Jewel Of Atlantis. Gena Showalter

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СКАЧАТЬ hand and sheathed it in his belt. “We can’t stay here. We need to find an exit. Fast.”

      “We’ll use the pool.”

      His gaze shot to his right, at the debris-covered water dappled by pinpricks of light from the flickering flames.

      “We can swim to safety,” she said.

      He frowned. “I hate to break it to you, babe, but I’m guessing that pool is only seven feet deep. All we can do in that is swim laps.” And have sex, his mind added, never far from the subject.

      Hearing his unbidden thought, her cheeks warmed and her stomach knotted. This time he hadn’t been imagining any woman except her. Her. He’d pictured her naked and rosy, skin covered with droplets of water waiting to be licked away.

      Tendrils of pleasure curled inside her veins, spreading like the fire around them. When she spoke, her voice cracked. “There’s a hatch on the bottom. A door that leads into the forest.”

      He paused, considering her words. His frown deepened. “If the demons follow us inside the water—”

      “I’ll make sure they do not.”

      His mouth opened to ask how, but he shut it with a snap, changing his mind. “All right. We’ll swim.”

      He stepped to the pool’s ledge, Jewel still close to his heels. Before he entered, he turned to her and said, “Take off your clothes.”

      Her head snapped up, and she met his stare with wide eyes. “The demons will sniff you out soon and you want me to get naked?”

      His mouth twisted in one of those wry smiles of his. “Silly girl. Can’t you read my mind?”

      “Not always,” she grumbled. Like before, he had erected some sort of wall she couldn’t breach. It had to be him, but how he managed it, she could not fathom.

      “Just so you know, Prudence, that thick material of yours will weigh you down in the water. Take it off.” As he spoke, he began removing his shirt.

      She’d seen him naked a hundred times before, perhaps a thousand, but those visions of him had always been in her mind. Seeing him now, in the flesh, was so much more potent. She forgot her surroundings, forgot the danger, focusing only on the bronzed strength of his muscled, sinewy chest. His abdomen was chiseled into perfect rows of hardness.

      “You can look all you want. Later,” he added. “Right now, Pru, you need to get naked.” He dropped his shirt and withdrew his dagger.

      Her gaze still locked on him, she brought her shaky fingers to her waist and tried to untie the satchel.

      “No time.” He sliced the ties with his knife. The satchel dropped to the ground with a thwack. In the next instant, he cut the shoulder straps of her robe. The white material swished to the floor, joining the satchel and leaving her in only a thin chemise.

      Bending down, Gray grasped the robe and said, “Step out of it.”

      The moment she complied, the robe was stuffed inside his bag, followed quickly by her satchel. All the while, he perused her up and down. His eyes were heated. What did he see when he looked at her? She gulped, too afraid to try to probe his mind to discover the truth.

      His hands reached toward her and she felt their warmth as they neared her skin. What did he plan to do? He stopped just before contact.

      He shook his head, and his gaze grew cold. Empty. “We need to get the hell out of Oz. Can you swim?”

      It took a conscious effort to tug herself out of the sensuous spell he’d woven over her, but force herself out she did. “Yes.” Swimming was one of the few memories she possessed of her childhood. Frolicking many hours in sunshine and water. Laughing. Enjoying the day. Over the years, she’d forgotten how to laugh and enjoy, but she’d never forgotten how to swim.

      “Just try to keep up with me,” she said, proudly tilting her chin.

      His lips twitched. “Can you hold your breath for long periods of time?”

      That, she didn’t know. “We’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

      “I’ll take that as a no,” he muttered. “Listen, I’ve trained in water. The key is to stay calm, to slowly release the air trapped in your chest. Understand?”

      “I will not let you down.” She’d prove herself worthy and strong if it killed her.

      Jewel entered the water with Gray right behind her. The wet warmth lapped at her skin, seeping past the thin garment she wore, making her shiver. A cloud of red swirled around Gray, his open wound coloring the water.

      “I want you holding on to me at all times once we leave the pool,” he said. “Don’t let go for any reason.”

      “I’ll do my best.”

      “No, you’ll do it.” His voice whipped out like a king instructing a servant. “I want to know you’re with me every second we’re down there.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      He shook his head at her impudence. Without another word, she dragged in a breath and dove underwater.

      She kicked her way to the bottom. Marina often used this secret doorway to sneak into the city undetected, commit her crimes, feast off unsuspecting creatures, then return. The queen thought she herself was the only one who knew. She should have realized long ago that with Jewel, there were no secrets.

      Once they reached the bottom, Jewel grabbed for her dagger. When her hand encountered only wet cloth, she nearly panicked before she recalled Gray had taken it.

      She jerked on his pants to gain his attention. A few bubbles slipped from his mouth as he faced her, and he nodded as she slipped the weapon from his belt. Gliding away from him she inserted the tip into a tiny crevice. Marina used a key, a key Jewel did not possess. She pried at the opening, making it widen slowly.

      The water stung her eyes, and lack of air soon caused her lungs to burn. Her dark hair floated into her line of vision like curling ribbons. Gray worked feverishly beside her, his strong hands pushing the slab of rock farther and farther apart.

      Both she and Gray had to go up for air before the opening was wide enough for them to slip through. Jewel wanted to swim to the surface one last time and steal another gasp of precious oxygen, but when she pushed up, she saw a horde of demons had entered the room. They spotted her and cried gleefully.

      Ice filled her veins, and she sliced her way back to the bottom and pointed up. Gray saw them and tried to wrench her through the opening, but she violently shook her head. I have to keep them from following us.

      He stilled. Had he heard her, or was the block still in place? Gray, deciding to trust her, released her and held his palms up. Do your thing, baby.

      Thank the gods, no block. She closed her eyes, her thoughts directed at the creatures above. No one is in the water, her inner voice suggested to them. You do not see the human; you do not see the girl.

      She’d never attempted to direct so many at once, never СКАЧАТЬ