Exodus Read online

Tall and muscled, a dark stranger stood on a precipice, looking over his shoulder, his jade gaze intense, fierce, holding wicked promises of things to come. His expression was solemn, save for a sinful glint in his eyes. Black hair, the color of night, hung like a blanket to his trim waist. A loincloth hugged his well-developed ass, exposing his thick thighs and long legs. His large hand extended out to Jac, but yet he made no move to reach her. His massive body moved fluidly with the grace of a cat, as he turned to her. A few scars marred his beautiful chest, as if he’d battled many enemies and won.

  Jac gasped at the beauty of his face.

  Like an erotic fantasy come to life, he waited for her reaction. Jac’s eyes ran down the length of him, pausing at the bulge beneath his loincloth. Familiarity prickled at the back of her mind. She glanced up, her gaze locking with the stranger’s, drawing her near despite her efforts to resist. His power was palpable. His need tangible. Jac fought the urge to throw herself at his feet and beg him to fuck her. Her nipples engorged, as if her body recognized his, yet she knew she’d never seen him before.

  Just as Jac was about to ask his name, the man smiled and then stuck out his six and a half inch tongue, rolling it provocatively, taunting her—reminding. Jac’s breathing seized, recognition slamming into her as if she’d been tackled from behind by a linebacker. Everything came back in a rush—the stream, the blindfold, endless orgasms, and that tongue. The stranger threw his head back and laughed. The deep rumbling sound sent delicious vibrations over her body, straight to her cunt.

  Jac jackknifed up, her slender hands gripping the sides of the cot for support. Her breathing was labored and a thin sheen of sweat covered her skin. She blinked a couple of times as her mind scrambled to recall where she was. The green canvas walls of her tent came into focus. She could hear the steady patter of rain as it struck the canvas. Humidity embraced her like an old friend and animals stirred within the cover of the jungle.

  She was alone. Always alone.

  Her body continued to tingle from the vivid images. But that’s all it was…a dream. Jac pulled the mosquito netting apart and stood up. The phantom stranger had shaken her to the core. Logically, she knew he didn’t exist, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself from imagining what if. Jac looked down at her body, her nipples were erect, and she could feel her clit pulsing. There was no way in hell she’d fall back to sleep this aroused.

  Jac rummaged through her bag and found her jack rabbit vibrator. She could care less if the guides could hear the steady buzzing coming from inside her tent. She needed some relief—now. Jac slipped the vibrator in place and turned it on, allowing the delicate rabbit ears to stimulate her clit while the dildo made slow, sensual circles inside her channel. She lay back on the cot, spreading her legs wide for maximum enjoyment, picturing the dark stranger’s amazing tongue.

  It only took a few minutes of imagining the stranger’s mouth feasting upon her clit, the weight of his body spreading her as he impaled her with his impressive tongue, his lips practically rimming her anus, as he drove inside her velvet channel harder and harder, before Jac’s breathing deepened and she came hard.

  Jac bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. Her skin heated from her release, blood rushed in her ears, pounding, muting the sounds around her. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the musky odor of sex wafting in the air.

  She closed her eyes and once again saw the dark angel from her dream. This time his gaze held an unspoken promise. Jac shivered and got the distinct impression he was out there somewhere…waiting.

  * * * * *

  Ares had spent the night in a tree a hundred yards away. He’d awoken on occasion throughout the evening to reach out and touch Jac’s thoughts, projecting his own back. When his mind received the carnal pictures floating through her during dream state, he’d almost fallen from his perch. His cock still ached. The fact that she’d imagined Xavier getting ready to stroke inside her only made matters worse.

  Anger over her mistaking him for another man fired Ares’s blood, so much so, he’d sent images of himself to taunt, tease, and remind her of what they’d shared yesterday. He’d expected shock, perhaps withdrawal, but hadn’t anticipated her acceptance, the insatiable hunger that lingered just below her cool surface. It took every fiber of Ares’s being to keep from going to her, but he wanted them deeper into the jungle, closer to the red devil he sought. Then when the moment was right, he’d claim her. In the meantime, he’d move to the other side of the river, where he’d be able to keep an eye on her canoe, and hopefully avoid temptation.

