Remote

You have to imagine the scene. They're miles from anywhere "safe" or "civilised". The wind has been howling for hours now, but the rain still took them by surprise when it finally came. It lashed down on them with all the concentrated fury of the gathering storm and drove them running back to their stone shelter.

It was an ill-conceived notion, right from the start – but invigorating nonetheless, now that they were in the midst of the reality. Island bagging. He'd read about in a magazine and just had to try it out. She had been persuaded, with little difficulty to come along on this venture. And so they had found themselves in this remote little bothy on this remote little island, somewhere in the vastness of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Three hours they had been here, now. Inside the bothy, candles covered every single surface and flames burned merrily in the fireplace, filling the single room with warmth. There were bunks along the far wall – already staked out with sleeping bags and blankets. Towels were scattered thickly on the floor and already one of them was smouldering and threatening to burst into flames. A spark had been launched from the fire and was now being nurtured into life. Cursing, he put the flames out before they had a chance to ignite properly, while she stood and laughed at him. Cold food and bottles of wine sat nearby, strategically positioned so everything was within reach while they lounged on the towels.

The rain had soaked them through to the skin and now they were suddenly both aware of the pressing need to get out of the clothes they were wearing. Sudden shyness overcame them both and they looked at each other from the corner of their eyes, nervously. Then... more laughter... and they had turned their backs on each other and were peeling cloth away from wet limbs. Backs turned, but still those peeks from the corners of the eyes.

T-shirts were stripped off and thrown across the room. He watched her long, bare arms and admired the play of muscle just beneath the skin of her back, as she reached behind to unclasp her bra. She caught him looking, blushed and didn't remove the bra. Instead, she dropped to the floor and started fumbling with the laces of her boots. He did the same,

Boots kicked off and tossed aside and belts came off next. Then, jeans were being peeled off. Wet skin, reluctant to part with the denim was gradually forced into the light of the fire and the candles and suddenly, two pairs of jeans were being thrown aside, leaving them in just their underwear. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his tight boxers and hesitated – he was half-turned towards her now. He found that he couldn't discretely turn away and he was unwilling to demonstrate any further shyness. But his boxers were practically transparent now, anyway. There was little left to the imagination. So he rose slightly, peeled them off in one quick moment, grabbed a towel and set about drying himself off quickly before she had received more than the briefest of glimpses.

Engrossed in towelling off his hair, he missed the last stages of her disrobing. When he next looked round, she already had her back to him, revealing just the tantalising swell of one breast and the curves of her buttocks as they rested on her heels. She smiled at him and offered him the briefest glimpse of one stiff nipple as she changed position. Could it have been deliberate? He felt a responsive twitch and dropped a towel into his lap to conceal his own modesty. His own arousal.

Dry now, they grabbed larger towels and set about draping themselves more fully. All that flesh that had so recently been on show was suddenly hidden away once more. The remaining towels were bunched up into a makeshift rug, the wine was uncorked and the food was dragged closer.

And while the rain pounded on their roof, the wind thundered and howled all about them and the waves crashed onto the nearby shore, they each found themselves warm, snug and safe. Surrounded by candles, warmed by a real fire and sharing the only company they ever wanted to share.

Finally, they settled into each others' arms and lay down on the floor, wrapped up together. And dreamed of what would happen when... if... one of them finally found the courage to gently unwrap the other. They remembered those hasty glimpses they had been offered and had taken. And the heat rose within them. And they glowed in the rosy light of possibilities and potentials and they wondered what would happen next.

What could possibly happen next?