Atlantean's Quest 2: Exodus

Chapter One

After a hellish week away litigating, Jaclyn Ward entered her sleek Manhattan apartment and tossed her mail on the entryway table. The Toronto business trip had been sheer torture, but she’d argued effectively enough to save her company millions. Those Toronto boys never knew what hit them, she was the best when it came to fighting and winning. And she always got what she wanted in the end. Just the same, sometimes being a top corporate attorney was a bitch. Jac dropped her suitcase and walked to the phone. The light on the answering machine blinked like the warning light on a bomb set to explode.

Thirty un-played messages. I haven’t been gone that long.

She pressed the button as she retrieved the mail. She was flipping through the envelopes when Rachel’s voice came on the line.

“Hey, Jac,” was all Jac registered of her friend’s message. Jac smiled for the first time that day as she realized how much she missed Rachel. Hopefully her friend would let her know what date she’d be returning.

Then Rachel screamed and the line went dead.

The envelopes slipped from her fingers and Jac stood by the phone, frozen, unable to breathe. Her mind went blank as the room filled with the harsh sound of a dial tone. Did she just hear her best friend die?

The answering machine clicked on to the next message, as Jac sank to her knees the room swimming around her. She was dimly aware of Brigit’s frantic voice informing her that Professor Donald Rumsinger had returned from the jungle expedition—without Rachel. Jac’s jaw clenched and her stomach somersaulted as something deep inside her spoke:
I knew it. I knew that low-down son-of-a-bitch was up to something.

Muscles at the base of her skull took that moment to tighten into the mother of all headaches. Jac shook as the overwhelming panic subsided, slowly being replaced by a fury the likes of which a volcano couldn’t contain. She spent the next hour phoning the museum and then the local authorities down in the god-forsaken jungle, but to no avail. Apparently one missing museum employee wasn’t worth their time.

The Professor had convinced everyone that Rachel wanted to stay longer for further exploration and study. He’d used that fact that she wanted a promotion at the museum to sell the idea. After all, it had been her idea to go with him. He’d made no secret that he hadn’t wanted her to go along.

Was she dead? Had he killed her best friend? Or was Rachel lying somewhere in the jungle, waiting for help to arrive? There was only one way to know for sure.

Jac knew exactly what she had to do.

* * * * *

Two days, twelve inoculations, and fifteen hours on four different charter flights later, Jac’s plane circled the jungle runway. She had managed to get an expedition
arranged by phone, but god only knew what she would find when she stepped off this tin can masquerading as an aircraft.

She was hot, sweaty, and pissed off that the Professor had somehow managed to slip in and out of New York before she could get her hands on him. Rumsinger had a three- day head start on her. If he hurt Rachel, she’d make whatever country they were in expedite his happy ass back to New York so fast that his head would spin. Then Jac would personally castrate the bastard.

Hell, she’d cut his balls off here, if she could find him.

The plane landed with a thud, jarring her to the present, then skidded to a halt. There was nothing to see out of the tiny window other than miles and miles of trees. The pilot popped through the door and made his way down the aisle. His eyes wandered over Jac’s nipples and then to her mouth, before meeting her gaze. He reached out at the last second to retrieve her bag.

“I’ve got it, thanks.” Jac’s gaze pinned him.

The man gave a curt nod and backed away.

Jac stood, grabbing her pack in one fluid motion, and then lugged it to the door. She jumped over the step that had been placed on the ground. The air was thick enough to slice with a blade. She patted her knife to make sure it was still strapped to her calf. Mosquitoes swarmed around her in a tiny cloud. Her Tomb Raider outfit supplied little protection against the carnivores, but the fact that she looked good wearing it made up for any impracticality. She reached in her pack and grabbed her can of bug spray.

“Take that, you greedy little vampiric bastards.” She pressed down on the top and sprayed the killer mist over her arms and legs. “You’re not getting my blood.”

After the fumes cleared, Jac shaded her eyes and looked around. The guides she’d hired were a few hundred yards away and the tents were already set up. She lifted the backpack into place and began the short hike across the clearing. All the green made her miss her houseplants back home. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens that Brigit remembered to water them. Considering Brigit’s absentmindedness, Jac didn’t hold out much hope she’d return to anything living. Couple that with Brigit leaving to attend MercuryCon, a huge sci-fi convention in New York, and her plants were as good as dead.

