Temptations of Christmas Future

by Lexi Post

  What if Cameron wasn’t available only to her? Maybe the answers she wanted on Malcolm, she wasn’t supposed to get from Cameron. Then from who? She was denied his life file and denied her boss’ counsel. Who else could she ask about his worthiness? His trainer?

  She looked around the office as if it could somehow tell her what she should do next. Everything was in its proper place, Cameron’s desk completely clear. She moved toward the chair she usually sat in then changed her mind and leaned against the desk like Cameron always did.

  “Who am I supposed to ask?”

  At her words, the shadow of a figure appeared, leaning against the wall to her right. She snapped her head around, but it disappeared. Sugar, who was it? Who leaned against the wall— “Oh.”

  She stood. She had to ask Malcolm himself. Cameron’s hint drifted through her mind. Don’t be subtle. Did he mean with Holly or Malcolm? Was her assignment both of them like she’d originally thought?

  And why couldn’t someone just tell her what she was supposed to do instead of making it a stinking guessing game? “Okay, fine. I’ll confront Malcolm and Holly both, but if that’s not what you wanted, you better tell me soon, or I’m not responsible for what happens.”

  The room was silent and nothing moved. She’d half hoped that a file drawer would pop open or a scene would play before her, but that would be far too obvious. Sighing, she phased and sped back to Inverness. She could be there a second after she’d left.

  As she came into the house, she frowned to see Malcolm and Holly watching the family exit the room for dinner. She must have miscalculated her time. Was Holly okay?

  “Glad you didn’t move on without me.” She gave them a smile.

  Malcolm looked relieved, which told her something wasn’t right.

  “We wouldn’t leave without you.” Holly faced her. “My guess is Malcolm will want to take me some place depressing next, and there’s no way I’ll go there without you.”

  Cameron’s wife was pretty sharp. “I don’t think Malcolm would be so crass as to leave without me, but since you bring it up, should we move on?”

  Holly gave Malcolm an odd look. “That’s what I’m supposed to do, I guess.”

  He nodded. “Aye. Take my hand.” As he took Holly’s hand, he gave her a challenging look.

  She nodded regally. What? Did he think she was afraid of him after what he showed her of his life? She may not have experienced what he did, but she had strength he didn’t even know about. Determinedly, she grasped his hand. He wouldn’t be so smug if he knew she planned to drill him about it.

  He grinned and gave her hand a squeeze. “Back to Deervale.”

  She frowned at him. How could he be so happy when their next visit was so sad. Or was he smiling about something else? She leaned in to whisper. “You’ll have to tell me how you explained your killing statement to Holly.”

  His grin didn’t leave his face. “I’ll be happy to.”

  There was definitely something else going on. He looked like a dragon who’d just fired an entire town. If he suddenly started breathing fire, she’d grab Holly and escape.

  He turned back to steer them in the right direction, and she studied his profile. His face was perfectly sculpted even from the side. His jaw was strong and rugged, darkened as it was by his rough goatee. His nose was straight and his cheek bone angular. Dragon or not, she had to admit, he was very hot.

  At her thought, her body heated. That’s the last thing she should be thinking about. She should be planning her interrogation of said dragon. Malcolm had been well trained to elicit the truth from people he questioned. Though his methods were effective, they weren’t her way. There was more than one way to skin a cat, or a dragon.

  “That’s Brody and Sarah’s house.” Holly pointed to a stone home on a street off the main road of town. “Brody and Cameron were so much alike, I can’t believe Ethan put up with the both of them.”

  Joy looked around Malcolm to catch Holly’s eye. “I’m betting you helped even the odds a bit.”

  Holly laughed. “You’re right. I don’t know how many times Brody and Cam suggested some crazy venture and Ethan and I argued against it. I think we all balanced each other out. Brody and Cam took a few less risks and Ethan and I lived a little wilder than we would have because of them.”

  “And then Brody’s girlfriend Sarah joined you. Where did she fit in?” Malcolm’s entrance into the conversation had them hovering over the house.

