Atlantean's Quest Volume 1 Read online

  Buzz chastised himself again, knowing if she accepted his offer he’d honor his word. The forced leave must have scrambled his brain. He knew she was trouble—six feet of leggy, womanly trouble that he should be trying to stay far away from, but damned if his body didn’t disagree. It wanted to get to know this woman a lot better. Crazy or not. He wouldn’t of course. He’d never take advantage of someone.

  His gaze dropped to the front of her black skin-tight suit. Her nipples, which were clearly visible through her outfit, pebbled under his regard. Because of the glimpse he’d caught earlier, Buzz didn’t need to use much imagination. His mouth watered at the thought of sucking on them, laving her with his tongue, nibbling on her flesh. His nostrils flared and he felt himself harden again. Buzz bit back a curse. What in the hell was the matter with him? He was acting like he’d never been laid.

  Her gaze locked on his face. Heat filled her aqua eyes and her lips quirked in a knowing smile. Somehow she knew exactly what he’d been thinking. Buzz stared back unabashedly. He half hoped she did know what he was thinking. Maybe she’d be smart enough to stay clear of him. From the look on her face, avoidance wasn’t on her mind.

  He imagined stripping that outfit off her body and laying her across the thick, billowy linens Shutters on the Beach was known for. He could already see those lush curves draped across the bed. Buzz knew the exact moment he’d decided to break his unwritten no groupies’ rule and fuck her. Crazy or not, foreign or not, he just knew it was going to happen. He had no doubt. Something in him roared to reaffirm his position as a vital male and stake a claim on her luscious flesh—a purely primal reaction that he’d never experienced before, but ached to act upon.

  He wanted to hear her soft moans as she came…repeatedly. Taste the salt of her skin after they’d made love for hours. He could almost imagine the rich smell of musk that would emanate from her weeping sex as she heated, waiting for his cock to fill her.

  Damn, just thinking about it made him hot. He fisted his hands, resisting the urge to throw her down on the sand and take her now. He was acting like a bull in rut. His need thrummed, the beat steady and strong in her presence. He took a step closer and without thinking reached for her.

  Only the sound of muffled voices prevented him from acting on instinct. He glanced down the beach and saw several joggers coming their way. If he were a true gentleman, he’d stop them and have them call for help. Leave her with them while he made good on his escape. His gaze dropped to her mouth as she licked her full lips. So much for good intentions. Her heated, hungry expression finally registered on his befuddled mind.

  Hungry? God, he hoped like hell she was. He was ravenous.

  Buzz cleared his throat, willing his voice to be calm as he spoke. “My car is back down the beach. It’ll take a while to get there. Do you want to come with me to get it or would you rather wait here?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at the approaching people. “I want to come… with you.”

  The film broke in Buzz’s mind as he imagined an emphasis on the word come that couldn’t have been there. He didn’t wait for her to repeat herself. He reached out and grabbed her slender wrist, striding briskly down the beach as he tugged her along behind him.

  The warmth of her skin seared him, frying all reason. Even though groupies were game for almost anything, Buzz prayed his caveman act didn’t scare off this woman, because right now he teetered on the edge of feral and was quickly losing the battle for control.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Two

  Cassandra smiled as her skin heated to inferno at his touch, she couldn’t help herself. This human was exactly what she’d been searching for in her dreams, a man who could trigger her Atlantean’s heat. Oddly enough, she didn’t even know his name.

  What she did know was he was aggressive and male. Like a true warrior, his finely developed muscles split in striated lines as he strode across the sand. She’d decided to follow him the second their eyes had met. She hadn’t missed the look of raw hunger. It was still there. Simmering just below the surface of his rigid self-control. She looked forward to shattering that control the first chance she got.

  He had lean hips, a nice ass, and long legs. She wondered if his cock was as impressive as the rest of him. She hoped so, since she planned to be fondling that particular organ soon.

