Elise sighed, her feet taking her through the carefully tended flower beds which usually she found so restful. She walked on, past the small pond, unconcerned as dusk began to mask the trees and landscape around her.
She kept tormenting herself. What more could she do?
With clenched fists, Elise paused at the top of a hill, turning back to stare at the house as the sun bathed it in an eerie pink glow.
"At times you look at me as if I were a stranger. We can't erase the past -- all that we meant to each other." Elise looked up at the sky. "I admit I cannot forget. If I could, I think it would be easier -- but the memories haunt me."
Elise sank to the soft grass, leaning back to stare at the last bit of the sun as it dipped behind the house. She sat there a long time and could see the entire village below, the street lit here and there by the flickering oil lamps, people still moving about, families talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company.
Why had she been denied all that? Elise crushed the thought. She would not allow self pity any power. She would make her own way and survive, as she had done before. If Darien was not to be a part of her life, so be it. She had to think about finding her way back to where she really belonged. But first she must tell him of his daughter. She must do the right thing.
"You sit so pensively. Tell me what troubles you."
Elise started to her feet, then slowly sank back to the grass.
"Darien."
"Yes, I confess I am a creature of the night when the air is so cool. Right now the world is blanketed in the mysteries of the dark."
"Where did you come from? I heard nothing."
"Am I to spill my secrets?" His voice sounded amused. He moved closer, his cape a dark shroud around him. Elise could have reached out and touched his boot.
"Maybe I'm not the only one troubled by my thoughts," Elise murmured suggestively.
"What could trouble you on such a glorious night?"
Elise smiled as he evaded answering. "Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Do I detect a wistfulness in your voice?"
Elise looked up at him, a curling ember of desire shocking her as it wound its insidious way through her.
"No."
"I will take my leave and let you get on with your thoughts."
"No," Elise burst out, then lowered her voice, "I wouldn't mind company. Actually, I thought you might be the Hellhound. He shows up on these dark nights."
He seemed to stiffen and his voice turned harsh. "A dangerous wish to keep company with that one."
"I find him interesting."
"He is merely a man in disguise."
Elise smiled. "Yes. But we all wear a disguise from time to time, isn't that so?"
He dropped to his haunches beside her.
"And tell me what is your disguise, Elise?"
Elise touched the skirt of her dress, the apron. "This is my disguise," she admitted. "For now."
Sexual attraction pulled at her. He was an attractive man, strong, his arms and chest deeply muscled. What was there not to like? Darien had grown even more attractive then the young man she had loved, but she was no longer sure what she felt about his adult counterpart.
There was no denying she still found him physically attractive. That treacherous desire began to curl in the pit of her stomach.
"I really like Rufus," she said evenly. "It was quite a surprise to hear you had a brother."
"Rufus grew up on the sea. We met quite by chance. It is hard to ignore someone who bears such a strong resemblance to yourself as you're about to punch his face."
"Darien!"
"Are you surprised to know the gentle lad you knew would resort to violence?" he laughed without mirth. "You grow up fast on the sea. It's push or be pushed."
"And Rufus was pushing you?"
"It was a brawl in a bar on the waterfront. Generally you don't know who throws the first punch, but you fight back or end up dead."
"How did it end with you and Rufus?"
Darien actually smiled. "I bought him a drink and we began to talk. It turned out we have the same father."
"And how did his injury occur so that he cannot talk?"
Darien looked away from her, toward the town below. "Someone tried to cut his throat."
"Will he get his voice back?"
"You are terribly interested in Rufus."
Elise sensed his irritation. "It's only natural to care about the people who come into your life. And he's been very kind to me."
"Is that all?" Darien asked before he could stop himself.
They both stood at the same moment and collided. He grabbed her arms, steadying her.
"Don't mince words, Darien. Say what you really mean."
"Your interest in my brother may be misplaced. He's itching to get back to the sea. He never stays in one port very long, and there's a dark haired sea siren who has him enthralled."
"Your point?" she asked softly.
"Don't fall for Rufus. It will only lead to heartbreak."
"Thank you for warning me," she said tartly. "I wouldn't want to add any heartbreak to my already charmed life."
