No doubt about it. He had it bad.
Hawke watched her draw back the spear and go still in the water as she waited for her prey to swim by. From the corner of one eye, he spotted a ripple in the water. Something was definitely headed their way.
He frowned. Damn big ripple. Too big for a…
A head the height of his body rose from the water on a long, snaking neck. As they gaped at it, the thing roared, revealing a mouthful of shark teeth.
“Oh, shit,” Hawke breathed, and grabbed her arm. “Run!”
Chapter Seven
“Faster!” Hawke roared, hauling her across the beach with running strides so long she could barely keep up. “A thing that size is not going to want to leave the water! If we can get inland, we’re safe!”
But if we can’t, we’re toast, Alex realized grimly as she poured everything she had in pelting over the sand at his heels. She didn’t dare take time even to drop her spear.
SLAP! Something cold and wet wrapped around her left ankle. The sand came up and slammed into her chest, ripping her hand out of his and knocking the spear from her grip. Instinctively, Alex tried to scramble back to her feet. She heard Hawke’s bellow of horror at the same time she realized she was caught. Twisting around, she saw what had her and screamed.
A thick, meaty tentacle had wrapped around her bare ankle, suckers gripping her flesh. As she stared at it in frozen horror, it jerked, hauling her over the sand, back toward the edge of the water where the thing’s head towered over the water. The arm had to be a good thirty feet long and thick as a python. “Fuck!” she screamed. “Haaawke!”
He lunged past her to pounce on the tentacle with a roar of fury. His sword caught the light as he lifted it and chopped down on the thick limb just beyond where it wrapped around her foot. Orange slime flew through the air, and the tentacle’s grip convulsed. Alex shrieked as what felt like a dozen needles sank into her skin. “Hawke, its suckers have spines! Oh, damn, that hurts!”
He didn’t look around, just held on and hacked as the tentacle dragged them toward its horrific owner. A second tentacle lifted out of the water and plunged toward them. “Look out!”
Hawke threw a quick look over his shoulder at the whipping arm, but instead of letting her go, he gave the tentacle another vicious chop, hacking right through the end that held Alex.
Despite the biting pain from the spines, she struggled to her feet as he jumped up. The second tentacle whipped down at him, but he ducked aside and slashed at it.
“There’s another one!” she yelled, seeing a third arm rise from the water. “How many tentacles does that thing have?”
“Run!” Hawke bellowed, dancing around the flailing arm. “I’ll distract it!”
“But… !”
“Goddammit, I said go!” He chopped. Orange blood flew.
Just as the third tentacle snapped around his waist. “Shit!” he bellowed, and twisted around to attack the arm with his sword. That sounded like a cry of pain; it must be digging into him with those spines. “Let go, you bastard!”
A weapon! She needed a weapon! Desperately, Alex whirled, looking around for her fallen spear. There! She spotted the long wooden shaft lying on the sand where she’d dropped it. She raced to pick it up.
But by the time she turned around with it, the thing had wrapped still another tentacle around Hawke’s sword arm as it hauled him toward its fanged head. He wasn’t making it easy; he’d managed to get his legs braced in front of him to resist its pull. His feet dug furrows in the sand, cords standing out on the side of his neck as he strained, face going bright red.
With a desperate scream, Alex lunged toward the tentacle holding Hawke’s sword arm and drove the spear into it with every ounce of her strength. Both tentacles convulsed, coiling like snakes. Hawke cursed viciously as they dragged at him. Bright red blood snaked down his bunched biceps. The spines must be tearing the hell out of his skin.
She jerked the spear out and looked for another spot to jab.
“Look out!” Hawke roared. “There comes another one!”
Alex whirled, saw the meaty arm shooting right for her face, and ducked. She gave it a savage jab when it feinted at her, dancing out of its path. Shooting a look at Hawke, she tried to decide whether she could get in another shot at the ones holding him. He’d twisted his sword around and jammed the weapon into one of the tentacles, all the way up to the hilt.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he bellowed. “Get the fuck inland!”
