She grinned at him. “I can’t promise anything.” But these feelings she experienced, they were more than friendship, more than lust. This was something bigger than both of them. She wasn’t sure she could keep it inside for much longer.
He took the amulet in his hand, staring at it with a perplexed expression on his face. “Carl should be along tomorrow,” he said.
“I wonder where we’ll leap next.”
Reece removed the amulet from around his neck and put it in Lara’s hand.
“You wear this in case we aren’t together when he arrives. It’s more important for you to get away.”
Panic filled Lara’s chest.“What do you mean in case we aren’t together? I can’t leave without you.”
“I’ll teach you the hieroglyphics on the pendant, so you can recite them,” he said.
She pushed the amulet back into his hand. “No,” she said, “I won’t go without you. You keep it.”
“Lara, this is for your own safety. You can’t worry about me. I want you to have the amulet. Now, repeat the chant after me until you know it by heart.”
“I won’t.”
Lara scurried to her feet and moved away from him so he couldn’t force her to take the amulet.
“I’ll do everything I can to be with you when you leap, sweetheart, but my objective is to keep you safe. Do you understand? Take the amulet.” He climbed to his feet and moved to stand behind her. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder, holding the amulet out in front of her. “Please, Lara. Wear it for me.”
“Fine,” she said, taking it and putting it on over her head, “but I won’t learn the chant. Then I know I can’t leave without you. We’re in this together.”
“That’s what I want too, but—”
“There is no but,” she said.
She turned to face him. She could see the worry in his intense hazel eyes.
Reece stroked her hair from her face. “If he catches you, he’ll take you back to make sure you are killed.”
“Why does he care so much?”
“He’s afraid of what changing the past will do to the future.”
Lara hesitated, wondering if she and Reece were messing up things that were meant to be. “He has a point.”
“Not as far as I’m concerned. You are the future. My future. Without you...” His voice cracked. “Please, baby, promise you’ll do whatever it takes to stay away from him. I can’t... I don’t ever want... Lara, you were dead.”
She wasn’t sure why tears were springing to her eyes, but she seriously needed to change the subject. Thinking about her own death. Knowing that if she went back to her own time, she had less than a year to live. It was too much for her to handle. She kind of regretted not knowing what that year she was missing entailed. In that year, she’d apparently fallen in love with Reece and they’d gotten engaged. Must have been one hell of good time. Well, except the murdered in a parking garage part. “You said you’d tell me about your marriage proposal sometime.”
He grinned, blushing. “We’ll save that for the day you admit you love me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She could admit it right now, but the thought terrified her. She rolled her eyes at him. “Like that will ever happen.”
“I think you’ll say it next time I make love to you.”
It never took them long to get back to this topic. “All we ever had in our relationship was sex. Is that about right?”
“No, we had other things. We share a love for history and adventure. I give a great massage. You make a fabulous Denver omelet. We have fun together.”
Well, that was true. Just being next to him was fun.
Currently, he was looking at her like a stud sniffing out a mare in heat, however. “I’m sorry I seem to be fixated with sex. I’ve had a very lonely, very horny eight months. I’ve been faithful to you, Lara, even when I leaped into a man with marital duties, I didn’t take advantage. I left behind a few angry wives and mistresses through the ages.”
“You should have given in. It wouldn’t have mattered to me one way or the other.”
He scowled. She’d hurt him. She could tell by the look on his face.
“It would have mattered to me,” he said. “I don’t fall in love easily and I fall out of love, not at all.”
Maybe he really did love her. Why else would he risk so much to try to save her? This wasn’t your regular save the damsel in distress situation. They were toying with the fabric of time here.
“I’m sure my future self is very happy you were faithful,” she admitted.
“I’m sure your future self thinks your current self needs to kiss me.”
She grinned. “I never listen to that crazy broad.”
“You should. She was pretty terrific.”
He bit his lip. It was strange to hear him speak of her in the past tense. A breeze picked up and Reece shivered.
“I think we should head home,” she said. “You need to get warmed up.”
“I guess I can’t convince you to warm me up.”
“Isn’t that how you got wet in the first place?”
“Come to think of it, it was. But I don’t want to leave just yet. We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. I just like being here with you. Just the two of us.”
“I like it, too,” she said. She was surprised by how easy it was to admit it.
“Can we stay a while longer then? I’ll try to control my involuntary shivering and get these goose bumps under control.”
He gave her a puppy dog look and though she knew he was manipulating her, she couldn’t resist.
“Well, since you asked so nicely,” she said. “And gave me jewelry.”
She lifted the amulet from her chest and looked down at it. She could feel the strangeness of it. It gave off the weirdest aura. Not malicious…just strange. Like something was tugging on it and it was tugging on her.
“Would you like some more wine?” he asked.
He took her hand and led her back to their little blanket.
“Sure.”
He handed her the wine flask and she took a sip before handing it back to him. He took a swig too, watching her examine the amulet as he drank.
“So what places and times has this amulet taken you?” she asked.
“I think I’ve been in every human war,” he told her. “Did you notice how this thing seems to transplant us in the most dangerous of situations?”