  A day’s growth of stubble covered his firm, square jaw. Long, dark lashes shielded his gray-green eyes. His brown hair was short, holding hints of blond, and a smidge of gray. A welcome change from the longhaired Atlantean warriors she’d left back on Zaron.

  This was no child.

  This was a man.

  The thoughts in his head ran from dark to aggressively sexual. For a moment, she’d seen space. He’d floated above this planet in some crude manner and despite his deep-seated anger, wished to return. Her smile widened as she considered his broad back. If things worked out as she planned, she’d grant him that wish and more.

  Cassandra allowed him to pull her along, retracing the steps they’d taken only moments ago. He was going to give her a ride to a hotel called Shutters on the Beach. She needed to get her deciphering unit out to understand what his thoughts of foreign groupie and crazy meant, but couldn’t risk doing so in front of him. At least, not yet.

  A half an hour later, they reached a transportation device he’d called his car. Crude, but effective, she noted several other humans seated inside the transports as they winged down the hard gray trail that had been carved from the land. Each transport seemed to come in different shapes and colors. The man walked to one side of the transport and opened a hatch.

  “Step in,” he said.

  She eyed the machine cautiously for a moment, before complying. This civilization was odd indeed.

  The man shut the hatch behind her and then walked around the transport to the other side. He opened another hatch she hadn’t noticed before and sat down beside her. His smell filled the car, crisp like the ocean with a hint of musky salt from his sweat. Cassandra inhaled, as if the mere act of breathing in would draw the man into her body.

  He took out a chain of dangly metal and fit one of the pieces into the side of a slim column in front of him. With a flick of his thick wrist, the transport roared to life. The vibration beneath her bottom caused her clit to twitch. Cassandra dug her fingertips into her thighs to keep from moaning aloud.

  Obviously pleased with the transport, the man patted the round object in front of him with his long fingers, before reaching over his shoulder to secure a strap of some sort across his broad chest.

  Cassandra glanced over her shoulder. She had a similar strap on her side. She repeated his actions and snapped her strap in place. The material caressed her aching breasts, teasing her nipples into tight crests. His gaze strayed to the front of her flight uniform before glancing into her face. He smiled at her, but the action appeared strained. Cassandra smiled back, pleased that he seemed affected by her body. He shifted a stick and the transport started to move. He eased the machine onto the gray trail and headed south.

  “My name is Brady ‘Buzz’ Rittner, but I suppose you already knew that.” He smiled, glancing her way.

  She didn’t, but he obviously expected her to, so she nodded. “I am called Cassandra.”

  He watched the other transports in front of them and slowed when they’d gotten too close. They stopped for a moment and he turned to her expectantly.

  Cassandra had no idea what he wanted her to do.

  “No last name, eh? Trying to be one of those one name kind of gals like Cher, huh?” Buzz laughed, and then winked at her. “Only in L.A.”

  Cassandra smiled, nodding her head in agreement. She had no idea what he was talking about and she didn’t care. If he thought she was like a Cher, then so be it. She’d check on that item too, once they reached the hotel.

  The transports began to move again. Cassandra settled back in her seat and enjoyed the ride. Buzz had opened something called a window and she’d been
able to again experience the ocean air upon her skin. The wind blew tendrils of her hair free from its braid, allowing it to gently kiss her face. Cassandra loved this transport and from the look on the Brady’s face, so did he.

  “We’re here,” he announced. “The valet will take care of the car.” He squeezed her hand and winked. Cassandra’s stomach did a little flop and her heart melted.

  * * * * *

  They pulled into the entry of Shutters on the Beach. Buzz stopped under the awning and waited for the valet parking attendant to approach. The man opened the car door for Cassandra. She stepped out, her wide-eyed gaze immediately seeking his for reassurance. Buzz tried to ignore the pleasure he derived from that one little glance. He knew there was something different about this woman, something that made her stand out from all the others who’d come before, but he didn’t know what.

