After finding a spot inland that seemed to offer better shelter from the elements, Laura and Graham decided to setup a slightly more established camp there, figuring that sleeping underneath a life raft would never do long-term. It had been nearly two weeks now since the storm had washed them ashore on the island, and there had been no sign of any kind of help coming their way whatsoever. The days were long and hot, spent avoiding each other. The nights were often cold, and invariably felt even longer, as they were conscious of the heat radiating off the other lying only a few inches away. When the wind wasn't blowing the silence was deafening, making each of them aware of the steady rhythm of their breathing, heavy in the darkness. The only light that could be seen was from the ethereal glow cast by the moon that sat among the millions of stars, appearing larger than it ever did in the city. No ships ever passed by, no planes ever flew overhead, and there appeared to be no other land as far as the eye could see.
The patch of land they'd settled on was in a natural clearing against a large formation of rock, offering better protection from the rainfall that occasionally battered the island. There were two large trees that stood about six feet apart, providing a strong framework to build round, and Graham had started to dig out a narrow trench around them, in which he could place some sturdy upright branches to meetup with the structure of the trees above. Laura had retrieved some vines to bind them all together, and had started to weave some bamboo canes together in order to line the walls of their dwelling. It was still a work in progress, but their home was certainly beginning to take some shape.
Tensions were still running high between the two castaways though, despite the fact they were now making their best efforts to work as a team. Their brief sexual encounter had not really brought them any closer together, in fact if anything, it had made things even more awkward between them, as they were now both fully aware of the attraction they felt towards each other, and the complications that it implied. But they couldn't deny how good it felt when they both reached their orgasms, greedily drinking in the pleasure on each other's faces. A guilty pleasure. A pleasure that would inevitably surface again.
One afternoon, sweaty and covered in dirty smudges, Laura decided to go for a swim, needing to cool off a bit from their strenuous labour. It was quite a blustery day, but the tropical sun was still beating down on them severely, and the parts of the island they'd explored so far had presented no other sources of water except the small stream they drank from. So, taking herself off, she stood on the soft white sand, enjoying the feel of it between her toes. Slowly she peeled her shorts off, wriggling her hips so they fell freely to the sand. Her hands grasped her vest top that was sticking to her, pulling it up over her head as she extended her arms out, enjoying the stretch on her tired muscles. Stripped down to her swimwear, the warm breeze felt cool against her hot, damp skin. She walked into the sea at the far end of the beach near the rocks, and the crisp, cold water felt good on her body, immediately cooling down her skin and relaxing her senses. She allowed it to wash over her, as if to wash away all her cares and worries, and for a few moments she completely forgot about her life on the other side of the world.
Laura was a well-travelled girl. Her home was in Ireland, but her career as an international flight attendant took her all over the place, often allowing her to spend a couple of days here and a couple of days there on stopovers, sometimes lengthened by extreme delays. It was one of these extended stopovers that had landed her in the Soloman Islands, giving her a whole day at her leisure to look around and soak up the surroundings. She decided to pass the time by taking a boat trip to one of the smaller neighbouring islands, but it turned out to be a big mistake of course, as the boat was blown into the eye of a terrible freak storm, eventually stranding her on this remote island with Graham as the only other survivor.
But was it such a big mistake after all? She'd survived, and potentially escaped a nonexistent marriage, only to end up in a tropical paradise with a handsome stranger, who, despite their clashes and grievances, was growing on her more and more each day. He brought a vivid excitement to her life, and she liked it. But she wasn't going to let her thoughts and confusions get the better of her for the time being, and submerged herself completely in the waves to try and dispel any feelings she knew she shouldn't be having.
Now, it just so happened that Graham was also having similar thoughts on that day, and, unable to cast Laura out of his mind, he decided to follow her down to the beach, keeping a safe distance so as not to be seen. He had caught her looking at him several times that morning as he worked shirtless in the sun, and recalling the hungry look in her eyes was beginning to turn him on, as hard as he tried to deny it. He knew he liked her; he knew that from the first time he ever saw her on the boat. But he also knew he shouldn't.
He couldn't help himself though. There was something about her that just drew him to her, and he was slowly coming to understand her more and more. For somebody who appeared quite laid-back, she did worry quite a bit, and he knew that their current predicament wasn't helping. Her anxious questions, though still constant, no longer vexed him, and he found himself wanting to reassure and comfort her. He knew that his own crabby attitude towards her couldn't just be put down to their current situation, but also the fact that she was pure sin, and he was certainly no Saint.
Graham observed Laura swimming, having unintentionally stopped behind some bushes, obscuring him from her view. He felt like a bit of a peeping Tom, which was not his usual style at all, but he was seduced by her, admiring her wonderful body in its splendour as she dipped in and out of the waves, sometimes standing up to try and tie back her hair in a makeshift ponytail, her full breasts looking like they were ready to spill from the bikini top as she did so, before she plunged back into the water. Graham could feel his cock begin to thicken, becoming more aroused by the sight of her, and was half-tempted to pleasure himself as he watched, but uninvited voyeurism was not really his thing.
However, he was very glad that he'd decided to follow her, after what happened next. Laura was a strong, competent swimmer, so Graham began to worry when she suddenly seemed to be struggling, disappearing under the water for a little too long between some of her strokes. Her head was barely breaking the surface long enough for her to catch her breath, before another wave dragged her under. He tried to figure out what was wrong for a moment, before he realised the cause of her peril. She'd got caught in a rip current, and it was dragging her out to sea.
Graham sprinted forward onto the beach, frantically trying to determine the course of the current. He could see she was losing strength as she tried to fight against it, her arms flailing in her panicked state, and further out from the shore, the waves were getting more violent and ferocious, which could have created fatal consequences if he didn't act fast. He could just about make out the flow of the current. It was only quite a narrow channel, but she was stuck right in the middle of it, and was already about a hundred yards out from the waterline. And with each passing minute, that distance was increasing.
"Laura!" Graham cried, as he ran into the sea, slightly to the left of the current. "Laura, don't panic!"