“I thought it was coincidence.”
“I don’t think so. It seems attracted to the most intense occurrences in people’s lives.”
“Did it always land you in a situation with a woman?” She denied the feeling in her chest was jealousy, though the feeling was becoming all too familiar.
He took her by the chin and she looked up from the amulet to his eyes. “Only when you’ve been with me.”
“But you said there were other women on your adventures.”
“They just happened to know the guy I leapt into.”
She lowered her eyes.
“You do care that I was faithful,” he teased.
She glanced up, her temper ignited. “Why would I care?”
He shrugged. “You tell me.”
“I...” She had a retort on the tip of her tongue, but when she met his eyes, she couldn’t say it. “I don’t know.”
His mouth brushed hers, surprising her into instant submission. He broke away, looking down into her eyes.
“Admit it. You wouldn’t want me to do that to any other woman.”
God, did she have a reader board on her forehead or something? Red letters moving across the marquee, displaying her deepest thoughts. How did he know how she felt before she could identify it?
“Maybe,” she murmured.
He drew her closer. “You don’t need to worry, sweetheart. Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you. When I delivered my heart to you, there was no return address.”
Sappy Reece was back, but she was getting used to him.
She hated to admit it, but she liked Sappy Reece almost as much as Smart-assed Reece, and maybe more than Sexy Reece. Well, probably not more than Sexy Reece.
“You’re not going to laugh at me this time?” he questioned.
“I only laugh because you make me nervous when you get all sappy-like.”
“I know,” he said. “If I didn’t know that, I’d probably cry.” He protruded his lower lip in a pout.
Now she did laugh. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the many sides of Reece Jericho.”
“That’s good,” he said. “You’re a complex woman. I have to keep you on your toes.”
“Are you sure you aren’t trying to keep me on my back?”
He grinned. “Of course not.” When she lifted a questioning eyebrow at him, he elucidated. “I like you on top.”
She slapped him in the shoulder and he winced. Her mouth fell open. “I’m so sorry. I keep forgetting,” she murmured. She pushed his unbuttoned shirt aside, revealing his severely bruised shoulder. She kissed the area with the slightest brush of her lips. “Is that better?”
“A little,” he breathed.
She kissed the bruise again, loving the salty taste of his skin. Her lips drifted along his collarbone and up his neck. Her tongue stroked his skin, seeking more of his delectable flavor. His hands moved to her back and began to unfasten the row of tiny buttons along her spine. When the confining bodice fell free, he pushed her sleeves down her arms. She pulled her hands free, and moved them to his hard-muscled chest. Her tongue dipped into his ear and he drew a breath between his teeth, his hands gripping the fabric of her chemise along her back. She could think of nothing but wanting his mouth on her breasts.
“Reece,” she pleaded in his ear, hoping he was still a mind reader and would know what she was thinking. His pulse was in a frenzy against her lips as she kissed his throat.
His fingers moved beneath the wide straps of her chemise, stroking the skin of her shoulders beneath. He pushed the fabric from one shoulder and kissed the newly exposed skin. He repeated the action on the other shoulder. When lifted his head to gaze into her eyes, he stroked the bodice of her undergarment down to pool around her waist. Slowly, watching her response, his fingertips brushed one aching nipple and then the other. Her head fell back, offering her throat, her breasts, as a sacrifice to this god who ruled her desire. He didn’t disappoint. His hands moved to cup her breasts, stroking the erect tips with his thumbs in a maddening circular pattern. His mouth descended upon her throat, kissing and suckling its way down her body. He moved his thumb aside to flick his tongue over her nipple and her entire body jerked. When he pulled her throbbing flesh into his mouth, she moaned. Her hand moved to the back of his head, holding him in place as he suckled and moved his tongue against the underside of her nipple, stimulating her into a delirium.
“Reece,” she cried.
He pulled away and blew a cool breath against her moist skin, drawing a shudder from her. He then lowered his head to her other breast and gave it the same treatment. She’d never been this excited by a man suckling her breasts. He was an expert at this. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had a doctorate degree in advanced nipple stimulation from the University of Oh My, Yes, That’s It.
She groaned in protest when he released her breast and lifted his head.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured. He kissed her skin where her collarbones met at the base of her throat. “I’ve missed you. I don’t think I can stand to be without you for a single moment of the rest of my life.”
He lifted his head to look down at her. She didn’t think she was imagining the unusual wetness in his eyes.
“Promise me you won’t ever leave me, Lara.”
She was rendered speechless. He stared at her for a moment and then dropped his forehead to her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t have the right to ask that of you. Way to destroy the mood, Jericho.”
Apparently, he wasn’t aware that her mouth had opened to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear. She closed her mouth again. What was she thinking? She decided she wasn’t thinking at all. It was nice to just let herself feel for a change. She stroked the hair at the base of his skull.
“I think I should start keeping a sock in my mouth,” he said.
“You’re too hard on yourself,” she murmured. “I think you’re sweet.”
“You’re the only person who has ever accused me of that,” he said, lifting his head to look at her. He seemed as if he was about to tell her something, but dropped his head to her shoulder again.