She’d walked several yards when the hair at her nape stood on end. Jac swung around, dropping her pack, the can held out in front of her like a weapon. “Just try something, whoever you are. Go ahead, make my day,” she growled in her best Dirty Harry voice, daring anyone or anything to come forward out of the jungle to face her. She felt antsy, anxious, as if the nerves in her body were firing all at once. It was a decidedly unpleasant sensation that Jac had no intention of indulging, which in turn made her even crankier. She was itching for a good fight. Anything to relieve some of the tension knotting her muscles.

A breeze swayed the tops of the trees. The green canopy tilted from side to side, like the waves on an ocean, the slight swooshing noise the only sound she heard besides a few raucous birds. Jac scanned the shadowed line, unable to shake the feeling that she wasn’t alone.

Nothing moved.

She stood there, one hand planted on her narrow hip, straining to hear that one snap or crunch that would give her enemy’s position away. “Bring it on,” she muttered. Jac waited another beat, then continued to base camp. It was time to proceed on her mission to find Rachel, kick Donald Rumsinger’s ass, and get them both back to New York before the weekend was up.

* * * * *

From the protection of the trees, Ares watched the tall blonde. Her hair was cropped close to her neck and those long legs were bare except for a scrap of material at the top, covering her. He’d seen plenty of women in long sheer skirts, but he’d never seen a woman in short pants. The material accentuated her lithe muscles, making her movements appear sleek and controlled. Her breasts were compact and firm, as was his preference. Her composure was cool and aloof, daring anyone or anything to step into her territory. A warrior woman through and through.

Ares lips twitched. He was willing to accept that dare and more.

Queen Rachel’s memories had been true in every respect. She’d be angry with him if she had known he’d eavesdropped on them so easily. Ares hadn’t been able to help it. The woman known as Jac had intrigued him from the beginning, and now she was here, not more than a hundred yards from him. Tempting, calling, provoking.

Ariel, the Seer had been right. His mate had arrived. It was time to hunt.

* * * * *

Jac reached the camp without further incident. She dropped her pack and stretched her arms over her head. Her muscles were sore from being cramped in little seats for hours. She’d managed to dismiss the weird foreboding, but couldn’t shake the sensation of eyes boring into her back and over her limbs. Her body was still hyper sensitive, which did nothing for her peace of mind. She needed release. Some people drank or turned to food to cope with stress. Jac preferred sex. She’d choose a good tumble over single malt or a salty chip any day. Orgasms didn’t cause hangovers or give a girl a fat ass.

A handsome twenty-something guide approached her. “My name is Xavier.” He stuck out his hand. “You must be Ms. Ward.”

She nodded, grasping his palm to shake it. “Call me Jac.”

Her gaze ran the distance from his well-developed calves, up his long legs, to his wide muscular chest. Xavier’s eyes were a soft cocoa and his skin the finest sienna. He had rich black hair shorn to a short made-for-the-weather crop. His lips were full and sensuous as they split into a dazzling white smile.

Jac’s clit twitched—she hadn’t gone native before. Might be fun. Her eyes flicked to the front of his shorts, taking in the slight bulge behind the seam. Jac gave him a telling smile. Maybe she wouldn’t have to rough it on her own in the backwoods after all.

Xavier raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as his eyes zeroed in on her tits. Jac knew her nipples were hard. She didn’t bother to hide her reaction. She was a very sexual creature by nature and was in no way ashamed about being so. He guided her to her tent, pointing out the trail that led to a nearby stream.

“You have plenty of time to explore if you like before the meal will be served. I recommend the stream, but be careful. There are anaconda and caiman in the area.”

“Care to join me?” Jac asked.

Xavier’s gaze traveled up and down her legs. “Perhaps if I get done charting our course before nightfall, I will,” he said.

“I’ll be waiting.” She saluted, then stepped into her tent. The space was small, but adequate. Lucky for her, she wasn’t expecting the Ritz. Jac began to unpack. Pulling out the items she’d need for tonight, she glanced over her shoulder in time to see Xavier staring at her ass.

