[Atlantean's Quest 01] The Arrival (2 page)

“Noooo!” The scream died on Rachel’s lips as she jackknifed up in her bed. She blinked a couple of times and her apartment came into focus. Her body was drenched and her breathing ragged. The sheets were twisted around her ankles, effectively binding her to the bed. She looked around her studio apartment. The man was gone and her clit ached.

She’d been having the same erotic dream every night for the past month. Shadowy, elusive—downright frustrating, like the man in it. Rachel snorted and shook her head. She thought about him as if he were real.

She kicked the covers away and threw her legs over the side of the bed. Rachel padded into the bathroom, her bare feet echoing off the hardwood floors. There was no way she could go back to sleep without a good orgasm.

The buzz of her vibrator and her own soft moans rang out in the night’s silence as she brought herself to climax while she imagined being fucked by the jungle god.

Chapter One

The restaurant in the Metropolitan Museum hummed with conversation. The day was brilliant. Light filtered in from the skylights, dappling the patron’s faces as they devoured the delicacies before them.

Rachel Evans, Jaclyn Ward, and Brigit Taylor sat huddled in a corner, their chairs turned away from the throng, successfully closing out the masses.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Jaclyn asked, her voice deceptively cool.

“Absolutely.” Rachel took another bite of salad, chewing the crisp greens. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Jaclyn picked up a pickle from her plate. Making a face close to revulsion, she placed the spear on Rachel’s plate. Rachel laughed and lifted it up in front of her, like a conductor holding a baton. She stared at the pickle for a second. The veggie was firm and stiff, dripping with juices.

Visions of her dream man’s massive cock flooded her mind. She bit down on her tongue to keep from moaning aloud. Her nipples tightened beneath her cotton shirt, making each scrape of the material exquisite torture. She took a bite of the pickle, sending its tart juices squirting into her mouth. Closing her eyes for a second in ecstasy, she murmured, “Mmm—I love dill pickles.”

“Pickles. Riiight…” Jaclyn laughed, throwing her blonde head back. “You could have fooled me. That face you’re making looks more like a woman having an orgasm than eating lunch.”

Jaclyn pursed her lips in thought and toyed with the potato salad on her plate. “I think you need a good stiff dick inside you—the larger the better—instead of traipsing into the jungle. Say the word and I’ll open my little black book and make a call.”

Rachel’s eyes widened as Jac flipped open her palm pilot and slipped the stylus from its holder. Jac methodically went down her address list, throwing out names. “Brett—now there’s a cock a woman can sink onto—mmm…mmm…eight inches of pure male pleasure.” She growled in remembrance, before glancing at the pickle in Rachel’s hand and making a sour face. “I can’t believe you can eat that.”

Rachel grinned and sucked on the dill spear. “I
am
in ecstasy over my pickle. Just the pickle.” She looked around to make sure no one listened, before leaning in to add, “And contrary to what you believe, a big penis does not solve all life’s problems.”

Jac gazed at Rachel as if she’d just blown tea out of her nose.

Rachel shifted under the scrutiny. “Jac, you’ve rented
Red Shoe Diaries
and
9 ½ Weeks
one too many times. Besides, I’m not sure Brett would appreciate the assessment, pimp woman.”

An image of her dream man flashed through Rachel’s mind. She saw him above her, on the verge of thrusting inside her aching channel. His perfect ten-inch phallus poised, dripping with dew. Rachel felt herself grow wet.

Brigit laughed and snapped her fingers in front of Rachel’s face. “You still with us?”

Right on cue, the telltale warmth of embarrassment spread across her face, until it felt as if her ears would burn off. Rachel sputtered. “I—of course.”

Jac leveled her gaze on Rachel, challenge echoing in her voice. “When was the last time you had a good cock? Six months? A year? Never—if you’re thinking about Stan, that lame excuse of a fiancé you had a while back.”

Rachel flushed anew and shot Jac a pointed look, taking in her friend’s fierce expression.

How long has it been since I’ve had sex?Yikes
,
two years ago with Stan
.

No. Last night
, the little voice whispered.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
I’m losing my mind if I’m considering dream sex as real.

Rachel missed sex.

Maybe the time had come to consider ending her self-imposed abstinence. And she would, just as soon as she got back from the expedition.

