Atlantean's Quest Volume 1 Read online

  He flicked first one and then the other with his tongue, teasing her rosy flesh, tasting her. She was as sweet as honeysuckle and as addictive as any designer drug. He couldn’t get enough, so he returned for seconds. Buzz sucked one nipple into his mouth and almost came as sensation shot through him straight to his shaft. Her skin held a hint of spice, coupled with her own exotic aroma. He had never experienced anything like it. Cassandra’s fingers clung to his flesh, digging deep. He couldn’t wait any longer.

  “Darlin’, I’m sorry, but this time is going to have to be hard and fast.” His voice came out on a harsh growl.

  Cassandra smiled, her aqua eyes glowing with an emotion he refused to recognize. “I like it hard.”

  God give me strength. Buzz closed his eyes for a second as his resistance came crashing down. He released her breast and then positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. He shifted her leg a bit higher, until she wrapped around his waist. With a roar, Buzz plunged inside of her and lost himself. His breath hissed out of his lungs as her velvet channel gripped him tight.

  His hips began to pump, taking her deep, fucking her hard. He’d never felt anything like this. Anything like her. The last thought had him shaking his head and shackling his emotions. The last thing he needed was to confuse sex with a relationship, especially since he didn’t do relationships. Cassandra was just another woman, an astronaut groupie he’d share company with for a while, and then move on.

  No matter how many times he told himself that, something inside of him wasn’t quite convinced. Their bodies melded, forming a perfect union. A union he’d never experienced before. He thrust again and Cassandra cried out.

  Buzz felt the first of the tremors shudder through her body. He gripped her tighter and drove deeper, his cock nudging her womb with each thrust. He rocked his hips twice more and she shattered. Cassandra cried out, her nails taking out a strip of his flesh as she came hard. He answered her with a bellow of his own, then followed her into sated bliss.

  * * * * *

  Cassandra’s body thrummed as the last of the ripples from her orgasm fluttered through her. Never had she experienced anything like the joining she’d just had with Buzz. It was better than seeing the galaxies for the first time. Her heart thudded as she fought to catch her breath. She’d purposely monitored her breathing to keep the gold energy from escaping, especially after she’d glimpsed his thoughts on relationships. His expression hardened as his feelings wavered, causing him to draw away from her. For some reason, Buzz was as reluctant to face his emotions, as he was to discuss space.

  The missing piece to her puzzle stood glaringly before her. Their connection had been far more than physical. She’d felt it and so had Buzz, whether he was ready to admit it or not was another question entirely.

  Buzz released her leg and slipped from her body. The emptiness left behind caused Cassandra to tremble. He turned the water off and then pulled the shower curtain back. Slipping the condom off, he tossed it in a container and then reached for two towels. He set one down on the rack, the other he placed around her shoulders and began to rub gently. His face softened as he caressed her body. Within a few minutes, Cassandra was dry and her heart felt as if it had swelled to two times its normal size. So this was what finding your true-mate felt like. So this was love. He released the towel, allowing her to secure it around her body before reaching for the other cloth.

  He wrapped the material around his hips, grabbed more foil wrappers, and then led her into the bedroom. Buzz tossed back the covers before guiding her onto the bed. Cassandra fell, pulling him on top of her. The weight of his body felt exquisite against her skin.

  Cassandra relaxed, sinking deeper into the bed. She wiggled until she had managed to release the towel from around her body. Buzz’s towel remained wrapped around his waist. His burgeoning erection pressed into her abdomen as his desire rose to match her own.

  “I’m not sure what you’re doing to me, darlin’.” He smiled, rubbing his chin against the side of her cheek.

  “Don’t you like it?” Cassandra hated the fact that her voice sounded tentative.

  His gray-green eyes widened, before locking to hers. “I love it. That’s the problem.” He laughed, but it held no humor. “Sooner or later, we’ll have to part. I have to look for a job and you’ll have to get back home.”

