Page 29 of Tempting the Titan

A man, flushed with excitement and fear, stands beside a golf cart teetering on the edge of the manufactured lake. A single sharp nudge could send it tumbling into the water below.

A man we met earlier, whose name I didn’t catch, is waving wildly at us. I glance at Atlas. His eyes track the vehicle, calculating and measuring the distances.

Atlas and I walk over and join the people gathered around the empty cart.

The man grabs Atlas by the arm. “You look like a strong man. Can you help us get the golf cart out before it ends up in the lake?”

Atlas brushes the man's hand away, looking uncomfortable. “What happened?”

“It’s hard to say, but it looks like an animal dug up the ground, and the wheel is stuck. Can you lift the front end while I unstick the wheel?”

I glance at Atlas. “Are you okay with helping out?”

“Of course.” Atlas nods, his muscles tensing as he rolls up his sleeves.

The golf clubs and balls lie abandoned, forgotten amidst the urgent situation. Although retrieving them doesn't demand physical strength, it needs attention. While Atlas immerses himself in his mission, I’ll find a different way to contribute.

I thought golf was supposed to be a gentle sport, but how we play makes every muscle ache. Thoughts of relaxing in a warm bath fill my mind as I stroll to the forest's edge.

The cool breeze fans my cheeks, and the scent of pine trees fills my lungs. Everything is right with the world.

The warning Atlas gave me about watching for dangerous creatures comes to mind, but I push it away. It’s daylight, and I’m only collecting a few balls. It won’t take long. I forge ahead and continue trekking toward the forest's edge to retrieve the lost balls.

Twigs snap under my feet, the leaves crunch and rustle, and the chirping of crickets punctures the silence. The stark white golf balls stand out against nature's lush greens and earthy browns.

Kneeling, I feel the cool and slightly damp earth beneath my fingertips as I collect as many balls as possible. I pick up one, then another, following the trail of balls deeper into the forest than I expected.

Grasping them firmly, I retrace my path, yet the dense foliage blurs into a haze. Towering trees loom overhead, casting shifting, ominous shadows. My heart thumps and my steps falter. I attempt to steady my breath and racing pulse, but my mind spirals into a fearful frenzy.

Every sound sends shivers down my spine in case it's a wild animal approaching. I'm sure my heart is thumping so loudly its deafening rhythm will reach Atlas's ears.

****

“It's me,” Atlas says. His voice settles me, and I realize I have nothing to fear.

He strides through the clearing toward me, a lascivious grin on his face. “It's time to play,” he says.

His husky voice caresses my skin. It's deep, predatory, and unmistakably lustful.

“Is it time to cash in the special favor you asked me for?”

“You bet it is.”

A golf club strikes a ball with a loud thwack causing him to snap his head toward the sound. “Not here. We're too close to civilization.”

I know what he's implying, as well as what to do.

Unbridled anticipation builds, and my arousal soars higher than ever before. It's an instinctual impulse urging me to run, to entice him to pursue me and to become his prey.

I take off into the forest without a word, listening intently for the sound of twigs snapping under his feet but its blissfully silent. For now.

He’s huge. He will catch me. That much is certain.

But this game is all about shapes, angles, and size differences. It's simple physics, chemistry, and the most important ingredient—animal magnetism.

Who am I kidding? It’s fate. Atlas is my person. My soulmate. The singular person in the universe destined for me, and now I have him, I’m never letting him go.

I continue running deeper into the forest as fast as I can. Unrestrained anticipation builds, and my arousal reaches new heights. I feel weightless as I run through the forest, like floating on a cloud.

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