Jac smiled, then purposely dropped a pair of thong underwear onto the tent floor. Like an exotic dancer, she slowly bent at the waist, picked up the scrap of material, then slid it up the length of her long, long legs. She heard what sounded like choking, but by the time she turned Xavier was gone. Jac laughed. There was no doubt he’d meet her by the water now.

Two semi-automatic pistols were holstered and sitting on her cot. She picked them up and strapped them on against her thighs. Now she really did look like a blonde Lara Croft. She rifled through her pack and pulled out a baseball cap, shoving it on her head. Jac threw the opening of the tent back and inhaled.

The jungle had an odor of the untamed, even the flowery scent on the air smelled wild and savage. Her eyes took in the workers, each assigned to a specific task. They busied themselves with few glances coming her way. She couldn’t see Xavier, but figured he hadn’t gone far.

Jac trotted around the back of her tent to the trail Xavier had pointed out earlier. Despite the hour, the sun shone bright and unyielding, until she started down the path. Vines and roots grew in a mass tangle on the jungle floor, snaking their way up the various trees, clinging like parasites in search of elusive sunlight. Jac pushed giant ferns out of her way, taking care not to damage the plants. She’d always had a green thumb and prided herself on her ability to appreciate all things wild.

The sound of rushing water caught her attention and she picked up her pace. Just the thought of getting in a few laps to unkink her muscles before dinner had her salivating. The tri-athlete in her came out and she started to run, jumping over low vegetation, ducking around branches. In a few moments time she arrived at the edge of the stream, barely winded. A waterfall flowed twenty yards away churning up frothy bubbles before smoothing into a steady current. The spray was surprisingly cool and way too inviting to pass up. If she spotted an anaconda and caiman, she’d use it for target practice.

Jac drew one of her guns out of its holster, slipped the clip to check the ammo, before slamming it back inside, and then removed the safety. She wasn’t about to be caught unprepared. She set the pistol down and started to undress. The air was palpable and hotter than Hades. How could anyone live down here?

Jac forced away a lump in her throat as she thought of poor Rachel. Somewhere in this god-forsaken place her friend was hurt, or even worse. She brushed her fingers through her hair, knocking her hat to the ground, and blew out a frustrated breath. Jac wouldn’t allow herself to even go down that road. Rachel had to be alive and she was going to find her.

The last of her clothes dropped to the jungle floor. She walked barefooted across a thick blanket of grass, before reaching the waters edge. Jac bent over, stretching her tired calves. It felt wonderful to be naked. A light spray from the falls coated her skin, making it glisten in the sunshine. She stood up to her full height of five foot eleven, her nipples puckering in the warm air.

She stuck her toe in the water and was about to step in when a tingle of warning lanced through her a second before a set of large hands came from behind, covering her eyes. Jac sucked in a surprised breath. She hadn’t heard a thing, not a single step. A low growl near her ear told her the visitor was most definitely male, not that she’d had any doubt. Jac knew with a few select strikes she could drop this intruder, but she decided to see what kind of game Xavier was playing first.

“Who’s there?” she called out, as if she didn’t know, her body quivering with excitement.
Another low rumble sounded by her other ear.

“Xavier is that you?” She’d lowered her voice to a teasing cadence.

He gave her a quick lick at the base of her neck.

Jac purred. “So glad you decided to take me up on my offer.”

He stuck his nose against the side of her head and inhaled, taking in her scent.

She shivered, her nipples tightened to marbles and her channel drenched.

He pulled one hand away. Jac heard him fumble with something at his side, then a soft piece of cloth replaced the hand, covering her eyes. She smiled. Jac had no idea native men were so sexually adventurous or so prepared. Her heart kicked up a notch and she licked her lips in anticipation. A breath later, strong arms surrounded her and eased her to the ground, until she was flat on her back against the cool blades of grass. Feather soft, the grass caressed her bare skin, elevating her need with its tiny green fingers.

Jac loved games, especially sex games. They were always about trust and control. Although this was a first for her, Jac never allowed her lovers to have the upper hand, to be in control, especially when it came to sex. But for some reason, given the circumstances, she didn’t mind playing subservient this time.

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. Ares tried not to think about the fact that she thought he was the man known as Xavier.

