Curse of Atlantis by Christopher David Petersen Read Free Book Online Page A

good excuse," Jack replied honestly, now searching his mind for the right words to say.
    "This ou gh tta be good. So what excuse do you have? Pressures of work; not enough sleep; illness?" Serena teased.
    Jack cleared his throat. With his heart racing, he nervously began to speak.
    "Well, I don't know if this is a good excuse, but it is the truth... you're distracting me."
    "Me? Jack, what are you saying, that I talk too much? That you can't stand the sound of my voice?" Serena asked, now feeling insulted.
    "Whoa, hang on a minute. I never said any of that," Jack replied, still trying to find the right words to explain.
    "I don't think you really have to, Jack. Telling someone their voice is distracting is enough. I think I can figure the rest out from there. I'm just..."
    Jack laid his hand on Serena's, delicately cutting her off in mid-sentence.
    "Serena, you're distracting me but not in the way you think. Your soft voice is distracting me. Your beauty is distracting me. Your amazing intelligence is distracting me and your perfume is driving me freaking crazy," Jack finished, his face now turning red.
    Serena turned and looked into his eyes. She felt his hand over hers and immediately her heart began to race.
    "Wow, you're forgiven," Serena blurted out.
    With the two at a loss for words, they sat quietly and thought about their new revelation.
    As Serena rounded a corner, she placed both hands on the wheel. Straightening out of the corner, she laid her hand back down on the seat.
    With a flirty smile, she said, "You can hold my hand if you'd like."
    Quietly, softly, Jack slipped his hand across the seat and their fingers tightly locked.
    Moments later, their gentle touch was interrupted by their destination.
    Pulling up in front of the bank, Jack reached into the back seat and grabbed his duffel bag. As he pulled the bag between them, they momentarily turned and faced one another . Staring into each other’s eyes, their hearts raced. Serena smiled warmly and Jack melted. So close to each other, their desires seemed unbearable.
    On impulse , Serena leaned in and lightly kissed Jack. As h er warm sensual lips touched his, his mind whirled in a torrent of emotion. His heart pounded frantically and his body trembled .
    Instantly, Serena pulled away.
    “I’m sorry , I shouldn’t have done that ,” she said , feeling a little embarrassed by her advance.
    Jack stared longingly into her eyes and said simply, “That was amazing.”
    She smiled with relief , knowing their feelings were mutual.
    Interrupting their private moment, a car pulled up next to them and a well-dressed older man stepped out. As he locked his door, Serena sat back in her seat.
    Looking to Jack, she said softly, “You better go.”
    He t ouch ed her hand lightly and said, "I'll be right back."
    "Be careful Jack," Serena said, her expr ession now changing to concerned as she remembered their purpose.
    "It's a bank. No one’s going to try something here," he replied confidently.
    "Just be careful," she reiterated.
    With a cordial smile, he close d the door and walked to the bank.
    Serena sat patiently in the car and waited. Every minute or so, she checked her mirrors for anything suspicious. Satisfied all was safe, she turned the key and listened to music. Moments later, Jack exited the bank and headed for the car.
    Suddenly, Jack heard a voice from behind him. He froze. Sitting in the car, Serena watched Jacks face as he stopped. Fear raced through her as she watched Jack slowly turn around.
    "Excuse me," the voice called out to Jack.
    Walking toward him, a tall man in a dark suit hurried his pace. Jack thought of running, but resisted the urge. He knew a bullet could travel faster than his legs.
    "Excuse me," the voice called out once more.
    Serena grabbed her pocket book and frantically search ed for her cell phone. Pulling i t from a side compartment, she switched it on. As she readied to dial "911", she looked up to see Jack pointing. She noticed h e