“I think you’re very brave.”
Skye made a face and shook her head. Her heart was bittersweet, her mind made up. “I’m not brave,” she whispered.
I’m scared shitless, she thought.
Her cheeks puffed out as she exhaled hard. Angrily she wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes.
She turned from Julian. He unnerved her.
Seconds ticked by, and when she raised her head, Skye’s eyes were like glass. She looked over to Jagger.
He glanced up and their eyes connected. It was like a physical blow to her gut and it took everything inside of her to remain calm, focused. Jagger’s face was unreadable. His body language was tense, the energy in the air palpable. Thick.
It fed the hungry raptor deep inside of her soul, and Skye shook out her arms, smiling at the jaguar. Doing something was way better than sitting on your ass doing nothing at all. Even if the end was near.
It was time.
“Are you ready?” she asked, a challenge ringing in her voice.
Jagger nodded to the men and then looked back at Skye. Long wisps of caramel-colored hair clung in tendrils to her neck. The tank top that she wore did pretty much the same, the thin cotton melded to her lush curves.
If he closed his eyes he’d have no problem whatsoever picturing her naked, wet, her eyes full of desire and her mouth swollen from his own.
But there was no time. He needed to focus and find the portal. Only then would he have the answers that he sought, because he sure as hell didn’t believe half the crap she’d told him. Something else was at play here, he could feel it.
And the woman in front of him held all the answers.
“Okay, let’s do this.” He closed the distance between them and indicated the direction he wished to go.
He grabbed the supply bag and the leather satchel that Skye was holding. He felt her watching him closely as he slung the two bags over his shoulders. She glanced at his brother Julian, and for a second the cat clawed just beneath his skin. Jagger had to fight the urge to growl, to warn away the other man from the blonde.
What the hell was up with that?
Julian shot him a quick look as if he could sense the turmoil that slithered just beneath the surface.
“So, where we headed, anyway?” Skye’s husky tone effectively broke the awkward moment and Jagger answered her quickly, pointing toward the northeast.
“We need to head back toward the Cockscomb Basin. That’s where the jaguar reserve is located. If we can’t find Nico there, then we’ll try Monkey River.”
“You’re taking Skye to see Nico?”
Jagger turned to his brother, not liking the tone or the implication. He would protect Skye.
“Nico knows every square mile of this entire area, from the Carribean Sea to the base of the Victoria. If he doesn’t know where this cave is located, then no one does.”
“But he’s … the last time I saw him, he was unstable.” Julian’s frown hardened even more. “You would trust him?”
Jagger did growl, low, rough, and the meaning was clear. Back off. “Nico will not harm a hair on her head. He may be crazy but he’d never attack someone.” His gaze touched on the blue of Skye’s. “Unless he was provoked.”
“Nice,” Skye muttered, stowing the other supply bag tight across her shoulders.
Jagger held his brother’s attention for several more seconds. A myriad of emotions flew through him.
They’d never been super close, the two of them. As the oldest, Julian had been groomed from a young age to take over the helm of Blue Heaven Industries from their father. It had pretty much been a done deal when adolescence had come and gone, revealing no warrior tattoos.
Jagger and Jaxon, however, had both developed the warrior tats when they were on the cusp of change, and the subtle dislike his father had for that part of their heritage was not easily hidden. Jagger had fled the homestead as soon as he’d been able. Enlisted, trained for special ops, and had never looked back.
It was ironic to see how the call of the wild had affected Julian. Right now, in this moment, with the heat of the jungle damp on their skin, the threat of battle imminent, his brother was just as much a warrior as if he’d been born with the very tattoos his father abhorred.
Still, brother or not, he didn’t like anyone questioning his authority and decisions.
“Be careful,” Jagger said gruffly, and then he turned away. He indicated that Skye follow; without a backward glance he led the way and the two of them disappeared into the jungle.
The going was rough, the air heavy with the threat of a storm. Jagger kept up a relentless pace, stopping only briefly for a rest, and if fresh water was nearby, they’d fill their bottles and then move on.
There was a sense of urgency he couldn’t shake, and he was sure that Skye felt the same. She kept up, didn’t complain, not even when he knew she was close to being dead on her feet.
Dusk was rapidly approaching. They still had a full day’s hike to get to the Cockscomb Basin. It was between the Maya Mountains and the Caribbean Sea.
Jagger had been vigilant and knew they were safe for the moment. He sensed no other warriors or any traces of magick on the wind.
He began to scout for shelter, but it was Skye who pointed out what appeared to be ruins of some kind. They were obviously Mayan and as they approached in silence, he felt a sense of wonder. It never ceased to amaze him how time marched on, her trials and tribulations scarring the landscape, but something always survived.
They approached with caution and again his senses picked up nothing out of the ordinary. The birds, insects, and all the other noises that filled the jungle like a chaotic symphony signaled nothing out of order.
It looked to be some sort of ceremonial area, much of it reclaimed by the rain forest, but it would provide shelter for the night.
Skye stumbled as she walked beside him and his arm snaked out, catching her around the waist. She stilled, catching her breath, yet didn’t pull away.
