“What is this place?” Raven asked, her voice echoing eerily as she walked up to his side.
“Damned if I know.”
“Do you think the treasure is here?”
Reed pulled out the map and looked at the drawing. “Ah, there is an “X” on top of the blob so…” His brow creased from staring at the aged parchment.
“Can I see it?”
The paper made a crinkling sound as Reed held it up in the air so she could look at it. Raven noticed he didn’t hand it to her. Her stomach clenched. What the hell? Did he think she was going to steal it and run away? Before she could voice her concerns though, the water started to bubble in front of them. “WH-what is that?” Raven looked past the paper toward the rippling water. A shiver of dread slid her spine.
“Maybe it is one of those damn booby-traps you’ve been talking about?” Reed grabbed hold of her and pulled her backward toward the opening they had just come through.
“I don’t think we should be here,” she whispered, keeping her eyes trained on the moving water.
“I don’t either.” He grabbed her hand and jerked her backward further.
“What about the treasure?” She stumbled over a rock.
“Forget about it.”
“But…” She dug her feet in, pulling against him.
“Raven, let’s go.”
The water burbled, spurring her to move. “Okay, let’s go.” Her moment of courage fleeing quickly. “
With Reed, pulling her along, they ran back into the passageway, over rocks, sliding past the closed spaces they had just come through.
Reed stopped abruptly.
“Why are you stopping?” she panted, pushing up against his back.
“There’s a door.”
“A door?” she asked dumbfounded. “How is there a door down here and how are we going to get in?”
Reed reached out and turned the handle. The door swung open easily. “I think…” he shook his head, hardly believing what was before his eyes. “ Holy shit!” he exhaled and dropped her hand, stepping forward as though he was in a daze.
“What?” She pushed around him and froze dead in her tracks. The small room in front of them was literally filled with treasure. Gold, silver, and jewels twinkled in heaps covering the floor, spilling from large chests. “OH MY!” she gasped.
It was too much to take, her legs buckled beneath her. She was going down. Before she hit the ground, Reed caught her in his strong arms. “We did it!” he exclaimed excitedly, lifting her up and spinning her in circles, laughing. “I can’t believe it…” He shook his head mesmerized by what he was seeing. “We actually found it. Unbelievable,” he said with a hefty amount of shock and awe. He set her on her feet, grabbed up handfuls of coins, and held them out to her, smiling broadly. “My God, Raven, we are rich!” He tossed the coins in at the air. They showered down to the ground, clinking on top of each other.
She blinked several times still not able to digest what she was seeing.
Reed gave her a euphoric smile and plucked a jeweled crown out of the chest. “My Queen,” he said placing it on her head and then bent at his waist and flourished his arm like a titled gentlemen or knight.
She lifted her hand and steadied it on her head.
Reed walked over to one of the chest and pulled a sword off the ground. A raven claw wrapped around a red jewel was in the top. “Wow this is heavy.” He lifted it in the air and released a shrill battle cry. The sound reverberated throughout the room.
Chills sprang up on her skin. A vision of a knight forced its way into her mind, holding that very same sword aloft his long dark hair blowing wildly. “Reed…”
He turned toward her a shiver of unease sliding over him. “Raven…you all right?”
The image faded, and once again, it was Reed in front of her. She shook her head. “Yeah, I mean… it was weird. When you did that, I didn’t see you any longer but instead, ah…the Knight, wielding that same sword.”
“Really?” he said, sounding excited by the prospect. “You think this was his sword?”
“Yeah, I am guessing it is a high probability.”
“Wow.” He turned the blade in his hand, looking at it with something akin to awe. “So this is the treasure then, his ill begotten ones. The ones everyone has been looking for?” He set the sword down reverently and looked back at her.
She nodded her head, making her crown slide over her brow. She pushed it up. “Reed there is literally millions in this room, maybe more.”
“I know,” he said, smiling broadly, reminding her of a child with his very first toy. “It’s all ours!”
