His Darkest Embrace (Jaguar Warriors 2)

Several times the soles of her feet landed on sharp roots and she bit her tongue at the pain. Bitterly, she cursed in silence, thinking it was easy for the warrior since his feet were encased in heavy-duty boots.

Her brother’s boots.

Skye’s body began to drag, she could feel her energy depleting rapidly. When Jagger stopped suddenly, indicating that she do the same, relief washed over her.

She wiped the sweat from her brow, lifting the heavy waves of hair that were stuck to her neck and shoulders. Her chest was heaving and she ran her tongue over parched lips as her gaze wandered the immediate area.

She wasn’t sure why they stopped. As far as she could see, there was nothing here. Anxiously she looked at Jagger, wondering, not for the first time, where the hell her satchel was.

His hooded eyes were looking straight at her and her breath caught in the back of her throat. The man stood like a stone god, all hard angles and sculpted features. The animosity that he felt was so thick she could taste it and she swallowed painfully, her dry throat protesting.

Her gaze fell to the jungle floor. Darkness had fallen several hours earlier, but her eyes had adjusted and she could see quite clearly through the thick gloom. The foliage was knee high and there wasn’t much room to maneuver, no path that was evident.

Jagger nodded toward a thick stand of trees, a grouping that was made of several trunks that had twisted and melded together to form one solid form.

“Up,” was the only word that fell from his lips, but either her mind was too tired to understand or he wasn’t making any sense. Skye remained where she was, tottering on the brink of exhaustion, her limbs trembling.

Jagger cursed, his voice low, almost guttural. He crossed over to her in two long strides until he was so close she could see the pulse that pinched at his temple. She could feel the heat from his body slowly evaporating into the air and she welcomed it as it washed over her suddenly cold, numb limbs.

“The only safe place in this jungle tonight is up there.” Her eyes followed to where his finger pointed, “In the canopy.”

Dully she looked at the tree trunk and with great effort forced one foot in front of the other until she stood at the base.

“We don’t have all night. In fact I’m pretty sure we only have a few hours of rest until the DaCostas start knocking at our door, so I suggest you get your ass in gear and climb the damn tree.”

A small, smoldering flame of defiance sprung quickly to life and Skye fought the urge to turn around and tell Jagger to go fuck himself. She kept her mouth shut. It was time to pick her battles and she wasn’t going to get in a pissing contest over where they should bed down.

Besides, she supposed he was right. There was no cave close by for shelter and while the jungle floor held many dangers during daylight, they tripled once darkness fell.

Her hands reached out, grasping the tree as hard as she could until her fingers found crevices with which she could leverage her weight. Skye began to climb, hoping like hell she’d be able to hang on and make it all the way without tumbling back to the jungle floor.

She almost giggled at the thought, feeling the hysterics riding so close to the surface. That would certainly be the icing on what had undoubtedly been one of the most trying days in her life.

She concentrated and hauled herself up using what last bit of strength she possessed, and tried to ignore the hot flush that spread across her face as she inched toward the canopy overhead.

Jagger was just below, and if he looked up, which she was sure he was doing at this very moment, he would have an unfettered view of not only her ass cheeks, but everything else in between.

She gritted her teeth, trying to keep her legs held tight together, which, while climbing, was really hard to do. After what seemed like forever she managed to pull herself up onto a natural platform, one that had been formed when the trees had come together and become one. It allowed about three feet either way of standing room, with natural barriers creating an almost cocoonlike room.

She could see their supply bags, including her precious satchel, hanging from a large branch. He must have scouted the location earlier in the day.

Skye turned to look down and froze at the look that hung on Jagger’s face. His eyes glowed with sparks that lit them from behind and his lips were drawn back into a grimace that should have marred the handsome face, but didn’t. As he jumped over the edge to land in a crouch, mere inches from her, the air shimmered and everything felt heavy, out of sorts.

Skye stumbled and took a step back, yelping in pain as her tortured, tired feet hit a sharp snag.

Jagger rose slowly, his large frame moving with the grace and fluidity of someone half his size. The man screamed otherworld and Skye froze at the intensity behind his eyes.

The man looked dangerous. The man looked hungry. And pissed off.

With her.

She continued to back up, casually taking in the immediate area around her, but it was no use. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.

Not that she had the energy, anyway.

He took one step toward her and she flinched. Skye couldn’t help it. As much as she didn’t want to show an ounce of weakness, there was no denying the potent strength and underlying anger that fed the jaguar. His eyes swept over her, piercing, full of contempt and loathing.

Skye felt her heart jerk, chest tighten, and she swallowed painfully.