  “Oh, she was our mediator. She’s very gentle and practical. She and Brody have what Cam and I had. They’re married now. Sometimes though, it’s hard to watch them together. I’m so happy she hasn’t had to go through what I have yet.”

  Joy’s heart squeezed. “What do you mean ‘yet’?”

  Holly, still holding Malcolm’s hand, floated around to face her. “Brody is so much like Cam, taking risks he doesn’t need to. I’m afraid he’ll do what Cam did and leave Sarah a widow like me.”

  Joy couldn’t resist. She laid her hand on Holly’s cheek. “You don’t have to worry about that. Brody learned from Cameron’s mistake. He won’t be taking unnecessary risks.”

  Holly’s brows lowered in concern. “But the Brody I know doesn’t seem any different.” Her gaze moved to Malcolm. “And I would know because I do go to their house once in a while. In fact, I’ll be at their Christmas Eve party again tonight.”

  Joy had a feeling Malcolm was ready to respond in the same way she would, but it was past time to stop making Malcolm look like the bad spirit. He’d had enough of the bad in his life. “But you aren’t around them nearly as much as you used to be. I’m thinking four times a year hardly qualifies you to make a judgment on Brody’s behaviors. Do you?”

  Holly’s gaze snapped back to her in surprise. “I guess you’re right. Like I said, it can be hard to see them together. They love each other so much. Like I loved Cam.”

  “Then I suggest we go inside.” As Malcolm spoke, he pulled them both through the roof and down to the first floor where Sarah sat in a recliner. She was dressed in silky pajamas despite the fact it was midday. She stared at the cold fireplace, a lifeless look in her eyes.

  Joy’s stomach clenched, and she let go of Holly’s hand.

  “Why does she look so sad?” Holly drifted over to Sarah.

  “I’ve made some mince and tatties, Sarah. Want to come in and eat?” Brody strode into the room, as loud and joyful as ever.

  The young woman didn’t respond.

  Brody knelt down next to her. “Come on, dove. You need to eat. You need to stay healthy.”

  Sarah turned her head. “But I’m not hungry.”

  Brody took her hand. “I know, but eat for me. It’s been a couple months and we said we’d try again next month. You’re going to need to be in tiptop shape.”

  Holly looked up at Malcolm. “Try again? Are they trying to get pregnant?”

  He shook his head. “No. They were pregnant.”

  “Oh, no.” Holly’s eyes watered. “Sarah always wanted to be a mom. She said she might as well have a baby since she was already taking care of Brody.” Holly turned to watch the couple.

  Sarah looked at Brody. “But I’m afraid. What if it happens again? I couldn’t bear it.”

  Brody pulled her up to stand and held her close. “I know. If you don’t want to try, we can adopt.”

  Sarah pulled back to stare at him. “Adopt?”

  He nodded. “I know you’ll make a wonderful mother. You have so much love to give. Whether it’s from us or a child who needs a home, I don’t care. I just want you to be happy again.”

  Sarah turned her head away. “I’m sorry. I’ve been such a terrible wife to you lately.”

  Brody took her chin in his hand and turned her back to look in his eyes. “You could never be a terrible wife. The fact you put up with me at all proves what an amazing woman you are. I hate to see you so sad. I just want you to be happy.”

  “I love you so much, Brody.”

&n
bsp; He took his wife in his arms and held her close. His own eyes watering.

  Joy felt her heart breaking, knowing she needed to drive home what past spirits already told Holly, but then Malcolm took her hand, his eyes asking her if she wanted him to do what needed to be done.

  Silently, she shook her head and straightened her shoulders. He wasn’t the only one with backbone here. “Sarah and Brody lost their baby after five months. It was devastating for them. But they will try again. They can’t stop living because someone they loved with all their hearts is gone.”

  Holly, who had turned away from the couple when Joy started speaking, shook her head. “But I didn’t even have a chance to have a baby with Cameron.”

  “And I never had a chance to become pregnant because it was impossible for me. I know it’s no comfort, but for every heartbreak we each have, someone else has it worse.”

