His Lost Mate (A Steamy Paranormal Romance Novel) (20 page)

The black silhouette of the pyramid loomed tall and appeared malevolent against the starry sky. Deven’s flashlight illuminated a small island of light at his feet.

“Let’s take a walk around the pyramid,” Jim said.

The two men split up and headed in opposite directions around the perimeter of the stone structure.

* * *

Lauren peeked out the tent, watching Deven and Jim disappear on the trail to the dig. Deven had grabbed his gun and rushed out before she could stop him. He hadn’t even stopped to put on a shirt. And now, in the dim light from the flashlights, she saw the shadowy outlines of cut muscles in his arms and back. She also saw the pistol gripped in his hand. The sight gave her a wicked thrill.

She knew there was no intruder, no antiquity thief. The man whom Deven saw was Muan. The moment she saw the silhouette of the figure standing on the path, she could tell it was Muan. His feathered headdress extended high above his head and in his hand, he held his spear.

She doubted Deven would believe her that the intruder was a ghost of an ancient Mayan shaman. He’d more than likely think she was losing her mind. She wondered how long they would search before giving up for the night.

Another figure appeared at the edge of the woods. A guard, but she couldn’t tell if it was Andreas or Diego. They were both about the same height—shorter than Lauren—and both slim. Justin and Kyle must be oblivious to all the excitement, since she hadn’t noticed any light or heard any movement in their tents. The same was true for Sylvia’s and Margaret’s tents. The camp seemed quiet except for the breeze moaning through the trees and the incessant cacophony of insects. She stifled a long yawn and checked her watch—three thirty. She felt guilty having Jim, Deven and the guards frantically searching for an intruder that wasn’t there.

A jolt of fear hit her. She’d been at the dig with Muan again, digging up that piece of pottery, because when she was washing her hands in the bathhouse she found dirt caked under her nails. What if Deven examined the dig and noticed that the pottery was removed from the hole at her grid?

She’d talk to Margaret in the morning. If Deven feared they were endangered by antiquity thieves or the paramilitary, he might make the crew leave and Lauren didn’t want to leave. She would have to tell him there were no thieves, only ghosts, and her walking in her sleep, but she had no idea how.

Lauren considered going back to her tent. Every muscle in her body begged for sleep, but Deven had told her to stay in his tent until he returned. She noticed the two guards wandering around the CUB. The glow of cigarettes slowly moved up to their mouths. They probably thought Deven imagined the intruder.

After a half hour, Lauren gave up waiting for Deven and decided to go back to her tent. She crept outside and instantly two flashlights blinded her. “It’s Lauren,” she said.

They lowered their lights and took several steps closer. “You stay in your tent now,” one of the guards said. “There was an intruder.”

“I heard. I was waiting here for news, but I’m tired so I’m going back to my tent, okay?” Right, like the guards haven’t figured out there’s something going on between her and Deven.

“Sure, sure,” the other guard said with a chuckle.

Inside her tent, she climbed onto her cot, drawing the blankets over her. She pressed her face into her pillow and tried to push aside images of ghosts. No more visions or dreams tonight. Instead she let her thoughts settle on Deven and the hardness of his body when they kissed. His kisses were very thorough and sensual. If all men only knew how much women liked to be kissed like that.

A swirling tingle at the pit of her stomach made her realize how much she wanted him. Sex was at the back of both their minds. Why wouldn’t he admit it? She checked her watch. Three forty-five. She groaned. Sleep, she needed sleep.

Had she been to the dig and freed the pottery vessel tonight? And what if the chisel was there beneath it like Muan said?

She sighed heavily. She was having difficulty deciphering between dreams and reality. She had to tell Deven. What kind of relationship could she hope for if she kept things as important as this from him?

A pang of sadness hit her. His belief in the supernatural world differed greatly from hers. She didn’t know if it was possible to respect each other’s beliefs and still be close.

Lauren had noticed the sparks flying between Margaret and Jim and envied their natural ease when they were together. How she wished things could be like that between her and Deven. The attraction was there as well as tension too.

She stretched and yawned, then snuggled deeper under the blanket.