  Cassandra fought the sadness welling inside of her. He had already planned for their departure. She allowed herself a few moments to wallow, before determination took over. She had at least a day, perhaps two to change his mind.

  She was an Atlantean woman, experiencing full Atlantean heat. No man—warrior or human, in his right mind, would be able to resist for long. The temptation was too great. Decision made, Cassandra grasped the back of his head, sinking her fingers into his short shaved hair, and then pulled Buzz’s lips down upon hers in a blistering kiss. She would not allow him to dismiss her—them—s o easily. With her free hand, she reached between them to loosen the towel separating their bodies.

  It took her fingers but a moment to locate his throbbing cock, which sprang to life instantly. “’Tis my turn, I think.” Cassandra parted the towel and stroked the length of him, relishing the feel of satin over steel in her palm.

  Buzz broke the kiss, air rushing from his lungs. “Release me, I want to taste you.”

  His words seared her skin. She released him instantly and watched as Buzz slid down the length of her body until he was seated between her thighs. His face was mere inches from her shaven mons. He inhaled, taking her fragrance into his body.

  “God, you smell good, rich and spicy like a woman should, yet sweet—succulent, good enough to feast upon. And I intend to.” With that, he lowered his face and began probing her nether lips with his tongue, drawing lazy figure eights over her swollen flesh, all the while avoiding her aching clit.

  “I don’t know what it is about you.” He murmured against her flesh. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

  Cassandra knew exactly what was occurring between them. They were true-mates, whether he’d heard of the concept or not. The bond would grow stronger with each joining. He flicked his tongue, rasping the hooded bundle of nerves once. Cassandra dug her fingers into the linens on the bed and gritted her teeth. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. His stubbled jaw brushed the inside of her thighs, adding more sensation to an already overwhelming experience.

  “Please, Buzz.” She groaned.

  He stilled his movements. His gaze intent as he watched her reactions. Instead of continuing with his carnal actions, he blew warm air across her flesh and like kerosene to a flame, she ignited.

  “Tell me what you want,” he croaked, his voice so passion filled that it was barely understandable.

  “I want…I want you to fuck me.”

  He laughed, a pain-filled sound that told her that his control had reached its end. “I’ll do just that in a moment, right after I finish my meal.”

  He dove back into her needy flesh, sucking her clit between his lips, flicking her with his tongue. Cassandra’s body stiffened as her blood rioted. Every muscle in her tightened. She was so close. He sucked harder and nipped the hooded bundle of nerves. Her body clenched and unclenched as a pleasure-pain greater than any she’d felt before filled her and then Cassandra was tumbling over the edge. A keening cry ripped from her lungs and her body bowed on the bed. Buzz continued to devour her, lapping at her cream as she came hard.

  Spots floated behind Cassandra’s eyes as the blood rushed from her head to her swollen sex. Spasms rippled through her, as her channel fluttered. She felt Buzz’s weight shift, heard the tearing of the foil wrapper, and within seconds, he was sliding home. The ache she’d felt only moments ago, now filled.

  He fucked her slowly this time, gliding maddeningly, savoring her body. His hands bracketed the side of her head, keeping her focused on his face. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked on an upward thrust that she felt all the way in her heart.


  Cassandra fought the urge to close her eyes. She bit into her lower lip and shook her head.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” He stared deep, drawing her into his gray-green depths.

  Cassandra laughed. “You probably say that to all the women you lay with.”

  His brow furrowed. “No, I don’t.” He snorted. “I actually say very little. We exchange pleasantries. We fuck once and then I’m gone. No fuss. No mess. No complications.”

  “So is that what you’ve got planned for me? To fuck me and forget me?” she asked, bracing for his answer.

  Buzz stared at her for several seconds, his face masked from emotions. Cassandra debated whether to intrude on his thoughts, but decided against it. She wanted to hear his answer. If he were lying, she’d know.

  His jaw clenched a couple of times as if he couldn’t decide whether to tell the truth or not. Finally he spoke. “At first, yeah.”

