[Atlantean's Quest 05] Atlantean Heat (2 page)

in a cold sweat. He had to get the hell away from her.

Buzz glanced forward once more and picked up speed. Maybe it was coincidence, maybe she was

crazy, most of the truly beautiful ones were. He’d encountered numerous groupies throughout the years,

but hadn’t bothered dallying with any of them. He didn’t want to be anyone’s checklist conquest.

Buzz jogged a mile farther before looking back again. She’d fallen slightly further behind, but she was still

there. Her expression…well, her expression was open, like a child when they first discover a playground.

As much as he told himself to keep on running and not look back, he couldn’t. He needed the attention

as much as she longed to give it.

Against his better judgment, Buzz stopped. Something drew him to her, something beyond primal need.

His hands casually rested on his hips as he attempted to catch his breath. Her sexuality was natural, fresh,

not feigned like many of the groupies he’d met. She slowed as she neared, her gaze running over the

length of him. Buzz’s jaw tightened. He hadn’t had a woman look at him like that since—well since he’d

been NASA’s flavor of the month pinup boy.

His cock twitched, beginning to grow under her heated stare. This was odd, since he’d never really

responded to any of the groupies, beyond being flattered by their attention. They were too aggressive for

his taste. He liked to be the one to choose and so far, it had worked out in his favor.

He’d kept the sex casual and the women at a distance. Buzz’s heart damn near stopped when she smiled

again. Strange, very strange. Space was his mistress, always had been, and always would be, even if

NASA never allowed him to visit her again.

“Can I help you, darlin’? Would you like an autograph?” he asked, using his best Texas good ol’ boy

drawl, the one that had worked so well on the women outside of Houston when he’d been training for a

space mission at NASA.

He swallowed hard as bitterness welled inside of him. There’d be no more missions. The solar flare he’d

experienced while manning the International Space Station had made sure of that. Too much radiation

they’d said. No more space flights. No more hope of being on the first manned mission to Mars. He

snorted, shaking his head.

She shifted on her feet, bringing his thoughts back from the dark place they so often traveled. He’d

become so used to the despair, he now considered the dark place home. His gaze narrowed on her as he

realized she still hadn’t answered him. “I guess that’s a no.” Disappointment welled inside his voice, but

he squelched it before it got out of hand. “Are you lost?”

Her eyes widened and she smiled, nodding her head.

Buzz’s heart tripped in his chest and it had nothing to do with his run.

She cleared her throat. “I-I need to find a hotel or motel.”

Her words hit his gut like a punch. Buzz blinked, that wasn’t exactly what he’d thought she’d say. He

didn’t know what he’d expected—was she propositioning him?
Yeah, like she’d be interested in a

washed up, unemployed astronaut
.

Her smile was warm. Buzz’s mind raced at the possibilities, however remote. His gaze took in her

clothing. It was black, made out of a strange material that melded to her body like a wet suit. Yet it was

obvious that wasn’t what her clothing was used for, because she hadn’t been wearing it in the surf. She

was certainly dressed oddly for being on the beach, but hell, this was L.A.

“There are several hotels right down the road in Santa Monica. I’m staying at a place called
Shutters on

the Beach
. I could drop you off or you could walk.” He pointed further down the beach. “It’s quite a

ways from here, past Gladstone’s.”

“Gladstone’s?” she frowned, repeating his words like a child would mimic a parent.

Something wasn’t right with this whole picture. He could tell from the blank look on her face she had no

idea where he was talking about. His gut told him she wasn’t stupid, only overwhelmed. Maybe she’d

been injured and dumped on the beach. He’d heard of cases where people lost all memory during a

traumatic event. The trouble was she didn’t look injured. An injured person wouldn’t have kept pace

with his seven-minute miles.

Perhaps she was a foreign groupie. At the height of his fame, he’d received mail from thirty countries.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” he ventured.

“No, my home is many galaxies away, past the Pleiades.” Her voice was clipped and strangely accented,

but her words were clear.

