Together they dove under the water. Instinct took over and she held her breath. They dove down, down, down into the crystalline waters. But she’d squeezed her eyes shut and refused to look. Behind her Sabre clutched her tighter.
Open your eyes, Eden. Look.
She knew he spoke in her mind. How he was able to do that, she wasn’t sure. He hadn’t done it before. She feared the water could hurt her eyes but she opened them anyway. The water had a strange ethereal glow to it. Fish and other sea creatures passed by as though she and Sabre weren’t even there. All the while she couldn’t allow herself to breathe. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold her breath any longer.
Panic set in. She couldn’t do this. She had to go back. She flinched in his grip and fought against him and the current.
Calm, Eden. I’m here with you. I won’t let anything happen to you.
Yet she all she could think about was drowning. Dying. Black edged her eyesight. Or was that the water? She couldn’t tell. Her heart pounded a wild beat and she flailed her arms and legs again trying to get loose from him and swim back up.
You’re allowing the fear to control you. Control it, Eden.
Easier said than done. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t. She’d been wrong. She was going to die.
Breathe, Eden! Breathe! Open your mouth and take it in.
When she continued to thrash he clutched her tighter, jerked her to hold her in place. She got the message. With her heart beating wildly, she quieted her mind. Could she do it? Open her mouth? Let it in?
Do you really want to go back to your dismal life? she asked herself. The answer was a resounding no. She opened her mouth.
Sea water poured in filling her lungs. She coughed, sputtered, choked. Disoriented. She flailed against him again but he held firm. The water may have been in her lungs but she didn’t feel as though she were dying. Another moment and the panic passed and she realized…she wasn’t drowning. She was breathing! She wasn’t going to die.
Now the fear and panic was replaced by relief. He felt the change in her and relaxed his grip.
See? You can breathe. Just as I said.
Sabre headed down again and a moment later he’d joined the current and allowed it to take them without swimming. In the distance a pale light gleamed against the depths. As they neared she could see it was a city.
The lost city of Atlantis.
It was quite a bit bigger than she expected or imagined. The wagon-wheel shape was built under a large dome and the glow from it stretched forever with the light glowing upward. Because of their depth there was no chance the light would reach the surface. Was this how they’d managed to survive all these centuries? Unnoticed?
A set of gates carpeted in algae greeted them guarded by stone sentries that had seen better days. They were crumbling yet stood silent watch with unseeing eyes. The gates opened outward allowing their entrance then closed behind them.
Ahead the dome beckoned them home. Home. This was her new home. Sabre led them toward an entrance with some sort of panel on the side of it. He pressed his hand to it and a moment later the door slid open. Once they were inside, it closed and she realized they were in a pressurization chamber. The water quickly drained leaving them air to breathe.
The sudden loss of water made Eden fall to her knees, gagging on the liquid in her lungs. He held her hair as she vomited it all at their feet. She hated that. Hated he saw her weakness. Hated he saw her throwing up at his shoes. Once the heaving stopped he patted her back with a gentle hand.
“Better now? I forgot to tell you about that part.”
She flashed him a glare and started to retort but a loud blower kicked on, the loud whine drowning out any questions she might have had. It lasted only a few seconds before it stopped, the silence nearly deafening.
“The sanitizer,” he said. “It makes sure we don’t bring back and bacteria from topside.”
“Oh. Great.”
“I should have warned you about that.”
She wiped her chin with the back of her hand. “Why didn’t you throw up?”
“I am well accustomed to the change in environment.”
Right. He would be.
Going through that again was not exactly her idea of a swell time. She didn’t enjoy it at all. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him grateful for his strength. Another door opened to the city. Two men stood on the other side.
One was as tall as Sabre with black eyes and short cropped hair. He had a wicked tattoo of a blackbird down one side of his face. He had the look of danger as he scowled. His muscles strained against his shirt threatening to pop the seams.
The other guy was as muscular but he looked more civilized. With brown hair brushing his shoulders he had the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. And a smile on his chiseled face.
“This your woman?” the green-eyed man said. “Nice work, Sabre. Where can I get one of those?”
“Is the area secured?” Sabre asked, ignoring him. “Like we talked about?”
“Northside has been deserted for quite some time. I doubt anyone will be looking for you there,” he replied.
“Your apartment awaits,” the tattoo man answered. He scowled at Eden. Practically curled up his lip in disgust. “And, yeah, we secured the area. With any luck we’ll get there without being noticed.”
“Eden, this is Raven and Lucian. They’re here to help us.” Raven was the one with the bird tattoo. Not a blackbird…a raven. Lucian was the other one. “I trust them. So can you.”
“Welcome to Atlantis, Eden,” Lucian said and flashed a winning smile.
“This way.” Raven wasted no words on pleasantries.
