She had been foolish to hope that he was going to be hers forever. That they were meant for each other. He’d never moved in. Never left so much as a stitch of clothing or a toothbrush at her house. He didn’t offer to have her sleep over. It always had to be her apartment. All the warning signs were there and like an idiot, Amanda had refused to see them. She wondered how long he had been cheating on her before she found out. She’d discovered his other girlfriend because he wanted her to know. He had been sloppy and messy and she could tell he was relieved when she’d sent him packing.
It shouldn’t have hurt. She knew men like Joe were no good. Her own father had been one like that. He left her mother at sixteen when he found out she was pregnant. Her mother hadn’t finished high school. She’d bounced from job to job and man to man. She’d been drunk more times than she was sober. Amanda had fended for herself for as long as she could remember. Yes, she should have known men like Joe were no good and still she hoped.
Maybe out here, in the fresh air, the pristine waters, the endless skies and towering trees, the green grass and wilderness and charming little cabin, she could forget. Maybe she could truly find herself. Despite the fact that on the outside it appeared she had it all together, on the inside, Amanda was just as lost as Joe and her mother had been.
Chapter 3
The sound of the little fifteen horse motor roaring to life brought a satisfied thrill racing through Amanda. It had taken her the better part of the afternoon to figure out how to get the thing working. She’d added gas and tried pulling the cord to start it. Nothing. Finally she had to look it up on her phone. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, it just took a little bit of trouble shooting and a hell of a lot of muscle and eventually the motor was chugging and huffing, ready to go.
The better part of the morning was already spent getting groceries, her fishing license and supplies. She was already exhausted from her trip into town and her battle with the motor but the sound of it starting up, the promise of adventure, reinvigorated Amanda.
She’d watched a couple videos on how to drive the thing, how to steer, how to watch for hidden reefs below the surface. She figured she could handle the fourteen foot boat and the small tiller herself. The people in the videos sure made it look easy.
Though she’d never done anything like this in her life, Amanda packed the boat with a rod and tackle. She’d never fished before either, but hell, that’s what the internet was for. She’d watched a couple videos ahead too, basic, beginner things so that she would know what to do if the urge struck her when she was out exploring. Her rod was already set up, compliments of a kind guy at the bait and tackle store in town. All she had to do was attach her choice of lure.
Amanda threw a soft cooler filled with snacks and bottles of water into the boat. She had a map of the lake, also purchased in town. She studied it. The lake wasn’t huge. About thirty miles from tip to tip. She knew where she was now. She would do her best to scout around. There were a couple little islands marked on the map that looked promising. Some were labelled that they had beaches. Most of the reefs were marked on the map so she would watch for those. There were oars in the boat should she strike a rock and damage the motor’s propeller. She really hoped it wouldn’t come down to that.
The first couple minutes away from the dock where shaky. Amanda contemplated going back but she didn’t want to let the boat get the better of her. She could do this. She had to do this! She couldn’t spend all summer wondering what was out there on the lake and not exploring. No, she wouldn’t sit idly by and tell herself she couldn’t do things. This summer was about discovery.
“You’ve got this, Amanda Stenson,” she whispered to herself. Her words were barely audible above the hum of the motor.
The day was gorgeous. There was almost no wind and not a cloud in the sky. The sun beat down on her shoulders where they peaked out from her life jacket and Amanda was glad she’d applied sunscreen to her bare skin. She’d also had the foresight to bring a ball cap and it shaded her eyes. Her long blonde hair was tucked up underneath the cap but strands tore free and tangled about her face as she drove.
One island in particular looked promising on the map. It was a strange shape with a little bay marked with a sandy beach. She thought it would be the perfect place to set down and eat her snack, maybe go for a swim. Sweat beaded on her brow under the cap’s rim. Amanda felt the beads of moisture rolling under her lifejacket and tank top. Yes, a swim would definitely be a good idea.
After a ton of navigating and having to turn the boat around and retrace her path, Amanda found the island. She could tell right away from the little sandy cove set into the curving piece of well treed land that she had found the right one.
“Gotcha,” she said triumphantly then felt a little silly talking to herself. She turned the boat and headed for it, careful to avoid the shallow waters. The rocks did indeed come up but she was able to navigate her way to a rocky outcrop. She killed the motor and coasted in, jumping off the front of the boat. There was a white, frayed rope attached to the front of the boat and she had that in her hand. Finding a suitable tree a few feet away, Amanda looped the rope around the trunk and tied it several times.
The lake was almost pristine it was so calm, the surface like glass. She didn’t need to worry about the waves rocking the boat up and down and untying her knot.
Grabbing her cooler, which also contained a book and a towel and her phone, Amanda picked her way to the beach area. She opted to hop along the rocky shore, not try and go through the heavily wooded island.
The rocks underfoot were slippery and painful and she almost lost her footing a couple times. She cursed herself for waring flip flops. She’d anticipated being able to find a beach so she’d worn them instead of her runners or hiking boots.
The rough trek across the outcrop of rocks was totally worth it the minute Amanda slipped her flip flops off and felt the warm sand of the beach under her toes. She sighed with contentment and took a couple more steps forward. She grinned as the sand tickled the soles of her feet. She sun beat down on her and she breathed in deeply, scenting the crisp air.