She might be foreign, but he’d called it right. This chick was crazy. She didn’t need a ride. She needed

professional help. Why had he offered to give her a ride? He’d never done anything so stupid in the past,

especially with a groupie. Hell, she probably thought Star Trek was real.

Buzz chastised himself again, knowing if she accepted he’d honor his word. The forced leave must have

scrambled his mind. 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 cock didn’t disagree. It wanted to get to know this woman

a lot better.

Buzz’s gaze locked onto her nipples, which were clearly visible through her outfit. Because of the bare

glimpse he’d caught earlier, he didn’t need to use much imagination. Her nipples were beaded and thick,

like miniature thimbles. His mouth watered at the thought of sucking her deep, laving her with the rasp of

his tongue, nibbling on her flesh. His nostrils flared as he bit back a curse. What in the hell was the matter

with him? He was acting like he’d never been laid.

Her gaze zoomed in on his face, a second before her smile widened. Heat filled her aqua eyes as if she

knew exactly what he’d been thinking. Buzz stared back unabashedly. He half hoped she did know what

he was thinking. It would save them both a lot of time and trouble when he stripped that outfit from her

body and laid her across the thick, billowy linens
Shutters on the Beach
was known for draping across

their beds.

Buzz didn’t know when 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.

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

pussy as she heated, waiting for his cock to fill her.

Damn
. Buzz fisted his hands, resisting the urge to throw her on the beach and take her now. He was

acting like a hormonally driven teenager. His need thrummed, the beat steady and strong in her presence.

Muffled voices reached his ears. His mind halted as he saw several joggers coming their way. If he had a

brain in his head, he’d take her to the nearest hospital and drop her like a bad habit.

His gaze went to her mouth and then back to her soulful, hungry eyes. So much for good intentions. He

blinked as her expression registered on his sex-filled mind.
Hungry?
God, he hoped like hell she was. He

was ravenous.

He 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 as he tugged her along behind him.

The warmth of her skin seared him, frying all reasoning. 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 losing the battle.

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 hunger swimming in his gray-green depths. 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 the 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 individual colors. The

man walked to one side of the transport and opened a hatch.

“Step in,” he said.

She eyed the machine 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 a round object 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, as he

shifted a stick and the transport started to move. He eased onto the gray trail and headed south.

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

“I’m called Cassandra.”

He watched the transports in front and slowed their transport when they’d gotten too close. They

stopped for a moment and he turned to her expectantly.

Cassandra had no idea what he wanted.

“One of those one name kind of gals like Cher, eh?” 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, kissing her face with its invisible lapping tongue.

Cassandra loved this transport and from the look on the man’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 strange

he should be noticing, but was missing.

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 elevator 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. He 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. Buzz 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 inside?”

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. His lips quirked. 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, despite her being a

groupie. That fact alone should have scared the daylights out of him, but it didn’t.

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 it earlier.

“Honey, I’m going to jump into the shower and rinse this sweat off my body. 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 water coming 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, she may have been a little

wild back on Zaron, experiencing her fair share of warrior company, but there was nothing 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 cunt 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.

She padded down the same path Buzz had taken earlier, her bare feet silent upon the carpeted floor.

Cassandra 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.

Cassandra’s belly fluttered and her clit twitched. 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. Her nipples beaded in anticipation.

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

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

Buzz pulled the curtain aside without releasing her hand. His hair, slicked back from the shower, looked

darker. 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 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 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. Cassandra realized she’d gladly spend the rest of her

life trying to find that one missing piece.

“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 nakedness. “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, cunt to cock, thigh to thigh. She moaned at the

sudden sensate intrusion. Her nipples pebbled tighter. The ache in her cunt became excruciating. She

needed to feel his hard cock inside of her, pumping.

Buzz’s mouth came down upon hers. His tongue and teeth teased her bottom lip, lapping and nibbling

until she opened for him. He plunged inside, tasting and devouring, a conflagration of heat and energy

enveloping 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 ached as she rubbed her breasts over the rough hair

covering his chest. With his free hand, Buzz reached up and grasped her nipple, rolling the marbled bud

between his thumb and finger. Cassandra’s channel flooded.

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.