“And leave you?” She danced and jabbed with her spear. “I don’t think so.”
The fourth tentacle suddenly whipped around to catch his left leg. It jerked him right off his feet. He cursed savagely.
She screamed as the monster lifted him off the ground and carried him toward its open jaws. “Alex, get clear!” he roared. His face was as white as parchment.
“Fuck that!” It was going to eat him!
The sheer blazing panic of that thought swamped every other consideration. Alex took off running straight for the thing’s head. She had to get there before he did. Luckily, the thing wasn’t lifting very fast, probably because Hawke was fighting for everything he was worth.
“Go back!” he bellowed.
The creature’s massive head whipped around to stare at her with malevolent interest, but it had its tentacles full with Hawke. Membranes snapped back and forth across its huge yellow eyes. It plunged toward her, jaws gaping wide.
Moving faster than she’d ever moved in her life, Alex jumped aside. It missed.
“Hey, ugly!” Hawke yelled. “Over here, you slimy motherfucker!” He’d cut off the tentacle around his sword arm, and now he jabbed his blade savagely into the one that circled his waist. He bore down, twisting the sword.
The thing’s head reared up with a shrill, ringing cry of pain. It whipped around and started hauling him toward its open mouth. Alex saw her own reflection in one huge, yellow eye…
And stabbed her spear right into it with the entire weight of her body behind the blow.
The thing howled like a banshee. Its massive head whipped toward her as it lashed in agony. She tried to duck, but it clipped her shoulder. She went flying like a Mark McGwire home run.
The sand came up at her face…
Hawk shouted as Alex hit the ground and tumbled like a rag doll, but there wasn’t one damn thing he could do about it. The remaining tentacles that held him lashed back and forth with the creature’s death throes, threatening to tear him apart. Its spines ripped his skin in white-hot agony. He kicked, felt the one around his ankle tear away, but he was still trapped in the arm that held his waist. It flailed, flinging him upward. His stomach somersaulted as he shot skyward, flew twenty feet, then plunged down again.
The ocean shot up toward his face. Fuck! He sucked in a breath.
It was like slamming into a brick wall at thirty miles an hour. Cold and pressure rammed his face. And then he was underwater, being dragged relentlessly downward as the creature sank. Tendrils of red blood snaked past his eyes, mixed with streamers of orange. Huge bubbles rolled up.
The need to breathe clawed at his chest, but he fought it, sensing the tentacle was losing its grip. Black spots floated in front of his eyes, and he knew he was on the verge of losing consciousness. For a moment, it seemed easier…
And then a thought pierced his stunned brain.
Alex! Fuck, he had to get loose. She was up there hurt. He had to get free!
He shoved free of the tentacle and kicked, clawing and fighting toward the light he could see over his head. Too far off. He was never going to make it.
He had to. She’d risked her life to save his ass; he couldn’t do less for her. Lips sealed and eyes burning, he kicked hard, driving for the surface.
His head exploded into air and blinding light. Hawke sucked in a desperate, furious breath. His body felt like solid lead, but he ignored his exhaustion and turned in the water, searching for the beach.
He sp
otted it. And there, lying on the sand, was a small, crumpled figure.
Alex. Goddamn her, she’d better not have gotten herself killed.
Hawke flung himself toward shore in what had to have been the ugliest swimming stroke he’d ever performed. Finally his feet hit sand, and he staggered up the beach to collapse beside her.
“Alex?” He turned her over awkwardly, ignoring the vicious stinging pain in his biceps from the thing’s spines. “Alex, baby, be alive.” His voice choked. “You’d better not be dead, you hear me?” He dropped his head on her chest and listened.
For a moment, he heard nothing but the buzzing of those damn bees, and his own heart stopped. Then…
Thump. Thump. Thump.
“Oh, Christ!” His eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Jesus.” He straightened and began carefully examining the woman he loved.
The first thing Alex heard was her lover’s deep sensual growl. “I am going to kick your ass unless you talk to me right now.”
