Naked and Defiant (12 page)

He had no choice. Damn! It would serve him
right if she chose to ignore him. "Jade!" he shouted, hoping his
voice would carry to the campsite and waken her. "Jade! I need your
help!"

Several minutes later, he turned his head to
the sound of running. Relief washed through him.

"Griff! What happened?"

"I need you to help me. I jammed a log the
size of a hockey stick into my foot. I've cleaned it, but it's in
bad shape."

"A log the size of a hockey stick? Really?"
she placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head."Is this how
you are going to manipulate me into talking to you? It won't work,
because I am still pissed and really hurt by what you said to
me."

"I know you are. No, this isn't an attempt of
coercion. Have a look."

"Wow. This is gnarly!" Jade exclaimed. "Okay,
you have my temporary sympathy. What can I do?"

"Do you remember those big, leafy plants I
showed you? The ones with the spike that looks like a pipe
cleaner?"

"Yeah, we had some for salads."

"Those are called broadleaf plantains. Go
grab a big handful and pour some hot water on them. Use a stone to
crush them up. Also bring some of the larger leaves and a vine.
Damn, this hurts!"

"I'll be right back."

"Be careful!" he shouted after her.

"I'll be okay. The moon is bright enough to
see by. Maybe if you had been watching where you were going, you
would not have hurt yourself," she added.

"Be nice, before I get cranky," Griffon
wagged his finger in her direction.

Griffon winced as Jade carefully packed the
poultice into the wound, holding his leg painfully still as she
scraped another sliver of wood out with her fingernail. She wrapped
his foot in a leaf, tied it closed and then stood to help him to
his feet.

"Smarts, huh?" she asked as he hopped next to
her, "Lean on me before you fall."

Griffon gritted his teeth as he complied. His
mind raced with things to say, but now was not the time. Jade
helped him to their campsite and eased him in front of the fire
pit. She added wood to the embers and stoked it until the flames
sparked happily, placed a shell of water to the edge to heat, and
then brought him a coconut shell with warm milk.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, with
genuine concern.

"Like crap," he responded, sullenly." This
needs to be stitched up."

Even in the moonlight, he could see her grow
pale. "I can find that kava root and make you some tea. Didn't you
say it is a painkiller?"

"Yes, but the kava is not going to make me
feel any better. Jade, I truly am sorry I hurt you. I did not know
how else to get you to understand that I can't make you happy."

"Let's not talk about that right now. I'm
going to make you some of that kava and then see about getting this
thing closed. I'll be right back."

Griffon watched her leave. She had surprised
him in how she stepped up to the plate and assumed a role of
caregiver. He had not believed Jade to be capable of such nurturing
after living a life where she was waited on hand and foot; but,
then again, they were in a situation where being responsible meant
survival. He rubbed the side of his leg and tried to wiggle his
toes. Relieved to see that the tendon in his foot was undamaged,
Griffon pulled himself up and hopped on one foot to the shelter,
where he elevated his throbbing limb.

Time ticked by as the sun began to rise, and
still no sign of Jade. When she finally emerged from the brush,
Griffon stood, supporting himself on the shelter beams. "Where have
you been? I've been worried sick."

"I picked some kava and noni leaves and also
grabbed a couple of fallen coconuts. I thought you might like them
warmed up. It's a bit nippy," Jade commented. "What time is
it?"

"Six in the morning," Griffin answered,
glancing at his dive watch. "You need to get some sleep."

"I'll sleep later, after I know you're
comfortable. Sit down and get that foot up. Here, let me help." She
eased his leg on top of a small bamboo log. "I'll prepare the kava
for you. How much?"

"It depends on if you plan to poison me or
not," Griffon said, suspiciously.

"Why would I poison you? You made it clear
that I needed your testimony because my word could not stand on its
own."

"You know I said that because your reputation
in the past has been, well, promiscuous."

"I have been with three men in my life,
Griffon. Each one was someone I thought I loved. And each one of
them betrayed me. I told you that my reputation," she said
bitterly, "comes from the social networks, who see me as a party
girl. But that is all I did. I am not a whore."