“When I first met you, I thought you were a bad boy.”
He chuckled. “You have no idea how bad I can be.”
“So maybe you should tell me.”
He sighed, his body growing tense above her. “Will you please let me forget about my past?”
She decided not to press him. He’d tell her when he was ready. She urged him onto his back, wanting to return the pleasured he’d given her. Plus, she just really liked looking at him. Touching him. He had a question in his eyes as he looked up at her, but he didn’t say anything.
She stretched out beside him, propped up on one elbow so she could watch her hand as she gently stroked his chest and belly. As her hand moved closer to the waistband of his pants, he twitched.
“Wait,” he breathed.
She turned her head to look at him. “Shh,” she murmured. “You said I could have my way.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly.
“I won’t bite,” she promised. “Too hard.”
She bent to kiss his lower belly, drawing her tongue along the skin beneath his navel. She kissed a path to the waistband of his pants and placed a hand over the hard bulge threatening to pop the buttons off his fly. He drew a sharp breath between his teeth.
“Lara, I don’t think I can take this. I doubt even sitting in the stream will help.”
She smiled crookedly. She had no intension of making him sit in the stream, but she loved the amount of power she felt at the moment. He covered his eyes with his hands, both elbows pointing skyward. Lara squeezed the bulge in her hand gently, then moved her fingers to the buttons of his fly. She soon discovered he wasn’t wearing underwear. His cock sprang free of the confines of his pants, thick, long and hard as granite.
An ache between her legs demanded to be satisfied, but she denied it. This was for Reece. The poor man was hurting and she couldn’t help but think it was her fault. She ran a finger from the tip of his cock to its base, drawing a shudder from Reece’s taut body. She then bent her head and drew her tongue over the expanded head. She blew a breath across the moistened flesh, recalling how stimulating that action had been across her nipples.
He sat up, capturing her by the shoulders and drawing her away.
“I can’t take any more of your teasing,” he said hoarsely.
She grinned up at him wickedly. “Who’s teasing?”
He stared at her, assessing the truth behind her words. “I’m serious, Lara,” he said finally.
“So am I,” she assured him. She placed a hand on his chest and pressed him back down onto his back.
Before he could voice another protest, she captured his shaft in her hand and took its tip into her mouth. She did her best, knowing she was far from an expert at this kind of thing, but his sighs of bliss encouraged her to continue. She took his cock deep into the cavity of her mouth and then retreated, sucking and working her tongue against him. She slid her hand down to cradle his balls while she sucked him harder, bobbed her head faster, and wriggled her tongue in chaotic patterns over the head of his cock, before sucking him down her throat again. His raged breathing fueled her attempts to make him come.
“Lara…Lara,” he panted. “I’m about to…”
He warned her too late. His fluids spurt into her mouth and she swallowed, grinning in self-satisfaction. Lara continued to suckle the head of his cock until the spasms wracking through his body stilled. He fell
limp for a moment, breathing hard, and then he sat up, gathering her in his arms.
“I’m so sorry, Lara,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I should have warned you sooner. Are you okay?”
She chuckled. “Am I okay? I wanted you to come in my mouth.”
“You did?” he hugged her tightly. “But usually, you won’t let me... Not in your mouth. You always make me warn you in advance.”
“I guess future me wasn’t all that great after all.”
“I can’t believe you swallowed.” He reached for the bottle of wine. “Here, take a drink of this.”
“Honestly, Reece. I liked it.” She shifted in his arms so she was facing him. “Have a taste.”
She grabbed him and kissed him deeply thrusting her tongue in his mouth to share his taste with him. She expected him to pull away, but he kissed her back, stroking her tongue with his. He drew away after a long moment, staring down at her with half-closed eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my life.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I can kiss you without getting a hard on,” he said, lowering his head to kiss her again.
She smiled against his persistent lips. Her smile faded when his hand found her breast. She groaned into his mouth and then twisted her head to the side. “We definitely need to remedy that situation. I’ve just upgraded your Lara pass to full access and I want you hard and inside me as quickly as possible.”
Chapter 13
“You can’t stall them any longer, sweetheart. Go get ready,” Reece said.
“But what if Carl arrives while we’re separated?” Lara asked. They’d spent most of Eleanor’s and Reg’s wedding day getting ready for the ceremony to take place that evening. At the same time, they’d been careful to stay within shouting distance of each other in preparation for the impending arrival of Carl.
“I’ll stay just outside the door,” he promised, kissing her gently. “If the amulet starts to hum, just come get me. We’ll have a few minutes warning.”
She nodded. She wondered if Reece knew how afraid she was whenever he was out of sight. I’m becoming too needy, she thought. But she was coming to realize that she did need him and she wanted him beside her, not just now, but always. She wasn’t sure how feelings could develop so quickly, but as she tossed and turned beneath her covers, with Reece, who’d snuck into her bedroom, beside her, she couldn’t come to any other conclusion. This man was an important part of her life and she was more than willing to leap through time to stay by his side.
Loving on Borrowed Time - Lovers Leap 1 Page 13