  Holly’s bottom lip jutted out. “I understand that with my head, but it doesn’t help my heart.”

  Malcolm interjected. “Then maybe your heart needs to focus on other people.”

  “You mean like Sarah and Sophia?”

  Joy could tell Malcolm wanted to elaborate, so she quickly let go of his hand and wrapped her arm around Holly’s shoulders, anxious to show a united front. “That could be, but there are so many possibilities. Just like Sarah, you are capable of loving many people.”

  Holly perked up a bit. “Like Mom and John.”

  “Yes, and even more, maybe even people you haven’t met yet. It doesn’t mean Cameron won’t always hold a piece of your heart. He will, but you have so much more love to give and a lifetime ahead of you. You need to embrace those possibilities and loosen your hold on the past.”

  “Again, I understand what you’re saying, but—”

  “I think we should watch more with Brody and Sarah.” Malcolm pointed to the couple who were passing through the doorway into their dining room.

  Holly nodded and followed.

  Confused, Joy looked at Malcolm. There wasn’t anything else that could help Holly here.

  He grasped her hand and swept her into the ether. When it parted, they were back inside his cottage.

  Since he solidified, she did as well. “Is something wrong?”

  He let go of her hand. “Aye, there is. I need to do something right now.”

  “What?”

  His eyes had darkened as he stared into hers, and shivers of anticipation raced through her.

  Chapter Eight

  Malcolm still held her hand but his other came up to cup her face. The second his fingers touched her ear, an electrical shock hit her.

  She jumped back, holding the side of her face. “Ouch! That hurt.”

  He fisted his hand as well. “What the fux?”

  She giggled. “Fux?”

  His brow was still lowered in anger. “Yeah, it’s a swear word in my time.”

  He lifted his hand to touch her face again, and she backed away. “Sorry, I’m not into pain.”

  He dropped his hand. “I’m trying to discover what the problem is. Give me your hand.”

  Since they had held hands coming in to his cottage, she allowed him to take hers again.

  “Now give me your other one.”

  Seeing no harm in that, she lifted her hand to his, but the second they touched, another shock hit. “Ouch. Okay, no more experimenting. Your cottage is alive with electricity.” She looked at one of the chairs that conformed to a person’s body. “It must be in this future setting.”

  Malcolm’s brows were still lowered, but he nodded. “For some reason when we touch in more than one place, it completes some kind of a circuit. I can’t tell you how much that frustrates me.”

  “Why?” Because he wanted to kiss her?

  “Never mind. It doesn’t matter since my house is somehow wired.” He grinned, the look in his eye calculating. “If it’s this future time setting, then I know the perfect spot.” Without asking, he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

  The view of the two mountains surrounding his cottage was breathtaking. She barely paid attention to where she was walking as she looked behind them. The mist reflected the green of the grass on the inclines, giving the little valley a faerie feel as they walked in the shadow of the mountains.

  When sunlight hit her head, she finally looked to where they were headed. “Oh.” In front of them was a field of standing stones. They were very old and there didn’t appear to be any particular order, but with the sun shining brightly, she could almost imagine them as chest pieces of long ago giants.

  Malcolm brought her a few yards into the field then stopped and turned her toward him. He grasped her other hand and smirked. “As I expected. We can’t find any older ground than this without going back in time.”

  It took her a moment to understand what he meant, but as his hand left hers and cupped her cheek with no electric shock, she understood.

  “I ken what ye did fer me at Brody’s.”

  Oh sugar. When he used that brogue, she wanted to snuggle up to him and never leave. Never? She stiffened at the thought, but Malcolm’s lips were already upon hers and her concentration scattered.

  The kiss was different. It wasn’t rushed passion. It was sensual, leisurely and made her knees weak with anticipation. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in to him, fisting the hood behind his neck as his tongue enjoyed her mouth.

  One of his arms held her tight to him, while his other hand pressed her against his growing erection.