“Ours?” she asked, not sure she understood what he was implying.
He shook his head. “Yes, it is ours.” He reached down, picked up a long strand of pearls, walked over to her, and placed them around her neck, wrapping them twice. His eyes glittered in the dim light.
“Where is your crown my king?” she giggled, getting caught up in the moment.
He stooped down, lifted a crown of gold off the chest, and placed it on his head. “Better?”
“Oh yes. You look very regal, my lord.”
He walked back to her and leaned forward, cupping her face in his warm hands, seizing her mouth with his own.
Just like every other time they had kissed, everything fell away and once again, she was lost in the moment. Nothing mattered. Not even the treasure. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she kissed him back with all the pent up emotion she was feeling.
“Damn,” he murmured against her lips. “I want you so bad I can taste it,” he rasped, and slid his hand up under her jacket, cupping her breast.
“You do?” His words vibrated against her lips and her body trembled.
“Yes,” he breathed. “I do.” Again, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, their tongues tangling with one another.
It was like a dream. A damn good one!
Their breath rushed from their heaving chests as they frantically tried to get closer to one another. He broke away momentarily. “Take your clothes off,” he instructed gruffly, while unzipping his jacket and pulling his t-shirt over his head.
Reed had one of those perfect magazine ad chests. Like the Calvin Klein undies ads. All muscle, bare, with only a slight line of hair that disappeared like a happy trail into the tops of his jeans. Raven suddenly had a vision of donning a red-hooded cape and skipping merrily down that happy trail to visit his Big Bad Wolf.
“Raven!”
She jumped. “What?”
“You keep looking at me like that…” He stepped forward and shoved his hands down the back of her jeans, sliding them over the rounded curve of her sweet ass. “I won’t be able to control myself,” he breathed against her ear.
Raven suddenly felt desirable, and powerful. She boldly reached down and slid her hand over his rigid erection, releasing him into her hand.
“MY God!” he groaned, squeezing her ass harder, kneading the flesh.
An intense yearning filled her. She couldn’t think straight. Her mind raced in so many directions, spinning round, and round. Everything blurred. Before she knew it, she was falling backward with Reed. They landed in a tangle of limbs on top of the pile of coins.
Reed hovered over her. His mouth teased her, tormenting her, making her writhe under his muscled body.
“Oh Reed,” she panted, kissing the salty skin on his neck, clinging to him.
“Oh yes, “he murmured, unzipping her jacket and pulling it off along with her Marvin the Martian t-shirt. He lowered her back down against her hoodie. Picking up the pearls around her neck, he slid them over the swell of her breasts, his mouth following the priceless trail. The wet heat of his tongue, made a fiery trail everywhere it touched. He seized a taut nipple in his mouth, his lips closing over it, sucking. “So damn sweet,” his voice rumbled against her flesh as his hand sought the warmth between her thighs.
The heat of his fingers grazed against her, making her jerk upwar
d. Arching against his hand, she cried out, “Reed!”
“Yeah, baby,” he moaned, his kiss growing harder, more anxious. “That’s it.” He yanked her jeans down and pulled off one of her boots in one fluid motion. Levering over her with one hand, he pressed down on the pile of coins and again found her mouth, his tongue teasing, tantalizing, and making her again want so many things at one time; her mind couldn’t keep track of them all.
“You ready for me now?” he murmured huskily, smiling, teasing.
“The better question is,” she said as sexily as she could manage, sliding her hand down over his length, “are you ready for me?”
His breath hitched and his body tensed. A slow wicked grin spread across his face, his hair falling over his brow. “You bet your sweet ass I am.” And with that, he pressed up on his knees and leaned forward so the backs of her legs were draped over his forearms.
“You ready?” he asked, his eyes glittering.
He looked so damn sexy. She nodded her head and her crown toppled off, clanging loudly to the floor. She didn’t care though. Reed was the only treasure she was interested in…right now. “Yes,” she breathed, wiggling her bottom upward off the bed of coins.