She’d long given up trying to tame the wild mane of hair that streaked past her shoulders in long wisps of golden smoke. The tendrils curled seductively, caressing the bare skin of her arms and neck.
Jagger had the insane urge to push the heavy mane away to cool the hot skin beneath it.
“We rest here,” he said gruffly, not liking the softness that had unfurled inside of him. Things were about as bad as they could get. Christ, they were hunting down an ancient Aztec portal that was a fucking conduit to the demon realm.
There was no room for rainbows and puppy dogs.
Skye remained quiet, although she pulled away and walked over to a downed tree. He watched from the corners of his eyes as she sat down, grabbed a tin of food from her pack and opened it.
Jagger did the same, so busy trying to ignore the loud silence that he didn’t taste the beans that he gulped down in minutes. The hunger pains in his gut began to ease, although the ache that formed in the pit of his stomach was a testament to the fact that he’d wolfed his food down like an animal.
He leaned back but was afraid to shut his eyes. Would she try to escape?
Jagger tilted his head and observed her as she finished the last of her tin. Her tongue darted out, quickly licking away a drop of sauce that had landed on the corner of her mouth. He was mesmerized at the sight and when she stuck her finger in her mouth, to suck away any lingering remnants that she might find, he felt his groin tighten in response.
All he could think about was her luscious lips wrapped tightly around his straining, painful erection.
And she had no clue as to the effect her simple actions were having.
“Come here,” he commanded roughly. Her stare jumped to his, and he held it, her blue eyes wary and hesitant.
He could see that she was shivering. Her body had been through a lot over the past few days, and he knew that physically she must be damn near the end of her rope. That being said, he still didn’t trust her enough to allow her
to be away from his reach.
She raised her head, her elegant chin jutting out. “No.” Her one-word answer was no surprise, but instead of impatience and anger, he felt a sense of pride in her belief that she could win over him.
His grin widened. The little minx had no clue what she was up against.
“Come here … now,” he said once more.
He could see her brain working furiously, looking for a way out. He couldn’t be sure if it was because she was so incredibly tired, or if she realized the futility of the situation. Maybe it was both.
No matter. He watched her closely as she got to her feet, pulling along a blanket that had been stuffed inside her supply bag. She stopped just in front of him and bit her bottom lip.
He smiled up at her wickedly, spreading his legs and indicating she slide in between them. Skye hesitated for only a second and then something flashed across the deep blue of her eyes. They darkened and a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
A tingle of energy slid down Jagger’s spine and he felt his mouth go dry. Anticipation shot through him, but it was quickly replaced with anxiety.
The feel of her ass against his crotch had his cock twitching excitedly and the uncomfortable heaviness that followed was painful.
His body immediately tightened and when she wriggled her softness against him and murmured, “Oh, sorry, just trying to get comfortable—the ground is so hard,” he knew he’d made a terrible mistake.
Fuck.
What the hell had he been thinking? He should have tied her to a tree or something.
He tried to ignore the earthy scent that clung to her skin. By rights the woman should stink to high heaven. They had been trekking through the jungle for days. But she smelled incredibly delicious and he wanted nothing more than to run his tongue down the back of her neck, nibble his way around the delicate jaw, and claim her luscious lips as his own.
“Who is this Nico?” Skye asked, her voice slicing through his fantasy. She moved her body once more, a subtle grind, and he clenched his teeth. “Ah, that’s better,” she said softly.
Jagger blew out hot air. It was going to be one hell of a long night.
He took a few moments and forced his body to relax. It was hard. The warmth of the woman between his legs called to the animal inside of him. He could feel the possessive need, the want that lay there waiting to explode.
“Nico is jaguar. No one really knows where he comes from, what clan. His tattoos are unlike any I’ve seen before.” Jagger controlled the shudder that tingled inside of him, but it was hard. Skye Knightly felt too damn good. “He used to belong to my brother’s unit at PATU but left several years ago.”
“Okay, I’ve heard you boys talking about PATU and I have no clue what the hell that is.”
Jagger smiled at the indignant tone of Skye’s voice. She sure as hell didn’t like being out of the loop. “Paranormal Antiterrorist Unit. It’s specialized and uses highly trained operatives, all otherworld. You know, people like us, non humans. Jaxon has headed the unit for the last seven years.”
“And this Nico person was in this unit. Why did he leave?”
“That"—Jagger sighed—"is not my story to tell.”
“Well, what did Julian mean when he said that Nico was unstable? Are we hanging our hopes on some nut job who’s gone native and lives in the jungle full time?”
“I went native and my faculties are wholly intact.”
Skye snorted. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”
“Look, I’ll be the first to admit that Nico has issues, but it’s not like we have much choice. If anyone knows where this freaking cave is, it will be Nico.”
He waited as his words soaked in. His body was tight, uncomfortable. When she moved yet again, an exquisite pain shot from his cock and traveled up his body like a lightning bolt. It left in its wake a fire that singed every nerve ending along the way. It elicited a hiss from deep within his chest and he cursed under his breath.