"Elise --" his breath caressed her cheek.
"Darien. I'm not fifteen. I do and think as I please. Let go of me."
He stepped back.
Elise began to walk down the hill toward the house.
"Your father interrupted us today. I think we should resume our conversation," he said behind her. She continued walking. "Do you really want my brother?" he asked.
She stopped and turned back toward him. With a sign of exasperation, Elise marched back up the hill where Darien stood outlined against the darkening sky.
"Really, Darien, you are quite obtuse."
Elise grabbed the front of his shirt, stood on his boots and brought her mouth to his. From that moment Darien took over. His mouth captured her lips and pulled away her thoughts. Elise melted into him as desire gripped her with greedy fingers.
His tongue traced the outline of her lips. In and out, in and out, the action a provocative force, causing her stomach muscles to clench with a new and fierce need.
Elise closed her eyes. Just one more moment, she thought, one more . . . the sensation gripping her entire body convulsed her, held her powerless and shaking. His hands on her arms also seemed to shake.
She didn't try to fight the attraction. The thought intruded but a scant second, then was obliterated as his lips moved across her shoulder, over her collarbone and she acknowledged the sweet, powerful yearning she felt for this man.
Darien knew seeking out Elise could be pure madness. The touch of her fingers across his chest, the softness of lips on his face. They played with fire and the conflagration flared out of control. Something inside Darien mocked his rationale that let him think he could stop at any point.
With a husky murmur of satisfaction, he parted her blouse, pushed it halfway down her shoulders. He ran his lips across her breasts, knowing he was lost as she arched her back, moved her hips against him. He felt as lost in wanting as she seemed to be.
With a soft muffled sound, Elise undid his shirt, pulled it open, kissed her way down his chest, nipped gently at the cord which stood out on his neck. He groaned. She placed her hands against his now naked chest, ran her fingernails over the flat hardness of his stomach, the muscles cording and tensing under her exploratory fingertips.
Elise wanted Darien tightly against her. The fragrance of the grass wound around her, imprinting a memory of this night never to be forgotten. Her body and senses were so engulfed by the flames of desire that she jerked when she felt her skirt pool on the grass at her feet, the night air on her legs and her stomach. She gave a momentary thought to her low-heeled shoes, then forgot them. In mutual, unspoken consent, they sank to the springy grass.
Her skirt lay beside her and he became her blanket, his body heat her warmth as she let her fingers roam at will, up over his flat stomach, fingers delicately tracing the whorls of hair, the smooth c
hest, hard muscled shoulders and arms. She felt the muscles moving beneath her touch and felt the power of being a woman.
Darien buried his face in the fragrance of her hair, pressing his hips to hers, feeling her immediate, satisfying response. Her arms entwined his waist and pulled him closer.
Had Elise shown the least resistance, he could have stopped. But her warmth, her willing acceptance of him, gave him no chance. He was lost.
Somehow, he managed to pull his breeches down and then they were both naked, twisting on the cool grass, their bodies each knowing what the other wanted. So much time, so many years in between.
His touch drew her to liquid heat, and he moved to rub his hardness against her hip, then her stomach, her thigh. Seeking her, searching for the heat of her. Elise opened her legs, her body seeking Darien.
His mouth sought the softness of her breasts, the hard, callused palms a sensuous rasp against her skin. Elise drew him closer, wriggling against him.
She ran her hands delicately over his back, arching with a feline satisfaction when he came to her, the heat and power of him pushing into her. She almost shuddered with the sensation, trying to hold it all together, trying to stay focused.
He withdrew from her, the sliding sensation of him making her shake with tremors. Her arms pulled him back. She didn't need sanity just yet.
With a low growl, he came to her then, the size and weight of him above her, holding himself away so as not to crush her. She pulled him into her, unable to contain her instant cataclysmic reaction of hard flesh meeting soft recesses once more. She felt like dynamite ready to explode into a million fragments and she didn't care. She wanted to explode and then she wanted to burn some more.
