Unfathomed

by Anna Hackett

  He kissed her again—slow, wet, and hard. She sank her teeth into his bottom lip, and growled. He had to touch her. He slid his hands up under her T-shirt, stroking her firm belly. Then his hands went lower and he flicked open the button on her trousers. “I can’t wait to touch you. Feel how wet you are.”

  “Yes.” She lifted her hips to give him better access.

  Distracted by the feel of her breast under his hand, he pinched at her nipple.

  With a growl, she grabbed his hand and slid it inside her trousers.

  He laughed. “So demanding.”

  “Stop talking and touch me.”

  He slid his fingers through the curls he found. “Slick.”

  “God, yes,” she purred.

  “All for me.”

  Her eyes met his, wide open and filled with need. “All for you.”

  He yanked her right to the edge of the bench to give him better access. Desire was riding him hard, and he was struck by the fantasy of her naked body laid out on a big bed. Those long legs clenched around his hips as he slid inside her.

  Zach growled and found her clit, rolling it between his fingers. She jerked against him, her mouth open, her breath coming in pants.

  He slid his mouth down her neck, tasting the faint flavor of salt on her skin. He sucked a little, and at the same time, slid his fingers down to where she was plump and damp. He pushed two fingers inside her.

  She nearly came off the bench, her hips lifting. “Yes, Zach.”

  The sound of his name made him smile, satisfaction a hard knot in his chest. He kept working her, sliding his thumb up to rub her swollen clit. He wanted to see her come. He needed to see her come.

  “You want me.”

  “Yes.”

  “You need me.”

  “Yes, Zach. Please.”

  He loved the sound of need and felt she was nearing the edge. Then he felt her body clench, and color suffused her cheeks. She threw her head back and made a husky cry as she came.

  Damn. Zach had never seen anything more beautiful.

  She dropped her head forward and it landed against his shoulder. As he pulled his fingers out of her, she moaned. He lifted his hand and licked at the juices she’d left there.

  He saw heat spike in her eyes again. His cock was like solid rock, pressing mercilessly against his zipper. “Morgan, I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to thrust my cock inside you and feel you wrapped around me.”

  She groaned. “I want that. I do. But I’ve got watch in ten minutes. I have to take over from Hale.”

  Now it was Zach’s turn to groan.

  She kissed his jaw, nipping at him. “Dream of me?”

  “Yes.” He could barely think of anything else.

  Her mouth skated to his earlobe. “Think of my mouth traveling down this lovely, lean body of yours. I want to lick every muscle.” Her fingers skimmed to his waistband, drifting over the bulge of his cock. “I want to suck this inside my mouth and drive you crazy.”

  Zach shuddered, his hands clenching on her. “You trying to kill me?”

  “Not today, Dr. James.” She slid off the bench, fastening her trousers. “I have plans for you.”

  He watched the subtle swing of her hips as she walked out, leaving him hard and wanting.

  ***

  Morgan kept a steady hand on the controls of the small inflatable boat as she and Zach zoomed toward the shore. She glanced at him to make sure he was holding on. They crested a wave and came down hard.

  There was another storm gathering on the horizon, clouds brewing. She made a mental note to check the weather again with Diego when they got back to the ship.

  She’d told Dec that she was taking Zach to do a recon of the shoreline. If her theory that perhaps survivors had made it to shore was true, they might find some evidence of it. She knew Zach had spent the morning telling his team he’d found the amulet. Lying to them wouldn’t have been easy for him.

  They rode some more waves in, and finally, she aimed the boat toward a sandy spot free of rocks. As the boat nosed up onto the sand, she throttled back the engine and turned it off. Zach got out, splashing through the ankle-deep water to grab the front of the boat. Together, they pulled it farther up on the sand.

  The shore was quite pretty here. A small, sandy stretch of beach nestled under a large hill, with not too much vegetation, and some rocky outcrops. As she straightened, she looked at Zach. They hadn’t had much of a chance to talk since last night. But just looking at the way his T-shirt stretched over his chest made her think of that moment in the lab, when he’d had his clever fingers inside her and his tongue in her mouth.

