Tempting Eden Read online

  Eden sat on the cold tile floor clutching the pregnancy test in her hand. She was too scared to look. What if it wasn’t positive? What if it was? What if he didn’t come for her? What if he did?

  If he did would she really go? She didn’t have anything left for her here. Not really. No job, no apartment, no car. Bills stacking up every day. She was estranged from her mother—her dad had split when she was a kid—so there would be no love lost there. Her only regret was her best friend. She wouldn’t be there when Gillian got married. Could she live with herself if she left her to be with Sabre?

  But I love him.

  Of that she was certain. He was the one man with which she’d ever had a connection. And she couldn’t stand the thought of spending the rest of her life without him.

  After her vacation in the Bahamas had ended, Gillian had graciously offered to let her move in with her until she could get back on her feet. Eden had no intention of finding a job, though. She only had an intention of finding Sabre. She’d spent the last money in her pocket on the damned pregnancy test.

  She closed her eyes and played the memory of their last day together. Their love play had been swift and quick. Faster than any time previous and certainly not a marathon. Eden had been disappointed but she now understood Sabre had to be under the sea by the time the sun hit the horizon.

  That morning after he left she had stood on the beach and watched him disappear with her heart in her throat. She pressed her hands against her abdomen wondering. Hoping. Wishing. Those few days had changed her completely. She had something to live for—Sabre and their unborn child. She hoped.

  Just look. Get it over with.

  But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  She’d used what little credit she had left to buy a plane ticket to the Bahamas. Her plane left that night. She’d packed one bag with a few meager belongings, written a letter to Gillian and prayed her friend forgave her. Someday. She had to get back to that beach to meet Sabre. He would be coming for her. What would he do if she wasn’t there?

  The front door slammed followed by Gillian’s voice.

  “Eden?”

  She bolted to her feet still clutching the test. It’s now or never. Taking a deep breath, she opened her hand and stared down at it. Two blue lines. Did that mean positive or negative? Where was the damn packaging? She’d shoved it in the trashcan under toilet rolls and a toothpaste container.

  “Eden, are you here?”

  Her fingers fumbled as she grabbed the box and yanked out the instructions. There in black and white letters it stated two blue lines meant…positive. So many emotions passed by her in that one instant. Joy. Relief. Fear. But she didn’t have time to think about any of them. She shoved the box and instructions back in the trash then stashed the test in the folds of her favorite towel and crammed it in the cabinet.

  “Eden, you in there?” Gillian’s voice outside the door.

  She fluffed her hair but there was nothing she could do about her thin pale face. She hadn’t been able to keep anything down the last few days. She flushed the toilet for good measure then whisked open the door.

  “Hey, Gilly.”

  Concern creased her forehead. “You all right? You look pale.”

  “I have a stomach bug.” She pressed her hand against her abdomen.

  “Still mourning the loss of your mystery man?”

  Eden had told her they bid farewell that last night. That it had been a fling and nothing more. Yet Eden couldn’t get him out of her head. All she’d thought about was getting back to that beach and him coming for her.

  “A little, I guess.”

  “Maybe you should get some rest.” She tossed the unopened mail on a nearby table as she passed by on her way to the bedroom.

  Eden hated lying to her friend. The guilt gnawed at her. “Gilly, wait. I need to talk to you.”

  Slowly, she turned to face Eden with question in her eyes.

  “About the Bahamas,” Eden added. “I wasn’t completely honest with you.” She twisted her hands together. Somehow she felt as if she were the disobedient child coming clean to her mother. “I don’t have a stomach bug. I’m…pregnant.”

  “You are?” Tears filled Gillian's eyes. “Really?”

  “Tests don’t lie.”

  Gilly flung her arms around her neck and hugged her hard. “I’m so happy for you! I’m going to be an auntie! Does he know yet? Your mystery man? And what is his name, by the way?”

  Eden chewed her bottom lip. “He doesn’t know yet. His name is Sabre.”

  “Well, call him. Tell him! What are you waiting for?”

  “I can’t. I…” She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth. Gilly would never understand why she didn’t have Sabre’s number. “We planned to meet back on the beach. That’s how he wanted me to tell him. He wants to be surprised.”

  “How romantic!” Gilly had that dreamy look in her eyes and sighed. “When do you leave?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Tonight? When were you going to tell me?”

  “Um, now.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay if you travel?”

  “It’s perfectly fine.” She pressed her hand against her abdomen again sure she could feel the first flutters of human life.

  “Will you let me know what happens?”

  Eden wasn’t so sure she could do that. After all Sabre had said if she went with him she could never come back. Would there be a way to get a message to her? Maybe she could send her a postcard. She’d think of something.

  “I will,” she said at last.

  “And if it doesn’t work out Mark and I are here for you. Always. Not that I’m saying it won’t work out. I want you to know you have a place to go.”

  Eden smiled. “I know. Thank you.”