  His mouth left hers to lick the pulse at the side of her neck. When he brought his lips to her earlobe, she giggled, pressing her shoulder up toward her head to stop him. “I’m ticklish there.”

  He stared at her as if he’d never heard of that before, but then his gaze softened. “I’ll try to avoid that area then. Are there any other ticklish places I should know about?”

  She flushed as she shook her head.

  “Good, because I dinna wanna miss one inch of yer skin.”

  Now it was more than just her cheeks that were warm.

  Malcolm unclasped her arms from his neck and stepped away. He unhooked his cape and with a flourish set it on the ground in the shade of the standing stone next to him. When he stood again, he looked right at her as he phased. “Disrobe me.”

  She sucked in her breath. Malcolm stood there solid again, legs braced apart, his fists at his waist as if he were ready for battle, except he was from the future and he wore no clothes. And that’s what made him so impressive. His chest looked as hard as the stones surrounding them, its mounded perfection like the mountains near his home. His shoulders were broad and thick with muscle that continued down his arms like waves melding into one another.

  His thighs were larger than her head and as ripped as his abdominals. Sticking out in hard relief between them was his cock. The veins beneath the skin meandered their way around and up toward the large tip.

  She brought her gaze upward, past his thick neck, beyond the dark scruff of his chin, to find his gaze intent. Instinctively, she phased.

  “Disrobe her.”

  Joy immediately solidified again to feel the heat of the sun on her body as her clothes vanished. She wasn’t unhappy with her body, but standing naked outdoors was a new experience, especially with the man of her dreams staring at her.

  No, not staring…appreciating.

  His gazed moved slowly over her, a slight smile on his lips. When he reached her feet, he took his time perusing her, especially at the juncture of her thighs and her breasts. Finally, his eyes locked with hers.

  She felt frozen in place by his look. There was desire and something more that had her heart hoping.

  “Release her hair.”

  Her hair fell against her back, a sensation she wasn’t used to. Unless she were washing and drying it, she always kept it in a low bun at the back of her head. Its soft weight against her skin made her feel vulnerable and delicate.

  Malcolm lifted one hand toward her, and s
he put hers in it. Pulling her toward him, he held her in his embrace, her soft body molding against his hard one. “Joy.”

  He said her name with such reverence as if she and its definition were one in the same. “You’re different from anyone I’ve met, living or spirit.” That he stopped using his brogue had her paying close attention. “I’m glad I chose you as my partner on this journey.”

  There was more meaning behind his words, but she didn’t know him well enough to understand. What she did understand was that something had changed for him, something for the good.

  She lifted her hand to his face. “I’m glad you chose me, too. I’ve already learned so much about myself and about you.”

  He turned his face toward her palm, but instead of the erotic lick she expected, he kissed it. “Lay with me?”

  He didn’t need to ask. It was obvious she was incredibly attracted to him. They’d already had amazing sex, but something in his tone told her this would be different. She smiled shyly. “Yes.”

  His answering smile had no glimmer of seduction in it. It was purely happy, and her heart grew fuller.

  Malcolm laid her down on his cape, facing the monolith that kept them out of the heat of the sun. He knelt on one knee beside her and picking up her hand, he kissed her fingers, each one getting its own brush of his lips. Then he moved to her palm, then her wrist and methodically made his way up her arm.

  She felt worshiped as if she were some pagan goddess, and he some druid priest sent to make a sacrifice to her. She pushed the thought away. She was no goddess and she sincerely hoped there’d be no sacrifices required from either of them.

  When he’d made it to her shoulder, he leaned over and kissed her gently, not breaching her lips. The whole action made her feel beautiful and cared for at the same time.

  He moved away to kneel at her feet. He lifted one foot and kissed her arch, her ankle, her knee. He really did mean to kiss every inch of her.

  Malcolm inhaled as he kissed Joy’s sweet skin. Some time between starting their assignment together and now, he’d become addicted to peppermint. He hadn’t expected that. Then again, Joy had been a bundle of surprises. From her secret jewelry to her failed engagement to her worry for him, she’d been far more than he’d expected.