With considerable difficulty, she managed to pry her lids open. His face loomed over hers, dripping water onto her chest. There was a marked gray cast to his skin, and his eyes looked wild. She coughed. Everything hurt. “Is that any…” She had to stop to pant. “…Any way to talk to the woman who saved your life?”
A broad, relieved grin broke over his face. “Saved it, hell. You damn near gave me a heart attack.”
“Ingrate.” She rolled over onto her side and groaned.
“You okay?” Tenderly, he ran a hand over her back.
“Everything hurts.” Alex frowned, and cautiously rolled over onto her hands and knees. “But I think it all works. You?”
He sat back on his haunches and looked down at his flat, muscled belly. A set of horrific punctures marked his skin as if he’d be run over by a spiked tire, but the openings were already closing. “Motherfuckin’ monster made hamburger out of everything it grabbed, but I’m already starting to heal.”
With a sigh, she staggered upright. “I should be so lucky.” Then, aiming a frown down at her ankle, she saw the puncture wounds there were indeed beginning to heal. “And apparently I am.”
“Good.” He clambered to his feet and stood there swaying as he glowered down at her. “I want you in perfect shape when I wallop that disobedient little ass.”
“What?” She glared at him in outrage.
Gray eyes blazed. “I told you to leave, dammit! You disobeyed me! It almost ate you!”
“Well, if I had obeyed, it would have eaten you!”
“So?”
“So I love you, you big dumbass! You’re not becoming monster chow as long as I’m around to do something about it!”
For a moment, incredulous joy flooded his gaze. Then it vanished into a snarl as he poked a finger toward her chest. “Sorry, you’re not distracting me that easily. The point is, when I give you an order, you do what I tell you to do!”
“Yeah?” Furious, fighting mad, she sneered at him. “Well, here’s an order for you--kiss my ass!” Snarling, she whirled around and stomped back toward the cave.
The next monster that came along could eat him with her blessings!
Chapter Eight
She loved him. The thought filled Hawke with giddy joy.
Which he had no intention whatsoever of letting her see. Alex had almost gotten herself killed, dammit. Trying to save him, true--and he had to admit there was a good chance he’d be dead now if she hadn’t. But when he’d looked around and seen her flying at that monster with that silly toothpick of a spear, he’d damn near had a heart attack right then. He’d thought the thing was going to eat her on the spot.
When Hawke remembered the monster’s long, snakelike neck, all those teeth, how fast the fucker moved--it made him sick. He couldn’t let her do that again. He’d rather die himself than watch something take a bite out of her. He had to make damn sure that the next time he gave her an order, she obeyed it.
Striding along behind her as she stalked toward the cave, Hawke eyed her round little ass, just barely clad in a tiny triangle of leather. A wave of violent lust rolled over him. He recognized it as the flip side of terror; he always got horny as hell right after a battle. He’d bet a month’s pay Alex felt the same, no matter how pissed she was.
Suddenly he knew just what he was going to do to make sure she never took a chance like that again.
Dammit, all the little hairs were standing up on the back of her neck. Hawke was projecting hot male menace at her so hard, he was damn near giving her radiation burns.
Perversely, Alex felt her nipples peak. He was probably going to spank her again before screwing her brains out. The thought turned her on even as it ticked her off. It was just not fair. Nothing she’d ever experienced made her as hot as John Hawke being a dominant asshole. He was so gorgeous, it wasn’t as if he needed any other unfair advantages.
She stomped up the winding path toward the cave, acutely aware of the rustle of bushes behind her as Hawke stalked her. Rivulets of warm cream slid into her cunt with every step she took. Any minute now, he was going to grab her, rip her clothes off, and beat her butt. Then he’d slide that humongous cock into her aching pussy and fuck her until she saw stars.
She really should put up a fight. Just on general principles. She’d saved his life, dammit. Where did he get off being such a prick about it?
And to make matters worse, she’d blurted out that she loved him. Like he needed any other ammunition.