  But Eden knew if it worked out she wouldn’t be coming back. The thought of seeing the fabled lost city of Atlantis sent excitement skittering through her veins. She couldn’t wait.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dusk on the beach of Crooked Island. As the sun set the clouds turned a burnt orange and the sapphire water sparkled with a luminescence. It was beautiful.

  And lonely.

  The wind and the surf were her only companions now. She hadn’t seen a soul since she plopped down on the sand at the edge of the water to watch the tide. He’d yet to make an appearance but then he never showed until after sunset. He said it was their way—he could come to the surface at night. So all she could do was wait.

  She hated waiting.

  The sun finally dipped below the horizon and darkness fell across the water. How long had she waited? She hadn’t worn her watch. She’d worn was her favorite initial necklace and that was all. Everything else she'd left at Gilly’s along with that letter explaining everything to her.

  There had to be some way to return to see her best friend get married. Or at least check on her to see how things were going. She’d talk to Sabre about that.

  “Eden.”

  Oh…he’s here. At the sound of his voice her heart sped up another notch. She wanted to savor this moment. She turned to see him standing on the beach not far from her. This time he was fully dressed but dripping wet. His clothes clung to his muscular frame. Dark pants, boots, a tunic. She got to her feet and dusted the sand from her pants and hands.

  “You came,” he said. He sounded as though he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “Of course I did. Did you think I wouldn’t?”

  “I hoped. I’m glad you did.” He hurried toward her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. “I thought of you every single day since I left you.”

  “Me, too. I missed you.” She smoothed a lock of wet hair from his forehead. “Sometimes I thought this was a dream. Like it didn’t really happen. But it did, Sabre, didn’t it?”

  “It happened.” He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”

  “Kiss me again, Sabre.”

  He did, thoroughly. Their ton
gues did a duel for control each vying for dominance over the other. How she loved kissing him. Touching him. How she loved everything about him. How she loved him.

  It was madness, she knew. She’d known him such a short time. But now that she carried his child she couldn’t be parted from him. And she was certain he loved her back. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be standing there kissing her. His mouth trailed down her neck leaving a sizzling path.

  “Why are you dressed? I’ve never seen you wear clothes before,” she panted. Her fingers slipped under his wet tunic to land on his damp skin. It made her senses sing with joy.

  “Tonight when I return, I take you with me to my home under the sea.” He said this through kisses down her neck, over her shoulder, her collarbone. “I must be properly dressed.”

  “O-kay.” What did that mean? She didn’t understand.

  He pulled away then held her at arm’s length. “There is something I must tell you first.”

  “I have something to tell you too. Me first?” Her heart raced. This was it. The moment she’d longed for. When he nodded, she said, “I’m pregnant, Sabre.”

  His blue eyes, so sharp and assessing, softened. Then lit with joy. He pulled her to him, squeezing her so hard she thought she might break in half.

  “I’m so happy, Eden. I love you.”

  Her hand fisted in his tunic. She squeezed her eyes closed, tears seeping from the corners. “I love you so much.”

  This was nuts. She knew it. But it felt right and perfect and awesome.

  “I never want to be parted from you.”

  “You never will,” she vowed.

  “I hope so, Eden.” He pulled back, cupped her face. “There will be many dangers when we return. If you’re discovered then they will take you from me. And the baby.”

  “Over my dead body.” She put her hands over her stomach as if to protect their unborn child from whoever they were.

  He grinned. “That’s my girl. Now you must do exactly as I say at all times. Can you do that?”

  “Yes,” she said. “What happens when I return with you?”

  “I intend to hide you away until the threat is over. There is a remote place in the north section of the city. There are men I trust. Men who will help us. They will keep you safe when I cannot be with you.”

  “You’ll have to leave me?”

  “At some point. I’m a soldier, Eden, for the Guardians of Atlantis. We are tasked with protecting the continent from intruders. Namely humans.”

  “Why? I’m a human after all.” She tried hard not to be offended.

  “Most humans—not you, love—seek Atlantis to destroy it with their attentions. They wish to run tests on our people, to steal our property as artifacts for your museums and to steal our advances in medicine and science. We cannot allow that to happen. You must understand we kept our advanced society a secret for a long time because we wished no interference from humans.”

  “I understand.”

  “The men I have entrusted to guard you are my friends. They will do everything in their power to keep you safe.”

  “If you trust them then I will trust them.”

  “Good.” He kissed her forehead. “You must wear a specially designed suit to protect your fragile body from the pressure of the ocean. And…there is one other thing. The only way to get you there is to inject you with a serum that will allow you to breathe in the depths. That way you will not drown.”

  Not drowning was a definite plus.

  He thought she was fragile? No man had ever called her that. It made her feel…feminine.

  “Will the injection hurt the baby?”

  “No. Are you ready?”

  “Almost.” With a sly smile, she tugged her shirt over her head. “Make love to me one last time before we go, Sabre. Here on the beach.”

