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His tongue followed the rhythm their bodies set. He dipped in and out, rolling his hips, so he could take her deep with every thrust. Their lovemaking wasn’t as hurried as it had been the first joining. This time they savored their connection, enjoying the musk floating in the air and the gentle glide of skin on skin.

His rings vibrated and she cried out, her back bowing until her hair touched the water. She locked her ankles around him, suctioning him deep into her body. The rings vibrated again, sending them both into an unexpected orgasm. Orion’s muscles shook as he supported their bodies until their breathing slowed and Brigit was able to dismount from his cock and stand on her own. Reluctantly, he released her. She walked through the water, a contented smile on her face.

She turned as she stepped out of the pool. “Will I see you again?”

Orion stood in the center of the pond, shock waves reverberating throughout his body. “‘Tis certain.”

“Don’t take too long,” she said, then disappeared into the woods.

Orion’s eyes sprang open and he grabbed a nearby branch to keep from tumbling out of the tree. His body continued to tremble from his recent release as his surroundings slowly came into focus. He sat perched above Brigit’s tent. The animals of the day already started to rise. The sun would be up within the hour. The dream had lasted all night. Today, the party would start across the river after they took in nourishment. That’s when he’d make his move.

* * * * *

Brigit awoke after having the most delicious wet dream about Orion. The kind that made the whole world look brighter and the birds sound cheerier. At least that’s what she thought as she dressed and stepped out of her tent. Her body felt like she’d been pleasured thoroughly. Even now, her clit seemed overly sensitized. She figured it must be the jungle air. The men sat around the fire, eating their breakfast. She stretched her arms above her head and gave them a big smile.

They looked at each other with strange expression upon their faces, but said nothing.

“Come,
Senorita
. Have some breakfast.” Angel encouraged. “Once we get across the river it won’t take long to reach the village.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Brigit took the food he offered and devoured it. She felt like she could eat a water buffalo this morning. Her muscles twinged again in reminder. That was one hell of a dream. Course, Orion was one hell of a man.

They broke camp an hour later, tethering the bags and supplies with thick ropes, so that the river could sweep nothing away. Nervous chatter filtered throughout the men. Brigit approached Angel a minute later.

“What are they worried about?”

Angel swept the hat off his head and wiped a rag over his sweat-drenched face. “The river is swift and dangerous due to flooding upstream. There are anaconda and black caiman in these waters. The men are worried. Every year we lose a few from our village to these superior hunters.”

Brigit gaped at the water, then swung her attention back to Angel. “There are giant snakes and what in the water?”

“Black caiman.”

She frowned.

“They are like your American alligators.”

“Oh my God!” She glanced up and down the shore. “Aren’t there any boats or ferries that can take us across?”

Angel frowned in confusion.

“El boat-o, El Ferry-o,” she said again, rowing in the air for emphasis, hoping that explained everything.

He shook his head.

Brigit shrieked in frustration and more than a little fear. “We can’t get in the water with those things. We’ll be eaten.”

The men’s voices rose. Their gazes darted from side to side.

“
Senorita
, please calm yourself. You’re upsetting the men.” Angel placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Brigit brushed it off as panic set in. “I’m upsetting the men. There are animals in that water that have big teeth,” she held her arms wide, “and long slithery bodies that can crush the life out of you.” She squeezed herself for emphasis.

“
Sí
.” Angel nodded and shoved his hat onto his head. “
Senorita
, if you want to find your friends, we have to cross the river. There is no other way.”

Brigit stared at the churning water. “Jac and Rachel, screw you both. I can’t believe you guys would do this to me,” she muttered to herself, then stepped toward the water, brushing unexpected tears from her eyes.

“Load up,” Angel commanded. “
Senorita
, you stay in the middle. It’ll be safer that way.” He grabbed her elbow and pulled her back.

Brigit nodded, cursing Rachel and Jac all the way to the middle of the line. If she lived through this, she was going to kick both their asses.

