Part 26 (1/2)

Drake frowned. ”I never made it back to the village. I went with Kim and Tama upriver toward their village, but changed my mind and doubled back. As far as I know, the elders have never heard of Rachael. And if they have, they certainly don't know she's with you. Tama and Kim would never say anything. You know them.

You know they could be tortured and they'd never say anything. What's this all about?”

Rio shrugged. ”He was one of us. Not our village, I doubt if he was born in this country, but he was one of us. Why would he hire out to kill one of his own kind? A woman at that?”

”We aren't a perfect species, Rio, you should know that.” The moment the words escaped, Drake shook his head. ”I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. There have been a few rumors over the years. A few going after money, women, power. We aren't immune to those things, you know.”

”I guess not. I appreciate you watching my back, Drake.

Sorry for the reception.”

”The pitiful reception. I trust you got him.”

”He's dead. He left his clothes behind last night and there was nothing in them, not even a label. I needed matches.”

”You haven't told me where Rachael is. You didn't leave her alone, did you?” Drake sounded anxious.

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”She's fine. She has a couple of guns and a few knives. She's handy with a stick too. I'll tell her you were expressing your concern.”

A slow grin spread over Drake's face. ”You're jealous, Rio. You've been bitten by the green-eyed monster. Inever thought it would happen, but you fell like a tree in the forest.”

”I'm cautious, Drake. There's a difference.”

”I think you just tried to insult me, but I'm laughing too d.a.m.ned hard to care.

Where is this mystery man? You go get your lady and I'll take care of the mop- up. I'm heading back to the village to call up the unit. We're going in after that church group.”

”Who's guarding your worthless b.u.t.ts, Drake?”

Drake shrugged. ”Conner is a crack marksman. He isn't you, but he'll handle it.”

He held out his hand for the matches.

”I don't like it, Drake. Breaking up the unit is a bad idea.”

”What's the alternative? You can't leave Rachael alone. Unless you bring her to the village. You know that Would be risky. You two belong together. I don't know how well that's going to sit with them.”

Rio handed him the matches. ”I'm heading home, Drake, call me on the radio when you're going in.”12.RACHAEL leaned against the cavern wall for support as she put weight on her injured leg. Surprisingly, the pain she expected didn't flood her entire body.

The puncture wounds had stopped draining. She felt strange, itchy. Something crawled under her skin. Her body seemed foreign to her-s.e.xual, intensely feminine. She could barely stand the feel of the s.h.i.+rt against her skin and slipped the b.u.t.tons open, wanting to be free of the slight weight of it. She would have torn it off of her but it retained Rio's scent.

She inhaled sharply, drew him into her lungs, into her body, and held him there.

Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s ached unexpectedly, nipples tightened and her feminine sheath wept for him. She burned. There was no other way she could describe what was happening, her skin burning with need, her body unable to stay still. She turned to the cavern wall and placed her hands high over her head, curled her fingers into the dirt wall and raked downward, leafing behind deep grooves.

Rachael felt his breath on the back of her neck and she stiffened, but didn't turn around. His arms slipped around 204.

her body, his hands cupping the soft weight of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, thumbs sliding over her aching nipples. His body, wet and naked, pressed against hers. She recognized the feel of him instantly, the hard frame, the thick, rigid erection pressing against her bare b.u.t.tocks. Rachael closed her eyes and breathed his name with relief. ”Rio.” She rubbed her bottom back and forth against him, nearly purring like a contented cat. ”I'm so glad you're safe.”

Rio kissed the nape of her neck, his teeth nipping her skin, teasing her senses.

His hands stroked and caressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, while his mouth nudged the collar of the s.h.i.+rt aside. She allowed the s.h.i.+rt to slip from her arms, arcing into him, bending forward to push tightly against him. His hands left her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to explore her body and she almost sobbed with the intensity of pleasure. A single sound tore from her throat when his hand teased the curls at the junction of her legs, pressed into her heat.

There was a strange roaring in her ears, anxiety, hunger and need. His finger slipped inside her and at once her muscles clenched and gripped. She couldn't help.,pus.h.i.+ng back, riding his hand on the edge of control. She wanted him inside her, wanted him deep, thrusting with hard urgent strokes.

He pressed her forward to rest her hands against a shelf. She could barely breathe with wanting him, needing him inside of her. He pressed tightly against her entrance, his hands on her hips. Rachael couldn't wait, wanting to take him deep, thrusting back as he surged forward. Her joyous cry of relief and welcome echoed through the cavern.

Rio tightened his hold on her, throwing his head back, desperate to hold on to control. She was hot velvet, gripping him as tightly as a fist, the friction fiery, sending flames along his nerve endings. The tango was wild and fast, a coming together so fast and hard it was feral, a ferocious joining neither could stop.

Rachael pushed back again and again, wanting more, always more, ravenously hungry for his body, a voracious

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