The vibe she got off him was something a bit stronger than dislike. Maybe he didn’t like humans. Maybe she was disgusting. Maybe he saw her puking in the air lock and was revolted by her.
Maybe she didn’t care.
The two men turned and hurried down the corridor with Eden and Sabre following close behind. She didn’t have time to take in her surroundings. This part of the city seemed so sterile. So military. So stark. There was nothing welcoming and warm about it. It felt like she had fallen into some kind of underground bunker except with clear walls and one hell of an aquarium outside.
They walked so fast she couldn’t process the sights. She knew she would have to explore later. As soon as she stopped feeling so queasy.
They rounded a corner and another. Until she was completely lost in the maze of the city. The corridor opened up into something totally different and fantastical. It was just like any other city she’d been in only underwater. There were streets lined with lamps. Dilapidated two-story buildings stood dark and silent. But they didn’t look like any traditional building with which she was familiar. These were concrete and steel with no curb appeal whatsoever.
The place was bleak. This must be the abandoned northside with the deserted streets.
Eden wondered if they had cars here or some mode of transportation. Something that would move them from one point to the other. A quick glance overhead told her there was a monorail system that looked as though it’d seen better days. A rusted abandoned railcar sat atop it. It had two broken headlights and the door was stuck open.
“That’s the ELL,” Sabre said. He noticed her gazing at the monorail. “It once serviced this end of the city long ago. Before people moved to the more appealing southside.”
They headed for one of the buildings at the end of the street. Of all of them this one seemed to be in the best repair. The paint peeled from the exterior walls but it at least looked as though the walls wouldn’t fall down. Raven used a card to swipe across as pad with a red light. The light turned green and the front door slid open.
“In here.” He ushered them inside the darkness.
This was a crude apartment. The first room was spacious with several cushy chairs and a sofa. A low table. Lights overhead illuminated the place in a soft yellow glow. A small kitchenette nestled in o
ne corner with a tiny dinette set. Stairs led up to the second level. Eden ventured further inside and found a bedroom with a bed and not much else. She flushed. There was a small bathroom with barely room for one.
“Dr. Franco knew you were gone,” Raven said.
“Did you stall him?”
“I told him you were preoccupied with the men giving orders. Making sure they brought back more women. Per his request.” Raven scowled, his dark face looking even more menacing.
“Does he know we’re here?” Sabre asked.
“No. I made sure he was occupied with the women.” Raven’s dark eyes glinted with something dark and dangerous. “But he’ll be looking for you soon enough.”
“And I’ll see to him when I can. Right now Eden’s safety is more important. What about Helene?”
“She’s fine. I made sure myself,” Lucian said.
“Thank you both,” Sabre said. “I owe you.”
“You do.” Raven gave one last glance at Eden before stalking out the door.
“Don’t pay him any mind, Eden.” Lucian smiled and took her hand and kissed it. “He’s standoffish at best. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Keep me posted on Dr. Franco’s movements,” Sabre said. “I want to know what the bastard is up to.”
“You got it, boss.”
He gave him a jaunty salute as he left them alone.
“Who’s Dr. Franco?” she asked as soon as the door had closed. “Is he the bastard that wants the human women?”
“Yes,” Sabre said. “And if he knows you’re here he’ll want you especially because you’re with child.”
“Well he can’t have me.” She crossed her arms in defiance. She would fight with everything she had if he tried to abduct her or take her child away.
Sabre grinned, clutched her to him and held her close. He kissed the top of her head.
“Welcome home, love,” he said. “It’s not much but this is only temporary until the baby is born. And then I’ll move us.”
“Where?” she asked.
“To a better place. More suitable for a baby.” He stroked her hair. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“As soon as I can get a doctor here I want to have you examined. To make sure the trip didn’t hurt you or the baby.”
That was a relief. She smiled. “Thank you. I would like that.”
“Before we go too much further there is something I must confess, Eden.”
A bit a fear sliced through her. Was he about to give her some bad news?
“While we were apart…” he began. He pulled away, held her at arm’s length. “I had to…do something.”
Oh, god. He slept with another woman.
“The day we made the agreement…about me coming back for you. Do you remember?”
“Of course I do.” She put her hands on either side of his face. “Sabre, I’m not afraid of anything you have to tell me.” Except if he cheated on her. Then she’d kick him in the balls. Hard.
“I had to bring back a human female for Dr. Franco. So I…” He paused, swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple bobbled.
She understood. “You brought him someone else?”
“Yes. I had to. Or he would have killed my sister.”
Momentary relief was replaced by disgust. She understood why he did it but it still made her skin crawl. There had to be another way. Some other way for these people to reproduce without resorting to kidnapping.
“There is something else I need to tell you.”
Now what? She waited, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“I must confine you here until the baby is born. If Franco discovers you he’ll turn you into his lab rat. I’ll never see you again.”