Angel took the lead, stepping into the swirling water up to his shin. He gave Brigit a nervous smile and proceeded deeper into the river. The rest of the men followed behind him. Brigit removed her mosquito netting from her head and hoped the water didn’t get too deep or she’d have to swim for it.

* * * * *

Orion watched the group enter the river, then dove in with a splash.

“What was that?” Brigit called out, her head whipping around.

The lead guide shrugged and tightened his grip on his rifle.

Orion swam a few feet, fighting the current long enough to send out an energy pulse to scare away the larger predators. He then took a deep breath and dove below the surface, swimming hard toward the group. He only had one shot at grabbing her in this current. Orion wanted to avoid having to fight all the men, so he couldn’t afford to miss.

The murky water clouded his vision to the point he reverted to searching by touch. He reached out a couple of times only to close his hands around a tree limb. One thing he clasped slithered away and almost cost him the air in his lungs. He finally found the small party. He gathered silt in his fist and then touched each person one by one until he’d counted seven in. He knew the next leg he grabbed would be Brigit’s.

He leaned close and saw her tan pants. The next second he yanked. Even underwater Orion heard her scream. He dragged her kicking body away from the group and swam hard downstream toward the shore. His lungs burned, demanding oxygen.

He clamped a palm over Brigit’s mouth to prevent her from inhaling water, only to have her bite him. He surfaced, filling his lungs with a huge gulp of air, then dove back down. Brigit was thrashing in a panic from not being able to breathe. Orion pressed his mouth to hers and exhaled, filling her lungs with much needed oxygen.

He moved them further down the river, until they were too far away for the guides to see them, then shot toward the surface with Brigit’s limp body in his arms. She sputtered and gasped, choking on water while trying to breathe. Orion thumped her back to help.

“What the?” she asked blinking the wetness away. “How—what are you doing here? Come back to the scene of the crime, eh?” She coughed the last of the water out of her lungs, then smacked him on the arm. “You scared the shit out of me. I thought an anaconda or a caiman grabbed me and dragged me under.”

Orion rubbed the spot she hit, but was otherwise pleased she was unharmed. “I came here to show you something I should have revealed at your gathering a few days ago.”

Brigit frowned. “I should let the men know that I’m all right. They may be worried.”

“‘Tis better they believe you are dead.”

She backed away fear swimming in her eyes.

Frustration boiled over in Orion. “I will not hurt you. I have told you thusly. Why do you insist on believing otherwise?”

“I heard you talking about the jungle back in the hotel room with a woman and now here you are. Not exactly a coincidence. You know things about Jac and Rachel—like the fact they’re missing. Let’s face it; you haven’t exactly given me any reason to trust you.”

He flinched at her words. “Then come with me and I’ll give you
every
reason to believe what I say is the truth.”

Wary, Brigit glanced at the swirling river as if debating her chances of escape.

“If what I say is not so, I shall return you to the men you hired and they can lead you out of the jungle and back to where you belong,” he said, knowing full well she belonged by his side.

“Fine! But can you at least tell me where we’re going?”

Orion smiled, running his hands along her arms. He didn’t miss the quick intake of breath or the dilation in her pupils. “I am taking you to my spaceship.”

* * * * *

Two hours later…

“I thought you said your ship was here.” Brigit’s hands rested on her wide hips as she slowly turned in a circle, searching the clearing.

Orion frowned. “It was right here.” He pressed a button on his wrist.

“Is it invisible like Wonder Woman’s plane?” She cocked a brow.

“You know I do not have any idea who that is.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s right. You’re not from around these parts.” She shook her head. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

He glanced up from his wrist. “My ship has a camouflaging device built in to hide its presence from the primitive radar system on this planet.”

Brigit snorted. “It works so good you can’t even find it. Is there someone we can ask for directions? Oh, I forgot, men don’t ask for directions. I guess some things are constant no matter what planet you’re from.”

Orion scowled. “We’re in the right place.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” she said nodding to appease the crazy man.

He looked around. “It has to be here.”

“We could try yelling “olly, olly, oxen free” and see if it comes out of hiding.”

“A ship cannot hide.”

She laughed. “Well yours is doing a pretty good job.”

