by Anna Hackett
Dec shrugged. “Tie him to a tree and leave him for the jaguars.”
“Kill him,” Logan added.
He saw the Silk Road man’s eyes go wide, and he struggled against his ties. Logan let the bastard see that he was very serious.
Dec stepped in front of the man, blocking Logan’s view. “Get Sydney to the lake. Find the cabins, and I’ll catch up as soon as I can.”
Sydney leaned forward. “He said other Silk Road members would meet us at the lake. In the morning.”
Dec’s face hardened. “Good.”
“I’ll stay with Declan,” Morgan said.
Hale rolled his eyes. “Great. I get to be the third wheel.”
Logan grabbed Sydney’s hand and pulled her up. “Come on, let’s get moving.” He grabbed the lead of her horse, and with Hale leading the other animal, they headed off down the track.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked her.
A faint smile. “Yes.”
She was so damn beautiful. Logan had never really cared too much what a woman’s face looked like. He’d always been a legs and breasts man. And while he had no trouble looking at Sydney’s long legs, and high, firm breasts, he could look at her face all day.
Jeez, soon he’d start spouting poetry. He’d never been a hand-holder either, but here he was, with her slender fingers tangled with his. And he liked it.
“Logan, I really am sorry—”
He pulled her to a stop. “Don’t be. You did what you had to do. You survived.” He knew her work with the CIA hadn’t fully prepared her for this kind of situation. Slowly, he lowered his head, and kissed her again.
Whistling cheerfully, Hale walked past them.
“Tonight—” Logan whispered “—you’re mine.”
He saw a flicker of something move in her eyes.
They kept trekking through the forest. He could see she was starting to tire, and finally Logan suggested she ride the horse again. It felt like the forest was getting thicker, closing in around them.
“We should be getting close,” Hale called back.
Logan hoped so. About twenty minutes later, Declan and Morgan jogged up behind them.
Dec slowed to a walk. “Our fake Piero confirmed that the rest of the Silk Road group he’s working with are arriving tomorrow morning. His job was to keep Sydney captive until they arrived.”
Logan barely resisted the urge to growl. “I don’t trust him. We can’t trust a word he says.”
“Take it easy. I don’t disagree, but I was fairly persuasive.” Dec grinned. “I threatened to set you loose on him.” Then Dec’s face turned serious. “But I think we should set up a watch for tonight, just in case anyone tries to sneak up on us.”
“I was hoping we’d get to see the ruins today,” Sydney said.
Dec shook his head. “We won’t have time. It’ll be dark by the time we get there, and the chullpas are across the lake and up a steep cliff. There are some rustic cabins there that are used by the tourists. We’ll get some rest, and then tomorrow, we’ll explore the lake ruins.”
“After we take down Silk Road,” Logan added. Let the bastards come, he’d be ready for them.
“Even if you defeat them, more will come.” Sydney’s voice was harsh. “Silk Road seems unstoppable. You cut off a limb, but it grows right back.”
“It won’t grow back if you cut off its head,” Logan said darkly.
“I don’t think the Silk Road bosses are out here to do the dirty work,” Declan said. “Hell, we don’t even know who runs the damn group. Silk Road is seriously becoming a thorn in our side.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to find my brother,” Sydney said. “And then I’ll do whatever I can to expose Silk Road to the world. They like the shadows, so I think it’s time to shine some light on them.”
Dec smiled. “I like you, Sydney.”
Logan felt something ugly burn in his gut. He heard the admiration in Dec’s voice. Declan was handsome, and far smoother than Logan. And before he’d fallen for Layne, he’d been popular with the ladies. Logan touched Sydney’s arm. “You have your own woman.”
Dec held up his hands. “So I do. And my friend, so do you. Doesn’t mean I can’t admire someone who is so beautiful and smart.”
As his friend’s words hit home, Logan waited for that feeling of acid that Annika had left in him. The panic at the thought of a woman belonging to him.
