Atlantean's Quest Volume 1 Page 21

  She stuck her toe in the water and was about to step in when a tingle of warning lanced through her a second before a set of large hands came from behind, covering her eyes. Jac sucked in a surprised breath. She hadn’t heard a thing, not a single step. A low growl near her ear told her the visitor was most definitely male, not that she’d had any doubt. Jac knew with a few select strikes she could drop this intruder, but she decided to see what kind of game Xavier was playing first.

  “Who’s there?” she called out, as if she didn’t know, her body quivering with excitement.

  Another low rumble sounded by her other ear.

  “Xavier is that you?” She’d lowered her voice to a teasing cadence.

  He gave her a quick lick at the base of her neck.

  Jac purred. “So glad you decided to take me up on my offer.”

  He stuck his nose against the side of her head and inhaled, taking in her scent.

  She shivered, her nipples tightened to marbles and her channel drenched.

  He pulled one hand away. Jac heard him fumble with something at his side, then a soft piece of cloth replaced the hand, covering her eyes. She smiled. Jac had no idea native men were so sexually adventurous or so prepared. Her heart kicked up a notch and she licked her lips in anticipation. A breath later, strong arms surrounded her and eased her to the ground, until she was flat on her back against the cool blades of grass. Feather soft, the grass caressed her bare skin, elevating her need with its tiny green fingers.

  Jac loved games, especially sex games. They were always about trust and control. Although this was a first for her, Jac never allowed her lovers to have the upper hand, to be in control, especially when it came to sex. But for some reason, given the circumstances, she didn’t mind playing subservient this time.

  Ares crouched beside Jac, his eyes caressing her naked form. He couldn’t believe she’d allow him to touch her like this without a struggle. His adrenaline surged, he’d been looking forward to the fight and eventual taming. Ares tried not to think about the fact that she thought he was the man known as Xavier.

  He’d seen the native guide speaking with Jac earlier. There was no disguising the hunger in the man’s eyes. He wanted her. And it pained him to think it, but she wanted him, too. A wall of jealousy rose up and slammed into him, nearly taking Ares’s breath. He would not allow this man or any man to take his mate away from him. He’d kill if he had to.

  His gaze flicked over the thin line of curls on her shaven mound. Ares couldn’t wait to follow that strip with his tongue, to see what hidden paradise he could find. Soon there would be no one else for Jac, and only he would be able to satisfy the need within her taut body. But first she had to get used to his touch. Ares palmed Jac’s small breasts, squeezing the satiny flesh between his fingers. Her skin heated beneath his touch, flushing a pale shade of pink. He wondered if her body turned a darker shade of that color when she came.

  He licked his finger and swirled it around each nipple. Jac’s breath caught and her lips parted. Scraping her smooth skin lightly with his fingernails, Ares ran his hands from her shoulders to her toes, leaving gooseflesh in his wake. He couldn’t get enough of her. Switching positions, he straddled her and began licking and nibbling her nipples as if she were a decadent dessert. Her rosy buds protruded, springing to life beneath his seeking mouth, with each pass of his tongue.

  She smelled of the ocean, her skin salty and almost translucent like breaking waves. Ares’s breathing stuttered as he inched down toward the tawny strip of hair between her firm thighs, his hard body pressed, marking hers with his scent. He could already smell the rich, musky aroma of her arousal. Her woman’s juices eased from her opening, calling for his cock to claim what was rightfully his. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to fight the overwhelming urges coursing through his veins as he positioned himself on the ground between Jac’s legs.

  Ares spread her lush thighs wide, then dipped his head, sticking out his six and a half inch tongue. Jac moaned as he followed the thin strip of hair to her hidden pearl, flicking along hidden nerve endings.

  The second he stroked the tiny nub, the taste of her exploded in his mouth, sending Ares into a primitive, feral, and all around dangerous state. She was his. He swiped at her slit. Her honeyed essence ran over his tongue, into his body, through his mind. All his. No longer able to control his need to taste, to take, to conquer, Ares stiffened his tongue and plunged inside her. When he was seated as far as he could go, he sent an energy burst straight into her womb.