Orion’s eyes narrowed. “You are not helping,” he said before tapping the buttons on his wrist.

“Sorry, oh mighty warrior, what would you like me to do? Go beat the bushes with a stick.”

He turned and leveled his gaze on her. “I know what has occurred.”

“You finally realize there never was a ship.” She ran her hands through her hair.

“No.”

Brigit tilted her head. “Are you going to fill me in?”

Orion’s lips twitched.

She didn’t like the sudden change in his demeanor.

“Gladly, later,” he said. Orion’s gaze raked her, pausing at the vee of her legs, then moving slowly to her breasts. A second later, his mouth split into a lascivious grin.

Brigit’s nipples pebbled and her clit throbbed. “Stop that!” Her voice came out as a breathy command. “We don’t have time.” She moved back as her fight or flight response kicked in.

“Actually…” Orion stepped forward. “Now that Cassandra has taken the ship into orbit around this planet, we have all the time in the world.”

“Who the hell is Cassandra? You better not tell me she’s your wife.” Brigit threatened, intending to cause Orion bodily harm, if he gave her the wrong answer.

He laughed. “She is a fellow Atlantean, who came here to find her true-mate. I have not lain with her.”

“Lain?” She frowned, then her expression cleared. “Oh, you mean fucked her.”

“
Quarg
! Such a crude language you have.” Orion shook his head.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, tomato,
tomahto
! Is that the truth?”

His fingers moved to the front of his costume. He pulled it away, exposing the muscled planes of his chest, then slowly crossed his heart. “Cross my sternum and hope to drive.”

“Okay.” Brigit pressed her lips together to keep from laughing, or was it to keep from drooling? She doubted she’d ever tire of seeing this man sans clothes. She inhaled. The orchids growing nearby smelled intoxicating and left her feeling dizzy. Or maybe it was from standing so close to a half-naked Orion. She tore her gaze away from his flesh and glanced down at the ground. “We can’t do it here.” She pointed at the moss and ferns lining the jungle floor. “There are bugs and worms underneath there.”

Orion threw his head back and laughed. When his gaze returned to her face, his smile faded. A look of concentration shadowed his expression. Sweat broke out across his brow and his hands began to glow. A golden beam shot out from his palm a moment later, creating a spot large enough to encompass two adult bodies. “It will be fine now. I have repelled the miniature crawling creatures,” he said, reaching for her.

Brigit jumped, not realizing he’d covered the distance separating them. “I’m not even going to ask how you did that or what you just did. I don’t think I want to know.”

“Good, because the time for talk is over.” He reached for her and ran a rough palm down her arm.

Brigit trembled. “We-we—”

Orion’s mouth enveloped hers, cutting her words off. Brigit sank into the kiss as he worked his lips back and forth over hers. His teeth nipped her and she opened, allowing him to sink his tongue deep inside. She moaned as the wild taste of him exploded her senses. The man could kiss like a bandit.

His fingers slid to the front of her shirt and began popping buttons out of their holes. Orion’s knuckles grazed her flesh inch by tantalizing inch until her shirt fell open, exposing her lace bra. He pulled back from the embrace to stare at the front of her. Emotions swam in the depths of his eyes. For an instant, the intensity scared Brigit. Before she could react to that fear, he recaptured her mouth, drugging her with his kisses. They were both naked in a matter of seconds.

Orion sank down onto the jungle floor, removing the rest of her clothes before pulling Brigit on top of him. “You should be safe enough here from the small creatures.” His lips curled at the corners mischievously.

Brigit smiled back. “Safe? With you?” She laughed, but the sound cut short when Orion bucked his hips, sending his cock sliding through her already flowing juices. The rings around his shaft began to glow, and then vibrate. Brigit whimpered, grinding her pussy into him until her clit made contact with the rings. Her lids dropped as her eyes rolled back in her head.

She barely felt Orion’s hands grip her hips and lift her. Her eyes flew open the second she sank down onto his fully erect cock. “I will never get over the feel of you entering me.”

“You don’t have to,” he grit out between clenched teeth.