Jagger didn’t know what would happen if she kept up her game of cock tease. Her round ass was an invitation he was finding hard to resist. The fact that her heart rate had sped up and her body was now flush with heat told him that she was not immune to the pull of desire that raged inside of him.
“You will not win,” he whispered, low, against her neck. He knew exactly what she was up to.
Skye turned her head slightly, until their mouths were almost touching. When she whispered, the heat from her mouth caressed his lips like a kiss: “Who says I want to win?”
Her voice, husky, fanned the flames of desire to a level he’d not felt before.
Ever.
Fuck, Jagger thought as her lips reached for his. He held back for a second and then with a groan covered her mouth with his own. As her sweetness opened up to him, he pushed back the thoughts that lingered like a bad dream. He opened his mouth fully and his tongue plunged deep inside the warm wetness of hers.
Jagger ignored the voice that echoed deep within his mind.
No good can come of this.
Chapter 12
Dangerous slivers of desire swept across Skye’s flesh and she shuddered as Jagger’s mouth met her waiting, eager lips. Each pass of his tongue pulled at something deep inside of her, an ache that roared to life with a pulsating need that, while painful, carved trails of pleasure-spiked desire across her skin. It felt like every single nerve ending was electrified.
The intensity left her breathless.
All of this with just a kiss.
She groaned softly into his mouth, shifting her body until she was able to turn fully. Skye wanted every single inch of her flesh touching his. It was all she could think about. The incredible need to touch and to taste.
It was like a fever, this need to connect on every level possible.
With Jagger.
“Christ, but you feel good.” His low, rough voice sent a new round of pleasure spiraling through her body.
“So do you,” she whispered against his mouth.
Her hands had crept up his body and Skye’s fingers dug in as she straddled him, pushing her center into the welcoming heat between his legs.
He was rock hard and the hiss that escaped his lips as she ground her body against him excited and thrilled Skye. She took wicked pleasure in knowing just how much he wanted her. To know that his passion more than matched the molten heat that raced through her veins was an amazing feeling.
She wanted to lose herself in him. To forget everything that tinged the landscape black and threw a dagger of destruction into her foreseeable future.
A future that was on borrowed time.
She shook her head and cleared her mind from such thoughts. An image of Jagger naked and wet, shrouded in mist as the wildness of the jaguar slowly fled his body, flashed before her eyes. He’d been so untamed, so feral when she’d first laid eyes on him.
She smiled into his mouth as he growled deep from his throat, his breaths coming in ragged bursts.
Skye grabbed his face between her hands, nipping at his nose as she pulled away. His eyes, electric green, burned with a fire and intensity that at one time might have unnerved her. Scared her, even.
Yet now it awakened something inside that answered in kind.
Jagger Castille was all male. Rough, hard, powerful. And for this night, he was all hers.
She didn’t give a rat’s ass that he was jaguar. Not at this moment, anyway. Because in the coming days none of it would matter.
Skye traced her index finger along his chiseled chin, up along his jaw until her hand sunk deep into the glossy waves that caressed his neck. He was so damn beautiful, it almost hurt to look at him.
She reached down slowly, watching his eyes dilate as her lips hovered just above his mouth. She knew that he wanted her as much as she craved him, and that only fed the fires to an even hotter degree.
The noises he made were so animalistic, she couldn’t help but smile wickedly as each one tore from the back of his t
hroat.
In a time when everything seemed to be uncertain, the one thing she could control was the here and now. How ironic that Skye, an elite eagle knight, wanted to control a jaguar warrior.
Badly.
His eyes began to glow; sparks seeming to fly from deep within. Skye felt his hands ease their way around her body until they cupped the mounds of her ass tightly. He pulled her in tighter, crushing her against him with merciless intent.
Skye bit her lip as the ache that lay heavily between her legs intensified. Jagger pulled her slowly back and forth across his erection, and the friction from the material of her shorts was insanely pleasurable.
Her right hand slowly brought his head back toward her, while she kept his mouth aimed toward her own with her left. She wanted to taste him, and opened her mouth hotly against his, her tongue going deep and securing his mouth as her property in one careful swoop.
He tasted like the jungle. Hot, spicy, dangerous.
Inside her soul, the raptor was hungry.
They kissed, long and hard, each feeding from the other with an appetite that was insatiable.
“I want you so bad it feels like I need to crawl inside of you or I’ll go crazy,” Jagger whispered hoarsely into her ear.
Skye stilled at his words. The longing and need that colored his words was echoed inside of her. It was almost painful, this need to mate. To make love with a man who was her equal.
A man you’ll have to give up.
The thought slipped into her mind, silent and sneaky. Skye savagely pushed it away. Tonight was hers and to hell with everything else.
She pulled her mouth from Jagger’s, loving the way he tried to hold on, as if she were the oxygen he needed to live. She then righted herself, keeping her body balanced on his crotch as she straddled his groin.
“You are a fucking angel.” Jagger reached for her hair and she let him fondle it between his fingers, her hands running up along his forearms as he did so. She could feel her nipples, hardened with need, straining against the soft cotton of her tankie and she laughed throatily, pushing his hands away as she reached for the bottom seam.
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