Unfathomed

by Anna Hackett

  “How do you know where to go?” Zach asked.

  “I memorized our way in.”

  “You memorized it?”

  She shrugged. “I have a good memory.”

  “It all looks the same.”

  “There are always unique landmarks, if you take the time to find them.”

  They kept walking, but it wasn’t long before she heard shouts and the sounds of pursuit behind them.

  She lifted her gun. “Faster, Zach.”

  She grabbed his hand. Where the ground was flatter, they jogged. Where it was tougher going, they moved as fast as they could.

  They reached the rope bridge, and quickly moved across it. On the other side, they kept moving through the maze of rocks.

  Suddenly, they stepped out of the rocks and into a large, grassy valley. She saw another patch of tsingy ahead, but for now, they were free of the rocks.

  To the north, the dark silhouette of the helicopter sat.

  To the south, she saw trees.

  She pointed. “That way. We need to get into the trees.”

  Together, they ran through the knee-high grass. By the time they reached the trees, they were both panting. Morgan’s shirt was drenched in sweat. She glanced over at Zach and saw his hair was damp and pressed against his head.

  Zach stopped, pressing his palms to his thighs, heaving in air.

  “You keep going or we die,” she told him.

  He gave her a nod, and they set off again.

  Finally, Morgan decided they’d put enough distance between them and Silk Road. “I think this is okay. They won’t know which direction we headed. We need to find some shelter, and get some rest.”

  Zach groaned. “Everything hurts.”

  “Come on.” She shone the flashlight around. They needed a place to sleep. As she moved the flashlight again, she stopped abruptly.

  There was a large, roughly circular hole in front of them, and the beam glinted off something.

  She gasped and realized they were standing on the edge of a large hole, with a pool of water at the bottom. The pool had a bank on one side, and trees and vines grew down to the water a few feet down.

  Morgan knelt and shone the light in the hole. They stood on a natural overhang. She weighed the pros and cons. The overhang gave decent shelter, and they could wash in the water. No one would expect them to be hiding down there. But on the other hand, if they were discovered, they’d be trapped.

  They were exhausted and needed to rest. They’d started their day hundreds of miles away on a ship, spent time scuba-diving, and escaped from thieving killers.

  “We need to climb down there,” she told Zach.

  He groaned.

  “Where’s your famed sense of adventure?” she asked.

  “I lost it about two miles back.”

  They found a place where they could use the brown, mangrove-like vines to climb down. Morgan dropped into a crouch beside the pool of water.

  “We can set up the sleeping bag there.” She pointed under the overhang.

  Zach moved over and dropped the backpack. He grinned at her in the moonlight. “We made it.”

  “Yes, we did. Now we just need to get some rest, lay low, and wait for Declan to find us.” Morgan set her gun and the rest of her gear down. “How about a swim?”

  “Sounds like heaven. I’m sweaty as hell. If you can materialize a soft bed, too, I’d be a happy man.”

  Now that they were safe for the moment, Morgan felt something curling through her.

  She yanked her shirt off, then unhooked her trousers and stepped out of them. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her bikini off. She looked over and saw Zach’s eyes were wide and glued to her.

  “I don’t have a soft bed. Sorry to disappoint you, Dr. James.”

  “Disappoint me?” There was fire in his eyes and he started peeling off his shirt. “I’m definitely not disappointed.”

  ***

  Zach stripped off his sweaty clothes as fast as he could.

  He watched Morgan wade out into the water. She looked like some warrior goddess, ready to take on the world. She was all sleek, long lines. Her strength was obvious, but it was mixed with a feminine sexiness he found irresistible. He wanted her more than he’d wanted any woman before.

  She ducked down into the water and came back up, water streaming off her hair.

  Zach followed her in, the water quite cool but not frigid. He stopped to scoop up some water and wash himself off. It felt so good to feel the cool water slick over his skin and wash him clean.

  She swam over to him, low in the water. “You did good work today, and kept a cool head.”

