Johnny & I : The Island by Daria Paus (hardest books to read txt) 📕

I sighed, muttering under my breath as I turned around and left the room.

I found him face down on the sofa. The bottle had fallen to the floor and his arm hung limp over the edge. I grimaced, kneeling next to him, and as I reached out to touch his shoulder, my fingers trembled. He was warm, firm, and the mere contact of our skin sent little electric impulses through my body. I gulped, trying to focus on the situation.

“Hey,” I said. “Can you hear me?”

No answer, and I wasn’t sure whether I should be relieved or disappointed. What would I say to him? He’d already made it clear that he wanted to be alone. And while I’d spent too much time stalling in the bathroom, he’d wasted no time drinking himself into a stupor.

“Johnny?”

For a moment I was caught up in the feeling of having called him by his name, then I pushed the sense of amazement aside and focused on the movie star who was knocked out next to me.

“What have you done?” I gave his arm a gentle nudge. No response. My hand hesitated in the air above him, then finally landed on his shoulder to shake him. Still nothing. I sighed, trying to swallow down the nervousness as I let my hand rest on his back.

My eyes shamelessly travelled over his body. I couldn’t resist brushing hair from his face before forcing myself to get to my feet and away from him. Taking advantage of an inebriated man wasn’t my thing, even though I was more than tempted to make an exception.

Maybe that guest room wasn’t such a bad idea. If I stayed any longer within touching distance of Johnny I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself.

3

Hot Mess

When I awoke the next morning I had an uneasy feeling in my belly. A shiver rippled through me and I pulled the blanket up to my chin to shield myself from the memories.

Screams echoed all around me as water came pouring in. I knew only one thing mattered and I only had seconds before it would be too late. I pushed myself through the wall of desperate people and reached the stairs before the cabin filled with water. I didn't hear anyone behind me.

Realizing I was alone on the sinking boat, I tried to cling to it, desperate to get back down to save the others. They were all strangers, but I couldn't stand the thought of them drowning. The ones that had already gone into the water were lost, but I would never forgive myself if I didn't try to help those who were still alive.

Against my best efforts, I was ripped away from the boat as well . . .

My own screams were the last thing I recalled. The next thing I knew was waking up on this island with a big gap in my memory.

I stretched, enjoying the feel of the soft sheets while I listened to the storm outside. I’d almost drifted off again when a knock on the door reached my ears. Still not fully awake, my first thought was to ignore it and pretend to be asleep. It was probably Lissa, who had the bad habit of waking me too early. With a groan I rolled over, burying my face into the pillow. Then suddenly it hit me, and I sat up straight, staring at the door with wide eyes and a galloping heart. Had I been so tired that I couldn’t even remember being in his house—with him?

My body began to tremble by the mere thought of it.

"Bree?" His voice was hesitant. "Are you all right."

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Several tries later I managed a quivering, "I'm fine."

When he didn’t offer anything else, curiosity overpowered the nervousness. I pushed the covers away and stumbled out of the bed. As silently as I could, I tiptoed up to the door and pressed an ear to it to listen. I held my breath as I opened the door and peeked out. Relief washed over me at the sight of the empty corridor. No matter how many times I had fantasized about being in a situation like this, the thought of seeing him again made me want to run and hide.

I darted to the bathroom, and this time I locked the door once I was inside, not at all ready to see him yet. Would I ever be? I let out a trembling breath. No, I wouldn’t. But I couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever. Being on an island, his island, my mind added, in his house, meant avoiding him was not an option.

Once again, I stepped out into the corridor, ready to sneak back into the privacy of the guest room. I closed the bathroom door as silently as I could, then I turned—and ran straight into him. Hands grabbed me and I let out a little yelp from the sudden impact. Then I froze, and it took a long time before I dared to look up and meet his gaze. And by doing that, I couldn't stop another traitorous gasp from escaping my lips.

Johnny looked down at me with a startled look on his face. His hair was messier than ever, and he smelled like a walking bottle of scotch. Despite the obvious hangover—he still looked like he could win the sexiest-man-of-the year-award right then and there. It didn’t matter that his hair was dirty and his eyes puffy and bloodshot, he was stunning—even at his worst. I gulped, trying to keep my eyes fixed on his face. It wasn't easy, having already spotted the unbuttoned shirt and his toned body just inches from my own trembling self.

"Sorry," I whispered.

He nodded. “Did . . . did you sleep well?"

The awkward tone in his voice made me feel a bit better. I wasn't the only one who was nervous.

I nodded, all too aware of his hands