He hugged her tight. She’d have to stay here in this claustrophobic room? What had she gotten herself into? She’d never be able to breathe fresh air again or see the stars and the moon. Or the sun.
That’s what I gave up to be with him. To have his child. And I don’t regret it. Not one bit.
She shoved aside the dismal thoughts. She had him. And she was free of her awful life. Now she could reinvent herself. She could be someone else. A hero. She could take the reins of her new life, embrace it. Or she could sit here and wallow in self-pity longing for the life she once had. She would allow herself to mourn that life and then she would move on.
She wasn’t going to wallow. She was going to do something worthwhile.
“We will find a way to free the women, Sabre.”
“Now there are at least twenty.”
“Twenty?” She gasped.
“I had to send my men to bring them back. Franco threatened us.”
“Okay then. We’ll figure out a way to free them all.” And get rid of this monster, Franco.
“Franco has them guarded and locked away. I doubt he’ll let them go so easily.”
“Then we’ll have to enlist your friends’ help, won’t we?”
“You are amazing, Eden. But I don’t want you anywhere near the fight. I have a feeling there will be a confrontation soon. I’m glad you’re here.”
“So am I.” She yawned. Fatigue finally set in and she couldn’t stop the weariness that pressed in her bones.
“Go rest.”
But she didn’t want to sleep yet. She wanted to make sure this was real. That Sabre was real. That she hadn’t dreamed it all.
“No, I don’t want to rest. I’m not ready to rest yet.” She pushed out of his grasp and stepped away from him.
She could see the fire flash in his eyes as he quirked a sly grin. “No?”
“No.” With a slow hand, she unzipped the front of her suit and slithered out of it. His gaze raked over her naked body as he took her in. “I want you to make love to me.”
“With pleasure.”
He wasted no more time as he scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. When he put her down, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to the bed. Her legs went around his waist. His hardened cock nestled against her sweet heated core.
He trailed kissed down her cheek to her collarbone.
“How lucky am I to find you?” His words were heated against her chilled skin.
“I’m the lucky one,” she muttered, her hands fisting in his hair. He’d saved her from desolation, loneliness, isolation.
His mouth continued to taste her but Eden knew their fight with Franco wasn’t over. And it was their fight even if Sabre, Lucian and Raven didn’t know that yet. She intended to help any way she could, pregnant or not. Though she didn’t know all the details she had a feeling the psycho doctor wasn’t going to stop looking for women to bring down into the depths of the ocean. And the last thing she wanted to see were human women used for fertility experiments. The very thought made her ill.
But now wasn’t the time to plan a coup. She’d think about that later. Now he sank inside her deep core, her wet heat surrounding him. He groaned his pleasure. She sighed her content. Now she had a new man, a new life, a new purpose. New strength.
She was ready to take on the Atlantean world.
###
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
About the Author
Sneak Peak of Seducing Eve
About the author:
Michelle Miles is the award-winning author of fast-paced, fun-filled paranormal, fantasy and contemporary romances. Her latest book, ONLY FOR A KNIGHT, is set in the Celtic Otherworld and is the second in the Knights in Shining Armor series available from Ellora's Cave.
She is also the author of the Coffee House Chronicles, a contemporary romance series set in and around a coffee
house, as well as an action-adventure series, The Adventures of Ransom and Fortune. She is a member of Romance Writers of America®, PAN Liaison of the Dallas Area Romance Authors chapter and member of the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter. Her work has placed in the highly-acclaimed Writer's Digest Writing Competition and the Stroke of Midnight Contest sponsored by the Passionate Ink chapter. She is also a contributor of the charity paranormal anthology, ENTANGLED, which has donated over $10,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Discover other titles by Michelle Miles!
Guardians of Atlantis:
Tempting Eden
Seducing Eve (Coming Soon!)
Knights in Shining Armor:
One Knight Only
Only for a Knight
The Coffee House Chronicles:
Talk Dirty to Me
Nice Girls Do
Take Me I’m Yours
Sex Lust & Martinis
The Coffee Wars
The Adventures of Ransom & Fortune:
A Bend in Time
A Break in Time
Stand Alone Novels, Short Stories and Anthologies:
Phoenix Fire, a fantasy romance
Eorwulf, a short story
The Soul of Sharah, a short story
Entangled, a Paranormal Anthology
Connect with me online!
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Plotting Princesses
Get a sneak peek of Seducing Eve,
the second novella in the Guardians of Atlantis Series!
When Eve Kendall came to the first wave of panic slammed into her with full force. She couldn’t move. Her arms and legs were still bound. Maybe because she’d gone kicking and screaming when the giant of a man tried to kidnap her. Her heart pounded a wild tattoo in her chest as she looked around the sterile lab. It smelled like a hospital, the medicinal scent cloying sweet. She stifled a gag.
Tempting Eden Page 8