  Ares made his way through the trees and across the water, before dawn. The foliage was less dense on the far side, so he’d have to be twice as vigilant to keep his presence hidden. He found a limb to wait on that allowed him clear access to Jac’s tent, then made himself comfortable and slept.

  * * * * *

  The next morning after breakfast they broke camp. Xavier directed the men in boats into the water, then turned to face Jac. “We should catch up with the professor tonight, if we’re lucky.”

  Jac searched Xavier’s face, looking for any sign of deception. She really needed to find the bastard, rescue Rachel, and get the hell out of this jungle before her mind snapped completely.

  “Luck has nothing to do with it. We’ll find that asshole even if we have to push forward in the dark.” She rolled her shoulders. “I’m not letting him get away.”

  Xavier nodded and waited for Jac to step into the canoe before shoving off.

  * * * * *

  They had been paddling for seven hours when the first gunshot exploded from the rainforest. The guide in the front canoe screamed as a bullet ripped through him, tearing a hole into his side.

  Blood spurted out, spraying the men in the canoe beside him. The guides started shouting. Several hands flew up, pointing to the bank. All eyes turned to the trees. Several natives lined the shore, rifles raised in their direction, then utter chaos erupted as more shots were fired.

  Nightmarish screams rang out. Painful cries for the dying blended with slaps as the paddles hit the water. Jac’s anger erupted as she saw Rumsinger smile and slip into the undergrowth. She pulled her pistols out and opened fire, dropping two of the natives on the shore. The river rippled as guide after guide dove into the murky depths, seeking escape. The ones lucky enough to reach the shore fled into the jungle.

  Xavier shouted instructions to his men to paddle to the opposite shore. Two more guides were felled. The current flowed eerily red as the blood blended with the water. Serpent-like heads broke the surface as the black caiman closed in, drawn by the powerful scent of blood and death. More men abandoned their canoes and started swimming for the shore, taking their chances with the second deadliest predator in the area.

  Pop, pop, pop. Bullets whizzed by Jac’s bowed head. She ducked low and fired back, giving Xavier the time he needed to paddle to shore. The buzz was horrendous as the groups exchanged gunfire. Crack. Pow. Pow. Metal ricocheted off equipment, zinging like giant mosquitoes, before striking one of the canoes. The craft exploded from the hail of gunfire, sending bits of yellow rubber soaring through the air, then raining down upon their heads. Jac watched in horror as canoe remnants disappeared below the surface, swallowed by the murky depths.

  Frantic she scrambled forward on her belly to ask Xavier what they should do next. He was bent forward, muscles straining, paddling with all his might. She made it to the front of the canoe, as a bullet shattered Xavier’s skull. Fragments of bone flew in all directions. Blood sprayed Jac, oozing down her face, drenching her clothes until the white of her t-shirt stained crimson.

  In her mind she screamed, but no sound came out. Her instincts took over and she stood, diving into the swirling, muddy water.

  Jac broke the surface several yards away, her pack full of water and weighing her down. Undeterred, she swam for the far shore. Jac could hear the screams of a few of her guides as the current or the caiman began to suck them under one by one. Jac closed herself off. I
f she was going to survive, she’d have to stay focused and keep moving. The current was strong, but Jac was stronger. Her muscles strained. Gradually by swimming kitty corner to the shore, she reached solid ground, and collapsed on the bank.

  * * * * *

  Ares’s chest squeezed when he heard the first round of gunfire. He’d moved ahead in an attempt to out pace Jac’s party. Now, he raced back through the trees, hoping he wasn’t too late, his thoughts automatically reaching for Jac. Branches scratched at his skin, leaving red welts behind. Terror flooded his mind. Ares wasn’t sure whether it was from her or himself.

  His hand gripped liana after liana. Iguanas scurried down the bark of palms, tree frogs leapt for their lives, while macaws and blue heron took to flight. Ares sent out an energy pulse warning predators of his impending approach. Rage the likes of which he’d never felt, exploded inside. If the red devil took his mate away, there would be no safe place on the planet for the bastard to hide.