Nothing. Just a savage satisfaction and desire that was growing with every step.
His hand tightened on Sydney’s.
He had to have her.
Soon.
***
Feeling tired and beat up, Sydney couldn’t believe her eyes when they stepped out of the forest and crested a hilltop.
They all stopped.
Nestled like a dark jewel between steep hills was Laguna de los Condores.
The tangled forest vegetation grew right down to the lakeside, and, across it, in the dying light of day, she could see cliff faces. She strained to see if she could make out the burial chullpas, but too many shadows filled the view. She couldn’t spot them.
Her gaze fell to the dark waters of the lake. It was so still, so quiet. She took a deep breath. After the action and adventure of the day, the calm peace of the place was amazing. It almost felt mystical. She could understand why the Warriors of the Clouds had chosen to bury their dead here.
“There are the huts,” Morgan said, pointing.
Nearby, nestled on the side of the hill, were three very basic structures. Made of wood logs, and in a simple square shape, rustic was a generous label for them.
Hale took the leads of both horses. “I’ll get these guys sorted out for the evening.”
“Look at you go, cowboy,” Morgan said.
Hale made a rude noise.
“Hide them,” Declan said. “If Silk Road turns up unexpectedly, we don’t want to announce our presence.” He spun, with his hands on his hips, studying the area. “And no fire. We’ll have to eat the MREs we brought with us.”
Sydney watched them all move into action—checking out the huts, talking about defensive options, handing out the ready-to-eat meals, and determining the safest way down to the lake. They were such a tight group. A family.
It suddenly made her feel very alone. She loved Drew, but they didn’t spend a lot of time together. She had good friends back in D.C., but they didn’t anticipate each other like Declan and Logan did. She didn’t have anyone who teased her, offered advice, and bumped their shoulder into hers like this group did.
Logan walked toward her and the tension in her eased. The look in his eyes told her that, at least for now, she wasn’t alone.
Anticipation licked through her. This big, tough man wanted her. She’d kissed him, tasted him, and had his big cock in her hand. Oh, it was so easy to imagine how it would feel inside her, stretching her.
As darkness deepened, the shadows were growing, and she knew it was going to be incredibly dark through the night. Everyone dropped their backpacks in their designated huts, and soon they all sat together in Declan’s. Inside, each hut was virtually bare, with a dirt-packed floor and some simple beds made of wooden frames and canvas.
Sydney listened as the THS team fought over the watch schedule for the night. Logan had the first few hours and Hale was putting up a fight about having the early morning. She munched on her bland meal. She was tired and hungry enough that it really didn’t taste too bad.
“Okay, Hale, you’re with me,” Declan said, nodding at some empty plastic buckets they’d found in the huts. “We’re going to head down to the lake and bring some water back.”
Hale groaned, but followed his boss.
Logan walked Sydney to her hut next door. In the doorway, he tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “Get into bed and get some rest.”
She nodded, stepping inside. He’d pushed two of the simple beds together, unzipped their sleeping bags, and had them laid out on top.
“And ma
ke sure you’re naked.”
She froze. Desire was a rapid one-two punch to her belly.
Logan didn’t move from the doorway. He didn’t say anything else, just stared at her for a long, humming second, then stepped back. He disappeared out the door and into the darkness.
Sydney shivered and untied her hair. She pulled her boots off and set about untangling her hair.
Not long later, Declan brought her a bucket of water and said good night.
She pulled a cloth out of her backpack, stripped her clothes off, and washed up as best she could. Despite the cool air, the cold water felt great on her skin. She wiped the grime of the day away. As she moved the cloth over her belly, her breasts, her thighs, she felt a little trail of goosebumps. And a shimmer of arousal.
Closing her eyes, she imagined Logan skimming the damp cloth over her skin. The last time she’d had sex, her lover had taken her to an art gallery opening, followed by dinner at a restaurant with a three-month waiting list, and then they’d ended the night in a suite at one of D.C.’s fanciest hotels. And despite the extravagant build-up, the night had ended with more of a whimper than a bang.