“You better enjoy that pickle now, because you’re not going to be able to get those, or good cock in that god forsaken jungle.” Jac’s gaze narrowed into icy slits and her voice lowered to her corporate attorney “this is serious” tone.

Rachel released a heavy breath. Jac had been trying furiously to dissuade her from going on this expedition, since she’d mentioned it to her on the phone earlier this morning.

Brigit took that moment to shove a horoscope in front of Rachel’s face. Brigit’s mop of red hair hung in arranged disarray. The afternoon sun caught the color, turning it into living flame. Freckles dotted her rosy cheeks and wire-rimmed glasses slipped down her slender nose, giving her a disgruntled funky schoolmarm vibe.

“Jac’s right.” Brigit poked the paper for emphasis. “The signs are bad. It’s all here in black and white. If you go to that jungle you’ll be in grave danger.”

Rachel shook her head at Brigit’s fanaticism for astrology.

Her friend was dressed in a day-glow green skirt, with a matching striped shirt. The color set off her cat-like eyes, making Brigit shine in the ensemble. Anyone else wearing that outfit would have looked like a deformed caterpillar.

“I’m serious,” Brigit insisted.

Rachel rolled her eyes and Jac snickered. She knew Jac didn’t believe in those kinds of things any more than she did, but Rachel picked up the newspaper clipping and glanced at it before tucking the horoscope into her purse, so that she didn’t hurt Brigit’s feelings.

“Well?” Brigit glared.

“Thanks, girlfriend. I’ll take the fact I’m going to meet a handsome man from a far away land into consideration.” Rachel snorted, glancing at Jac, who seemed to be trying desperately not to crack a smile.

“Did you read the bottom?”

Rachel sighed and met Brigit’s gaze. “I read the
trouble may come in the form of travel
, but it’s not going to stop me from going.”

Brigit shook her head and sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She took a big sip of tea, and the loud sucking sound caused people at nearby tables to turn and stare.

Brigit cocked her head and glared at the strangers’ faces until they turned away. When her attention came back to the table, she changed the subject. “What hotel are you staying at?”

Rachel giggled behind her napkin at her friend’s question. “There are no hotels where I’m going.”

Brigit’s jaw dropped. “Then where are you going to sleep? A cottage or something?”

“Nope. A tent.”

“A tent!” rang out in unison as her friends’ voices converged.

“You’ve never been camping a day in your life!” The color drained from Jac’s usual creamy features. “I thought you’d be staying in a village bungalow.”

Brigit was aghast. “B-But there are bugs in the jungle and snakes and goodness knows what all.”

“You guys.” Rachel held up her hand to silence their verbal assault. “I realize that I may not have much experience in the field…”

Jac’s brow arched.

“Okay, no field experience.” Rachel glanced at Jac and then down at her salad. “But I have waited my whole life for an opportunity like this, and I’m not about to let it pass me by. You know that if I can make a discovery of any kind while I’m there, then Dr. Rumsinger will have to promote me.”

“That bastard is just stringing you along,” Jac muttered.

Rachel’s chin shot up in determination. “Maybe so.” She clenched her fork to shore up her defenses. “But if I find something on this expedition and bring it back, then he won’t be able to pass me over for a promotion without drawing the attention of the board of directors.”

“I don’t know, Rachel.” Jac shook her head. “It seems like an awfully big risk for the possibility of no returns.” She looked to Brigit, who nodded her head in agreement.

Rachel was Jac’s pet project. She’d taken Rachel under her wing and had shown her the ropes of socializing and corporate climbing in New York. Jac had even been there to support Rachel’s decision to leave Stan.

Rachel decided to take a different tack.

“Brigit, remember when everyone told you that you couldn’t break into clothing design without a degree? Who encouraged you to go for it?” Rachel all but begged for an answer.

Her delicate features pinched, Brigit stared for what felt like forever, before nodding begrudgingly. “You did.”

Rachel released the breath she’d been holding and turned to Jac’s cool gaze. “When you thought you were unprepared to take on the Hiro Corporation as head negotiator in the merger, what did I tell you, Jac?”

“That I’m the ballsiest broad you know and that I could negotiate a boat from a drowning man.” Jac ran a trembling hand through her cropped locks. Her hair fell back in place.