  Ares arrived at the scene of the massacre, just as Jac staggered to shore and collapsed. His heart dropped to his knees. She lived. Her eyes bulged with fright as she coughed up lungs full of water. He watched as she forced herself to kneel, and then stand, her limbs trembling with exertion. His gaze scanned over every inch of her creamy skin, searching for any sign of injury. Her clothes clung to her, stained with watery blood. She turned and stared—transfixed, at the far shore.

  Biting back a curse, Ares vowed again to get the red-haired demon.

  * * * * *

  Excited shouts from the other side of the river drew Jac’s attention as she gasped and sputtered for breath, as the bastards celebrated the massacre. Anger boiled inside of her like a caldron, and Jac bit the inside of her mouth so hard it bled. She spit the coppery tasting substance onto the grass and ran her trembling hands through her short hair, slicking it back.

  One of Jac’s guides floated facedown in the water, his lifeless body now subject to the whim of the lapping waves. Jac swallowed, fighting the threat of rising bile in her throat.

  Rumsinger wouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. He’d gone from bastard to murderer in a matter of seconds, even though Jac hadn’t seen him raise a weapon himself or fire a single shot. Coward. She knew beyond a doubt he’d ordered the attack. Her heart clenched as she thought of poor Rachel. If he was capable of this, what had he done to her defenseless friend?

  Jac’s resolve hardened into a black, seething ball of hate. If he wanted war, she’d damn well give it to him.

  Chapter Three

  Jac clenched her fists. Stormy black rage coursed through her body. She settled her backpack and glanced up at the sky. It would be dark soon. She’d have to seek shelter. Jac threw one last glance over her shoulder and then slipped into the jungle. Vines and shrubs crunched beneath her soggy boots. Luckily the air was muggy and she wouldn’t freeze to death.

  She didn’t know if the professor would start looking for her or if he’d leave her for the jungle to take. Either way, she wasn’t waiting around to find out. He’d truly fucked with the wrong woman.

  Jac blew out a heavy breath. The air on this side of the shore seemed overly perfumed. Orchids grew wild, clinging to the sides of trees, snaking their way toward the sunlight. Huge harpy eagles sat perched high in the branches, watching, their size intimidating enough for Jac to recall the scene from the Wizard of Oz where the monkeys carried Dorothy away.

  She trembled.

  This was the jungle, not Oz. Jac continued hiking until the fading light made it impossible to see her next step. The hair on her arms raised and a shiver tingled over her spine. Jac glanced over her shoulder again. She’d had the distinct impression she was being followed, so she had kept moving long after she’d reached the point of exhaustion. She found a tree that was easy to scale because of its many branches, and proceeded to climb.

  Finding the widest branch, Jac settled in for the night, her eyes peeled on the jungle floor. She dug through her pack for the bit of jerky buried at the bottom and greedily ate the dried salty meat, washing it down with bottled water. Tomorrow she’d search for tracks, maybe make her way back to base camp to regroup.

  * * * * *

  Ares watched Jac drift off to sleep from a nearby branch. He’d been following her since the horrible scene at the shore, ducking behind trees when she happened to glance over her shoulder. She’d been well aware of his presence and had done a good job of zigzagging her way through the underbrush, mixing her trail enough to confuse an inexperienced tracker. He smiled, his heart swelling with admiration.

  There was no sense in capturing her tonight. She’d been through too much. One more stressful incident and she might snap…but he didn’t think so. His mate was strong—a true warrior woman. She would not go down without a fight. His cock bucked under his loincloth as he thought about how much he would enjoy taming her.

  Ares tuned into Jac’s thoughts. Vengeance raged through her mind. His muscles tensed as he saw the vivid pictures of what she planned to do to the red-haired devil. A smile played at the corners of Ares’s mouth. Jac truly was perfect for him. It was too bad he could not allow her to follow through with her plans. The risk of harm was too great. So much so, that he would be remiss as a mate if he allowed her to pursue that deadly path.

  Eventually she’d come to understand.

  Ares pulled the bindings from the pouch attached to the side of his loincloth. The fabric looked flimsy at first glance, but the delicate green material was deceptively strong. Tomorrow he’d secure Jac and head back to the village. He ran the silky fabric through his fingertips. His skin heated as he imagined her wrists bound behind her back, the position shoving her small breasts out, exposing her nipples to his hungry gaze.