  He smiled. “With pleasure, my little vixen.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Eden looked at him with such unwavering trust, such tenderness and love that he knew she spoke true. He couldn’t fail her. He wouldn’t fail her. When he told Raven and Lucian of his plan they had looked at him as though he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. Maybe he was letting his emotions drive him.

  He knew he couldn’t keep Eden hidden forever. But if he could keep her to himself until the baby was born then Dr. Franco wouldn’t take her away. That was his plan anyway. He realized she was giving up everything to be with him and it made him love her all the more.

  She was incredible. Amazing. And she was his.

  He kissed his way down the column of her neck while she wiggled out of her clothes wasting no time getting naked for him. He gently lowered her to the ground. He loved her perfect little body. The way her breasts curved into his cupped hand. The way her body molded to his as though she had been made for him.

  From her thoughts Sabre knew she wanted soft, sensual. Not the usual frenzied pace they’d had before. He could give her that. He would always give her what she wanted. She had become everything to him filling a void he’d had for so long. He could sense the same from her—that she’d been lonely and searching for someone for a long time. Someone who would love her. Protect her. Cherish her.

  As he slipped over her, her legs parted and wrapped around his waist. He guided his hard shaft inside her with a gentle ease. Even so she gasped, arched her back and thrust her breasts forward. They were ripe for his kissing. His tongue laved over the pretty pink peaks. He loved touching her, kissing her. Making her his again and again. He had marked her, branded her as his. She’d never shied away from that.

  He pushed himself up to look down the length of her exquisite body. Now her abdomen was flat and supple. He couldn’t wait for it to swell with their child, to feel the kick of their baby's foot.

  They climaxed together their bodies meshed as though they were meant for each other. As though they belonged to each other. Afterward he cradled her against his chest, his hand slipping through the silky strands of her hair. The silence stretched between them but he could sense her contentment and her happiness.

  * * *

  It was time to go. Eden pulled on the wet suit that would keep her “fragile” body safe. It hugged her curves from head to toe. All that was left was the serum injection. She had so many emotions churning inside her. Excitement for what was to come. Contentment Sabre was truly in love with her. Fear of this strange new world under the sea. She thought the continent of Atlantis had been nothing more than a myth. But Sabre confirmed for her the truth of it.

  His ancestors had discovered a way to hide their technology from the world by sinking the island. A few remained behind to tell the tale of the lost city of Atlantis to make sure the continent was remembered as nothing more than a fable.

  As the years wore on their scientists learned more about their genetic make-up. They used their advanced skills in medicine and genetics to alter their DNA. They discovered a way to make it possible for them to swim from the depth of the ocean back up top. They also discovered a way to allow their breathing to be like a fish. Over time with all the “adjustments” in their DNA code, their bodies had become resilient to the depths. Once the Atlanteans discovered they could return to the surface there were many who escaped and disappeared. Others who escaped were caught, returned and punished.

  They stood with the surf washing over their feet—his booted, hers bare. By now Gillian would have read the letter and learned Eden wasn’t coming back. Pain sliced through her heart at the thought of never seeing her friend again. She hoped Gillian would understand.

  Deep down she knew this wasn’t a mistake. She was doing the right thing. She’d found her soul mate. The one man she could love forever.

  He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her again on the forehead. He pulled the syringe of his pocket.

  “Are you ready?” he asked. She nodded. “I have to inject this in your shoulder.”

  “All right.”

  He uncapped it and she turned her head not wanting to see the needle
go into her skin. She hated needles and could never watch her doctor give her a shot. A small jab and a moment later the serum was injected. Would it make her feel different? She didn’t know. And she wasn’t entirely sure Sabre knew.

  “This will keep me from drowning, right?” she asked.

  “Yes. But you must stay by my side at all times.”

  “Do I need to hold my breath?”

  “You should be able to breathe as normal.”

  Weird. She wasn’t sure if she could force herself to take in the water. Wouldn’t the salty water sting?

  He must have sensed her hesitation or read her thoughts or something. He clutched her to him as though he never intended to release her. She marveled at this man how he could love her so completely, so unconditionally and so quickly. But it was the same for her.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you, Eden. I swear it.”

  “I trust you.” And she did. Implicitly.

  “Come. It’s almost dawn.”

  Gripping her hand, he led her out into the surf. The cold water against her legs made her shiver even through the suit. Farther and farther into the water they went until it was up to her shoulders. She could barely keep her head above water. Her toes fisted at the sand trying to keep her balance as her head bobbed above the surface. Fear wanted to set in. She had never been a big fan of the water and walking out to the sea seemed insane. She clutched his hand tighter.

  “Don’t be afraid, love,” he said.

  “I-I am. A little.”

  “Allow the fear to enter. Acknowledge it and then push it away,” he said. “I will be here with you.” He gave her a reassuring smile, brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m glad you’re coming with me. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”

  Eden never thought this would happen when she first laid eyes on him. She expected it to be a onetime deal. Now they were running away together. He kissed her, stealing her breath. Then he floated behind her and put his arms around her waist.

  “Here we go.”