He’d seen the native guide speaking with Jac earlier. There was no disguising the hunger in the man’s eyes. He wanted her. And it pained him to think it, but she wanted him, too. A wall of jealousy rose up and slammed into him, nearly taking Ares’s breath. He would not allow this man or any man to take his mate away from him. He’d kill if he had to.

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 breasts, squeezing the satiny flesh between his fingers. Her skin heated beneath his touch, flushing a pale shade of pink. He 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. Scraping her smooth skin lightly with his fingernails, Ares ran his hands from her shoulders to her toes, leaving gooseflesh in his wake. He couldn’t get enough of her. Switching positions, he straddled her and began licking and nibbling her nipples as if she were a decadent dessert. Her rosy buds protruded, springing to life beneath his seeking mouth, 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 the rich, musky aroma of her arousal. 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 lush thighs 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 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 to taste, to take, to conquer, Ares stiffened his tongue and plunged inside her. When he was seated as far as he could go, he sent an energy burst straight into her womb.

Jac felt his huge, throbbing cock as he slid down her body, branding, teasing, torturing. She wanted to feel that shaft inside her, pummeling her into mindlessness. Just the thought of having him buried inside her was almost enough to send her over the edge. Her clit pulsed and she dug her nails into the thick grass as his tongue plunged inside of her. A wave of heat hit her and Jac screamed as one orgasm after another ripped through her body like 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 and sexually gifted as Xavier. He devoured her as if she was the only woman on the planet and he hadn’t even fucked her yet. Jac surrendered to the pleasure, to the utter bliss as she flew apart again.

Ares continue to feed, his hunger insatiable. Her juices slid down his chin, leaving him drunk with 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. 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. The lips of her sex were puffed up, pink and swollen from his overzealous ministrations.

Ares licked his lips, savoring her. Then he grinned triumphantly, knowing 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 dove 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 soggy spaghetti. 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, signaling it was 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.

She made a mental note to ask Xavier where he got it, when she saw him again. Just the thought of what they’d done had Jac aching for a repeat performance. Maybe once Xavier caught his breath, they could go for round two in her tent.

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

She swallowed hard and squeezed her legs together to deter the familiar ache building once more inside her. 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 to indulge while she could.

She dressed and scrambled back to camp. A fire had been built in the center of the encampment. A roasted pig slowly turned on a spit over the flame. The smell of the meat made her 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. That wouldn’t look good, even if she wasn’t ashamed.

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 brow 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. At least not in her extensive experience. Xavier filled his plate and started to return to his seat. Jac placed a hand on his arm and stopped him.

“Yes, Ms. Ward. Can I help you?”

Jac laughed, she couldn’t help it. He sounded so formal, so professional, so utterly different. Nothing like the growling beast he’d been in the jungle. 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.

She stifled her reaction, no sense causing a scene. Jac leaned in so no one but him could hear what she was about to say. “I enjoyed our time at the stream.”

Xavier’s wavered. “Our time?”

“Yes, our time.” Why was he being so coy? It was almost as if he didn’t know what she was talking about. Which was impossible. “Do you want to go for a repeat performance, later?” Jac asked, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

Xavier frowned. “Um…”

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

A look of utter confusion colored his exotic features. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Ward.”

Jac’s heart did a little flip in her chest. She knew Xavier had to be toying with her. It was the only logical explanation, but for the life of her she didn’t know why. She put her plate on the table. 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.”

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

“Ms. Ward, I’m sorry. I think there has been a misunderstanding,” he said.

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 went down on me, remember?” her voice rose with each word as something akin to panic set in.

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. I didn’t get finished with work in time.”

“Stop lying!”

“I swear to you.” He clasped his hands together, pleading. “If you don’t believe me, ask my men.” He pointed to the stunned faces around them. “They can vouch for me.” Xavier backed away slowly.

She heard one of the men say, “Gringa loco.”

Jac’s head began to swim. She looked at all the men around the fire, not an inkling of familiarity flashed in their eyes. Stumbling to a nearby log, she sat down, her body racked with shivers. Jac stared at the blackened jungle without truly seeing it. The darkness appeared ominous.

If Xavier hadn’t been the one devouring her by the stream, then who had?

* * * * *