Sydney opened her eyes and looked around the rustic hut. She grinned. Apparently the location and ambience didn’t matter so much, since she’d never felt such desire for a man. She was trembling with anticipation, hungry for Logan’s touch.
She climbed onto the bed and slid naked under the shiny fabric of the sleeping bag, certain she’d stay awake until he got back.
But as she stretched out, thinking about Logan, the strain and exertion of the day dragged her into sleep.
***
When Sydney woke, she wasn’t sure where she was.
It was dark, but there was a low glow of light from a small lantern resting on the dirt floor. She blinked, as memories came rushing back. Laguna de los Condores.
The cobwebs of sleep disappeared.
She was lying on her belly, and suddenly very aware of the lips trailing down her back.
Logan kissed each knob of her spine, his rough hands kneading her back. She moaned. It felt so good. Without a word, he kept touching, stroking, and caressing her skin. He pressed his fingers deep into her sore muscles. He moved lower, reaching her buttocks and thighs. The man had very talented hands. She moaned again—it was so, so good.
He pressed his mouth to the top of her bottom, then cruised down one cheek. She writhed against the sleeping bag and looked back over her shoulder. A gasp escaped her. Logan looked rough and wild, desire etched starkly on his shadowed face. He lowered his head again, sprinkling kisses across the skin at the back of her thighs. When he nipped gently, she felt a rush of dampness between her legs.
As his lips moved closer to where she wanted them, she squirmed. His palms kneaded the globes of her ass and his mouth nipped her again.
“Logan.”
He gripped her hips and urged her up on her hands and knees. She barely even noticed the cool night air on her skin—she was completely focused on Logan. She heard him make a hungry sound and he parted her with his fingers. Then his mouth was on her, moving between her legs.
Sydney jerked and cried out. His tongue lapped at her, all of it firm, ruthless strokes. He licked and sucked, his tongue stabbing inside her. She gripped the fabric beneath her in her hands, his name spilling from her lips.
He pushed her legs wider apart. “Come for me, Sydney.” A deep growl.
He kept eating at her, pulling her deeper. Then she felt his lips close over her clit. One hard suck, and she exploded.
Still shuddering, pleasure coursing through her, she felt him spin her around. He lifted and moved her so easily with his strong arms. Her back pressed to the bed and he kneeled over her, his hard, uncut cock standing up toward his hard abs. She saw him reach out and then heard the crinkle of a wrapper. Licking her lips, she watched him slide the condom over his cock.
Then he gripped her legs, pushing them apart.
He stroked her. “So swollen and plump. Just for me.”
Circling his cock with one hand, he leaned forward and rubbed the head between her legs. She gasped.
“You’ll feel this, Sydney. Every inch.”
“Yes, Logan. Come inside me.”
“I’m going to make you mine.”
She let her gaze run over him. His rugged face. The scars across his chest. His wide shoulders. He pushed one of her legs up, and his gaze locked with hers as the thick head of his cock slid between her folds.
Her breathing sped up, turning irregular. Oh, God. She felt a pleasurable stretch as he filled her.
“Take me, Sydney.”
“I’m trying,” she gasped out.
With a hard push, he thrust inside her.
A cry escaped her. He was so big, stretching her hard. He was so overwhelming. She forced herself to relax, and then she felt his rough hands sliding down her leg. She stretched her arms above her head, arching into him.
“Sydney…damn, you feel good.” His voice was strained.
His thrusts started slowly at first—firm and to the hilt. Then he gained momentum until he was slamming into her. He changed the angle of his thrusts and she felt him pressing against her clit. She wrapped her legs around his hips. The dizzying rush of sensation left Sydney lightheaded.
“That’s it. Damn, you’re tight.”
Logan pulled out and slammed back in. Sydney moaned, her eyes widening. He was so big, so forceful, so much. She felt like he was claiming every inch of her.
