Seducing Eve (Guardians of Atlantis)

by Miles, Michelle

  Seducing Eve

  By Michelle Miles at Smashwords

  Copyright 2013 Michelle Miles

  Cover art by Erin Dameron-Hill

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use, then please return to Smashwords.Com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  For my husband. Love, always.

  Acknowledgements

  There are always people I need to thank for supporting me throughout this writing endeavor. My awesome critique partners, Misty Evans and Bonnie Johnston. Thank you for your continued support and help with brainstorming and making me a better writer. My husband, Robert, who is not only my line editor but also my biggest fan. I could not do this without his love and support. It means more to me than words can say. My Plotting Princesses who are always there for support and encouragement! You gals understand all the trials and tribulations of this crazy business and I don’t think I could survive without you. Y’all are the bomb! And, of course, my family. Love and thanks to you all, always!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About the Author

  Other Titles by Michelle Miles

  Sneak Peek of Take Me I’m Yours

  Chapter One

  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 and ached. She’d gone kicking and screaming when the giant of a man tried to kidnap her. Her heart fluttered a wild beat as she glanced around the sterile lab. It smelled like a hospital, the medicinal scent cloying sweet. She stifled a gag.

  Cold metal bit into her nearly naked back and she realized she was strapped to some type of metal gurney. Above her the incessant buzz of the overhead lights reminded her of a wasp buzzing a nest. She could hear men’s soft voices somewhere in the distance but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She lifted her head to get a good look at her surroundings. She hated all she wore was the red bikini and the opaque cover-up. Gooseflesh rippled up her legs. Her feet were still bare.

  Where the hell was she? The last thing she remembered was the big man cornering her on the Bahamian beach at the all-inclusive Seashell Resort. She’d been stupid to sit on the beach, alone, with a Mai Tai in her hand watching the sun set. But she’d felt safe at the private resort. She’d let her guard down. The man had come out of the sea with a knife in his hand and a dark possessive look on his face.

  At first, she thought she was seeing things and she’d blamed the alcohol running through her veins. But he had been very real and very determined to take her. She’d watched him walk toward her from the sea and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She’d dropped the drink and rose from her lounge chair and bolted. But it was too late. He chased her, grabbed her. When she fought back, he’d hit her in the head then stabbed her in the neck with something. A sharp pain coursed through her before she passed out.

  Had he stabbed her with the knife? She didn’t think so. Otherwise she would be in lot more pain. It felt more like a…needle. A syringe? He must have drugged her to bring her here. Wherever here was.

  Who was he? What had he done to her? What was going to happen to her?

  Stay calm.

  Above all she had to remain calm. Panicking would do her no good. Panicking would not get her out of here.

  So much for spring break. She was supposed to be on a fun trip to get away from her high-stress job. The Bahamas seemed like the perfect place and she had planned the trip for six months. She’d never been to the Caribbean. She was supposed to go snorkeling and horseback riding on the beach. She’d come with her best friend and—

  Wait. Where was Abby? Was she here too? The last thing she remembered before she passed out was shouting Abby’s name. She’d come running to see what was happening. Had he nabbed her too?

  Next to her she heard the whimper of another woman and craned her neck to see if it was her best friend. Relief sputtered through her. Relief and fear. Abby was strapped to the table next to her. She seemed unharmed. But they’d both been taken. And Eve hadn’t the vaguest idea what to do about it.

  Escape. She had to escape. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She was going to get out of here alive. And so was Abby. She didn’t know where the hell she was or how to get out of this place but she would be damned if she’d stay here and let anything happen to her or her friend.

  Abby’s eyes were squeezed shut, tears leaking from the corners.

  “Abby.” She whispered as loud as she dared. “Abby, it’s Eve!”

  “Eve?” Her eyes opened and she turned her head. “Oh, thank god. What happened? How did we get here?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Where are we?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know that either. But I’m going to get us out of here.” Determination spilled through her veins. She tugged at the restraints but they held fast.

  “No talking.” The sharp command came from the man entering the room.

  Eve couldn’t see him but she could sense his presence as he approached. She could hear the rustle of his clothing as he walked toward her. Her heart rammed into her throat. She would not let this man scare her. She wouldn’t.

  But she couldn’t help but fear what would happen to her. Why had they grabbed her? Did they know about her…gift? Had someone found out and sent people to take her into custody?

  No one knew. Not even Abby. Only her parents had known and they were long dead. They’d kept her secret closely guarded their entire life. They’d warned her people would try to exploit it should she be found out. She’d always been very careful about that.

  These people here couldn’t know about her. She must be here for another reason. But what that reason was she had no idea.

