HER
The girl opened her eyes slowly as she regained consciousness. 'Where am I?' she thought. She could feel the scorching sun beating down on her face, and the warm, soft surface beneath her. As she came to, she could hear a gentle repeating pattern close to her -- the unmistakable sound of waves lapping upon the sand. It started to become clear. She was laying on a beach, a long, sandy beach. But why? How did she get there?
Gradually it came back to her. She could remember hearing people shouting, and she could remember a boat, with dark oppressive skies above. And big waves -- huge waves! That was it! She remembered -- the boat had got blown way off course and straight into the heart of a freak tropical storm. It was only meant to be a short trip, but it had turned into a living nightmare, and the girl was now wondering not only how she had survived, but if indeed there were any other survivors at all.
She sat up and looked around her, every intake of breath bringing a new level of understanding. She could see gorgeous white sand, the kind found on postcards, stretching far in both directions. There were palm trees lining the beach like soldiers on the frontline, and a cluster of large rocks at one end. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something else, something out of place that marred the picturesque scene in front of her. It was large and orange resting on the waterline near the rocks. It was an inflatable life raft, presumably from the same boat that had been wrecked in the storm and washed the girl ashore.
Slowly she stood up on long slender legs that felt a little shaky. She felt weak and achy, and slightly dizzy. But still things were becoming clearer as she straightened up and looked about her. The sun was hot and full as she started to make her way along the beach towards the life raft. Stumbling a couple of times, she righted herself fighting against the disorientation, but as she drew nearer, she could see there was somebody in the life raft. It was a man, lying on his side, presumably unconscious.
As the girl moved closer, she could see his face more clearly. Furrowed brows above long thick dark eyelashes that rested on his cheeks. Cheeks that sported more than a 5 o'clock shadow. His chiseled jaw clenched and lips that looked like they could be full if they weren't drawn tight, as if in pain. She recognised him as one of the other passengers from the boat the day before. She remembered thinking at the time that he was attractive, and as he lay in front of her with his eyes closed, she had the same thoughts again, although he was now looking a bit worse for wear, his face bruised slightly and his skin scorched from the sun.
She tried to bring him to, gently shaking him. After a few moments he stirred. He attempted to open his eyes, but failed.
"Are you alright?" asked the girl.
"I think so... I don't know," replied the man deliriously, "who are you?"
"My name's Laura, I was on the boat with you," said the girl.
He tried to focus on her voice, but the world was fading away from him. "I'm Graham..." he said, before passing out once again.
* * *
HIM
The next thing he was aware of came several hours later as he was enveloped by the heat of the day, making the skin across his face feel tight and his mouth bone dry.
'What the fuck?' he thought, as he raised his hand to press against his pounding forehead.
Slowly he opened his eyes expecting to find himself in his bed, suffering the effects of too much drink from the night before. But as his eyes slowly adjusted to the blinding light of the sun directly above, he realised that something was terribly wrong.
Before him was the most beautiful sight, the same sight that had greeted Laura earlier that day. He saw the soft white sand, the crystal-clear turquoise water crashing gently against the shore, and the palm trees lining the beach.
With each breath he took, mixed with the salty taste of the sea air, he got jumbled flashbacks of what happened. People running, their voices filled with panic and desperation. Rain pelting against him so hard that he couldn't see. He remembered hearing the loudest roar, it was so loud he covered his ears. It sounded like a beast calling from the depths of the ocean. The terrifying sound wasn't coming from below though, it seemed to engulf him, he could feel the vibrations of it throughout his body. Flashes of light pierced the darkness.....then nothing.
With his fingers rubbing at his temples trying to dispel the throbbing headache, nausea and memories, he let out a groan that came from deep within his broad muscular chest.
"Finally, you're awake!" came a much too loud female voice, belted out with an unmistakable Irish accent. The voice bounced inside his head, making him grit his teeth against the sharp pain that followed her words.
He sat there not quite ready to look at her and admit what he knew was the truth - that the boat he was on had been wrecked and now here he was on a beach with some girl who wouldn't shut up and give his head a break. From her realisation that he was awake, she had done nothing but ramble on about finding him and dragging his body out of the raft into the shade, or how beautiful the beach is, to now wondering what they should do. He wanted a minute to think, but her voice just wouldn't stop.
"For the love of god, will you just shut the fuck up!" he shouted at her.
Instantly regretting his harsh tone and words, he lifted his eyes to see her for the first time.
* * *
THEM
He knew her instantly. He'd seen her on the boat, just as she had also beheld him. They'd never actually exchanged glances, but he felt sure of her eyes looking towards him on more than one occasion, and he couldn't deny that he'd done the same to her, slightly puzzled by the fact she appeared to be alone. What was an attractive young woman like her doing on her own? Did she have a boyfriend? Was she married? These were the sort of thoughts that flashed through his mind as he saw her basking in the sun atop the boat, and his question was now answered as he noticed the rings on her wedding finger.
But now, seemingly alone on the beach with her, without the distractions of other people around them, he was able to really take her in for the first time. Having been through the living hell of the storm and subsequent wreck that had now stranded them ashore, she was obviously not looking at her best, but he was instantly reminded of why he kept looking at her previously.
She had a fine, slim build that was toned to perfection in all the right places. Her beautiful long legs were accentuated by the highly cropped shorts that clung around her hips, and a thin vest top revealed more of her smooth, bronzed skin -- her slender arms slightly bruised from her ordeal. She had long dark hair that draped over her breasts and fell down almost to her waist, and as he began to take in more of her pretty face, Graham was dazzled by her gorgeous piercing eyes, which were of the most striking blueish grey.
Even though his head was banging to high heaven, and he was still in no fit state to really think clearly about anything, Graham felt his cock begin to stir and start to thicken.
"Where the hell are we?" he asked, making an exaggerated point of looking around to distract himself, and Laura, from the growing hard-on trying to pitch a tent in his shorts.
"I don't know," Laura replied, "you've been unconscious for hours. I tried to take a little look around but I didn't want to wander off too far and leave you."
"Is there anyone else here?" Graham asked.
"No, I don't think so, I haven't seen anybody since I got here -- well, apart from you," Laura said, slightly anxiously.