As he hammered into her, faster and faster, sweat sheened his chest and his muscles were straining.
“I want you to come again, Sydney. This time with my cock deep inside you.” His words ended with a fierce growl.
***
Logan continued to drive into Sydney. So tight. So hot. So sweet. He was barely holding back his own release.
Looking down, he watched her make sexy little noises, her lovely breasts moving with each of his thrusts. The scent of her arousal swamped him, driving him to the edge. He wanted to watch her come again. He continued to drive into her, keeping his gaze locked on hers.
Then she gasped, her body tightening around him, clamping down hard. She threw her head back.
A second later, his release slammed into him like a blast. He groaned, his back bowing, his fingers digging into her skin.
He collapsed, chest heaving. He moved to the side and pulled her limp, warm body close. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.
Logan tightened his hold on her for a second, then reluctantly he let go and stood. It only took him a second to discard the condom. And as he turned back and took in the slender limbs, the pretty breasts, and the fall of her blonde hair spread out around her beautiful face, he felt need flaring to life again already. Hell.
He climbed back into the bed, and pulled her close. Burying his face in her hair, he breathed her in. She turned and curled into him.
When was the last time he cuddled in bed with a woman? Never. Not even in his short-lived, disastrous tangle with Annika.
He slid a hand down Sydney’s body, lazily stroking her smooth skin.
Then she moved, pushing up, and studying the backs of his arms. Her fingers traced over his tattoos.
“I really like these,” she said. “They suit you.”
He let her push him until he was lying on his stomach, his head pillowed on his arms. She moved, her hands tracing down his back, over his wolf tattoo. The look on her face as she explored him… He’d never had a woman look at him like that before. He’d definitely not had a woman like Sydney Granger stare at his tattoos the same way he guessed she’d look at some piece of fancy art in a gallery.
He sat up, pulling her into his lap, her back pressed to his chest. He cupped her breasts. “I really like these. They suit you.”
She laughed. But as he gently tugged at her nipples, her laughter gave way to a ragged breath. She moved against him, her sweet, rounded butt grinding against him. Of
course, she felt his now-hard-again cock.
She arched her head back. “You’re ready again?”
“I’ve got good stamina.”
Her laugh was low and throaty.
Then he stilled. “But I only had one condom.”
She matched his stillness and cleared her throat. “I’m on birth control. And I’m healthy.”
He knew her measured words meant that she didn’t usually do this kind of thing. The trust she was putting in him made his chest warm.
His hands flexed on her skin. The thought of sliding inside her without any barrier, without a layer of latex between them…
“I had a checkup two weeks ago,” he said. “I’m clean.”
Her smile was slow and sexy. “Well, then, Wild Man, show me what else you’ve got.”
He forced her head back and took her mouth with his. A second later, he rolled, pulled her beneath him and slid home.
Chapter Ten
Sydney made a humming noise of pleasure.
She was on her knees, her hands digging hard into Logan’s strong thighs, taking his big cock in her mouth.
He groaned. God, she loved this. Seeing the effect she had on him. The musky taste of him.
His hand slid into her hair, his grip hard enough to sting. “You like that, don’t you?” he said between gritted teeth.
She pulled back, running her tongue over the head of him. She saw the strong muscles of his stomach go tight. “I like giving you pleasure.”
“You like the control.”
She smiled. “That, too.” She swallowed him back into her mouth.
He let her move on him a few more times, then his hands slid under her arms.
“Enough.” He yanked her up, spun her, and pressed her down against the edge of the bed.
Her knees hit the sleeping bag she’d been kneeling on before, the edge of the bed pressing against her belly. His big body covered her from behind, the hair on his thighs tickling the back of hers. A second later, his cock thrust inside her without warning.
Her moan was long and loud. He pulled out and thrust back inside. He was so deep, and she was so full.
He showed her no mercy. Logan wasn’t a smooth or easy lover. He was rough and wild, and she loved every minute of it.