Leaning forward he gave her a brief kiss. “That word is music to my ears,” he said, smiling against her mouth. He pressed her thighs forward and with a low groan, he thrust inside her with one swift movement.
“Reed,” she moaned in pleasure, feeling his hot length sliding deeply up inside of her, making her clench. Her body tingling.
“You are so wet,” he half sighed, groaned. His taut buttocks tightened as he increased his tempo, pumping frantically… desperately. He rubbed her thighs with his hands, moving his hips wildly, like a man possessed. “So damn good,” he moaned, continuing his assault, moving in a constant rhythm taking what she was offering while revealing in the sensations coursing through him. Slickened with sweat he glided in and out of her, surging forward, lifting her higher, making her writhe.
“Damn baby,” he gritted, his body tensing, nearing his release almost too quickly. He wanted it to last, to preserve the moment but instead he pumped faster, harder, his body seeking release.
His hand slipped between their sweat slickened bodies, his fingers meticulously working the sensitive flesh. “That’s it…cum for me baby,” he said roughly, pounding against her writhing body. Sweat dripped steadily down onto her breast and slid down her sides.
He reached up and rubbed his palm over her sweat slickened breast, then leaned forward, sucking her nipple.
Her neck arched back, her body bowing against his. “Oh Yeah, that’s it,” he panted, gritting, his hips working, thrusting, pushing so deep he brought her quickly to the brink of her quivering release.
“Oh Reed,” she cried out, clenching around him as he wrenched her orgasm from her body.
Kneading the soft skin of her thighs, he pressed in, spreading her legs wider, pumping harder, faster. “Oh God,” he groaned, jerking violently.
Riding the explosive wave of his release, she clung to him as he thrust one last time and they both collapsed in a sweating heap tightly wrapped in each other’s embrace.
It. Was. Perfect.
The end is near
THE PRESENTRAVENHURST
“I see the light.” Reed hoisted his pants and jacket back on his shoulders, both loaded down with treasure. He was wearing only his boxer briefs, t-shirt, and sneakers.
Raven had on so many necklaces she felt like she was wearing a “Mr. T” starter kit. The necklaces piled on top of each other hung heavily around her neck. She kept her jeans on but she had tucked in her t-shirt into her pants. Reed had dumped enough treasure into it that poor Marvin the Martian looked pregnant. Her jacket was stuffed too, and so were her socks.
Surprisingly, it took a lot less time getting out of the passageway, than it did getting in.
After they had their throw down, which was so hot, he had come up with the idea of filling their clothing with treasure in case they couldn’t find their way back to the treasure room again. For some reason he felt if they tried, it wouldn’t work a second time. She tended to agree since it was a complete accident they had stumbled upon the room in the first place.
Reed turned the corner. “We did it!”
“Oh thank God!” Her voice sounded muffled. Her crown had slipped down over her ears, blocking out pretty much every noise except for her heavy breathing. She followed him into the room and they both fell to the floor, dropping their makeshift bags in the process.
After a minute Raven tried to move but the weight of the treasure she carried made it impossible. “Reed, help,” she squeaked. “I’m stuck.”
Reed turned around and burst out laughing. “I wish I had a camera.”
“What?” she asked.
“Hold still,” he said, lifting her crown off her head and set it on the floor.
All she could see was his muscular legs and the obvious bulge in his boxer briefs. Her face flamed as he pressed in closer, removing the necklaces, the weight getting less as he removed each one. Once he finished he reached down and pulled out the bottom of her shirt. Coins clamored down to the floor in a shower of gold.
“I wonder how much we were able to carry out of there?” she asked, stumbling back to standing. It felt weird not having so much weight on her any longer.
Reed looked away. “I don’t know.”
When they finally managed to leave the Twilight Zone, which is what she was calling the passageway they were in, they somehow ended up in the Victorian wing of the house in the green room—the ugly one with the creepy cherubs on the bed. She didn’t tell Reed but it was also the one where she had found the necklace and had the hot vision with the Victorian look-alike Reed. “So what do we do now?”
