Chapter 7

Back at the campsite,Ty went straight to the shower tent while Cara went to see Cookie. He turned on a spigot and used the spray of water to mask the sounds of his call.

"Stone, here. How's it going, Ty?"

"I'm calling because I need backup." Then, he described what had been happening since his arrival, including the intruders, the downed tree, and the discovery of bodies today.

"I can cut Gunn loose now. Do you need anyone else?"

"I think so long as we can cover the two sites, we'll be good. I just have to keep everyone safe until they finish tearing down, which I have to emphasize today that they need to get serious about. I also need someone to turn over whatever evidence we find to, someone who isn't compromised."

"I'll have to get with Hank to get a recommendation. He might have to talk to friends in the State Department for a name."

"Well, do it quickly. We're going to locate the entrance to the chamber tonight. After Gunn's here, we'll make our way inside and gather some evidence to find who's in there. Then we'll leave, for now, until law enforcement can do a more thorough investigation."

"Do you think any of the archeologists are involved?"

"I think they wouldn't have been so eager to keep running that radar over the site if they were."

"You're probably right. I'll get with Gunn, arrange a plane, and get back to you with an ETA. Out here."

The call ended, and Ty drew a deep breath. He'd feel better knowing he had another SEAL watching his six.

Leaving the shower tent, he headed toward the mess tent. He found Cara eating a bowl of tortilla soup, strips of fresh-baked tortillas sprinkled on top. She also had rolled corn tortillas that she was dipping into the soup.

"That looks good," he said.

"Go help yourself. It's on the stove."

He made his way behind the food prep table, nodding to the workers who were busy slicing and dicing vegetables for whatever other wonder Cookie was creating in her makeshift kitchen. He ladled a bowl of the steamy soup, grabbed a foil-wrapped bundle of hot tortillas, and headed back to Cara.

"You make your call?" she asked.

"I should have an ETA for backup soon. You talk to Cookie?"

"She knows there's more to the story, but she zipped her lips and said, ‘I know—need to know.'"

"Cookie's all right. She really doesn't want to know, but I'm glad she'll be keeping an eye out for any trouble."

Cara sighed. "I could do with a little less excitement."

"Your sense of adventure waning?"

"A little bit." She wrinkled her nose and continued eating.

He skimmed his soup with his spoon and took a bite. "Damn, what did she put in the soup?"

"I should've warned you. She said she might have added a few too many jalape?os."

He tore off a piece of tortilla and quickly stuffed it in his mouth. "No, it's good. I just wasn't expecting it to bite quite so hard."

"The fuel truck's scheduled to arrive around two."

"Two Gino time?"

She grinned. "Yeah. I'm glad I asked them to fill the tank only halfway. I'm hoping I can convince the guys they really need to leave as soon as they can manage it." She shivered. "I have a feeling we're not done with trouble yet."

"Is your spidey sense usually any good?"

"Probably not as good as yours. What's yours saying?"

"That my friend Gunn can't get here quickly enough."

"Maybe we're just wired a little too tight. I might walk the site to get rid of some of the stress."

He opened his mouth to make another suggestion but quickly closed it again. His suggestion wasn't exactly PG.

"What were you about to say?" she whispered.

He glanced toward the kitchen area. No one was paying them any attention. "I was thinking we needed some more practice."

A blush filled her cheeks—and again, her pupils grew larger. "I think I left something behind in my tent."

The waggle of her eyebrows told him she was thinking the same thing he was. "I can't have you wandering the site by yourself." He picked up his bowl and tilted it into his mouth.

She laughed and followed suit.

With his eyes watering from the heat, he pushed up from the table, grabbed Cara's bowl, and handed both to one of the cook's helpers, who waved a hand at her face and laughed.

Yeah, he was sweating from the heat, but not because of the soup.

They strolled away from the tent, pretending not to be in any hurry—until they turned around the corner of a tent. Then, they increased their pace until they ducked into their tent. Once he untied the rolled-up door flap and let it fall, he pulled her into his arms.

Nothing had ever felt this good or this right. She fit him perfectly. He didn't have to strain downward to meet her lips. Her hair was like silk in his hands, but he wanted to fist it, so he tugged away the band on her ponytail and sifted her hair through his fingers while he continued kissing her.

She moaned softly and pulled back. "We have to be quiet. Or maybe I'm jumping ahead of you. Are you thinking this is going to be more than a kiss?"

He wrinkled his nose. "It will be, won't it? I mean, we can stop whenever you want, but?—"

She chuckled and rose on tiptoe to kiss him, effectively shutting him up.

He wasn't entirely sure what her intentions were until he felt a finger trail past his ribs and head straight south to his burgeoning groin. "Careful there," he rasped.

Her hand cupped his length. "You're the one who's going to have to be careful. Damn, but I've been missing out."

"What time is it?" he asked, then dragged his lips along the edge of her jaw.

"Almost one."

"So, we have an hour before anyone looks for us." He pulled her tee from her waistband and shoved it upward, leaning back to get it over her head. Next, he slipped his hands between them, remembering the hooks were in the front, and quickly opened her bra and pushed it down her arms. Then he went to one knee and latched his mouth around one already hardened tip.

Her fingers dug into his scalp. Her breaths turned into short, gasping pants. When she guided him to the other breast, he tugged on her shorts and pulled them down her legs. Her panties slid downward with the shorts, and he eagerly cupped her naked buttocks as he continued to suck on her nipples, alternating with sharper flicks of his tongue.