  Like he’d read her thoughts, he grabbed her, and yanked her in for a hard kiss.

  She pressed her hands to his back. God, he tasted so good. “They could see us from the boat.”

  He made a frustrated sound and stepped back a few inches. “Right. Sorry. Just a little worked up.” He shot her a heated look. “I didn’t sleep well.”

  She walked up onto the shore. “Don’t worry, we’ll tangle, Dr. James.”

  He groaned again. “Promise?”

  “Promise. I like sex.”

  His face looked strangely blank. “I like sex, too.”

  “Good. And it’ll be just sex.”

  “Okay,” he said slowly.

  “I have rules. I don’t need any handholding.”

  He put on a mock look of horror. “Perish the thought.”

  “And if you try and hold a door for me, or carry my bag, I will hurt you.”

  He held his hands up. “You can carry your own bags. Got it.”

  “Good.” They reached a rocky outcrop, and she roughly pulled him around. Once out of view of the ship, she nudged him until his back hit the rock. She went up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.

  He deepened the kiss and it turned hot, honest, and raw. He clasped the back of her head, and her fingers twisted in his T-shirt.

  She pulled back a little, breathing fast. “Other than those rules I mentioned, anything goes.” God, the man made her forget herself. Forget that she was currently working.

  He groaned. “Something tells me that hard, fast sex in the sand right now isn’t on the menu.”

  She stepped back, patting his cheek. “You do not want sand in hard-to-reach, uncomfortable places. Come on, Dr. James. We’ve got some exploring to do.”

  They walked along the shore, moving toward the rocky side of the hill.

  Morgan glanced at him. Yes, when they got off the ship, they’d have some fun. Eventually, they’d need to head in to Tolagnaro for supplies. She had plans to lock herself and Zach in a hotel room for a day and work off this raging desire. Hmm, maybe a couple of days.

  It would burn out. They’d have a great time, finish this job, and then he’d flit off on his next adventure. The heat would fade. It always did.

  Or, her sharper edges wouldn’t be so fascinating for him anymore. That always happened. She was always too tall, too strong, too tough.

  Work to do, Morgan. She forced herself to focus and stared back out to sea. She quickly found the solid, white shape of the Storm Nymph. “This is the most direct line from where the ship sank, to the shore.” She studied the shoreline. “If survivors made it, they’d look for shelter.” She spotted an opening in the cliff ahead. “Looks like there are caves along here.”

  “Well, there are plenty of caves all over Madagascar. In the north, there is a reserve especially for the longest cave system on the island, and some think it’s the longest in all of Africa. It’s sacred to the local people, and the caves have been used for shelter and protection for years. And not too far from here, a group of paleontologists found fossils of extinct animals in flooded caves.”

  Morgan stepped over some rocks, moving closer to the cliff face. “Oh?”

  “Yes. The researchers found the bones of horned crocodiles, pygmy hippos, giant elephant birds, and gian
t lemurs the size of gorillas.”

  “I think I prefer the cute, small lemurs we have today.”

  “Those flooded freshwater caves were found in a national park about two hundred and fifty miles from here. I hear it’s an amazing place.”

  She guessed this voice was the one he used on his students. “If any survivors made it to shore, they would have been exhausted, scared, possibly injured. They wouldn’t have gone far.” She studied the mouth of a nearby cave. “Makes sense that they’d hole up somewhere and regroup.”

  “By the time the Soleil d’Orient went down, the French were gone, ousted by the locals. If the local Malagasy spotted them, they may have been hostile.”

  They stepped into the cave. The very empty cave.

  Morgan pulled out a flashlight and flicked it on. She aimed it around the dark spaces and walls.

  “No historic amulets?” he asked.

  “Sorry, no. No giant lemurs, either.”

  “Even if someone made it, they could have sheltered anywhere along the coast here.”

