Jamie's Heart [Amazon Warriors 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (4 page)

Conrad was looking into those eyes now, watching Jamie watch his lips.

Conrad couldn’t help it. He licked his lips, eliciting the same reaction from Jamie. He barely restrained the groan trying to escape him as he watched the delicate tip of Jamie’s tongue move over her full, luscious lips.

The things she could do with those lips.

Conrad cleared his throat and shook his head to regain his focus.

“Talk to me, shorty,” he said with a soft pleading tone, hoping she would trust him with whatever was bothering her.

She punched him in the shoulder.

“Don’t call me that! You know I hate when you call me that.”

“Now that’s the Jamie I know and love, but don’t change the subject,” Conrad said, smiling like a goof.

Jamie looked into his eyes, and he just hoped she found what she was looking for.

“I’m glad you’re back, Conrad,” was all she said before she hurled herself at him, securing her arms around his neck, giving him the hug he’d been expecting and looking forward to since he got back home.

Conrad could see the definition in her muscled arms from her use of the longbow, but they were as sleek and feminine as any woman’s.

“It’s good to see you, too, shorty. I just wish it wasn’t like this. Why won’t you talk to me? Is it Delila? My sister? What?” Conrad asked, almost desperate. He wanted to be able to take all of Jamie’s troubles and worries away.

“Please, Conrad, not now. Just let me enjoy having my best friend back,” Jamie pleaded with him.

“No.”

“What?” Jamie asked him, sounding shocked. “What do you mean
no
?”

“I mean no, we’re not putting this off, Jamie. I want to know why you’re acting so distant with me so I can help you. You speak to me about everything. I don’t get why you won’t speak to me now.”

Jamie didn’t say anything, just looked away from him.

“It’s because of my sister, isn’t it?” Conrad asked, lifting his chin stubbornly.

“What! No! Well…yes, but…no.” Jamie practically shouted in his face as she whipped her head back around to look at him.

Jamie’s hold around his neck tightened, bringing them closer together.

“God, Conrad, it’s not like that. Don’t even think like that,” Jamie said, practically shaking him. “I grew up with Steph, too. She’s like a sister to me and one of my best friends. I don’t know what Steph was thinking when she went with Delila, but there was a good reason for it. I believe that. You should, too.”

Jamie released a defeated sigh and loosened her hold on him. Conrad told himself that he was
not
disappointed by that.

“Then what is it, Jamie?”

“Even though I believe Steph knew what she was doing, I’m still worried about her. I can only imagine what you and your family are going through. You shouldn’t have to listen to my stupid, little worries.”

Conrad was stunned…and furious. He looked Jamie straight in the eye and, through clenched teeth, said, “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Yes, I’m worried about Steph, but you’re my family, too.” Conrad took a minute to calm down, and eventually he lost some of his initial anger.

In a softer tone, Conrad went on. “I care about what happens to you. I’ve known you most of your life, and you have grown into a strong and confident woman. Nothing you could be worrying about will be
stupid
or
little
,” Conrad mocked, trying to lighten the mood.

Conrad watched as a hesitant smile teased the side of Jamie’s lips.

“It’s just…” When Jamie started opening up, albeit reluctantly, Conrad was overwhelmed with relief. “So much has happened in the last month that I haven’t had the chance to talk to Crimson about firing that arrow. Others have tried to take credit for what I did, which in itself is annoying, but I’ve found out that anyone claiming to have taken that shot under twenty-five years old, Crimson dismisses them, believing them to be too young and incapable of making that shot. That just pisses me off.”

“Hey.”

“Why can’t I, a twenty-one-year-old warrior in training, have fired that shot?” Jamie was sounding more irate with every word she spoke.

“Jamie.”

“I thought Crimson was more open-minded than that.”

Conrad didn’t want to watch Jamie work herself up anymore, so he did the only thing he could think to do to calm her down.

He kissed her.

It was a brief meeting of lips, but it was enough to make Jamie tense and appeared to shock her into silence. She just stared at him in utter confusion.