“And you did.” Rachel paused and looked from Jac’s blue eyes to Brigit’s green. “You both did. But now it’s my turn.” Her voice pleaded for understanding.

Jac sighed, a wistful sound that seemed unnatural coming from her. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We should be more understanding, but I just don’t get why they need you.” She took a sip of tea, then patted the side of her mouth with a linen napkin without mussing her blood red lipstick.

With a shrug, Rachel replied. “You know I specialize in ancient languages. Well, the higher-ups figured that although they don’t anticipate encountering any natives, other than the hired guides, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone along who could communicate if the need arose.” She waved her hand dismissively. “They mentioned a lost tribe or some sort of nonsense.”

Rachel took a sip of tea and giggled before adding, “I’m sure it pissed Donald off big time to have the board of directors make him take me along, seeing as this is his pet project and all.”

Jac snorted.

Brigit’s head bobbed in approval. “So you’re like ‘DATA’ or ‘C3PO’?” She picked up her sandwich, turning it around and around as if to decide which place was best to bite into.

Rachel laughed. “Leave it to a sci-fi junkie to make that analogy.”

“What about safety precautions? What if you get hurt?” Brigit’s eyes rounded, concern showing in their green depths. “If I understand you correctly the area you’re going into hasn’t been well explored.”

Rachel nodded. “It is definitely remote, but we’ll have several armed guides with us. And the surrounding areas have been mapped and cataloged.” She pulled out her guidebook to show them.

Jac picked it from her hands and thumbed through the pages. “This only talks about the animals and plants indigenous to the area.” Jac’s gaze bored holes in Rachel. “Are you going to carry a gun?”

Rachel nodded. “I’ve been told it is mandatory, due to unknown factors.”

“What unknown factors?” Brigit’s brow furrowed. She put her egg salad sandwich back down on the plate.

Rachel couldn’t hold back the sarcasm. “If I knew, then they wouldn’t be unknown, now would they?”

“Hey don’t take that tone with me,” Brigit snapped, her voice rising with each word. “Just because you’ve decided to go gallivanting off into the jungle unprepared.”

Rachel blew out a breath in frustration. “I won’t be unprepared. We’ll have first-aid kits and radios, in case we need to call for help.” She didn’t bother telling them that radios seemed to pick up weird interference when near the area, which made broadcasting next to impossible. “I’m even going to bring my new GPS cellphone, although I doubt I’ll get much of a signal, due to the readings, but you never know.”

“What kind of readings?” Jac’s voice pinched with pent up tension.

“Strange ones, almost as if the area is a giant vortex. Kind of like the Bermuda Triangle, but on land.” Rachel paused, her mind churning with possibilities. “Cool, huh?”

Jac and Brigit frowned. A waiter appeared and refilled their glasses.

Rachel waited for him to leave before she continued. “The readings have been off the charts. It’s possible there is an untapped energy source existing at the heart of the rainforest. It would be the discovery of a lifetime if I could locate its source.”

“What about the terrain?” Jac asked.

“There are mountains on one side, sheer cliffs on the other, plus a treacherous river that snakes through the area, effectively cutting off the only opening.” Rachel grinned as she imagined what the area would look like once she arrived. The photos only gave a minimal idea of the vast expanse. “Oh, and let’s not forget the jungle. We really don’t know what we’ll find until we get there. Heck, it’ll take three days just to hike in.”

Brigit’s face lost all color. “
You’re
going to hike?”

“I realize I’m not a tri-athlete like Jac, but I’m not in too bad of shape.” Rachel shrugged. “Besides you’re one to talk, Brigit. Your idea of a walk is the distance it takes to cross the sidewalk to get to the cab door.”

Both women stared at her as if she had a third eye in the center of her forehead. Rachel had meant to lose those last ten pounds months ago, but excuses and Ben and Jerry’s got in the way.

The friends ate the rest of their lunch in silence, each left to her own thoughts. Rachel knew she was doing what was right for her. She’d thought by having this lunch that she’d be able to ease her friends’ minds and garner their support. Instead, it had backfired. They were now more worried than ever.

Not that she blamed them. If things were reversed, she’d be just as concerned for their welfare.