  Jac felt his huge, throbbing cock as he slid down her body, branding, teasing, torturing. She wanted to feel that shaft inside her, pummeling her into mindlessness. Just the thought of having him buried inside her was almost enough to send her over the edge. Her clit pulsed and she dug her nails into the thick grass as his tongue plunged inside of her. A wave of heat hit her and Jac screamed as one orgasm after another ripped through her body like she was at the epicenter of an earthquake. Her legs shook and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She was on fire. The native between her thighs didn’t hesitate or stop, he kept on consuming her, until Jac thought she’d burst from the physical overload.

  Never in all her years of experience had she ever run across a man as voracious and sexually gifted as Xavier. He devoured her as if she was the only woman on the planet and he hadn’t even fucked her yet. Jac surrendered to the pleasure, to the utter bliss as she flew apart again.

  Ares continue to feed, his hunger insatiable. Her juices slid down his chin, leaving him drunk with desire. He couldn’t seem to get his fill. Without looking he sensed the change in time, soon it would be dark. He had to let her up to ensure that she safely reached camp. Tomorrow when they entered the jungle, he would claim his woman and take care of the red-haired bastard threatening his people.

  Reluctantly he rose from between her thighs. He swiped his face with the back of his hand and then wiped her essence onto his loincloth. Her body lay twitching on the ground, racked with shudders, mewling noises coming from her throat. A rosy flush tinted her fair skin. Ares smiled, it was as he suspected, Jac did blush crimson when she came. The lips of her sex were puffed up, pink and swollen from his overzealous ministrations.

  Ares licked his lips, savoring her. Then he grinned triumphantly, knowing it was only the beginning. He leaned in, taking in her ripe mouth, so red, full and luscious. Ares dipped down and captured her pout, running his tongue along her bottom lip. She moaned and he dove in, ravishing, nipping and biting. He knew she could taste her own essence on his lips. Sparks flew, his skin heated. She was everything he had expected, wanted—needed.

  And she was his—all his.

  Ares tore himself away, then bounded into the thick brush without looking back. He feared that if he did, he’d discover the whole thing had been an illusion. His heart slammed in his chest and his cock ached beyond the point of pain. His breathing sounded choppy as he took to a liana and climbed to the treetops, his muscles straining with the effort. The vegetation grew so dense that he could not see Jac from this distance, but he could hear her. She started to stir. He sent out an energy burst, warding away nearby predators.

  Jac rose from the ground, pulling the material from her eyes. She no longer had to worry about tension, because her body had the consistency of a bowl of soggy spaghetti. She crawled to the water and slid in. The cool liquid surrounded her, leaving her buoyant and free. She didn’t even have the strength to do a single lap. Instead she floated reliving the glorious sensations her body refused to forget.

  Several minutes passed before Jac finally dragged herself from the water. The sun had set behind the treetops, signaling it was time to get back to camp. She stood on wobbly legs and dressed. In the many years she’d been sexually active, Jac had never experienced being totally sated, until now. It exhilarated and frightened her all at once. She snatched up the blindfold from the ground, turning the thin material over and over in her hands. She’d never seen anything like it. Th
e scarf seemed to change colors with the touch of her fingertips.

  She made a mental note to ask Xavier where he got it, when she saw him again. Just the thought of what they’d done had Jac aching for a repeat performance. Maybe once Xavier caught his breath, they could go for round two in her tent.

  Jac decided she owed him a raise. A big one. Hell, if he could do it again, maybe she’d try to find him a permanent position as houseboy in her Manhattan two bedroom condo. Or perhaps he could become her pet. Jac imagined him with a collar and leash. She smiled. Playing fetch would take on a whole new meaning. Xavier’s hard cock had been impressive, even through his clothes as he slid down her body. If he was half as big as he seemed, she’d be in heaven.

  She swallowed hard and squeezed her legs together to deter the familiar ache building once more inside her. She was a red-blooded all-American girl with a healthy sex drive and enjoyed flaunting the fact. It wasn’t like she was a nymph or anything, but foreplay like this didn’t come along every day, and Jac wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to indulge while she could.