* * *

Deven peered into the darkness of the jungle. Everything looked and sounded peaceful, but he was still uneasy. Antiquity thieves were part of the job hazards of an archaeologist, and a lone bandit was more of an annoyance than a serious safety issue. He expected the intruder was a local trying to gather a few pieces and make a few bucks at the flea market. A report to the CIA would only bring several authorities out there and interfere with his excavation.

A beam of light from Jim’s flashlight came around the other side of the pyramid. He walked up to Deven. “Seems quiet to me. Didn’t notice anything out of place. What do you think?”

“The man I saw appeared to be wearing a headdress, like an ancient ceremonial adornment for a Mayan shaman. Would the Lacandon wear something like that?”

Jim shrugged. “I’ve never seen them wear ceremonial clothing. They’re very private.”

“How far is their settlement from here?”

“About two or three miles. Margaret said they might come back tomorrow.”

“Good. If they do, ask them about it. See if anyone from their tribe has been out here tonight.”

“I’ll do that. Should we head back?”

Deven gave one more look around and agreed. They walked around to the front of the pyramid. “Let’s take one more look at the dig. I want to make sure nothing was tampered with.”

“Okay, let’s make it quick. I’d like to get back so Margaret doesn’t worry.”

Deven smiled. “How long have you and Margaret been an item?”

Jim laughed. “Since the field program’s last visit. We’ve kept in touch since then. She’s a great lady.”

“I have to agree.” Deven walked over to the grids and lifted one of the tarps. “Long-distance relationships can be tough though.”

“We manage.”

As they approached the roped-off grids, Deven squatted and raised the tarp on one. “Justin has been working on this one. Looks fine.” He walked over to another grid square and lifted another tarp, found the grid undisturbed, then covered it with the tarp and secured it with rocks.

Jim raised the last tarp. “Oh, there’s an artifact under this one. Someone didn’t bag it yet.”

“That’s Lauren’s grid. She hasn’t completely unburied that piece yet.”

“Well, it’s completely uncovered now. It’s resting here on the side.”

Deven crossed his arms and breathed out a long slow breath. “That wasn’t the way she left it this afternoon. Someone has been out here this evening. I don’t understand why they didn’t take the vessel.”

“Maybe we surprised them and they took off.”

“I think we do have a thief lurking. I’ll let the guards know.”

When they got back to camp, Deven stepped inside his tent and shone his flashlight around the interior. Damn, he’d told her to wait. She shouldn’t have gone back to her tent alone—not with a possible intruder in the camp. There’s a stubborn streak in that one. A sick feeling clawed at his gut. Lauren had been acting strangely earlier. Had she been sleepwalking? She had gone back to her tent, hadn’t she?

He rubbed his face with his hand. Seriously, who was he kidding? He was looking for any excuse to go to her tent tonight and he wouldn’t sleep until he did. He found her conflicting innocence and sensuality very appealing and hard to resist as well as her penchant for exploring and learning new things. He wondered if she was as adventurous in bed.

He hadn’t expected to feel so strongly attracted to her so quickly. She was hot. Her body, her kisses, everything about the woman was alluring, intoxicating and disruptive to his sleep. He wanted her, wanted to go to her tent and slip in bed beside her and take her, fuck her until the sun came up. His cock throbbed and grew hard.

Deven hoped like hell he wasn’t wrong about this, or he was about to make a real fool of himself. Gripping the flashlight tightly, he strode toward Lauren’s tent. His throat tightened as he reached her door and whispered, “Lauren.” No answer and for a moment panic chilled his blood. “Lauren,” he said louder.

The zipper opened with a whoosh. “Deven, what are you doing?”

Fuck, I shouldn’t have come
. “I’m sorry if I woke you. I wanted to…”

“Shhhh. Come in.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him inside. “Did you…find anything?” She rubbed her eyes and brushed her tousled hair with her hands. She sat on her cot and crossed her ankles. She was only wearing a long T-shirt. Underneath, her legs and feet were bare.

Looking away, he said, “I…we didn’t find anyone. Maybe a local, curious about the dig. Probably one of the Lacandon Indians.” He didn’t tell her that their intruder finished digging up her pottery artifact. In the morning, when they went out to the site, he’d show her. Too late to discuss it tonight.