He hadn’t told her he loved her back, either.
Alex brooded about that thought as she climbed the cliff up to the cave. She never found it an enjoyable trip anyway, and it was even worse now, with all the aches, bruises and puncture wounds she’d managed to collect during the fight. She was healing fast, but not that fast.
And horny on top of all that. It just wasn’t fair.
After an interminable climb--feeling Hawke’s gaze burning her ass the whole way--Alex scrambled into the cave. She’d really like to collapse, but that blazing glare was making her far too jumpy. Instead, she made for one of the canteens and slugged down half its contents.
When she was done, she wiped her chin and turned to look at him as he bent to dig through one of the leather bags. “Oh, hell,” she said, grimacing as realization hit. “We forgot the fish.”
Hawke shrugged. “Something else has probably eaten it by now.”
“Guess it’s veggies and fruit tonight.”
He pulled a handful of cords out of the bag and turned toward her. “Actually, I had something else in mind.”
Her heart gave an enthusiastic little jump. She backed up a pace anyway. “Like what?”
Hawke gave her a grin that was all teeth. “Like an in-depth discussion of why you’re going to fucking obey me the next time I give you an order.”
“Oh, come on, Hawke! It was going to kill you!”
“That’s not the issue.”
“Oh, hell yes, it is! If you think I’m just going to stand by and… Hey!” He grabbed her by one arm, kicked her feet out from under her, and pushed her down onto a fur pelt on the dirt floor.
The next thing she knew, he’d flipped her over on her belly, grabbed one wrist, and started whipping the cord around it. “You’ll do what I tell you to do,” he told her grimly.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Guess.” He grabbed the other wrist and bound the first to it with a couple of ruthless loops.
“Hey!” Alex tried to flip over, but he dropped a knee in the small of her back and pinned her in place. Finished, he released her wrists. They dropped to the pelt over her head. “Cut it out!”
“Oh, no.” Steel slithered as he drew his knife. She felt the cool brush of the blade against her waist as he cut the cord waistband of her leather thong.
“Let me guess,” she snarled, frustrated and turned on as he sliced her clothes off her. “You’re going to beat my ass again, right?”
“No,” he drawled lazily, rising to
his feet and tossing her bra and thong aside. “Actually, I’ve got something else in mind.”
“What?” She twisted around on the pelt and glared as he went to the collection of clay jars against one wall of the cave. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Looking for the animal fat.” Picking a jar up, he uncorked it, took a sniff, then capped it and put it down again. He chose another, opened it, and nodded in satisfaction. “There it is.”
“What do you need animal fat for?” Alex watched as he headed back toward with the jar in one big hand.
Her heart began to pound. She knew damn well what he needed it for.
With a nasty grin, he bounced the jar in his palm and confirmed her fears. “Greasing your tight little asshole.”
“Oh, no. Forget it.” She tried to flip over, but he dropped to his knees and slapped a big hand in the center of her back to shove her flat. Before she could rear up again, he turned around and half sat on her facing her backside.
She heard the clink as he pulled the clay cork off the pot. “I’m afraid this is not a topic for debate.”
“You’d rape me?” Alex flinched as he used the other hand to part her butt cheeks.
“It won’t be rape.” Warm fingers stroked between her cheeks, seeking the little puckered opening. “I’ll make sure you’re nice and hot before I start your punishment.”
She caught her breath as Hawke’s long, thick finger found her asshole and began to push. He entered slowly, the penetration both a bit painful and shockingly erotic. Despite herself, she felt a hot, scandalized arousal growing as he probed her. “You can’t do this!”
“Sweetheart, I can do any damn thing I want to with you. You’re the one who’s tied up, remember?” The dark purr in his voice made her heart pound. “Oh, yeah. You’re definitely a virgin there, aren’t you? Nice and tight.”
She swallowed as he drew his finger out of her and delved into the pot again. Her voice cracked. “I hope that’s not what you use to cook with.”
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