The Relic

by Maggie Nash

  Slowly, she smoothed one hand across her belly and over her mound. She cupped her sex and pushed gently with the heel of her hand. Sliding her index finger into her folds, she felt heat. When Vince was around, it didn’t take much for her to be on fire.

  Vincent’s voice rumbled deep in his throat. “Magda…”

  He was definitely forgetting about his injuries, so her plan must be working. She smiled to herself, feeling more confident by the second.

  Step one down, time for step two.

  Abruptly she removed her hands from her body and cupped some of the cool water of the pool, pouring it over her head and letting the cool fluid trickle over her face and breasts before slowly shaking her hair back and forth.

  Vince groaned and his gorgeous erection rose even higher in the water.

  She took a step closer to him, placing one hand on his forehead and another on his thigh. Their eyes met and stuck a light deep down in her soul. Her mouth went dry, and she licked her lips. She wanted to do this for Vincent. It felt right and it felt good.

  Smiling, she bent over and kissed him gently on the lips. “Your turn now.”

  She began a delicate trail with her fingers along his body, rubbing dirt off his muscles and dribbling water over his cuts. She reveled in his quick intake of breath as she moved down his abs and skimmed across the soft dusting of hair that led to his magnificent cock.

  “Jeezus, Mags, I’m going to either float upwards or sink to the bottom of the pool if you keep this up.”

  Moving past the danger zone to his thighs, she chuckled at the comical look of disappointment on his face.

  “Just a few more minutes, lover boy.”

  She worked her fingers down to the end of his toes and stopped to kiss them one by one. Vince nearly sank there and then. If she hadn’t steadied his hips, he would have. Well tough shit! He liked to fuck with her brain as well as her body, so now it was time for payback.

  “Turn over, Stone, and keep that head up out of the water. I don’t want to add CPR to my attentions just yet.”

  He laughed as he rolled over in the water. “I don’t know, Mags. Mouth to mouth could be kinda fun, don’t you think?”

  Whack! The muscles of his gorgeous arse contracted as she slapped her hand across both of his buns.

  “Ouch, what was that for?”

  “What? Not into kink? I thought you got off on that stuff?”

  He growled.

  Loudly.

  “I’ll show you kink!”

  There was a large splash of water, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself being dragged by her arm out of the water and on her way back to the beach.

  “What about your injuries?” she squealed, as she tugged against the firm grip he had around her wrist.

  “What freaking injuries?” he shouted as he completed the short distance to the shore.

  He set her down on the soft ground carefully but the gentleness was short lived when he immediately pinned her down with his body covering hers, and that enormous erection stabbing her belly. The look in his baby blue eyes was pure predator as he scooped up her wrists with one hand and drew her arms above her head.

  She now knew what a native bride felt while waiting to be taken by her chief. Her whole body quivered in anticipation of what was to come. With her heart pounding and her breathing erratic, she waited for his next move.

  His pupils dilated even further as his eyes met hers and fused with them. The hunger in his eyes was almost tangible. This was about raw sex. It was the burning flame between them, and it was possession. His possession of her body.

  And she was more than willing to let him take what he wanted.

  His eyes never left hers as his free hand began a slow trail of exploration starting from her hip and finishing at that sensitive area just below the curve of her breast. The soft touch of his long fingers sent shivers through her whole body. She sighed as her mouth opened and she arched her body, thrusting her breasts closer to him, begging him to touch them.

  “You are mine, Mags. Mine to do with as I please.”

  Yes. “And just what did you have in mind, Stone?” Her voice cracked as she spoke. She hardly recognized that low breathy and sexy sound coming from her own body. What was it about this man? He drove her crazy but he also knew all the right buttons to push.

  His deep, sexy laugh added another ten degrees to her body heat. “You’ll have to be patient, Mags. All good things come to those who wait.”

  “Well then, whatever the good thing is, get on with it!”

  He leaned forward and blew on the buds of her nipples, making them pucker even more than before “Or was that—all comings go to those who are good?”

  Very funny. He had her pinned down, turned on and ready to erupt and he was cracking jokes?

  He dipped his head again, this time to lave his tongue around a sensitive areole.

  “Ahhhh…”

  He nipped gently on the engorged tip, sending the equivalent of lightning bolts to her clit in a heady mixture of pleasure and pain. He kissed her breast, soothing the spot where his teeth had grazed. Their eyes met as his lips once again teased her skin, working their way up one kiss at a time toward her heated face. Letting go of her hands, he cupped her face, leaning all his weight onto his elbows. Those beautiful blue eyes darkened as his pupils dilated.

  He didn’t say a word.

  He didn’t have to.

  The feelings she longed for were all there in his face. God, she hoped she was really seeing them and not projecting her own wishes.

  But it felt very much like it was real at this moment in time.

  Her breath caught as he moved in closer. His breath smelled of fruit, and that other ingredient that she knew to be his own unique taste.