“Have you spoken to Jordon about this?” Conrad asked as if nothing had happened.

“Err…um…no.” He watched as Jamie shook her head as if to clear it. Conrad smirked to himself, secretly pleased that his kiss had affected her so much.

“She’s been trying to get me to talk to Crimson for ages. She doesn’t think it should matter that there’s so much other stuff going on. I know she just wants me to get the credit I deserve, but I just don’t feel right about it. Crimson is understandably focusing on trying to find out where Delila and her followers are and what they’re doing, not who shot an arrow. Besides, if Jordon found out about people taking credit and Crimson dismissing trainees as too young…she would go ape-shit crazy.”

Now it was Conrad’s turn to snort.

“Look, you have a right to be pissed off. This whole situation isn’t fair to you, but I also agree that you’re right in not coming forward yet. You have an amazing skill, and you deserve credit for killing that Cyclops, and you’ll get it. I’ll make sure you do, but the tribe, and obviously Crimson, are really shook up and distracted by what happened. If you come forward now, you won’t get the recognition you deserve.”

Jamie nodded in agreement, seeming more relaxed.

“Besides, this way, when things settle down, you’ll get to prove our fearless leader wrong.”

Just as Conrad hoped, Jamie laughed softly.

“You really believe all that?”

“Hell yeah.” Conrad answered quickly and with confidence. It bordered on arrogance, and he knew it.

“Thanks,” Jamie snorted before she beamed her beautiful smile at him as she released her hold on Conrad and pushed his head under the water.

Conrad came to the surface with a grin on his face. He’d missed messing around with Jamie. He scanned the surface of the water looking for her.

“I’m gonna get you for that, shorty!” he shouted into the night, knowing his nickname for her would get her attention.

Conrad heard a noise behind him and turned just in time to get a splash of water in his face. He reached for Jamie, but he was still startled by the cold water hitting his face, and she got away from him.

When he refocused, Conrad swam after Jamie, but her strength made her quicker, and she started to pull away from him. So, as all Amazon males were taught to do, he started thinking tactically.

As Conrad silently submerged himself in the watery depths, he heard her laugh. He loved seeing and hearing her so carefree.

Conrad had known for a number of years that Jamie had feelings for him, but he couldn’t allow himself to return those feelings. Jamie and Jordon had joined his family when they were ten years old and he was twelve. They were like his sisters, but Conrad had to admit to himself that, as the years went by, it was getting harder to ignore the amazing and beautiful woman Jamie had become. She was no longer the awkward girl, desperate to grow up and hanging on his every word.

Now, though, she was a strong, independent, and confident Amazon warrior. Jamie may not have graduated yet, but Conrad knew she was already a warrior through and through. On top of all that, she had grown into a stunningly beautiful woman.

Thinking about her now, Conrad didn’t feel anything remotely brotherly toward Jamie.

Conrad was brought out of his musings when he heard Jamie shouting out for him.

“Where are you? I’m not falling for it. You’re trying to trick me, but you’re gonna have to breathe sometime.”

While she was distracted in her search, he used all the stealth he had been trained to possess and maneuvered his way behind her.

Conrad thrust himself up through the murky depths of the reservoir and wrapped his arms around her chest, pinning Jamie’s arms to her side. He knew he had surprised her, but like the true warrior she was, all she did was release a relieved sigh and relax into his embrace.

Conrad knew he shouldn’t allow this to happen. Jamie would get the wrong idea about them, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He told himself it was because she was his friend, she was upset, and she needed comfort. Conrad refused to admit that he had missed her and he need the connection they shared as much as she did.

Jamie turned in Conrad’s arms and wrapped hers around his neck. They gazed at each other as he waded through the water, backing Jamie up against a post of the jetty.

She buried her face in the crook of Conrad’s neck, and they just rested there for a minute, neither of them seeming to know what to do next.

Jamie then turned her head toward his neck and pressed a light touch of her lips to the nape of his neck.

Conrad closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of her. He knew he should stop her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

When he didn’t protest, Jamie continued her sensual assault. The kisses to his neck became more frequent and firm. She gradually moved her way up his neck, along his jawline, to the side of his face.

