? Then what was she going to do? It was hard to stay in the Fleet and take care of a baby properly.

  The group urged her and Lawless to go and see the commanding officer, but she begged off, telling them she needed to stop by the clinic first. Lawless didn’t seem to think anything strange from her request, and without a backward glance, he went off catching up everyone on their adventures.

  Morgan came into the hut marked “Clinic.” Although no one was there but the medic, she felt alone and vulnerable. The medic was sitting at a homemade table labeling small bottles of medications. He looked up and smiled at her. The action made the skin around his eyes wrinkle. “Are you hurt?”

  “No,” Morgan said, shifting her weight to her other foot. “I need a pregnancy test if you have one.”

  The medic didn’t even blink. “Sure,” he said. “Take a seat. This’ll only take a second.”

  Morgan sat down and ignored the butterflies tickling her stomach. She couldn’t tell if she was afraid she was pregnant or afraid she wasn’t. The medic cleaned off her right hand and pricked her palm. A small drop of blood formed on top of the skin. Next, he placed a small monitor over the drop of blood and pushed a red button. A second later, the silver screen read out the word “negative.”

  “Nope,” he said putting the monitoring device away and returning to his work. “You’re not pregnant.” He glanced at her. “I hope that’s good news.”

  “Sure,” she said as her gut dropped. “That’s great. But I have a question.”

  The medic looked up at her raising his eyebrows slightly.

  “When does the ovulation shot wear off?”

  “The one they give you when you go into the Fleet?”

  “Yes,” she said feeling her mouth grow very dry.

  “About five years from when you took it. I do have an antidote if you want it, though.”

  Morgan shook her head. “No that’s fine. Maybe later. Thanks very much.” She walked outside and watched everyone hurrying back and forth, preparing food, working on electrical equipment, and making more huts. It did feel good to be back, but she couldn’t help mourning the child that never was.

  Lawless walked up looking happier than he had in weeks. “Morgan, did you hear the news?”

  “No what?”

  “They’ve gotten a sig
nal from a Fleet freighter called the Patriot. Everyone will be off this planet in the next few days. Isn’t that great?”

  Morgan felt her world crashing in around her. “It sure is, Jon. Great. I couldn’t be happier.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The celebration went well into the night but Morgan didn’t feel much like celebrating. She sat by herself watching the first group of shuttles from the Patriot taking the surviving crew up to their new home. A dark depression had taken hold of her, and she didn’t know if or when it would ever lift. After several hours of soul-searching, she realized she was upset about not being pregnant, but worse, she hadn’t seen Lawless in over four hours. She knew she should have expected this, but it still came as a shock.