“The guards are patrolling the area, so you don’t need to worry.” Chrissake, how lame did he sound?

“I’m not worried.” Slowly she stood, crossed and uncrossed her arms then dropped them at her sides. “Sorry I left. I got tired.” Her voice sounded breathy and silky as she moved closer, facing him. Her warm breath scurried across his skin at the base of his throat.

He shivered and heat stirred in his groin. “No problem.” Her sleep-tousled hair hung in her eyes and the desire to run his fingers through the blonde strands was nearly overwhelming. “I should go then.”

“Is that the only reason you came?” She pushed her hair back and narrowed her eyes.

“No.” His fists clenched and he didn’t make a move to leave.

An awkward silence stretched between them. Her gaze held his. The sultry look of desire in the glow of his flashlight made his heart race. Then she reached down to his hand gripping the flashlight and flipped off the switch. They were engulfed in darkness.

“We were casting shadows. Someone could see.” Her hand slowly glided up his arm and around his neck.

His cock was sorely hard now.

“Good thinking,” he whispered against her ear.

She took a deep breath. “You could…”

He knew what she was going to say before she said it.

“You could stay…here.”

Professional coolness be damned. He only hesitated a second, then dropped the flashlight on the side table and grabbed her arms, pulling her against his body. Through her T-shirt, he felt her nipples harden but resisted fondling them for the moment. He fought the urge to pounce on her although every nerve cried out to take her now, fiercely. They could make love another time where he could take his time and explore every inch of her. The connection he felt with her was more than just a raw need for sex. Something deeper, something that reached his soul, he couldn’t explain it. The intensity of the emotion rising within him surprised the hell out of him.

Pressing his cheek to her hair, he took in the scent of lemon and spice. Then he lightly brushed his lips to hers and felt her mouth open for him. He held back, teasing her with his mouth until he heard her breath catch. “Yes…I’ll stay,” he whispered.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her, feeling her body mold perfectly to his. As he ran the tip of his tongue over her lips, she opened her mouth against his and a soft moan of desperate anticipation escaped her lips. He gave into his desires in a bruising kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and playing with hers. Any remaining control rushed out of him.

“I want you,” she whispered.

“I’ve wanted you ever since that night at the lake.” He groaned when she slid her hands down to his hips, grinding her body along his length. Every moan, every quiver of her body spoke her need and tormented him.

There was so much he wanted to say to her, but his mind would only focus on the sensations—the feel of her body and his own response to her touch. The intensity of the heat between them was beyond words.

He gave in to it.

His hands slipped under her T-shirt and cupped her breasts with both hands. They were full and firm to his gentle squeezing. When he rubbed her nipples with the palm of his hand, she moaned and tugged at her shirt. He yanked her shirt over her head, surprised he didn’t tear it, and dropped it on the floor. The first contact of silky skin against his chest sent a liquid rush of desire through his veins straight to his cock and he had to tighten his muscles to ease the current threatening to take him on a wild ride out of control. He craved her, but he wanted to linger over every inch of her and make it last.

He started squeezing her breasts again and when he pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, she pressed her breast against his hand, encouraging him to play harder.

“Oh Deven.”

Damn
. He wanted to turn on a light and see her beautiful body, but a light in the tent would surely cast compromising shadows. Discretion was a better plan for both their sakes.

Eyes closed, Deven fused his lips to her pliant ones, capturing her soft whimpers and tangling his tongue with hers. When he pulled away to trail kisses along the hollow of her neck, she sucked in air, lifting her breasts. He moved a little lower and took a nipple into his mouth, teasing it with the tip of his tongue, gently placing pressure with his teeth until she groaned.

“Don’t you dare leave without fucking me tonight.” She gripped his shaft through his pants.

“Mmmm. Not a chance.” When he tugged her against his body again, feeling the warm softness of her breasts, his erection bulged painfully against his pants. He ground his shaft against her hand. “You feel too damn good. How could I leave?”

Then he felt her tugging at the button on his jeans. “Off,” she ordered between panting breaths. “I want these off.”