The relatively short climb was daunting, but she had to stop relying on him. “Ja.”
She followed the path he’d taken, relieved when he took her into his arms and pulled her into the cave. “Welcome to your new home,SeñoraJakobsen,” he said with a broad smile.
She narrowed her eyes to peer into the gloom. “Cozy,” she quipped.
“It’s small,” he conceded. “But it’s dry and there’s no evidence an animal lives here.”
The ceiling was high enough for even Maximiliano’s tall frame, but there was little space to do anything but sleep. She contemplated suggesting they search for something bigger when the deafening roar of a sudden tropical downpour left no alternative. Darkness fell quickly, as it always did in the tropics.
“No choice,” he said, laying the pistols and the dagger aside. “It won’t be comfortable, but we can find something to lie on tomorrow.”
He stretched out on the rocky surface and indicated the space next to him. “I know you are angry with me, and rightly so, but we need each other’s warmth if we’re to survive the night.”
He was right that temperatures would drop. There was no point enduring it alone. She lay beside him and nestled into the warmth of his body as he put his arm around her shoulders.
They listened to the rain pelting the rocks and trees. “I’m glad we’re not still down on the beach,” she whispered.
“Sí, finding this cave is a good omen.”
He tightened his hold when the thunder and lightning began.
“I’ve always been afraid of thunder,” she confided. “I remember the bellringer in our church in Denmark being killed when the steeple was struck.”
He stroked her hair. “My mother used to say an uneven number of thunderclaps in quick succession will bring good luck.”
“We’ve had two so far,” she replied.
“Three,” he said when another rolling boom cracked not far away.
She lost count after six and fell asleep with her head on his chest.
* * *
Maximiliano silently chided the God in which he no longer believed.This isn’t what I had in mind when I said I wanted to sleep with Heidi Jakobsen.
Like every sailor, he was wary of thunderstorms, but at least he’d taken Heidi’s mind off her fear and she’d fallen asleep.
He took the opportunity the lightning flashes offered to examine the cave. So far the walls and ceiling had remained dry, and it was out of the wind. However, his backside was already numb. They’d have to find something softer to lie on. Perhaps the mattress from his bunk.
Food was another concern. They couldn’t survive on coconuts alone. Finding a freshwater stream was a priority. He was adept at fishing with a net, but all he had now was his dagger, which meant he’d have to learn to spearfish. Sparking a fire was a simple task when a man had his tinderbox. His was somewhere on board the wreck of theJuana.
Surviving until they were rescued or could find some means of escape would be a challenge. As would lying abed with Heidi’s breasts pressed to his chest night after night.
Perhaps this torment was God’s punishment for his loss of faith.
* * *
It was still dark when Heidi awoke, but the rain had stopped and she sensed dawn wasn’t far off. She was amazed she’d slept at all, and her hips and shoulders were stiff. She had to try to move, but the steady beat of Maximiliano’s heart pulsed in her ear. His soft snoring brought comfort—he’d slept too.
“God morgen,” she said hoarsely when he stirred.
“Días,” he replied. “You sound as thirsty as I am. Let’s see if we can find rainwater to drink.”
He got to his feet slowly then helped her rise. His fingertips touched the ceiling when he stretched. “My body aches.”
Distracted by the broad planes of his chest, visible when his shirt gaped open, she had a momentary notion to suggest a traditional Danish massage might help rid him of his aches.
Her limbs refused to function properly. “I feel like an old woman,” she lamented as they scanned the jungle below.