  She dressed and scrambled back to camp. A fire had been built in the center of the encampment. A roasted pig slowly turned on a spit over the flame. The smell of the meat made her mouth water. With her hair slicked back and the baseball cap shoved in her pocket, Jac dropped by her tent and slipped the holster off before joining the men.

  Conversation quieted when she neared. Her gaze sought out and found Xavier. He sat with a couple of the older guides on a log opposite the tents. He grinned and raised a plate, but made no move to join her. Jac shrugged it off. It was better to play it cool in front of the men. She didn’t need them finding out about their liaison on her first day in camp. That wouldn’t look good, even if she wasn’t ashamed.

  A table stood off to the side, holding vegetables and empty plates. Jac snagged herself a plate and strode to the fire. Another native sat with his knife speared into the coals. As she neared he picked it up and sliced off a hunk of the pig and placed it on her plate. Jac thanked him and walked back to the table to gather a few veggies.

  Xavier strolled over a moment later for second helpings. Their eyes met, but there didn’t seem to be any fire behind the gaze. Jac’s brow furrowed. Wow, talk about hot and cold. There was no way a man could go from having so much enthusiasm while he ate her out, to nothing. At least not in her extensive experience. Xavier filled his plate and started to return to his seat. Jac placed a hand on his arm and stopped him.

  “Yes, Ms. Ward. Can I help you?”

  Jac laughed, she couldn’t help it. He sounded so formal, so professional, so utterly different. Nothing like the growling beast he’d been in the jungle. He stood there with a queer expression upon his face, as if he thought he should laugh with her, but wasn’t quite sure what was so funny.

  She stifled her reaction, no sense causing a scene. Jac leaned in so no one but him could hear what she was about to say. “I enjoyed our time at the stream.”

  Xavier’s wavered. “Our time?”

  “Yes, our time.” Why was he being so coy? It was almost as if he didn’t know what she was talking about. Which was impossible. “Do you want to go for a repeat performance, later?” Jac asked, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

  Xavier frowned. “Um…”

  “You know.” She nudged his elbow. “Don’t play shy, no one can hear us.”

  A look of utter confusion colored his exotic features. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Ward.”

  Jac’s heart did a little flip in her chest. She knew Xavier had to be toying with her. It was the only logical explanation, but for the life of her she didn’t know why. She put her plate on the table. He was cute, but he wasn’t that cute. It was time to cut the crap. Jac remembered the scarf. She pulled it out of her pocket and waved it in the air.

  “Does this jog your memory?” Jac held the material closer for his inspection. “Xavier, we’re both consenting adults. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. If you don’t want to do it again, just say so.”

  Xavier’s face flushed as he looked from Jac to the scarf and back again in bewilderment. She could see the color change even in the low light. The men’s conversations around them had stopped. All eyes were upon them. And Jac didn’t give two shits.

  “Ms. Ward, I’m sorry. I think there has been a misunderstanding,” he said.

  Jac felt heat rise in her cheeks. She couldn’t believe after what they’d shared he could stand there straight-faced and pretend it didn’t happen. Nothing pissed her off more than a liar. Her temper flared.

  “The water, the blindfold, you went down on me, remember?” her voice rose with each word as something akin to panic set in.

  Xavier’s face lost all color and his eyes practically bugged out of his head. “Ms. Ward.” He swallowed convulsively, glancing around at the men nearby. “I haven’t been anywhere near the stream today. I didn’t get finished with work in time.”

  “Stop lying!”

  “I swear to you.” He clasped his hands together, pleading. “If you don’t believe me, ask my men.” He pointed to the stunned faces around them. “They can vouch for me.” Xavier backed away slowly.

  She heard one of the men say, “Gringa loco.”

  Jac’s head began to swim. She looked at all the men around the fire, not an inkling of familiarity flashed in their eyes. Stumbling to a nearby log, she sat down, her body racked with shivers. Jac stared at the blackened jungle without truly seeing it. The darkness appeared ominous.

  If Xavier hadn’t been the one devouring her by the stream, then who had?

