[Atlantean's Quest 01] The Arrival (9 page)

Rachel squirmed against his arm. She tried to untie the vine holding her gag in place, but her fingers weren’t cooperating. She had to go back. She owed the Professor big time and wasn’t about to let him get away without payback.
Let’s see how he likes a gun shoved in his face
. Rachel needed to find her pack and the little
gift
from
Jac she’d shoved in the bottom of it. That was the only way she’d be able to get out of this place alive and back home to New York.

She pounded on the man’s back, hoping he’d let her go. It was like hitting concrete with a feather. Rachel bounced as he jumped over tree trunks and around vines. The ground zipped by in a blur of green.

Rachel concentrated on taking quick breaths, closing her eyes for a second to keep from getting sick. Her insides tossed and churned, like she’d been thrown into a human blender.

His large body was hot and slick with sweat and smelled of musk against the jungle air. Sliding against him reminded Rachel of intertwining bodies, skin on skin, and sex.

She willed herself to keep pummeling him. Her hands were red and hurt worse with each blow that fell. Sooner or later, he’d have to get tired of her attacks and let her go, or at least put her down.

The giant simply slapped her on the butt and kept running. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a surprised breath. She hadn’t been spanked since she was a child. She tried to rise up to look at the side of his face, but her bottom throbbed and stung.

The heat radiating out from her rounded backside caused other things to stir. She chastised herself for being so foolish, yet her body continued to respond with an answering wetness between her thighs. Rachel clamped her legs together. Ashamed, but turned on, she wiggled again, hoping and fearing another quick slap.

You’re being kidnapped by a giant, and instead of concentrating on freeing yourself, you’re getting horny.

She hit him again, out of anger at herself. This time he stopped and pulled her off his shoulder. His eyes met hers and she cowered, waiting for the blow to come.

It never did.

Rachel tried to pull the gag from her mouth, but the knot was too tight. Her jaw ached. She eyed his imposing form. She’d give her lifesavings for a glass of water or
a king-sized bed.

The giant stroked her hair, his manner soothing, then swiftly snatched a bit of vine from a tree, spun her around, and bound her hands behind her back.

Rachel strained, trying to pull the ties apart. The position thrust her full breasts out, making her shirt gape open. She realized her awkward situation and stilled.

He circled her, a couple of times sniffing the air, like a wolf scenting prey. Her skin prickled with awareness as she observed him from beneath her lashes. His nostrils flared as his eyes wandered over her in a slow appreciative perusal, coaxing, leading and drawing out a response.

Everywhere he looked, she burned. He paused at her nipples as they beaded under her white T-shirt. He growled deep in his belly. His tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip.

Oh god, he can smell my arousal.

Her traitorous body responded, as she remembered that dangerous tongue from last night. Rachel now knew it had been no dream—it was every bit as real as the man standing before her. He’d fucked her with that wet, smooth, powerful muscle. And dammit, she would let him do it again in a heartbeat.

The material of his loincloth rose with the evidence of his desire.

She couldn’t draw her eyes away from the outline of his massive cock. Her breathing deepened and there was no fighting the attraction. She ached with need.

Rachel imagined his muscle bound body moving on top of her, spreading her thighs, sliding inside, filling her with a cock so long and thick that she’d feel it in the back of her throat by the time he got done fucking her.

She groaned, knowing in the end she would surrender and scream out in ecstasy.
Just like I did last night
.

Her expression must have been obvious, for he smiled, flashing startlingly white teeth against his tanned face. The look he gave her was positively feral.

* * * * *

Eros fought the urge to rut with his woman here on the jungle floor. Her thoughts were driving him to madness. His cock ached from the long hours of thinking about her touching his body, torturing his mind, without being able to do anything about it. If he hadn’t snatched her undergarment last night, he wouldn’t have made it through the night without acting upon his base desires.

But the seer must perform the ceremony first. It was the only way to ensure his fertility.

Rachel’s breasts quivered under his gaze and her nipples beaded. She recalled their intimate joining and he could smell her wetness without having to see or feel it.

Eros looked up to the sky, begging the goddess for strength. Her guidance was the only way he was going to be able to make it to the village without ravishing the woman.

He glanced down at her flat stomach. Their child would soon ripen in her belly, completing the prophecy. That same child, while still in her womb, would possess enough energy to start the transport, leading his people to the new world beyond the stars. Their future babe held the key to his people’s happiness.

Eros took a deep breath to calm his raging hormones. He would wait, until the moment was right and then claim what was rightfully his.

If she would only cooperate and stop tempting him.

He swung her up and threw her over his shoulder, positioning her for the next run. His long fingers lingered on her backside, stroking lightly but avoiding her sex, for what felt like an eternity. Rachel’s pussy was drenched by the time he slid his hand down to rest on her thighs.

Damn him. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.

Her insides jarred with each step he took, and she fought for air. Something hard bit into her thigh and she shifted, trying to gain a more comfortable position. The object in her pocket slid down further and Rachel recalled she’d put her cell phone there during the attack.

She didn’t need her pack after all.

She would have smiled, but the gag had drained every ounce of moisture from her mouth, making it impossible to swallow without a sharp dry pain following. He had one arm slung around her, holding her in place. Silky hair brushed the side of her face, sending shivers of awareness through her hungry body.

From her upside down position she took in his well-rounded backside as he made his way deeper into the thick growth. The animal hide loincloth barely covered his luscious cheeks. She coughed against the gag.

This man has a fine ass.

Muscles flexed and lengthened with his stride. His legs were unusually long and his feet were left uncovered. They were oversized, just like the prints she’d seen in the mud at base camp.

He was there that night at the stream
…watching.

A mixture of fear and excitement coursed through her at the realization. He’d seen her naked. She’d made him groan.