  “You too.”

  She reared up and pressed her sleek, wet body against his. The clean, sexy, and dangerous scent of her swamped him. His cock was throbbing hard, and he knew she could hardly miss it, pressed against her belly.

  Her hands tangled roughly in his hair. “You’re pretty good in a fight.”

  “Coming from you, I suspect that’s high praise.” He ran his hands down her sides. He wanted to learn every part of her, find every sensitive spot.

  She made a frustrated sound and yanked him forward. The kiss was rough, urgent, and needy. He cupped her ass, a deep sound vibrating in his throat. She was like a drug, and he couldn’t get enough.

  Zach needed Morgan. He wanted to sink inside her body, not only to prove they were still alive, but to claim her as his.

  He slid one hand down her belly, teasing the curls at the juncture. “Spread your legs for me, Morgan.”

  She smiled up at him. “Make me.”

  “Always have to do everything the hard way.” He leaned down and sank his teeth into the tendon in her neck.

  With a wild sound, she arched into him. And when he nudged her legs apart, she let him, without thinking. “Sneaky,” she murmured.

  He slid his hand through her folds. She was damp and warm, and he shoved two fingers inside her.

  She made a choked sound, jerking against him.

  “You like that, Morgan? Filled up and stretched by my fingers?”

  “Yes.” Her hips bumped forward, her voice husky.

  “This is where I want to be.” He kept thrusting inside her, his thumb rolling her clit. She cried out, her strong body trembling. For him. “Where I belong.”

  “Zach.” A husky cry.

  “I want to come inside you, Morgan.” Zach felt the hottest edge of frustration as he pulled his hand away. “I haven’t been tested for a while, but on my last test I was healthy and I’ve always used protection. I, uh, don’t have any condoms with me.”

  “I’m clean and I’ve had a contraceptive shot.” Aqua-blue eyes stared up at him. She leaped up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Zach took a step back, widening his stance, and cupped her butt. “Tonight, you’re mine, Morgan.”

  “And you’re mine, Zach.”

  His cock brushed against her, his gut tightening. “So damn wet.”

  “Get inside me. Now!”

  The head of his cock parted her and she made a humming sound. Her hands bit into his biceps.

  “Look at me,” he growled.

  She did, her eyes glittering with need. He thrust up, and at the same moment, she pushed her hips down. He felt her muscles stretch around him, felt her warmth.

  “You’re big,” she gasped.

  “You’re perfect.”

  She moved up, sliding his cock out of her, then she slammed back down. His hands bit into the soft skin of her buttocks and he helped, jerking her body up and down on his. They found a rhythm, and Zach had to grit his teeth against the pleasure lashing at him.

  Her rhythmic cries made him pump into her faster. Nothing had ever felt this good. He felt her muscles clenching on him, knew her release was rushing closer.

  She threw her head back, her husky cries echoing around them. He felt himself trembling on the edge of a powerful or
gasm.

  He strode out of the water and back up onto the bank. In a few strides, he reached where he’d laid out the sleeping bag. He lay her down on it, gripped her hips and started hammering into her.

  “More!” she cried, her nails scratching at his shoulders. One of her hands slid down and clamped on his ass, urging him on.

  He needed more of her. Much more.

  “I’m here, Zach. Take what you need. Take everything.”

  He kept thrusting into her, losing his smooth rhythm with the feel of her delicious body wrapped around him.

  “Zach, yes, yes…”

  She arched her back and cried out as she came, muffling the sound against his arm. The sound of his name, the feel of her, drove him into a frenzy. With another hard thrust, his release slammed into him. He groaned, spilling himself inside her milking warmth.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Morgan woke to warm lips moving across her belly.

  She stretched, staring up at the night sky and the sprinkle of stars above. She knew exactly where she was, and exactly who was parting her thighs.

  Zach’s lips pressed against her inner thigh and she looked down at him. She wished they had more light, so she could see his face better.