  Morgan moved back to the cave mouth and glanced at the worsening clouds in the sky. “Weather is coming in. We’ll have to cut this short, if you still want to get one more dive in before the storm hits.”

  “Okay.” When they turned back toward the boat, he grabbed her hand, linking their fingers.

  Morgan looked down at their joined hands with a narrowed gaze. “Zach—”

  He grinned at her. “It’s not handholding. This is helping a friend across rocky ground.”

  “Do I look like I need help?”

  “No, you most definitely do not. But I do.” He tightened his grip, shooting her his most charming grin, dimples flashing. “It’s your job to keep me safe. You said so yourself.”

  She shook her head. Tricky, charming rogue. Warmth flooded her chest, even as unease tickled along her spine. Morgan wondered just how she was going to protect her heart from Zach James.

  Chapter Thirteen

  By the time Zach and Morgan got back to the Storm Nymph, the sea was getting rough. The ship was rocking wildly, and as he strode out on deck, Zach saw all three of his students leaning over the side, emptying their stomachs.

  He glanced at Taye and they shared a smile. He remembered his first underwater archeology dive. He’d spent a fair bit of time feeding the fish, as well.

  Morgan headed straight for the dive gear. She moved across the rolling deck without a hitch in her stride, like it didn’t affect her at all.

  “I suggest we do a shorter dive.” She looked at her heavy-duty dive watch. “We don’t want to get caught in the storm.”

  He nodded, pulling on his suit and tanks. As the deck pitched, he widened his stance. “Like the Soleil d’Orient.” He imagined what it would have been like back then to be standing on the deck of the ship as it broke apart. Panicked people running and jumping over the edge. The captain standing at the helm, desolation and horror spreading through him as he realized his ship was going down.

  Morgan bumped her hip against Zach’s. “Hey? Let’s move it, Dr. James.”

  In the water, visibility had decreased significantly. The last few days of diving had instilled the routine in everyone and the team moved with precision as they headed toward the wreck.

  Soon, everyone was working, combing through the search areas, taking photographs, collecting artifacts. Zach wondered if the Phaulkon amulet was somewhere here, covered by sand.

  Morgan joined him, tapping her watch. She held up her hand to indicate five minutes. He nodded.

  Suddenly, arms wrapped around him from behind, jerking him backward. Shock was a storm to his system, bubbles covering the front of his mask.

  He turned his head and caught a glimpse of a diver wearing a silver wet suit that made him almost invisible in the murky water. Movement nearby caught his attention. Another silver-suited person was trying to subdue Morgan. She was fighting in a wild struggle.

  Zach jerked his body, and slammed an elbow at his attacker. He saw the two divers were pulling him and Morgan away from their group.

  Soon, the wreck and their team disappeared in the murkiness. Zach swung an arm, trying to wrench free. Then he felt a prick on the side of his neck.

  What the hell? He swung again, his regulator slipping from his mouth. Instantly, he started to feel woozy. He looked over and saw that Morgan was already hanging limp in the water.

  No! He tried to struggle, but he felt the strength leaking from his limbs. Someone shoved the regulator back in his mouth.

  Be okay, Morgan. She had to be okay. Then everything faded into black.

  Zach felt himself drifting. He heard an engine, sensed the world bobbing beneath him, and felt the wind in his face.

  He had no idea how much time had passed, but finally, he fought through the fog and opened his eyes.

  His head was throbbing and he groggily lifted it. He was being half carried, half dragged, then dropped roughly on the ground. Rocks bit into him and he groaned. He looked around. They were on the shore, at the mouth of a cave, and rain was splattering around them.

  Morgan was dropped beside him. She fell in a slump and didn’t move.

  “Morgan.” He reached over, pushing her damp hair back. God, please be alive.

  “She’ll wake up shortly,” a clipped voice said. “The drugs will wear off soon.”

  Two muscular men in silver wet suits stood over them. Behind them was a wall of gray rain and crashing waves.

  “Who are you?” Zach demanded.

  The closest man shook his head. “We wait for the boss.”