The trees provided the perfect backdrop to the beach, swaying softly. A squirrel chattered off in the distance and another scolded her, closer than the first. She glanced around but couldn’t quite see it. Birds twittered happily.
This must be heaven. Amanda unzipped her cooler and took the towel out, spreading it across the sand. She placed her book on end and threw down her flip flops on the other end. She dug around and found one of the sandwiches she’d made, peanut butter and jam, and a bottle of water.
She downed half the crystal water in a few long pulls. It was cold and refreshing and welcome. She stripped off her lifejacket and let it fall into the sand. Amanda plopped down with a sigh. Her eyes scanned the horizon and she couldn’t help but think how proud she was of herself. She’d come out here all on her own. If she had something to prove, she’d definitely done it.
The island wrapped around her in the shape of a kidney. She was in the bay and the two sides swung out. Her eyes fixed on a dark hole at the base of the one arm furthest away. She had boated up to the other one and missed that one completely. She stared transfixed, angling her head so that she could see better.
It was a cave. It had to be!
“Wow,” Amanda whispered. She stood, running up the beach until the sand gave way to sharp rock again. She stared into the distance. The cave was only maybe twenty feet away. There was no rocky path like the other side of the island had provided to the beach. This part of the island had a sharp drop off and high sides. There was no way she could make it through the dense woods to the cave and even if she did, the side of the island dropped off so steeply she wouldn’t be able to climb down.
Amanda was a good swimmer. The tested the water with her big toe. It was frigid. The day was warm enough though, that if she went for a swim she could dry off and warm up easily in the sun after.
“I didn’t bring
a bathing suit.” Amanda glanced around; sure she should really stop talking to herself but who else was there?
Amanda considered the rocky jut of the island for another minute. She really wanted to check out that cave. She couldn’t say what it was that called to her but she felt an inner pull towards it that she couldn’t deny.
Slipping off her tank top and bra, Amanda let them fall to the sand. She undid the button on her shorts and pulled them and her underwear down as well. Standing there naked, the sun shining down on her, the gentle wind tickling her skin, Amanda waded into the water.
Chapter 5
The water was colder than first anticipated. The chill of it stole Amanda’s breath. Her limbs were growing languid by the time she reached the cave’s entrance and she cursed herself for not putting the lifejacket back on before she dove into the water. She was a strong swimmer and hadn’t even thought of it.
Gurgling, sloshing noises greeted her as she swam up to the cave’s entrance. The water was still far too deep for her to put her feet down. She didn’t hesitate to duck down and swim through the entrance. She thought she could always swim back out if the cave was too deep or dark. She was hoping it was a shallow bottom so she could rest for a minute.
The cave was black. Amanda entered into it like slipping into a dream. She felt something otherworldly about it, some kind of feeling that she couldn’t explain. Her chest constricted but it wasn’t from fear. She felt a strange pull enticing her forward. She had felt the same feeling standing on the beach looking at the cave but it was stronger now.
She tread water, searching for the cave bottom and not finding it. Amanda was growing tired and her skin was numb. She knew she would have to leave soon if she couldn’t find anywhere to rest and catch her breath. She swam further forward, all the while testing for the bottom.
Something brushed her leg.
Amanda screamed, the sound reverberating off the cave ceiling. She thrashed her legs wildly but she felt nothing. She paused, her breaths coming in great big bursts, her lungs burning with the effort of expending so much energy to stay above the surface of the water.
“What was that?” Amanda asked, her voice trembling. She decided this whole thing had been a bad idea. She hadn’t been afraid until that faint brush of something solid against her leg. It was probably just a rock or a weed. Heaven help her if it was a fish. The thought frightened her more than anything.
She turned, about to swim back to the light spilling in through the cave’s entrance. She needed to swim up to the side of the island and grab on, rest for a minute, before carrying on back to the beach.
There it was again. The faint brush of something against her thigh.
Amanda screamed, kicking wildly again. She calmed a minute later. She couldn’t keep doing this. She had to just get to the mouth of the cave and get out.
She was about to resume swimming again when whatever it was that had brushed her wrapped around her waist solidly.
Amanda went wild then. She kicked and squirmed, fighting to free herself. The thing, whatever it was, latched on tight. She felt below her, felt the solid squish of flesh, the strange suction of little cups pulling at her skin. Tentacles. Something with tentacles had grabbed her.
She was exhausted from fighting and growing weaker with every passing minute. Amanda kicked and fought to free herself. Her only thought was to make it back out into the daylight before whatever had her pulled her under.
Plunging under the water’s surface for a minute, Amanda struggled to kick and get free. Her mouth filled with water. The frigid dark liquid rushed into her nostrils, choking her. She came up to the surface, spluttering and gagging.
She was pulled under again, deeper this time. It was only a minute before blackness overwhelmed her.
Chapter 6
Darkness. There was only a black darkness that surrounded her, permeating everything in its wake. The sides of Amanda’s vision were black. Her limbs burned and her lungs were on fire.