  The man moved to stand next to her table and look down at her. He had pinched features. Dark eyes. Black hair. He wore a white lab coat over a blue tunic. There were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He licked his lips as he gazed down at her. She hated him immediately.

  “Pretty. I like this one. She has good bone structure.” His gaze raked down her body making Eve feel even more exposed than she already was. Wasn’t it enough she suffered the indignity of lying here in her bikini? “Nice round curves. Wide hips good for birthing.”

  He spoke to someone Eve couldn’t see. All she could hear, though, was a pen scratching on a notepad and footsteps—heels? A woman?—following him.

  Her heart did a terrified thump in her chest. She had no idea what that meant and she didn’t want to find out. She wanted to get out of here away from this sleazy doctor, if that’s what he was. But the restraints on her wrists and ankles held firm.

  He moved out of her line of vision and she could hear him walk around her table. He stood next to Abby.

  “This one has potential, though she’s not as aesthetically pleasing as the o
ther one. Get Dr. Franco. He’ll have the final say on what we do with her.”

  “Yes, sir,” a woman replied.

  What was going on? What did he mean Dr. Franco would have final say? The final say about what?

  “You leave her alone,” Eve snapped.

  She tried to lift up but it was no use. She couldn’t move but an inch upward. Still, she was able to lift her head and pin her gaze on the man in the white lab coat. The woman stood behind him holding a metal clipboard and writing notes. She stared at Eve through black-rimmed glasses, her brown eyes wide.

  The man returned to her side and smiled down at her. An oily smile. “Pretty and she has an attitude. She’ll do well. Dr. Franco does so like the feisty ones.”

  “Who are you? Who’s Dr. Franco? Where am I?” She jerked on the bindings holding her down. “Why am I tied down?”

  “So many questions. Dr. Franco will be able to answer them all.” He turned and gave a nod to the woman behind him as if indicating she should get him.

  Maybe she didn’t want to know who Dr. Franco was. He sounded like a freak. The man in the lab coat approached her and stood by her table again. This time when he smiled down at her he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. She wanted to puke.

  “So soft. So pretty.” And then he leaned down and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Behave yourself, pretty girl, or I’ll take care of you myself.”

  Her stomach coiled into a tight knot. She was no dummy. She knew what he meant by taking care of her and she didn’t like it. The faint smell of him—citrus—wafted over her and she fought the urge to gag. His hand slipped from her cheek down her neck to her shoulder where he slid it ever so slowly toward her breasts.

  No. No. No. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t happening. He was about to touch her. And all she wore was the thin bikini and cover-up she’d had on when she was abducted. He would be able to feel everything. She squeezed her eyes shut. His hand slid over her breast, cupped it and gently squeezed.

  “Oh so nice. So soft…”

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  The man jumped away from Eve at the sound of the sharp voice. Dr. Franco? Had he entered the room? Had he unwittingly saved her?

  “Dr. Brice, please refrain from touching the patients.”

  “Apologies, Dr. Franco. But she wanted me to.”

  “Bastard!” Eve exploded. “I did not!”

  “She begged for my touch,” Brice said, not looking at her.

  Eve jerked against her restraints. “You’re disgusting!”

  Franco’s gaze went from her to Brice, his gaze nothing short of scorching.

  “See that it doesn’t happen again. They are here because we need them. We are not to take liberties with them and I won’t tolerate it. If I see it happening again, I will make sure you are removed from this experiment. Is that understood?”

  Brice stiffened, turned to give her a glare that clearly said they were far from finished and then gave Franco a curt nod. “Understood.”

  “Dismissed.”

  Dr. Brice. The creepy dude who’d touched her. She would remember that. And she would make sure if she ever got out of here he would pay. She would quite enjoy kicking him in the balls.

  And, uh, experiment? Her heart jolted. What were they going to do with her? What sort of experiment? Fear congealed in her heart.

  Dr. Franco moved to stand next to Abby’s bed. “Is this the one, Abril?”

  “Yes, doctor.”

  “She has good bone structure like the other one. I believe she’ll do nicely. Wheel her into the exam room next door. I’ll speak with her next.”

  “As you wish, doctor.”

  Abril, the woman who’d been behind Dr. Brice, pulled Abby’s table—it truly was a gurney—and moved her out of the room. Eve was alone with the doctor. She’d never felt so exposed and she hated being tied up.

  Dr. Franco peered at her. He had a pointed nose and an elongated face. His brown hair was thinning on top. Lines of concern creased his forehead.

  “My apologies, miss. He had no right to touch you without your permission.”

  She blew out a breath of relief, happy he believed her. “You’re damn right he didn’t.”

  “I’ll make sure he stays away from you. That is not how I run this operation. You are to be treated with respect. What’s your name?”