  After they’d fucked each other crazy, they’d fallen asleep. But it looked like the doctor was wide awake now.

  His mouth pressed against the center of her, his tongue lapping at her. She bit her lip, her hips rearing up. “You’re supposed to be resting,” she gasped. “Restoring your energy.”

  His tongue circled her clit. “The sweet taste of you restores me. Listening to you moan does, too.”

  Incorrigible man. Then he got to work, licking and sucking. She locked her fingers in his hair, urging him on and letting him know exactly what she liked.

  God. She was coming apart. She bit her lip, her back arching, her thighs clamping around his head.

  A few more thrusts of that clever tongue and she imploded. Pleasure swamped her and she thrust a fist to her mouth to stifle her scream.

  But Morgan didn’t drop back to rest. Oh, no. She needed more. She needed Zach inside her.

  She sat up and tumbled him back onto the sleeping bag. She climbed up on top of him, and in the faint moonlight, she saw his wide smile. She gripped his hard cock, pumping it—once, twice. She traced a finger down one thick vein. It was a gorgeous cock—big and smooth.

  Then, she lifted her hips. When the wide head bumped against her, he groaned. The sound made her smile, the heat in her growing.

  She sank down on him. As she took the length of him inside her, he groaned again.

  “Jesus,” his voice was a rasp. “I need you so bad, Morgan.”

  She needed him, too. She started to ride him.

  Morgan pressed her hands to his chest and threw her head back. Everything between her legs throbbed, and she loved feeling how much he stretched her.

  “That’s it.” His hands were clamped on her hips, urging her on. “God, you’re milking me hard.”

  She kept riding him, grinding down on his body. She leaned forward, changing the angle, pleasure arrowing through her, hot and searing.

  “God, Morgan.” His hands slid to her ass, taking handfuls of her cheeks as he worked her up and down on his cock. “Come for me.”

  She made a strangled sound. Her orgasm shimmered close, but just out of reach.

  Then Zach reached between her legs and found her swollen clit. “Look at me.”

  She did. As he stroked her clit, as she thrust down on his cock, she couldn’t look away from his face and the emotion she saw blazing in his eyes.

  One more stroke and she flew apart. Zach reared up, his mouth taking hers as he swallowed her scream. His hands dug into her hips and he pressed her down and held her there, groaning as he found his own release.

  Completely limp, she collapsed against him. He lowered them back down to the sleeping bag, keeping her on top of him. She wriggled to find a comfy spot on him. He stroked a hand down her back in lazy strokes, and she nuzzled her face into his neck.

  Normally, if a man shared her bed, she liked to move to her side once they were done. She liked her space, and she’d never been good at sharing.

  But she didn’t want to move away from Zach.

  She pressed a kiss to his warm skin, and when her eyelids felt heavy, she closed them. She’d just rest for a little while.

  When she woke again, her back was cold. She glanced up and saw the stars were disappearing into a murky-lit sky. Dawn was coming.

  She shivered, and instantly Zach moved. He rolled them to the side and shifted until he was pulling her closer. She nestled her back against his front. She was pretty sure she’d never spooned with anyone. She usually didn’t like the feeling of someone at her back.

  Heat poured off him, and it warmed her cool skin. A hard cock was also prodding her in the lower back.

  “Nothing wrong with your stamina,” she murmured.

  His hand slid down over her hip, then gripped her thigh. He pulled it up, and the next second, he slid inside her from behind.

  “Oh, God.” She was swollen and sensitive, and it made him feel even bigger.

  With slow, steady thrusts, Zach kept up the rhythm. His arms wrapped around her and she felt protected and cared for. It was almost sweet.

  “Morgan.” His teeth grazed her neck.

  It was just sex. She said the words in her head, over and over. She couldn’t get too attached to him. She stared blindly at the rock wall in front of her, as Zach’s big cock stretched her, pushing her closer and closer to her ultimate pleasure. And then she came, her body shaking. A second later, he pushed inside her once more and held himself there, as he spilled inside her.