When he moved his hands around to her front, he cupped her pussy with one hand and slipped a finger inside her, discovering that she was wet, but he thought he could do so much better.

He pulled off her breast. "Have a seat on your cot," he rasped, "And then lie back."

Quickly, she turned and sat on the end of her cot, then went down on her elbows.

He slipped her thighs over his shoulders and bent his head toward her sex. The first touch of his tongue caused her to jerk upward and then sigh.

"Quiet," he whispered.

"You're killing me."

"Hush," then he used his thumb to pull away the hood shielding her clit and licked it with the flat of his tongue.

She pursed her lips and sucked in a sharp breath. "Stop. Too much. I'll come."

He slid two fingers inside her and lightly lavished her clit with more light strokes. "Don't come. Not yet."

"Can't stop…"

He pulled away and stood, kicking off his hiking boots and then pushing his cargo shorts downward. He pulled his wallet from his front right pocket, removed his emergency condom, and cloaked himself. Then he knelt on the tarp.

"Come here," he said, holding out his hand. "The cot will creak too much. Ride me."

Cara roseon trembling legs and accepted his steadying hand as she stood over him then slowly placed her feet on either side of his bent knees and lowered herself. His hands were on her ass, guiding her downward. Then his fingers found her center, and he placed the tip of his cock against her. With a slight dip of her hips, she consumed the head, pausing to enjoy the sensation of being stretched. She circled her hips and screwed downward, her breath leaving in a deep sigh.

When she was fully seated, flush against his groin, he pulled her against his chest and held her. "Feel better?"

"Never better," she said and nuzzled into his neck.

"This adventure enough?" he whispered.

"A thrill a minute."

She raised her head, and they grinned at each other. He mused that he'd never been this relaxed, this naturally happy with a woman before. "I suppose we ought to move some."

"My heart's beginning to beat double-time."

"My cock's as hard as I can ever remember it being. That's all you."

"Hate to waste it," she teased.

His hands clamped on her bottom, and he lifted her, then pushed her down again. "A little help?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

"Big, strong SEAL doesn't want to do all the work?"

"You might leave me weak." His expression said he was only half joking, which was the second sexiest thing a man had ever said to her.

She gripped his shoulders, flexed her buttocks and thighs, and began to rise and fall, savoring the glide of his thick cock inside her. Soon, she was moving faster and faster and growing breathless as she worked.

Suddenly, he gripped her waist, halting her motions. He stretched sideways to reach for her pillow, then placed it on the floor and laid her on top of it. Then he rose on his arms and surged inside her, thrusting harder as she raised her legs and hooked them high around his hips.

Tension built inside her, and she placed her hand over her mouth to smother her own cries because she was coming hard, and he was still moving, and she never wanted it to end, but she suddenly arched her back and flew.

She came back to herself with his mouth kissing her jaw, her cheek, then settling on her mouth as he moved more slowly inside her then rested on top of her.

"I don't want to stop," he whispered. "I like being here."

His body trembled, and his skin was slick with sweat. So was hers.

"We'll need a shower," she said.

"Do we have time?"

"Only if we keep to our own stalls."

He barked a laugh. "I can't make any promises." He pushed up and pulled away, coming to his feet and then reaching down to pull her from the floor. They stood with their arms around each other, and then he kissed her forehead and took a step back.

"Shower," he said firmly, and she began to pluck her clothing from where it had been tossed and dressed. Quickly, they gathered fresh clothing and their shower kits.

Still tingling with pleasure and smiling so widely that her face ached, she let him grab her hand and pull her out of the tent. She wished they had more time. Tyson Quigley was demolishing her excuses for why she lived the kind of footloose existence she did.

She could very easily see herself "adventuring" her way through life at his side—wherever and whatever that might look like.

That thought nearly made her stumble. She'd only known him for a couple of days, and already she was imagining a happy-ever-after scenario…? I've lost my mind.

Still, even knowing what she was feeling was only a sex-induced euphoria, she allowed herself the indulgence of riding that high. She glanced sideways at him. Yeah, he was any woman's wet dream—tall, rugged, handsome. The physical enticements were all covered. But he was also intelligent, driven, funny, playful, protective, insightful… Okay, yes, she could go on and on. She was besotted. An old-fashioned word, but the right one. She couldn't say it was love. Not yet. She was simply head-over-heels…happy. And she wanted to feel this way again and again.

Which meant more of what they'd done today. Realistically, she knew that their situation, the events surrounding this dig, were about to ramp up. She needed her head in the game. So did he.

Should they push aside their attraction for now and concentrate on getting everyone safely through this time? Of course. But could she have kisses, too?

"You're not smiling," he said, bumping her shoulder.

"I was just thinking."

"When you share a sad thought, it's not quite so dark." He wrinkled his nose. "My grandmother used to tell me that."

"Smart lady, but I don't want to spoil…today."

"Out with it."

They'd arrived at the shower tent. He held back the flap and allowed her to enter first. Then he pulled his flashlight from his belt and swept the light around. "No snakes. Now, talk to me while you strip."

"I was thinking how much I enjoyed this."

"I hear a ‘but' coming…"

"But I think we have to stay focused."

"You're right. My gut says things are going to heat up."

"So, we're agreed? We'll put this," she said, signaling between their bodies, "on hold for now?"

His eyes narrowed, but his mouth curved into a smile. "Maybe we won't have time for everything we want to do, Cara, but there's always time for kisses."

Her heart pitter-pattered a little. That was the third sexiest thing.