"I never said you were," Griffon said,
softly.

"You might as well have. I saw the way you
looked at me when I offered myself to you. It was pure
disgust."

"No, it was not. It was pure lust, dammit!
That's why I gave you the T-shirt! I want you! I want something
that is untouchable for me, and I had to hide it to keep from
taking it. Yeah, I'm an ass. But I am an honorable ass."

"I still love you."

"Yes, I know," Griffon said, sadly.

"Mark my words, Mr. Badger …" Jade handed him
a coconut filled with warm milk and crushed kava root. "one day,
you will love me back. Now drink this, so you will go to sleep and
leave me alone. I just need the sun to be a little higher so I can
see clearly."

Griffon was grateful of his semi-drugged
state as he felt the suture needle piercing the skin on the
underside of his foot. Jade was mumbling about sewing buttons and
talking herself through the procedure. She tied the line off snugly
and cut it with his knife, then proceeded to wrap it in another
poultice.

"Good thing I had the sun to see what I was
doing. It's not very pretty, but the gap is closed. I'm warning
you," she grumbled, "you better not let this get infected,"

"You're a good girl," Griffon said dreamily,
the kava taking over his mind. He reached to stroke her face. "It's
my fault, you know. I gave her everything she ever wanted, except a
reason to live."

"What are you talking about? You are so
stoned!" Jade said incredulously.

"She never had anything to reach for," he
bemoaned. "I thought I could buy her love and her loyalty. I found
her in bed with an old college buddy. Next to Tasha, he was my best
friend."

"That wasn't much of a friend, if you ask me.
Griffon, you need to sleep. This kava is getting to you. Lie down,"
Jade gently admonished.

"I don't want to hurt you by taking away your
freedom, like I did to my ex. I didn't love her. Not really," he
yawned, his eye lids drooping. "I can function in life without a
real relationship. I don't need anyone."

"Why are you telling me this? Are you trying
to hurt me even deeper than you did?"

"I don't want to hurt you. I want to take
care of you and protect you. I love you. I just can't tell you
because then you won't ever learn to be independent and find
yourself. I can't ever tell you how I feel until you do. It has to
be a secret, so shhh …."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're high, Griff. I
can't believe anything you are saying right now. You probably won't
even remember any of it by the time you wake up."

"Yes, I will. I will remember being with the
most beautiful woman, in the most beautiful place, on the
planet."

"I won't count on it. Go to sleep," Jade
said, removing his hand from her arm.

"You are stunning. A precious jewel …"

"Actually, jade is just an ornamental
rock."

"The Chinese believe that jade stand for
beauty, grace and purity," Griffon mused. "The wise in that culture
see jade as virtue. Did you know that Confucius said there are like
nine virtues to jade? Others say there are more."

"Unbelievable. Go to sleep," Jade
ordered.

Nothing could quiet Griffon's addled prose.
"Yep. I wish I memorized it because it describes you
perfectly."

"You talk too much when you're stoned. No
more kava root for you."

"Lie down next to me. I want to hold you,"
Griffon murmured, as the drug-induced slumber took hold.

"I really should bottle this stuff," Jade
muttered, as he placed his head in her lap and wrapped his arms
around her lower body. Tentatively, she began to stroke his unruly
hair. "You are so much nicer to be around when you are like this.
Too bad it will wear off and you will return to being an
asshole."

"Not an asshole …" he mumbled.

Jade listened to his heavy breathing and
sighed. "No, not an asshole. Just a really scared little boy in a
grown man's body. I'm glad there is that side to you. It makes it
harder for me to hate you."

Jade was roasting
the wings of a stingray over open flames when Griffon finally
awoke.

"How long have I been sleeping?" he asked
groggily, swinging his legs over the edge of the shelter.

"The entire day. How's your foot?"

"It hurts like a mother, although," he rubbed
the back of his neck, "nothing like my head."

Jade brought him some water. "Drink this;
you're parched. I changed the dressings. So far, the wound looks
okay. Just a little irritated, but then, my sewing sucks."