  She sighed. “And now?”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m not sure what I’m doing now. I sure as hell don’t have a plan, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Good. Cassandra thought. At least that was a start.

  * * * * *

  They made love on and off over the next three days, stopping only long enough to eat and shower. Cassandra couldn’t seem to break through the shell separating her from Buzz’s heart. She feared his emotional state was directly tied with his space journeys, but she’d been unable, as of yet, to get him to speak. She trembled in the cool night air. Maybe she never would, she thought as they stared out at the sea from the balcony of their suite.

  Without a word, Buzz stood, grabbed a blanket from the bed and then wrapped it around her. Sated and replete they stared out at the night sky, like an old mated couple. The peace and comfort of the situation gave her the courage to broach the subject.

  “Have you ever seen the Antares & Rho Ophiuchi?”

  He nodded, a slight frown marring his features.

  Cassandra watched him closely unsure whether to proceed.

  Finally he sighed and ran a hand through his spiky short hair. “I’ve seen it. The colors are spectacular, like a rainbow that has burst. I’m surprised you’ve heard of it.”

  She’d more than heard of it. She’d seen it. “I love the blues, pinks, and clouds of orange.”

  His muscles seemed to relax a bit and he smiled. “My favorite is Eta Carina. It reminds me of a big set of testicles.” He laughed and she joined in.

  “Trifid reminds me of a pink and blue dust storm, endless and powerful.”

  Buzz turned to face her now. His gaze roved over her face. So many questions filled his expression, but he seemed to dismiss them one after the other. “How is it that you know so much about space? Are you an astronomer?”

  “I do not study stars if that is what you ask. I simply like the colors, the power in those glowing beacons when seen through a porthole. Much as I’m sure you do. Would you like to see them again?” she asked the question tentatively.

  His expression darkened and he shut down before her eyes. “That’s right, I forgot you’re from a galaxy beyond the Pleiades.” His voice smacked of contempt and more than a little hurt.

  “I am,” she whispered, unable to stop pain from crowding her voice.

  Buzz shot up off the deck chair. Anger vibrated from his body. “Knock it off! You know I can’t go back into space, and no amount of pointing at the sky is going to get me there. So stop asking stupid questions you already know the answers to. Your little act isn’t fooling anyone.”

  “Act?” Cassandra frowned. She didn’t understand what he was talking about. His anger struck without reason.

  His hands curled into fists at his sides. “I bet the other astronauts bought into your wide-eyed innocence hook, line, and sinker. But you made a mistake when you made a play for this washed up flyboy.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. “What other astronauts?”

  He threw his arms up in the air in frustration. “Oh, come on, drop the act already, babe. I’m onto you. You’re a flyboy groupie.” He shrugged. “You may be foreign, but you’re like all the others.”

  Anger surged through Cassandra. How dare he speak to her this way! She’d done nothing wrong. She stood as fury gathered around her. Her eyes stung and forcefully brushed the teardrops away. “You listen to me, Brady Buzz Rittner. I know not of other astronauts. I did nothing to you, other than offer you my body, my heart. If you’re too ox-headed to understand that, well…then that’s your problem.” Cassandra gathered the blanket around her and swept into the room like a queen dismissing her subjects.

  She’d had enough of his arrogance, his mean-spirited words, and his male stubbornness. If he would only listen to his heart, he’d know she was telling the truth. She plopped down on the bed and bundled under the covers. Cassandra purposely turned away from the shadowed figure standing on the balcony. Right now, she was too angry to look at him.

  * * * * *

  Buzz gripped the railing of the balcony like it was a life raft, his muscles tense from the surge of anger still simmering just below the surface. The salty sea air did little to calm him. In just a few short days, Cassandra had gotten under his skin. It shouldn’t have happened. Never had before. He didn’t even know this woman. What in the hell had he been thinking when he brought her back to his hotel room? Buzz knew better than to hook up with a groupie. They’d fucked a dozen times, so what! The act didn’t exactly constitute a commitment.