She tried to take a breath and was shocked to find she could. Air rushed into her lungs, inflating them. They deflated when she breathed out. She was alive.
Amanda opened her eyes wide. She was floating on the surface of the water. Which was strange, because her entire body had ceased fighting the cold, fighting whatever had grabbed her, fighting to live. She thought for certain she’d died but here she was, alive and well.
She wasn’t cold. That was the other strange thing. The water all around her had grown warm.
Amanda kicked and struggled frantically when she realized she wasn’t floating. No. There was something solid wrapped around her waist and chest, holding her upright. Tentacles. The same thick, solid tentacles that had been pulling her down to the bottom of a watery grave were now holding her upright, giving her access to the breath she needed to survive.
Don’t be afraid.
The thought echoed through her head, bouncing off her skull. It was as though it was her own thought but Amanda knew those words were not hers. She froze, her body going limp.
Something strange happened in her chest. The warmth of trust, a burst of kindness, the feeling of being safe and sheltered, washed over her. This creature below her, whatever it was, wasn’t going to hurt her.
“What are you?” Amanda asked. Her voice sounded strange, like it came from somewhere else.
I am not here to hurt you. I need you to help me. I saved your life just now. I could see it already you were tiring. You wouldn’t have made it back to shore. A cramp in your leg would have sent you to the bottom of the lake, filling your lungs with water. I could see it happening and I saved you. Prevented you from death.
“How… how do you know that? How are you speaking to me?” Amanda looked around the cave for the source of the voice but it seemed to come from her own head. The tentacles around her waist tightened. She stiffened when she felt another moving below her. It latched onto her chest, brushing over her bare breasts. She was reminded she wasn’t wearing any clothing.
How could she have been so stupid? To come all the way out here without a lifejacket? How was any of this real? It certainly didn’t feel real. It felt like a dream.
That was it. She was dreaming. All of this was a dream. Her entire body relaxed as reason filled her. She would wake up soon. She would be safe. She felt safe now and incredibly transfixed by the creature below her. She knew it wouldn’t hurt her. It couldn’t. None of this was real.
“What are you going to do with me? Will you let me go?” Amanda asked, knowing it really didn’t matter as whatever happened here would be over when she awoke.
I want to know Amanda, will you save me now? Save me from dying?
Whoa. This was the strangest dream she’d ever had. She decided to just play along and hope she would wake soon. “Sure. Of course I’ll help you. What do I need to do?”
I need your body. I need you as a vessel. Will you give yourself over to me? I promise you pleasure like you have never known before if you will help me. That is how I will repay you for your kindness.
“You’ve already saved my life. There’s really no need to repay me.”
Think of it as a product then, of what will happen. I promise if you relax, you will enjoy it.
“Alright.” Amanda smiled into the darkness. God, how much stranger could this dream get? Pleasure beyond what she had ever known? She could handle a little of that after dating Joe for so many years. He’d been all about one person and one person only; himself.
She relaxed further, leaning back, letting the creature below her support her body. The warmth of it leached into her. The lapping of the water was pleasant, like a hot bath after a long day.
Amanda was surprised when the tentacle around her chest moved down to her waist. Another came up behind her neck, supporting her there. The water bubbled beside her and a bluish arm complete with light purple suction cups emerged from the inky black water. It was strange, how the skin seemed to glow in the dark cave.
The tentacle c
ame up and stroked her cheek, the narrow tip running over her silk skin, nuzzling her throat before trailing over her lips. There was a strange ache in the wake of it, a strange burning just under her skin. Amanda was shocked to realize it was the slow burn of passion awakening. Her nerve endings buzzed and between her legs, there was a curious throbbing in her thighs higher up, at her mound.
The tentacle swirled lower, over her naked breasts, The tip toyed with one round orb, finding the nipple and circling it until the bud was peaked and raw. Amanda arched her back with a gasp, leaning into the touch. What the hell was happening to her? Even in the water, she could tell that moisture pooled between her legs, her juices coating her thighs.
God, she was trembling. Hard shivers of desire raced up and down her spine. They gripped her abs and held her captive. The tentacle moved to the other breast, teasing the left nipple in the same way. The suction cup latched on, pinching and twisting the nipple painfully. Amanda moaned. She shook in the water as hard, hot need washed over her.
Another tentacle crested the water’s surface. It snaked forward, kissing its way up her thigh, leaving tingles of anticipation in its wake.
“More,” Amanda whispered, shocked at the wantonness of her own voice. “Touch me. Higher. Yes… that’s it.” Her voice broke off as the tentacle whispered over her thighs, to the swollen flesh between her legs. God, she was so ready. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever felt so wanton, so lush, so like a woman.
The creature, whatever it was, spread her legs wide. She knew it was going to fuck her and she desperately wanted it. The tentacle was warm and wet as it trailed over her belly, teasing her, tantalizing her. Amanda craved its touch and the creature below her knew it. She felt the warm solidness of the tentacle, the little sucking motion the suction cups made as it latched onto her. The tentacle probed her flesh, spreading her lush folds wide before butting up against her entrance.
Adored By The Rancher: Mail Order Brides Box Set Page 21