  He reached for her sack, but she beat him to it. She clutched the item to her chest as he walked around the car to join her. The action was strange, but he quickly dismissed it as a cultural difference. Buzz slipped his hand around her arm and led her into the hotel. He bypassed the front desk and went straight for the elevators. A short ride later they’d arrived on his floor. He’d reserved a room with an unobstructed view of the ocean. For some reason the depths of the abyss reminded him of space.

  Buzz shook his head, dismissing the fanciful thought. He had to stop comparing everything to his days as an astronaut. His sister Carrie had told him it wasn’t healthy and he knew she was right. Hell, her love and support was the only reason he had any sanity left at all. Although from his spontaneous action today, no one would believe that.

  He led Cassandra down the hall until they reached his room. Buzz pulled his arm free and slipped his hand into his pocket for the room key. A slight click later and the door swung open, exposing the impressive view. He stepped inside and waited for her to join him, hardly believing he’d brought her here in the first place.

  Cassandra gasped as her gaze swept the surroundings, yet she made no move to come in. What was she waiting for? Maybe she was nervous. God knows he was. He rubbed his moist palms along his pants and then captured her gaze.

  “Are you going to come in?” What if she’d changed her mind? Something akin to panic gripped him. He shook it off.

  She smiled. “Are you inviting me into your dwelling?”

  “I sure am, darlin’.” Buzz ignored the warning bells going off in his head and his immediate gut reaction, telling him there was more to the question than met the eye. He was probably just imagining things, considering she had such an unusual way of phrasing things. Definitely foreign. It was the little things like that, which made him want to learn more about this woman.

  Her smile widened and her eyes seemed to light from within. She entered the room. Hell, if all she was looking for was an invitation he would have issued one earlier.

  “Honey, I’m going to jump into the shower and rinse this sweat off my body…unless you’d like to go first.”

  “No, I am fine,” she said.

  “Good. Well then, make yourself at home.”

  * * * * *

  Cassandra couldn’t believe it! Buzz welcomed her into his dwelling. All that was left for them to do was experience the energy bind. Unfortunately, it could not be rushed. She glanced around the light green colored room. The furs atop the bed matched the walls, reminding her of the different colors the ocean reflected throughout the day. Sunshine filtered through the shuttered windows, reflecting off the ocean beyond.

  Her gaze followed the retreating male form as he walked down a short path and disappeared into another area. Alone, Cassandra took in her surroundings. The room was warm and welcoming with its soothing colors and soft materials. It would suit her needs perfectly. Here she would get to know her man intimately.

  Cassandra heard splashing come from the room Buzz had entered. She reached into her sack and brought out the deciphering device. Within seconds, she understood what crazy, foreign groupie, and a shower was. How dare he think she was insane and slept with a lot of men? Okay, so she may have been a little wild back on Zaron, experiencing her fair share of warrior company, but there was nothing wrong with that and there certainly wasn’t anything wrong with her thought processes. Cassandra’s eyes narrowed as she considered her next move.

  She knew what Buzz was doing inside that room. Her body ached as she pictured him naked, his skin covered in suds. Moisture pooled between her thighs. She dropped the sack onto the floor and then stripped out of her clothes, before she lost her nerve.

  Cassandra padded down the same path Buzz had taken, her bare feet silent upon the carpeted floor. She didn’t knock; she simply turned the handle and walked in. The small room was filled with steam. A curtain concealed the man she sought from view. His deep baritone rumbled from the other side as he hummed a musical tune.

  Her belly fluttered and her body tightened with anticipation. This was it. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the curtain. Spray from the warm water splashed over her fingertips. Before she had a chance to pull the curtain aside, Buzz’s hand grasped hers. Cassandra gasped as heat spread through her fingers, along her arm, and over her body.

  “I was wondering when you were going to join me.”

  His statement surprised and delighted her. “You were expecting me.”

  He shook his head. “Hoping,” he said. Buzz pulled the curtain aside without releasing her hand. His hair, slicked back from the shower, looked darker now. His tanned body glistened from a thousand tiny droplets. Moisture clung to his lashes, hooding his gray-green eyes.