  Keep it together, buddy. His gut clenched, telling him it was too late for that.

  He didn’t know why he’d snapped at Cassandra. Had he thought she was rubbing in the fact he’d never be able to experience space travel again? His radiation poisoning wasn’t exactly common knowledge outside of NASA. How did she find out? He glanced back in the room. She hadn’t left. She was huddled under the covers facing away from him.

  He released the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He refused to acknowledge the sense of relief. He’d taken out all the frustration and pain he’d been feeling over the past few years and directed it right at Cassandra, and she hadn’t done anything wrong. Hell, she’d bore it and still kept coming back. What did that say about her? What did that say about him?

  A curse slipped from his lips as he leaned over the balcony and inhaled deeply. Buzz ran a shaky hand over his face and through his short hair. He was in trouble—big trouble. A few days of fabulous sex had managed to turn him inside out and upside down. He didn’t know whether he was coming or going and it was all Cassandra’s fault.

  She’d opened herself up to him body and soul, wrapping those long legs of hers around his waist, taking his pounding repeatedly. All she’d asked in return was for him to follow suit. Buzz had wanted to, but he hadn’t been able to. Oh, he’d been tempted. And he’d certainly given her loads of pleasure—he was sure of it, but he knew in the end that wouldn’t be enough. Cassandra wouldn’t settle for having part of him. She wanted everything and it scared the shit out of him.

  Somewhere in the midst of their tumbles, they’d gone from having sex to making love. During that time, she’d managed to wedge the door to his heart open and he had no idea how to get it closed.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Four

  Cassandra awoke with her body on fire. Where was she? What was happening? Her lids fluttered open as she glanced down at the source of her pleasurable discomfort. Buzz’s head lay buried between her thighs, his tongue fucking her slowly, in and out. Her legs trembled and threatened to close. As if anticipating the move, he grasped her thighs and held them open. Cassandra groaned as her head dropped back onto the pillows.

  Mad one minute, a lover the next, she had no idea what to make of this man. She wanted to scream at him, rail against his stubbornness, but she couldn’t. He held her in thrall, his fist firmly wrapped around her heart, as he attacked her weeping channel with a vengeance.

  Hungry little noises emanat
ed from Buzz’s throat, telling her without words he enjoyed his task. Her gaze narrowed in on his face, holding his gray-green eyes. The pressure inside her built as he gently tugged at her clit, flicking it with the tip of his tongue. Cassandra shattered, her breath breaking in short gasps as pleasure exploded, traveling to the far reaches of her body and back again.

  He gave her one last lick before looking up. “I take it you like that.” It wasn’t a question.

  “So you are no longer mad at me?” she asked, hoping it was true.

  He stroked her with his fingertips as he spoke. “I wasn’t really mad at you, only myself. I just took it out on you.”

  “And?”

  He shrugged. “You are who you are and I am a man looking for a second chance.”

  She smiled and arched a brow. “Then we are the same. For I, too, came here for a second chance.”

  He grinned then, making him appear much younger than his actual Earth age. “I guess it’s a good thing we found each other.”

  She nodded, crooking her finger to get him to come to her. Buzz moved without hesitation. His cock was hard and heavy against her abdomen as he rested his weight upon her body. Cassandra sighed, relishing the feel of his warm skin upon her own. The crinkly hair tickled her breasts and thighs and his cock pulsed.

  Buzz’s gaze locked with hers. “I want you so bad. I want to feel you without anything separating us. I’ve been tested and I know I’m clean. How about you?”

  Cassandra frowned, not sure what to say.

  “Have you been tested for diseases?” he asked, his expression serious.

  Cassandra probed his mind for a second so she could understand his questions. Her eyes widened. “I’m healthy. I do not get ill.” She told him matter-of-factly.

  “Good.” He grinned wider. “But there’s one other problem. If you’re not on birth control, you could get pregnant.”