  “I’m not telling you.” Eve pressed her lips together.

  One eyebrow rose in question. “We are not here to hurt you. I promise you that. Tell me your name, please.”

  “Why? So you can do what to me?”

  “So I can address you by your name instead of ‘miss,’” he said.

  She considered this for a moment before finally looking away, staring at the white tiled ceiling. “Eve.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eve. I am Dr. Franco. Do you know where you are?”

  “No.”

  “Did no one tell you where you would be taken?” he asked. She could hear the concern in his voice.

  “No. The last thing I remember was being tackled on the beach.”

  He swore under his breath in a language she didn’t recognize. “Imbeciles. Reckless idiots.” He shook his head. “Again you have my apologies. You were to be apprised of the situation and asked to come willingly.”

  “Come where?” she asked.

  “This is going to take some explaining,” he said. “You were brought here to help save our race.”

  “And what race is that?”

  “My dear, you are now part of the lost city of Atlantis.”

  She stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he serious? She searched his face but could see no hint of a joke. He looked serious. No joking.

  If she were in the lost city of Atlantis, what did that mean? Was she…underground? Or, worse, under water? How did she get down here without her lungs exploding? Why didn’t she have the bends? Had they figured out some way to get her into a dive suit and bring her here? She had a ton of questions and no answers. Not to mention the fear that continued to prod her. She was in a bad place and she was pretty sure there wasn’t any way to get out.

  “No way. I don’t believe you,” she said at last.

  “Yes. Believe it. I’m the lead geneticist here. Our race is dying. I’ve asked the Guardians of Atlantis—what you would call a military force—to bring back willing females from topside to help us populate our people.”

  Now she really stared at him as though he’d grown a second head. This was…unbelievable. Cold fear prickled the back of her throat.

  “You’re disgusting.”

  “You misunderstand,” he said. “We do not expect you to be with any of our men that way.”

  “So then what? You’re going to artificially inseminate us?” Bile of revulsion clotted the back of her throat. “That’s beyond sick.”

  “It is the only way to save us. Our women cannot conceive naturally or carry the babies to term. By mixing your human DNA with our Atlantean, I believe we will be able to sustain our race.”

  She stared at him, sick to her stomach. He was going to…do that to her? She wasn’t ready to have a baby. And she certain didn’t want to have one that way. She wanted to get married first. She wanted the white picket fence, the dog, the ‘burbs. Now, in the blink of an eye, all that was stripped away from her. She was to become a human experiment. An incubator. It disgusted her.

  “You were to be told of this beforehand. You were to come willingly. Not forced.”

  “And yet I was forced. I didn’t agree to this at all,” she snapped. “Some giant man tackled me on the beach. I was kidnapped and brought here. So was Abby. You can’t keep us here!”

  “I’m afraid you have no choice.”

  “Yes, I do. I’m an American. You can’t take free will away from me!”

  “My apologies, Eve. But you’re here for the duration. I need you. We need you. Now that you’re here, I cannot let you go.”

  “The duration of what? Until
you knock me up? And then what happens? I won’t stay here!”

  “The baby and you will become property of Atlantis.”

  “Property of Atlantis? I’m not anyone’s property!”

  Screw that. She’d die before that happened to her. She would find a way out of here if it was the last thing she did. She wasn’t going to allow any of them to lay a finger on her.

  “I hope you’ll cooperate with us. It would be easier for everyone involved. Especially you.”

  Cooperate? Has he lost his mind? This was insanity. She was in some weird nightmare.

  “Will you do that, Eve?”

  She shuddered with disgust and fixed her gaze on the overhead ceiling tiles. She refused to answer. What would happen if she agreed to cooperate? If she said okay would she then have more freedom? Would they untie her wrists and ankles? Would she be able to get off this damn cold table?

  “It’s very important to us that you assist us,” Franco said.

  “What if I don’t?” she challenged.

  “Then we will be forced to terminate you.”

  Terminate? As in…kill? She swallowed hard. So cooperate or die. That was the deal. If she cooperated then perhaps she would have a chance to get out of this alive and back to the living world. Maybe she could even get Abby out.

  She forced a smile. “Okay. I’ll help you.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear that.” He patted her shoulder. “I’ll have Abril come back shortly and release your bonds for your examination. I can trust you, can’t I, Eve?”

  “Yes, of course,” she said. But she knew it was a lie. She’d get out of here or die trying.

  Chapter Two

  The beeping of his communication link woke Lucian from a dead sleep. He rolled to his side and cracked his eyes open. It couldn’t be good news if someone was waking him after his all-night watch.

  “Yeah?” His voice was foggy with sleep as he answered.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Sabre said. “Meet me and Raven at HQ now.”