Conrad could feel her pull back to look at him, so he slowly opened his eyes to meet her look of nervousness and the question in her eyes. He still couldn’t bring himself to say anything. At that moment he was mute.

Keeping their eyes locked, she pulled herself once again toward him. Ever so softly she kissed her lips to his, and it was the sweetest kiss he had ever received.

His resolve to resist the gorgeous young woman in his arms was crumbling, and Jamie could obviously see that as she pressed their mouths together more firmly, licking the seam of his lips.

Jamie was no longer asking for his permission but demanding he give as much as she gave.

Her determination broke through his last mental barrier. He was no longer holding his best friend that he grew up with in his arms, but a sexy, young Amazon warrior woman who wanted him fiercely.

Conrad would have been stupid to resist what she was offering.

He spread his lips and thrust his tongue into Jamie’s eager mouth, both of them trying to take control of the kiss. No matter what Jamie did, she was a fighter, always determined to win. Conrad loved that about her, but he wasn’t going to let her win this battle.

Conrad released her mouth and pulled back. They were both gasping for breath, but she was trying to pull him back in with her hands around his neck.

“Stop!”

Jamie eased up immediately, but her face dropped and she looked defeated. She must have thought he meant stop kissing him, but the train was already in motion. There was no stopping it now.

“Not in here.” Conrad stressed as he grinded himself against Jamie, hoping it would reassure her that he wouldn’t and couldn’t back out of what was happening between them now.

“Besides, we’ve been in here so long we’re pruny, and the cold water is chasing my dick and balls back into my body.”

Jamie smiled a cheeky smile as she removed an arm from around his neck and down his body until she reached his cock. She grabbed it as if she owned it, making him moan.

“Still feels pretty impressive to me.”

She’s trying to kill me.

Conrad moved his hands from her waist and curved them underneath her impressively tight ass. He groaned as Jamie rubbed herself against him.

Conrad waded through the water toward the shore.

When they reached the shore, Conrad placed Jamie on her feet. She looked serious and scared. She was overthinking, and that wouldn’t help either of them, so he slowly got down to his knees, never once breaking eye contact.

He suppressed his grin, not wanting her to guess his intentions.

When he was on his knees, his eyes level with her pussy—God, how he wanted to see her pussy—he placed his hands on her hips and slowly stroked his way down her strong, powerful thighs. It was a sensual touch, intended to distract Jamie from his real intentions. Conrad looked up to see Jamie biting the side of her bottom lip, showing just how much she enjoyed his touch.

Conrad smiled to himself as his hands moved behind Jamie’s knees.

He pulled her sharply toward himself.

Jamie fell to her knees, and he instantly pushed her to her back.

“You bastard!”

They were both laughing as Conrad crawled over Jamie’s wet body.

When they looked into each other’s eyes, the laughter stopped.

A shiver raced through Jamie’s body that had nothing to do with the cold.

Jamie couldn’t believe this was finally happening. She had waited for this, for Conrad for so long it felt like a dream.

Conrad’s face hovered over hers and Jamie couldn’t resist, she reached up and framed his face with her hands, pulling him down into a scorching kiss.

Jamie had craved Conrad’s kiss for years, and it was better than she’d ever imagined.

It was an intense and passionate kiss that had both of them moving against each other.

Jamie moved her hands from Conrad’s face to his back, loving the feel of his powerful muscles moving under her eager touch. Gradually, taking her time, Jamie moved her hands down to the hem of his soaking wet T-shirt that was clinging to his impressive torso. She couldn’t wait any longer to see Conrad’s naked chest, so Jamie ripped his shirt in half and off his shoulders.

Nothing was going to get in the way of their kiss.

Removing his shirt revealed the most gorgeous man underneath. She had seen a lot of topless men during training, but in her opinion, Conrad was in a league of his own.

Jamie discarded the scraps of Conrad’s T-shirt on the surrounding shore.

She watched as Conrad pulled back and, with a smirk on his face, sat up, straddling her hips.