  Cassandra swallowed hard, allowing her gaze to lower. His chest was wide, tapering into a slim waist. The image was even more impressive now that he’d removed his shirt. A smattering of crisp hair clung to his rippling abdomen, leading down to the treasure trove of manliness below.

  She followed the dark trail until it reached an impressive cock that jutted out from his body like a branch. He was thick and long, just like she’d imagined. His plum-sized head flushed deep with color from his arousal. Her mouth watered as a pearl of creamy liquid eased from his shaft. What would he taste like?

  Her breath caught as all her dreams and fantasies merged into the man standing before her. She’d waited so long to encounter the one man who could ignite her body and fire her mind. Buzz was like a puzzle, the picture appeared perfect, but there was a piece missing. She was that piece. Cassandra knew she’d gladly spend the rest of her life trying to convince him.

  “See anything you like, darlin’?” he drawled, a hint of strained humor hanging in his voice.

  Cassandra tore her gaze away from his cock and glanced back at his face. “I like everything that I see.”

  “That makes two of us.” His eyes lit up as his hungry gaze devoured her. “Come on in, the water’s just fine.”

  Cassandra stepped into the shower and Buzz pulled the curtain closed behind her. Warm spray filtered over his shoulders, wetting her skin. She was surprised it didn’t sizzle considering she felt as if she were on fire. He pulled her into his arms, breast to chest, hips to cock, thigh to thigh. She moaned at the sudden sensate intrusion. Her nipples pebbled tighter. The ache in her body became excruciating. She needed to feel his hard cock inside of her now.

  Buzz’s mouth came down upon hers. His tongue and teeth teased her bottom lip, sipping and nibbling until she opened for him. The second she did, he plunged inside, tasting and devouring like the warrior she knew him to be. A conflagration of heat and energy enveloped them, driving their need, pressing them closer. Cassandra’s nails dug into his flesh as she slipped one leg up and around his muscled thigh. Buzz groaned a second before reaching down and holding her in place.

  Everything happened at laser speed. Her nipples became painful pinpricks as she rubbed her breasts over the rough hair covering his chest. With his free hand, Buzz grasped her nipple, rolling the marbled bud between his thumb and finger. Cassandra’s channel flooded, readying her fo
r his entry.

  Buzz, I need you. Her fingers dug deeper into his shoulders and back. Cassandra was so far gone she hadn’t realized until the statement had left her, that she’d uttered it in his mind. Her body tensed, waiting for his reaction.

  Buzz pulled back from the kiss, his chest heaving to take in air. His face was a mask of raw hunger. “Slow down a minute.” He appeared to be as far gone as she was. “I don’t have any protection out.”

  “Protection?”

  “Condoms.” He pushed the curtain aside and reached for a small bag sitting on the side of the basin. He pulled out a foil wrapper and ripped it open with his teeth.

  Cassandra felt her eyes widen, but she said nothing as she watched him roll the thin material over his shaft until he was completely covered.

  “Now, where were we?” he smiled.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Three

  Buzz couldn’t believe how close he’d come to fucking her without a condom. He’d never been so reckless. There was something about Cassandra that drove all logical thought from his mind—something about her that demanded a primal mating. Moreover, he’d been this close to forgetting she was a groupie and giving it to her.

  Luckily, his common sense had kicked in, but he had to admit he was a tad disappointed. He longed to feel his cock slipping into her—skin on skin, the tight grip of her moist channel grasping him, the gentle undulations of her first release. He wanted it more than his next breath. Damn he was close to bursting just thinking about it.

  He lifted Cassandra’s long leg, holding it against his hip, effectively opening her. He palmed her breasts and caressed her thigh, all the while rocking his cock against her swollen clit. She moaned, throwing her head back, exposing the long column of her throat for him to feast upon. Buzz grazed her neck, laving and nipping at the pulse beating erratically there. He blazed a trail over her collarbone, down to her breasts, until he was within a whisper of her ripe nipples.