"You did great, Jade. I'm really proud of
you. Thank you," Griffon said, gratefully.

"You have done more than that for me," Jade
shrugged. "Let me get you some food."

"I said some things to you that were very
hurtful," Griffon said, quietly. "I'm sorry. I only wanted to
protect you from a life filled with regret. You are too young to be
caught in the trap I was."

"Please don't talk about this. It's done, and
I need to move on," Jade said, stiffly.

"Ignoring it is not going to make your
feelings go away," he said, softly. "I do care about you …"

"I know exactly how you feel about me. You
were very verbal once the kava took over. By the way, you might
want to lay off the stuff. It is pretty potent."

"What did I say?"

"Just accept that it was more than I wanted
to hear. I'm going down to check the fish traps and grab some more
of those sea grapes. Do you need anything?"

"Yes." he grabbed her wrist. "Your
forgiveness."

"Why do you need my forgiveness? You are very
capable of functioning in life without a real relationship."

"Did I tell you that?"

"Oh yeah, plus lots more, but at least you
were nice about it. Kava not only helps you sleep, but it is a
temporary cure for being an asshole. I'll be back soon," she said,
removing his hand from her wrist.

"I owe you a spanking, you know," he said,
lifting his eyebrow.

"Pardon me? You don't owe me anything! I
didn't do anything to deserve being spanked this time."

"You slapped me across the face." He offered
a crooked grin.

"You
deserved
that slap, Mister. Why
are you laughing at me?"

"I just love to see you get bent out of shape
so easily. You're beautiful when you're angry."

"Then I am going to win Miss Universe because
I am really getting annoyed with you. How could you even think I
would allow you to spank me again after all you said?"

"Because, Jade," he leaned into her, "it is
part of you now. You will never go back to the vanilla way of
thinking. You need discipline to make you feel whole. You also need
pain—physical pain—to make you feel alive."

"That's ridiculous," she stuttered, backing
away.

"When this mess is over, promise me that you
will find a man who can fulfill these needs. A true dominant, who
can take you to the very edge of reality and bring out the best in
you. You have something to offer the world. Please promise me that
you will find someone who can help you reach your potential."

"I thought I found that someone, Griffon. The
problem was," she turned towards the path, "he was too caught up in
the past to see what he could have in the present. I'll be
back."

Jade ran to the beach, tears flowing down her
face, and fell onto the sand as she sobbed. Her weeping was
interrupted several minutes later by the sound of a boat motor. She
lifted her head, momentarily stunned, and then jumped to her feet.
She waved her arms and began to scream, "Help! Help!!!!!"

The boat turned in her direction and her
sadness changed to joy as the driver waved at her. They were
saved!

"Oh, my God. Thank you! Thank you!!" she
wept, flinging herself into the strange man's arms. "We've been
stuck here for almost a month!"

"Is Griffon here? Is he okay?" the man
asked.

"He is up at our camp. He's going to need
help getting down. I'm Jade. Jade Brockton."

"The heiress to Brockton Industries? Girl,
everyone thinks you are dead!"

***

Jade sat in the hospital bed, pulling at the
neck of the cotton gown. She looked up as Griffon limped into her
room, supported by crutches. He was accompanied by an older man and
the boat driver.

"Daddy!" Jade squealed, flinging her arms
around her father's neck. "I missed you so much!"

"I thought you were dead," the man said, as
he held her tightly. "We heard nothing from you for weeks and then
an anonymous tip to the tabloid said that you had taken off alone
in a boat and never returned. It sent us on a wild witch hunt, in
the direction opposite from where you were."

"It was Simon. He did this. Please, don't
cry, Daddy. I'm fine. I am better than fine."

"You have one hell of a daughter, Mr.
Brockton. You should be proud of how she handled herself in this
situation," Griffon said. "I couldn't have done it without
her."

"I have nothing to say to you, Badger. Just
because Jade got saddled with you in an unfortunate circumstance
does not mean that what you did to my business is forgotten."