[Atlantean's Quest 02] Exodus (2 page)

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
. Disappointed, but undeterred, Ares tried not to think about the fact that she thought he was someone called Xavier. Fiery rage burned inside, as Ares fought the urge to find the man and kill him.

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 globes, squeezing the satiny flesh between his fingers. Her skin heated beneath his touch, flushing a pale shade of pink.

Ares 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, forming a silent ‘O’. Scraping her smooth skin lightly with his fingernails, Ares ran his hands from her shoulders to her toes, leaving gooseflesh in his wake. Switching positions, Ares straddled her and began licking and nibbling her nipples as if she were covered in sweet cream. Her rosy buds protruded, springing beneath his seeking mouth, stabbing skyward, 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 her rich, musky fragrance. 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 legs 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 his tongue 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, Ares stiffened his tongue, plunging inside her receptive core. He sent an energy burst out as he neared her womb.

Jac felt his huge, throbbing cock as he slid down her body, branding, teasing, torturing. She wanted to feel that shaft plunging inside her slit, pummeling her into mindless surrender. Just the thought of having him buried inside her moist walls was almost enough to send her over the edge. Her clit pulsed and Jac dug her nails into the thick grass. If they did end up having sex, she’d retrieve the emergency condom in her shorts pocket. Like traveler’s checks, she never left home without it.

He continued his downward path, tempting her with kisses along the way, finally reaching the point of her building need. He pressed his lips to her clit a second before his tongue plunged inside of her, Jac screamed and her head thrashed from side to side, as one orgasm after another rippled through her body as though 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 as Xavier. He devoured her as if she were the only woman on the planet. Jac surrendered to the pleasure, her body balancing on the precipice of madness.

Ares continue to feed, his hunger insatiable, drunk on her 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, his chin dripping with her releases. 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. Her pussy lips puffed up, pink and swollen from his overzealous ministrations.

Ares licked his lips. 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 plunged 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 wet noodles. 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, 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. The scarf seemed to change colors with the touch of her fingertips.

I’ll have to ask Xavier where he got it, when I see him again.
Jac licked her lips at the thought.
Perhaps they’d have a go at round two in her tent.

Jac decided she owed Xavier a raise. A big one. Hell if he could do it again, maybe she’d try to find him a permanent position as house boy 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.

Jac swallowed hard and squeezed her legs together to deter the familiar ache building inside. 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.

She dressed and scrambled back to camp. A fire had been built in the center of the encampment, a pig roasted on a spit over the flame. The smell of the meat made Jac’s 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.

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 brows 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. He filled his plate and started to return to his seat, when Jac reached out and placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.

“Yes, Ms. Ward. Can I help you?”

Jac laughed, she couldn’t help it. He sounded so formal, so professional, so different. 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.

Jac stifled her reaction, then leaned in so no one, but him could hear what she was about to say. “I enjoyed my time at the stream.”

Xavier smiled. His head cocked slightly to the side. “I’m glad you did.”

“Do you want to go for a repeat performance, later?” Jac’s pussy flooded, thinking about it.

His eyes narrowed into a frown. “Performance?”

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

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A look of utter confusion painted his features.

Jac’s heart did a little flip in her chest. She knew Xavier toyed with her, but for the life of her she didn’t know why. She put her plate on the table and planted her hands on her hips. 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.”

His face flushed as Xavier 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 had stopped. All eyes were upon them. And Jac didn’t give two shits.

“Ms. Ward, I’m sorry. I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding.”

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 ate me out, remember?” her voice rose with each word.

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.”

“Stop lying!”

“I swear to you,” his hand flew to his heart. “If you don’t believe me, ask my men.” He pointed at the gaping faces around them. “They can vouch for me.” Xavier stepped away, shaking his head. “Gringa loco.”

Jac’s head began to swim. She looked at all the faces around the fire, not an inkling of familiarity flashed in their eyes. Stumbling to a nearby log, Jac sat down, her body racked with shivers. She stared out at the blackened jungle, trancelike.

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.

Not one to dwell on the negative, Jac swung her long legs over the side of the cot and got dressed. Jac folded her belongings in the pack, along with the scarf from the stream. She 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 have I been 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 Jac 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. “I’m sure we can reach him, if we head down river.”

“How long will it take to reach 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, then shrugged. “The moment’s past.”

She wasn’t about to get into a conversation about last night with Xavier. She didn’t dwell on what might have been, only what was. If he wasn’t down by the water, then he wasn’t down by the water. None of the other men she’d seen in camp fit the physical impression she’d been left with. So that meant that they were not alone. She stared at the jungle, ignoring the chills racing down her spine.

Jac glanced at her holster, giving 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.