Reed opened the armoire and shoved rows of long dresses aside, all Victorian.
“Ned would have a field day in there,” she said.
Reed turned pulling out an old leather strapped satchel. “Who’s Ned?”
“Oh, she waved her hand. “ No one important,” she said.
He shrugged and unfastened the leather straps. “I think we need to fill this with all our booty.” He popped it apart, bent down to pick up her jacket, and dumped the contents inside.
“Well that took care of my jacket but what about the rest?”
He looked around the room. “Ah, I know.” He walked over to bed and pulled off several pillowcases. “Let’s use these.” He lifted them up and carried them back.
“Okay.” She took a pillowcase from his hand and started filling it with all the coins that were on the floor. By the time they were finished four pillowcases were filled and they still had to put the crowns and necklaces somewhere. “What about these?” She lifted their crowns.
“Oh just stuff them in the bureau. I will get them later.”
She pulled back on her socks and shoved her feet back into her UGGs. Standing she tried to brush off her hands, but her palms were black with dirt. “This treasure is dirty.”
Reed stared at her with a dumfounded expression. “Why would you say that?”
“It’s dirty,” she said lifting her hands, “see.”
“Oh I thought you meant that the treasure was dirty, as in ill-begotten.”
She lifted her brows. “Well it is…right?”
“Yeah, I guess.” He looked down, lifted up his now empty jeans, and pulled them on.
“So,” she hedged and zipped back up her jacket. “Did you mean what you said earlier…I mean that the treasure is ours?
Reed blinked hard. “Well obviously,” he cleared his throat, “I will arrange for you to have half once this is finished. You know Raven, it is only fair.”
Raven’s spine stiffened. OH. MY. God. This is it. He is going to kick me straight to the curb now. She stared absently at the gang of ugly cherubs on gathered on the bed. Seemingly saying, “Bwhaha take that loser!” She nodded her head. She felt like someone just stuck a sword into he
r chest. Oh my God, was he only using her to be Bessie the pack mule to carry the treasure? Was that all she was good for? Raven’s eyes flashed and she pressed her lips into a firm line. There was no way she was going to cry. She even told herself that in her mind. You are not going to cry. And even though she told herself not to, she still really felt like blubbering like a baby and screaming. Actually, both emotions were at war with one another.
“What?” Reed asked, dipping his head down to look at her face.
“Um,” she croaked and then cleared her throat. “I don’t need half.”
“You don’t?” He gave her a confused look.
“No, you can keep it all.” She looked down at the ring on her third finger. She spun it around and closed her fingers over it.
Reed picked up the string of pearls he had put around her neck earlier and held them out. “You want these?”
Raven gaped at the pearls. Each one more perfect than the other. She felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces. A sob slipped out. She slapped her hand over her mouth and coughed to cover it up, but it was no use. Tears stung the back of her eyes, clouding her vision.
Reed lowered the pearls and dropped them on a chair. “What’s wrong?”
She sniffed back her tears. “Nothing,” she said.
“It doesn’t look like nothing. You look …sad.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Who me?” she squeaked and waved her fingers in front of her watery eyes. “I’m not.”
“Why do you look like you are going to cry?”
Because I am… you jerk. “Oh,” she said, wrinkling her face up. “It must be my allergies,” she lied.
He exhaled. “Yeah, that stuff was pretty dusty.” He cleared his throat and lifted the crowns up. “I’ll just put these here,” he said, pulling open the top drawer on the bureau. “This okay with you?” he asked.
She sniffed again. “Why would I care,” she snapped.
“I just thought…” Reed shook his head. “Never mind,” he muttered and shut the drawer.
“I guess I will put these in my room for now.”
Now and Forever:: A NEW ADULT TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE NOVEL (RAVENHURST SERIES Book 5) Page 21