Oh, great, just what I need. A horny Tarzan-like giant holding me captive.

She was getting tired of
this caveman crap. Didn’t he know it went out a long time ago? The ground rushed by at blinding speed. She prayed he didn’t drop her, because from this height it would definitely hurt.

She rested her face against his back, his skin soft against her cheek. He was deeply tanned, but a slightly different shade of brown than the native guides. His skin held a golden hue, almost as if it had been fair at one time.

Interesting…

Rachel searched her mind for a tribe that would have his characteristics, but none in this equatorial vicinity came to mind. No matter, she was sure that once he removed the gag she’d be able to communicate with him and clear this whole mess up.

Chapter Seven

The sun was setting when they reached a tiny clearing. It would be dark in an hour or so. The last of the gold beams waltzed with the outstretched shadows. The wild man had been running for hours. Any normal man would have dropped from exhaustion by now, but not her giant.

He carefully pulled her off his shoulder and set her down, steadying her with his hands, waiting until her legs had enough strength to support her weight. He unsheathed his knife and cut the vines from her mouth and hands, replacing the blade when he’d finished.

Rachel tried to spit the gag out but couldn’t. She grasped the hanky and tugged it from her parched mouth. Her whole body hurt, from head to toe. The giant reached out and clasped her right hand within his own larger callused ones and began to rub it vigorously, until the impressions from the vines faded and her fleshy pink color returned.

Satisfied with the first, he repeated his ministrations with her left hand. The heat generated from his fingers astonished Rachel, and for a second she thought she actually saw them glow. But it must have been a trick of the fading light.

She took a step away from him and looked up. She could see him better, now that his hair was slick with sweat and swept back from his face. Rachel sucked in a startled breath. He’d make the Calvin Klein models green with envy. He was a golden-tressed god.

His beauty stunned Rachel speechless. Not that she could have said anything at that moment with her throat drier than the Mojave.

The giant put his hands together in front of his mouth. A strange whistle-like sound occurred, even though he didn’t appear to be blowing out air. Birds stopped chattering and the monkeys stilled.

A few moments of silence passed and then an answering call pierced the quiet. He made two more consecutive noises that were answered in kind. Then he reached down and picked her up and they were off.

Rachel’s body felt bruised and battered. She wanted to just stay in one place for a while until the continuous rocking motion stopped. They reached another section of thick jungle, and this time he slowed to a walk.

Thank goodness. It’s about time
.

She was pretty sure she had a bruise on her hip from where the phone had been digging into her earlier. His hand rested on her legs, stroking her soothingly, as he strode into some kind of semi-cleared encampment. From her awkward position Rachel could see about thirty-to-forty people peeking out from behind trees, their gazes curious but not alarmed. They looked similar to the man carrying her, unusually tall, well built—all blonde, blue-eyed and beautiful.

Just my luck, I’ve been kidnapped by Amazons,
she thought wryly.

Her eyes fell upon a large man, as dark as the others were fair. His jet-black hair hung past his waist, a leather strap around his forehead holding it away from his fierce face. His jade colored eyes followed them, boring holes right through her with their icy countenance. He was beautiful also, in a harsh, don’t want to meet him in a back alley, sort of way.

Rachel shuddered.

The man frightened her. There was something dangerous about him. She decided it best not to ever piss him off.

The dark-haired man looked up, his gaze moving from hers to the giant who carried her. His face relaxed, as an unspoken understanding passed between the two men. The jade-eyed man nodded, then silent as a predator he turned and strode out of her line of sight.

Rachel tried to look around, but it was difficult given her upside-down position. Her ears were buzzing from the blood rushing to her head. If he set her down too fast she was pretty sure she’d pass out.

Her eyes continued to search the faces of the strange tribe. There didn’t seem to be many women visible, which was strange, but not necessarily unusual. They probably considered
her
a threat.

She wanted to laugh as she imagined her five foot two self being any kind of threat against these giant people. The kids were probably taller than her at birth.

Where were all the children?

The giant carried her to the far end of the compound, then stopped. He made a big production out of gently placing her in a hand woven bark basket, as big as a VW Beetle, his head held high and his arms spread wide. He looked at the curious faces, making eye contact with all before he stepped in behind her.

Rachel couldn’t miss his obvious display and the strange act had her insides twisting into knots. She wasn’t sure of the meaning behind his behavior, but knew she wouldn’t be staying long enough to find out. She had to get away, escape this place, these people.

Rachel wasn’t exactly sure what she’d gotten herself into, but had the distinct impression she’d gone from the frying pan into the fire.

* * * * *

Eros’s eyes met Ares, the dark warrior hunter, as the basket started to rise. It had been a while since Eros had seen his friend. Ares had chosen to live apart from the tribe many moon risings ago. Eros smiled, genuinely happy to see him.

Linking telepathically with Ares, Eros explained what had happened to his future mate.
I want the red-devil dead. I will form a hunting party and we will set out at dawn for—

Ares stopped Eros’s mental tirade by addressing him formally.
My King, what if you’re unable to locate his trail? Let me take care of the red-haired man for you, if he is out there I will find him. You know you cannot kill him, without it destroying the sacredness of your upcoming ceremony.

Eros’s brows furrowed.

Ares continued.
I am unmated, so therefore not needed here in the village. I will check in with you often, updating you with my progress. You must stay and ensure your mate carries your babe within her belly. We cannot afford to lose you at this very crucial time. The entire village is counting on you.

Ares’s eyes met Eros with firm resolve. Eros realized there was no talking his friend out of this mission.

Be well, my brother.
Eros watched Ares fade into the jungle.

* * * * *

Blood rushed from Rachel’s head to her limbs, leaving her dizzy. She started to climb out, but stopped as she felt the basket lift off the ground. Rachel pushed her back as far against the side as possible to keep the basket from tipping.