  His lips teased hers with a soft touch. His eyes closed as he came close again and covered her mouth with his while he teased and tantalized her. Moving with firm purpose, he sucked on her lower lip, scraping his teeth gently across her plump skin. His magic tongue slipped in as their breath mingled. He gently stroked her mouth, sending tingles straight through her chest to squeeze her heart. Moaning, she clamped her hands on his shoulders, her fingers itching to dig into his firm skin, but mindful of his injuries, she contented herself with just keeping a firm hold.

  The kiss continued for what seemed like an eternity, but it would never be enough. When Vincent drew back, they were both panting, desperate to draw in air before they began round two. Bringing his head close again, he kissed her once more on the lips then moved on to her neck, nuzzling in the hollow just above her shoulder. His hot breath tickled, setting off another set of shivers, and her body reacted by arching slightly. Her pussy burned for his touch.

  “Vince, please touch me.”

  She felt his smile against her skin as he continued to rub his nose against her neck.

  “All in good time, woman. We can’t rush things.”

  Oh God, if he didn’t make a move soon, she would jump him, and that wouldn’t be good for his bruises. “Fine,” she said on a strangled sigh. “Hurry!”

  Just so he knew how serious she was, she arched her hips against his cock and slipped her legs around his thighs, trapping him against her dripping folds.

  His cock heated and throbbed against her belly and Vincent ground his hips even closer against her and growled in her ear.

  “You don’t play fair, Mags.”

  She giggled as she lightly walked her fingers down his back to his firm buttocks and squeezed. “All’s fair in love and war, Vincent. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?”

  “Oh yeah,” he said in that deep, raspy and sexy voice of aroused man that she loved to hear. “And here’s another one for you. To the victor go the spoils!”

  He pushed back onto his knees and slid down her body, his face zeroing in on her damp curls. He pushed her thighs farther apart and spread her open with his thumbs. It made her sweat, watching his eyes heat while he stared at her most intimate place.

&n
bsp; “So beautiful, Mags. I love your cunt.” His next words were lost as he latched his mouth onto her exposed clit, sucking and nipping at the same time.

  “Oh God!”

  The muscles in her legs contracted as she fought the urge to stretch them out and ride through the orgasm that was building fast.

  A long finger slid inside her as his mouth continued its assault on her clit and she moaned. Nothing had ever felt as good as this. The sensations built quickly and she was getting closer and closer to the edge when he stopped.

  Her mouth opened to protest, but he was too quick. He’d moved up her body again, and thrust inside her so deeply surely he was touching her heart. He stilled for a few seconds and she could feel the effort it took him to control his body. He wanted her pleasure and she loved him for that.

  Lifting her head, she kissed his shoulder and pulled her arms around his back, hugging his beautiful body closer to hers. Vince moved up to lean on his elbows and smiled as he slowly withdrew, then plunged in again, this time even further than ever before. Her body clamped around his, never wanting him to leave.

  Sighing, she closed her eyes. She had never before been this close, this connected with another human being.

  “Look at me, Mags,” he said as he started a slow rhythm in and out.

  His eyes never left hers as his hard cock worked its magic. As they both reached a mind-shattering climax, Magda felt tears of joy trickle down her cheek. When he smiled, the fight was all over. He was definitely the victor and she never wanted to fight again. Even if he could never love her as much as she did him, she knew she couldn’t give him up now if she tried.

  * * * *

  As soon as the sun was up, they made the trip back to the clearing that held the monument to Sultan Abdullah in relative silence, which was a good thing, given that Vincent needed some time to absorb what had just happened.

  Never in a million years would he have predicted that Magda and he would have sex again, let alone the mind-blowing experience they’d just shared together. Shaking his head back and forth a few times to make sure his brain was actually in working order, he took in a couple of deep breaths. Slowing down his stride, he caught a better glimpse at her arse as she hiked a few meters in front of him. His dick certainly appreciated the sway of her hips and his mouth salivated just looking at those cute, rounded butt cheeks. They’d tasted pretty good a little while ago.

  Fucking hell, get a grip, Vince! Those bastards could find them at any time and he needed to be on alert, not fantasizing about the best sex of his life. Especially since it would all be just a memory soon. He knew she was the one woman for him, but he couldn’t see any way for them to be together the way things stood. It wasn’t fair to her to have a man with no roots, a man who wandered from one job to the next looking for excitement. She deserved more and he didn’t want to hold her back.

  “Hurry up, Stone. We want to find this bloody thing and get the fuck out of here before they find us!”

  Magda stood in the middle of the track, hands on hips and an exasperated look on her face. She could be a terrier when she wanted to, and that was probably why she was so good at what she did. He knew why she was a successful romance novelist. Anyone with that much imagination in the bedroom had to be able to pen a good yarn. It was her determination and hard work that made her stand in the crowd, both in the writing and the crime-fighting worlds. Yep, she was one fine woman, all right. Too damn fine for him.

  “Keep your shirt on, Mags. I’m coming. Just taking a breather.”

  She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Wore you out, did I?”

  “Oh no, sweetheart. I could definitely go another few rounds, but unfortunately, we don’t have time for that right now,” he said, winking back at her.

  Her sexy laugh filled the air. “What a poser!”

  “What? You don’t believe me?”