  They lay together for a long moment, sated and pleasured. Morgan just kept staring at the rock wall. She’d never felt this connected to a man before. She wanted to touch him, kiss him, cuddle him, hear his laugh. God, Morgan did not cuddle.

  Everything was fine. She knew their emotions were heightened by the dangerous situation. Besides, Zach was a man who traveled the globe looking for adventure. He didn’t stay in one place, and he didn’t stay with one woman.

  But would he stay if he knew she was thinking she wanted more?

  She kept staring at the wall, their little alcove brightening as the sun approached the horizon. There was…something…on the rock. Frowning, she studied it. Maybe she was imagining things?

  But as the sky continued to lighten, she pulled away from Zach and sat up.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Where’s the flashlight?”

  He slapped it into her palm and she flicked it on. She aimed it at the rock wall.

  Inscriptions. Just like the others they’d found in the tsingy.

  “Holy Mother of God.” Zach sat up and crawled closer. His lips moved, as his gaze flew back and forth over the inscription.

  Morgan smiled to herself. Nothing like watching a sexy, naked man being all studious.

  He looked back over his shoulder, glancing at the pool.

  “The pool is covering a cave,” he said.

  She frowned, staring at the still water. “A flooded cave? Like the one you mentioned to me? Where the scientist discovered the giant lemur bones?”

  He nodded, his eyes glowing. “But at the bottom of this cave is the Temple of the Ancients.”

  ***

  Zach couldn’t believe it. That gentle pool of water was hiding the temple and possibly the Phaulkon amulet.

  Morgan’s face was serious. “We have no way of knowing how large these caves are, and if there are any pockets of air down there.”

  He nodded. “Some of the caves the paleontologists dived were over a kilometer long.”

  “We’ll need dive gear.”

  Zach’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll get right on that.” The excitement he’d felt only seconds ago vanished.

  She looked at him. “I saw
dive gear on the helicopter.”

  Every thought flew out of his head. “What? You’re talking about the helicopter owned by Silk Road.”

  “We can go back, sneak in, and take the equipment we need.”

  “Go back? Have you lost your mind?” He didn’t want Morgan anywhere near Paris Wirth and her obsessive desire for the amulet.

  “They won’t be expecting us to go back,” Morgan continued. “You want to find the temple, don’t you? And the Phaulkon amulet?”

  He thrust a hand through his hair. Of course, he wanted to find them. But more than that, he wanted Morgan safe. He didn’t tell her that, though, because he knew that Morgan was more than capable of taking care of herself. If he told her that he wanted to protect her, she’d probably hit him.

  “We should get out of here,” he said. “Trek toward a town.”

  “You decoded the first few inscriptions,” she said. “You don’t think Wirth will be able to work out the rest on her own, now? They’ll lead her right here.” Morgan shook her head. “It’s harsh, isolated terrain. Trekking out of here might kill us. And I am not letting that woman get the amulet. She’s attacked us, hurt you and Diego. I’m not letting her win.”

  Zach thrust his hands on his hips and released a long breath. “I don’t like this.”

  “I know. But our options are severely limited.”

  He stared at her, at that amazing strength that would intimidate so many people, but that he found insanely attractive. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  She grinned. “Excellent decision.”

  “Don’t make me regret it.”

  They took a few minutes to get dressed and prepped. Morgan shoved her handgun in her pocket. Then they climbed out of their little sanctuary, and started the trek back toward the helicopter.

  More of the surrounding tsingy formations were visible in the daylight. The trees weren’t very high or thick, and just off to their left, he spotted a shallow river. Morgan moved like a ghost through the trees, silent and lethal.

  An animal darted out in front of them. It was small and covered in white fur. Zach watched the lemur pause to look at them, lifting his long tail. While his body was all white, his face was black and dominated by round, yellow eyes.