Wild heat

p earth, the distant cries of unseen creatures, and the hea

ack now. The Emerald Heart, an artifact lost for centuries, was rumored to be hidden somewhere in the depths of th

wasn't

a deep, rugged voic

who had somehow forced himsel

asure thief. P

able way. His dark, sweat-dampened shirt clung to his sculpted chest, his tanned skin marked with scars

pped, pushing forward t

e could feel his breath against her ear. "Which

ed her against him, just as a spear whooshed through

lammed agai

sed against hers as they both stared at t

need me?" His voice w

betraying her with a shiver

lose. Too aware

the heat of his skin through her thin tank top. For a

ed to give in

," she whispered, thou

into a smirk. "Not un

sts cl

going to

out why the hell she w

the way his fingers still gripped her wai

when Kai Navarro was s

e bit out, shov

go, but not before his fingers linger

wasn't so h

e. Instead, she turned and pushed forward,

en between them. She hated that she noticed the way his breath w

Fo

ld Heart

uld fe

a buried temple, swallowed by the jungle centuries ago. But there was no

es and deadly traps, she

he first ones

pses impaled on the spikes ahe

ne of the skeletons with his boot.

ared, Navarro, there's the exit." She

o, sweetheart. I just prefer my adv

ully over the remains. "Because somethi

e was

d into the clearing, the grou

ai

me to scream befo

down into

ing at her arms, her stomach lurchin

hands caugh

r bodies crashing into each other as they slammed a

d

r hard, a tangle of limb

g through her body. "I swear

deep and husky. "Not on purpose, b

o late that she was

dling

against his hips. And Kai smirking, infuriating Kai was looki

r was

av

as warm agai

t second, Sien

now exactly what it wou

into t

s did with cocky smirks and rough hands

led slightly ag

waist. Not stopping he

wai

she was going to end this ten

d

echoed throu

ell sh

smirk

blood r

hey weren

was down the

was h

through the caver

na f

rberated through the underground ruin. The air shifted a slow, de

lammed into

on her waist, ten

rely b

her growl

rtbeat was steady; too steady, like he was built for

mething was down here wit

she grabbed the knife strapped to her thigh. Kai moved just as smoothly, reaching f

t growle

den rush o

ely had ti

ay, rolling just as razor-sharp claws slashed the air where she'd been. The creature

s pulse

te gleaming in his grip. He looked at her, eyes d

e," she w

grin even as danger loomed

the jagua

oo fast for som

nging, blade flashing as he slashed at the beast's side. The jaguar sn

think. Ju

erself into the attack, twisting

body, hands gripping its fur as it bucked be

enn

outed, drawing her knif

shing wildly. Its massi

lost he

she was

t into

at. Then she hit the ground hard, a shock of pain jolting

ized exactly what

bo

lid, very

hands gripping her thighs w

s laugh. "We've got to

ark. Rough. "You land on me one more time, princess

ulse

g casual about the way h

ing off them. His hands? Still on

enaline. The sheer

s too

tricity. Too

pped to her

fest second, she

hat it would fee

e let

, deep rumble f

above. Fr

the least of

them, the earth

something ancien

apped around the Emerald Heart

nocking her back. The entire cavern shook violently, the walls groaning as

hed in her fingers. It was warm. Alive. A pulse thro

to register it bef

h from her lungs as a massive stone sla

ound them, a blinding storm

, hot, undeniably real as more stones t

ere tr

the dust. "Next time, just yell '

His face was close. Too close. His dark eyes locked onto hers, sharp with adrenalin

rough. "I didn't

s pulse

sn't th

st his chest. "Y

self up, rolling off her in one smooth motion. The l

as blocked by a wall of fallen stone. The only way forward was deeper into the ruin wher

princess, looks like you j

rip around the Emerald

the echoing chamber, came a sou

tst

an. Not

coming strai

e against the stone, echoing through the chamber l

artifact still pulsed in her hand, steady and wa

tightening. His dark eyes flicked toward her. "Te

enna mutte

ay Kai's lips curved half amusement,

y r

her pulse hammering as the glowing golden veins in the wa

tless, dangerous like he was built for moment

the footste

a s

't need to. The air shifted, a cold ru

't just be

re bein

ns coiled like veins beneath skin, leading

y from the threshold when a hand skeleta

fingers. The creature a Guardian, its flesh half-rotted, its ho

ath its outstretched arms, her momentum c

n't as

s machete and severing its head in one clean strike. The body cr

e were

dies wrapped in ancient ceremonial armor, their glowing ey

athing hard. "Not a fan of

glare. "Less talki

rd a narrow stone bridge lea

ding against the unstable pathway, the glow of the Em

ind her, the unde

ched the halfway poin

e on," s

dn't stop running. If a

ed, the stone givi

more

ans were c

more

beneath the

na j

there was no

floor of the other side, barely avoid

sn't a

ad been of

g second, he missed

ngers caugh

over the abyss, nothing

stomach

ed forward, dropping to he

k with sweat, his

ed out. "Not a great

heels in, hol

up and

a goddamn cliff. But there was something els

, with a final heave

ts hit the stone,

ck, surprised.

t him. "Next time, if

ned. "Didn't k

y because the truth was, she didn't

n't time to f

em a massive set of

eyond

anger had

s weren'

ack stone with intricate gold inlays that pulsed like veins. Symbols of a forgotte

e wors

e slight

aiting

from his brow. "Tell me we

eart. It was pulsing faster now, like a se

avarro?" s

is dark eyes were sharp. Serious

lse skipped

ll behind them, the bridge was gone, and whatever was

stepped

, shifting on their own, opening just

s breath. "That's

ed him and s

e moment they cros

Heavier.

ays suspended over a chasm of molten gold. Rivers of liquid metal glowed beneath them, casting an eerie light ac

elt like they

llowed. "T

eside her. "T

r head. "The

ecause the undead horde and the d

on the far end of the chamber where a single

sting

cr

ed with emeralds, r

w whistle. "Now

tched. Because she

t any t

wn of I

immortality. Power bey

one shoul

t. "You're thinking

skipped. "You d

now

too sharply because

Too dam

too intimately. He didn't look at her the way other treasure

calcula

that was more dangero

s do this, princess. Chase the impossible. Ris

ned. "Maybe some thin

"Maybe some things

between th

mpetitive banter

g deeper

that felt

d. Not just to grab th

between t

ither of the

ues move

ck of

guttur

an figures stepped dow

red to life wi

n they

ylight as Sienna and Kai moved through the undergrowth. The damp air clung to

voice a low rumble. He was ahead of her, machet

the right way," Sienna shot back, p

oulder, his dark eyes s

belonged here in the jungle more than anywhere else. She hated that it made her puls

g around the strap of her pack. The jungle had its own language one she wasn'

r to stay still. His other hand droppe

rgrowth

mov

d claws shot out

ound hard, the breath knocked from her lungs as Kai spun, his knife flashing

. The jungle was chaos shadows twisting, Kai's

fi

g enough for Kai to drive his knife into its side. With a pained snarl, the

arply, her heart

ving, his face set in a hard

thed, still on t

d him, a thin line of blood marking his side. But he

ed back," he mutter

And let you get ma

gaze now something heated. The air between them cr

ose he was. Of the way his chest rose and fell,

st for a second but it sent a jo

g the moment. "Come on. We nee

er feet, ignoring the way

ion was d

ai Na

t be ev