  “Sure, I do,” she said as she turned to the track and started walking. “But I’ll leave the confirmation session until after we get back home to Sydney.” Slapping a mozzie on her arm, she picked up her pace. “If we hurry, we should be reaching the clearing soon.”

  “You realize that I’m just blindly following you? This track looks like any other track to me. Why are you so sure it’s the right one?”

  She turned her head and chuckled. “No magic secret, Stone. I left a trail the first time we found it.” She stopped and reached for a tree, bending it toward him and pointing to a bend in the stem. “I bent several small branches along the way so when I saw branches along this track that were bent the same way I do them, I followed them. If my calculations are right, we should be just about there.”

  The jungle parted in front of them to reveal the clearing where they’d been captured. The same place where Magda had seen the symbol that matched the one on the statue of the Sultan Abdullah. Going back to the clearing was a huge gamble, and it might still be a dead end. They had no way of knowing if the symbol had any significance to the relic at all, but it was the best lead they had.

  The only lead they had.

  Vincent scanned the surface of the stone circle, looking for the one that held the imprint of the symbol. The debris from their last visit had been scattered and added to and the area was an even bigger disaster area than before. Rocks and soil had been upturned over the whole area, making it difficult to find a stable surface to place their feet. Balancing on a loose rock as he saw Magda stepping her way around the circle, Vincent whispered loudly to her, “Be careful, Mags. These rocks are dangerous.”

  Magda laughed loudly when he lost his balance and fell flat on his face into the dirt. Well, as loudly as she could when she was whispering. He lifted his head and she was there at his side, gripping his arm and helping him to his feet.

  “You were saying?” She ran her hands over his sides, checking for injuries. The resulting tingles left him momentarily without the ability to talk, because even though he still had residual pain from the beating he’d taken, it felt bloody amazing to have her hands on him.

  Her eyes narrowed when he didn’t immediately answer her. “You big lug—you did hurt yourself, didn’t you?”

  Somehow he found a voice. Unfortunately, it was a really scratchy voice that didn’t sound like him at all, but sometimes you had to take what you could get. “Um, no. I’m fine. Just a little winded, I guess.”

  Apparently she didn’t hear his response. Instead she stared at the ground next to his feet. Crouching down, she brushed away some dirt off one of the stones that was partially buried.

  “What is it, Mags?”

  “It’s the symbol. The one from the statue.” She started digging with both hands now, dislodging the stone and going deeper into the soil. “Ugh!” she grunted, as more and more dirt flew across his feet. “I can feel something solid just below the surface.”

  Vincent crouched down beside her, moving some of the smaller rocks out of her way. “Maybe it’s another stone. This whole place had been upended.”

  She grunted again as both her hands grasped something from below the surface. Giving it one last hard tug, she fell backwards as the object in her hands sprung free.

  Vincent grabbed her hand and helped her right herself and they both stood up. The object in her hand looked like some sort of carved wooden box. Magda brushed more of the dirt off it and found a latch. She looked at Vincent, excitement in her eyes. Maybe this was the relic they were looking for. He bloody hoped so. He was getting mighty sick of this cat-and-mouse game through the jungle.

  Magda hesitated. “Shall I open it?”

  “Go ahead. What are you waiting for?”

  “I’m just remembering that if this is the relic, it’s supposed to have magical powers. What if it’s booby trapped?”

  “I’ll open it then. I don’t believe in that bullshit, so I guess I’m safe.”

  Magda threw him an irritated look. “No, I found it—I’ll open it.”

  “Actually, I will open it.”

  Fuck! Vincent’s he
art stopped.

  “I knew our escape was too easy,” said Magda. “You followed us, of course.”

  The blond man smirked. “Of course. I knew neither of you would tell me where to find the relic, so I thought it best to let you do the work for me. I have to say, you gave us quite a show at the waterfall. That was an unexpected bonus.”

  “You fucking bastard!”

  Vincent touched Magda’s arm to stop her reacting. Her face had paled and he could feel the smoke coming out of her ears.

  “Tsk tsk, Magda. Name calling is so crass. Now be a good girl and hand me that box.”

  Magda pulled the box close to her body and growled. “Not on your life, arsehole!”

  Several of Thornton’s henchmen moved closer and surrounded them, each pointing their AK-47s directly at Magda and Vincent.

  “My men are a little trigger happy, Magda, so I suggest you give it over now or I cannot be held responsible for the consequences.”

  A loud explosion sounded from close by in the jungle. The ground beneath them shook and Vincent grabbed hold of Magda to stop her from losing her balance.

  “What the fuck was that?” asked Magda.

  “Buggered if I know, but it scared the shit out of the minions. It looks like your men are deserting you, Thornton.”

  Thornton swung around, his face contorting in rage as his men ran off in different directions. “Stop! You won’t get your payment if you don’t come back here now!”

  Vincent chuckled. “It looks like they’ve deserted you. Now if you will excuse us, Mags and I have somewhere we need to be.”

  Taking Magda’s hand, he started leading her away when the sound of a gun being cocked stopped him in his tracks. The barrel of a handgun was pointed directly at him, but the words Thornton spoke were for Magda.