  * * * * *

  Chapter Two

  Jac awoke the next morning to the sounds of men shouting. She turned over and peeked out the flaps on the tent door. Most of the camp had been torn down and packed up. All that remained was her tent. She groaned. It’d taken her forever to fall asleep after the fiasco around the campfire, then she’d slept like crap.

  She wasn’t entirely convinced that Xavier wasn’t screwing with her. That was the most likely explanation. More likely than a complete stranger coming out of the jungle to give her the best orgasm of her life. But for some reason, that didn’t make her feel better.

  Not one to dwell on things she couldn’t change, Jac swung her long legs over the side of the cot and got dressed. She folded her belongings in the pack, along with the scarf from the stream. Jac didn’t know why she hung onto the silly thing. She should throw it away, but couldn’t seem to bring herself to part with it.

  Since when was she into sexual souvenirs? Jac pulled the scarf back out with every intention of leaving it behind. Glaring at the offensive item, her fist clenched the jade colored material. With a groan, she wrapped it around her neck and then re- checked her equipment.

  Armed and ready to go, ten minutes later she strode across the encampment to where Xavier stood. His eyes warily watched her approach. Jac saw the exact moment he noticed the scarf, because he cringed. She unflinching met his gaze and launched straight into the business of the day.

  “Are you sure we’ll be able to catch up with the professor in two days or less?” her tone no nonsense, Jac didn’t give him a chance to allow his discomfort to fester.

  Surprise played on his features, but he readily accepted her lead. “Yes. We can reach him, if we head down river.”

  “How long will it take to get to the water?”

  Xavier shrugged. “About six hours. We’ll be toting the inflatable canoes.”

  Jac looked at her watch, it was five-thirty. If all went well they’d be floating down the river by one at the latest. She wanted to reach Rumsinger before he slithered back under a rock.

  Xavier stood in front of her as if wanting to say more.

  She inclined her head. “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry about last night,” he stammered. His chocolate colored eyes held genuine regret, as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “If you like we can—”

 
“I don’t think so.” Jac interrupted. “The moment’s past.”

  She wasn’t about to get into a conversation about last night with Xavier. She never dwelled on what might have been, only what was. If he wasn’t down by the stream, then he wasn’t down by the stream. None of the other men she’d seen in camp fit the physical impression she’d been left with. Even without laying eyes on him, Jac knew the man was big—in every way imaginable. He was also strong and had a long, exquisite…tongue.

  “Stick out your tongue,” she said, suddenly.

  Xavier blinked, but did as she asked.

  His tongue was pink and decidedly average. Definitely not the same guy. Jac stared at the jungle, ignoring the chills racing down her spine. They were not alone. Her hand moved to her holster without conscious thought. Jac gave herself a quick once over.

  Knife, check. Pistols, check. Her hand patted the side of her neck. Scarf, check.

  She turned on her heel before Xavier could say anything more and headed to the table containing breakfast and coffee. Jac ate while the men dismantled her tent. She grabbed extra jerky, slipping it into a baggie for later. She bypassed the caffeinated coffee for water, as much as she was sweating from this humidity, she’d have to drink a couple of gallons to maintain her potassium levels or succumb to exhaustion.

  Within twenty minutes everything was lifted on the guides’ backs and ready to go. Jac walked to where her pack sat on the ground and shoved the jerky and a couple of extra water bottles inside, before slinging it over her shoulders. She’d taken one step when her nipples beaded beneath her white t-shirt. Jac’s gaze shot up as awareness sizzled through her veins. She scanned the area to see who watched her. Xavier directed men into the jungle, his back turned to her. The men worked diligently, caught up in their tasks. No one seemed to notice Jac. Heat spread from her breasts, spiraling to her mound and over her clit.

  Jac’s breath lodged in her throat, her gaze zeroed in on the tree line. It felt as if she was being physically caressed, her nipples stroked, which wasn’t possible. Her body ignored reality and responded like an addict presented with a truck full of smack. Her panties grew damp and tension filled her. The invisible hands returned. Stronger this time. Her clit began to vibrate as if plucked by a finger. Need flowed through her, hot and relentless. Jac squeezed her legs together, stifling a moan, her heart slamming in her chest.