  Great. That’s when he noticed Morgan’s breathing was labored. His chest tightened and he touched her cheek.

  Her skin was deathly pale and she was restless. With each breath, she was wheezing, like she was having trouble breathing.

  “Something’s wrong.” Sheer panic coursed through him. He touched her wrist and felt that her pulse was weak. “She can’t breathe!”

  Help her. Protect her. His vision dimmed, his sole focus on Morgan. From the moment he’d met her, she’d been vibrant, filled with life, and so strong. A part of him had thought her invulnerable.

  As she wheezed for air, her lashes dark against her pale cheeks, fear rose to choke him like rusty wire against his throat. He gripped her hand. She wasn’t superwoman. “Morgan! You hang in there.”

  One of the guards cursed and knelt on the other side of her. “A fucking allergic reaction to the drugs.”

  “Help her!” Zach spied the man fingering something on his belt.

  A small first aid kit.

  Zach leaped forward and yanked the kit away.

  “Hey!” The guard reached out to snatch it back.

  “Boss wanted them alive,” the other guard said.

  Zach ignored them, fueled by the harsh sound of Morgan’s breathing. He tore the kit open, and a second later, spied the pre-filled injection pen filled with epinephrine. He tore it open and stabbed it into Morgan’s thigh, through her wet suit.

  She groaned, her head turning to the side. He discarded the pen and pulled her closer. He held her, every labored breath scratching over his nerves, but within a few minutes, he heard her breathing ease.

  Morgan’s eyelids fluttered and he saw her looking at him.

  “Jesus Christ, Morgan.” His pulse was still racing. He pulled her closer. “Are you okay?”

  She blinked and sagged back against him. “Ok-ay.”

  Something tight and hot inside him eased. He still felt like he’d swallowed a rock, a lump in his throat, but she was okay.

  As she closed her eyes, he realized just what it took for a woman like Morgan to let herself relax in his arms. To trust him to protect her.

  Morgan was the strongest, toughest, most stubborn woman he’d ever met. And he’d almost lost her. The air shuddered out of him. In a moment of clarity, he realized just how much she meant to him, and how much more he wanted.

/>   The guards were murmuring amongst themselves, but Zach ignored them. Until she was conscious, he’d take care of her.

  “Dr. James, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

  It was a woman’s voice with a sharp British accent. He looked up.

  The woman was tiny, under five feet, wearing khaki outdoor gear. She had a cute face and her hair fell in a neat blonde bob. She was flanked by two more guards wearing all-black gear. They were tall and muscular as well. All ex-military, if he had to guess, and none of them looked particularly friendly.

  “Who are you?” Zach pulled Morgan closer to him. “What are—?”

  The woman smiled, shaking her head. “You don’t get to ask questions, Dr. James, I do. I have to tell you that I’ve read some of your papers. Your work is very good.”

  She was talking to him like they were meeting at a conference. “Okay.”

  Another pleasant smile. “Now, where’s the Phaulkon amulet?”

  Zach was silent for a moment. “I found the amulet in a box with Phaulkon’s name engraved on it. It’s been sent back to my museum in Denver.”

  The woman tapped a finger to her lips. “No. I don’t believe that. I was informed the box was empty.”

  Damn, someone on the ship was spying. “Who told you?” Anger was a violent rush through his veins.

  The woman smiled. “Always the last person you’d expect. Loyalty is a hard commodity to earn and far, far easier to buy.” She lifted a gun, and pointed it at Morgan. “You just have to find the right currency.”

  Zach’s heart spasmed, and he shifted in front of Morgan’s prone form. “You’d kill an innocent woman?”

  “I do whatever is required to get the job done. I would think a true guardian of history like you would understand that.”

  Zach evaluated his options. There was a light in her eyes. Something hot and covetous. He’d seen the same look in the eyes of other archeologists on the hunt. Hell, he’d seen it in his own eyes once or twice.

  But this woman had something deeper and much colder in her gaze.

  She’d do whatever it took to get what she wanted. And that included killing Morgan.