  In his mind’s eye, he could see the pink tips thrusting out, seeking the warmth of his mouth as he laved each one. She tasted of the sweetest honey, the tangiest fruit. Her intoxicating scent had driven him mad with desire, and her woman’s center had nearly been the death of him. Ares imagined his tongue buried in her wet channel, her inner muscles gripping him as she experienced her release, the shimmering contractions sucking him deeper inside. At that moment they had become one. It had been all he could do to keep from coming within his loincloth.

  Ares growled deep in his throat.

  He longed to sample her again, touch the silk of her thighs, suckle from her berry-like nipples, caress her hidden nub, and consume the cream from her channel as she came hard in his mouth, over his tongue. Ares groaned as his cock lengthened. He shoved the fabric back into the pouch and fisted his hands in frustration. The object of his desire lay perched a few vine swings away. He loosened the ties around his hips, allowing his long, thick shaft to spring free. Taking himself in hand he began to stroke.

  Ares pictured Jac’s pink mouth wrapped around the crown of his cock. His breathing hitched as he visualized his length sliding deeper into her warm, soft, moist recesses. He could almost feel her lips close around his girth as she began to suckle him. With one hand encircling him, she’d reach down with the other and carefully cup his balls as she increased her speed.

  He stroked faster, gritting his teeth against the spiraling sensations. Ares imagined gripping her short, blonde hair, guiding her movements, plunging his cock into the back of her throat. He imagined a deep purr escaping her mouth, caressing his length in feminine appreciation. Ares groaned, that was all it took to send him over the edge. He fisted his hand as the first of his seed spurt from his body. Muscles clenched in his abdomen as he sprayed the ground below. He had the strange urge to bellow, to make his presence known, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t. Not yet.

  He continued to aggressively milk his staff. This would be the last time he’d waste his life giving fluids on the vegetation. The next time he came it would be buried deep inside of Jac, no blindfolds, no illusions, and no doubts about who claimed her. Ares wiped his hands on the loincloth and fastened his ties. Tomorrow they had a long day ahead of them. He’d need all of
his strength and mental acuity if he expected to face Jac and win. He rested his arms behind his head and leaned against the trunk of the tree. Jac was the last thing Ares saw as he closed his eyes.

  * * * * *

  Jac awoke late in the day to the sensation of something slithering over her calf. Her eyes opened in a flash. A huge brown python made its way to a higher branch, using her leg for leverage. Her mind froze. Jac’s heart skipped a beat. She sat perfectly still praying the snake didn’t decide to have her for a snack. Her left hand itched as she moved a fraction closer to the pistol on her hip, while her right palm dug painfully into the bark.

  Stay calm.

  There is a giant snake crawling over my leg.

  Stay calm.

  I’m going to be squeezed to death before I can fire off a round.

  Stay calm.

  Jac screamed, a blood curdling, fear of dying, grab you by the balls sound that was probably heard by every living being on the planet.

  So much for staying calm.

  She jumped up as the snake’s tail left her body. The swift action, coupled with the weight of the backpack, threw her off balance, and over the edge of the limb. The next thing Jac knew, she was falling.

  “Oh shi…i…t!”

  Wind whistled around her ears. Branches whooshed by her head as the ground rushed up to meet her face. At the last second, Jac closed her eyes for impact, sticking her hands out to brace.

  There was a loud whap and Jac jerked to a stop so forcefully that it knocked the air from her lungs and made the bone in her hip pop. Her eyes flew open. Her pack dangled, blocking her view of the tree. Even though Jac couldn’t see, it felt as if something grasped her foot.

  Jac gasped for air, trying to catch her breath. Her arms flailed as she tried to reach out and touch the earth. The ground smelled like greenery and dead leaves, musty and damp. She twisted trying to look at her leg, but all she could see was her own blonde hair, bark, and leaves. Blood rushed to her head. She bent at the waist, as if to sit up, when her foot slipped free. Jac dropped to the ground, landing on her butt and back with a thud.