He came into her fully, then stopped, hearing her muffled cry. She moved and he tried to hold her hips still, but Elise was past the point of stopping. With a silent message, her slim hips lifted, telling him she wanted more from him. He accommodated her, now lost beyond all reason, driving and driving until both of them were lost. Sensation zeroed in on the man driving her relentlessly to greater heights. Time slipped away, souls met and danced, that moment when the blankness of thought is overtaken by an incredible sensation of a free fall through space. Shuddering after affects, tremors shaking skin and muscle, quieting to an aftermath that neither one of them could explain.
Elise delicately traced the shape of his skull with her fingertips, then she let her arms fall to her sides. The night remained blissfully silent. They had reached the extremes of ecstasy, then began the slow, spiraling descent back to reality. . . and to reason.
#
Twenty-four years ago Elise and Darien had made love for the first and only time. Their coming together had been gentle, a first for both of them.
Tonight had been total devastation. She'd learned more about her own sensuality tonight than she had in that span of over twenty years. She still wanted him as badly as she had when she was fifteen, but now she was thirty-nine with a wealth of living behind her, and she knew there would be a reckoning for both of them. Two people from different worlds -- where would it all lead?
The memories of their lovemaking even now caused shivers to race across her skin, raising the sensitive hairs on her arms. Two hours! Elise's experience was limited, but she had never felt so alive, so vibrant in her entire life.
With a groan, she sank back to the cool grass, feeling the tender hands covering her with the clothes she had earlier removed in her haste.
Elise gathered her clothing, finally sitting upright as she began to dress. "Where do we go from here, Darien?"
"I confess I do not know, Elise." His voice came from above her as he gained his feet. She still felt rather boneless, not willing to move too fast. "This is something I did not plan, but I cannot say I am sorry."
"I don't regret it either," she told him. A small smile tugged at her lips. "I never knew. . .." she let her voice trail off. They had so much to sort out.
"Come back to the house. It is late," he said, and she rose to walk beside him, his hand out protectively to catch her over the uneven ground. As they walked the short distance in the dark to the house, her thoughts scattered in many directions. This put a new twist on things, but she would not let her heart overrun her common sense. Sexual attraction was one thing, but now they would have to discover if they had anything further in common. And what if they did? What if in the end it all came to nothing when they were separated once more by the fate of different timelines?
Darien saw her to the back door of the house. Courteously, he held the door for her. There was a light in the kitchen area. She looked up at him as she passed, feeling almost felt a sense of let down, but what else did she expect? They were both treading new territory.
The door closed behind her and she stood still a moment. Then just as suddenly the door was yanked open and Darien pulled her back outside onto the porch, his hands on her upper arms. She stood on tiptoe as he bent his head and kissed her passionately, and he walked backwards, taking her with him, until he sat down on the old rocker she knew sat in the corner of the porch. He pulled her onto his lap, their kiss continuing on. If Darien wished it, Elise would make love to him all night long. . . for tonight.
#
Elise stared across the scrubbed wooden table at the succulent array of boiled beef, carrots and squash the cook had put aside for her. Unfortunately, she had no appetite, so she pushed the plate away. Reaching for the water pitcher, she filled her glass to the brim. Tipping her head back, Elise swallowed thirstily. The spring water was icily cold and delicious.
The hour grew late, long past the dinner hour, and everyone had either returned home or retired for the night. Of Darien and Rufus, she had seen nothing all day. Two days had passed since her and Darien's passionate night, and they had seen little of each other. In reality, not seeing much of him gave her breathing space and time to think. She needed to keep things in perspective instead of going all out and loving the hell out of him. Elise smiled, thinking she was probably picking up some of Isabeau's slang in her thoughts.
Merina and Alice, the two young girls who cleaned and then stayed on to help the cook serve dinner, had left for their homes in town. Elise and the butler, Anthony, were the only staff living in the house.
With a sigh, Elise pulled her chair closer to the fire in the kitchen grate, ruffling her hair and running her fingers through the strands in an attempt to hurry the drying process. She had washed her hair too late in the afternoon and it was still a bit damp.
She pulled the small square mirror closer. Her hair had turned into a rioting, curly mass, not unlike her daughter's hair. There was naught she could do with it now.
With a grimace, Elise decided she may as well seek her bed. With that thought in mind, she extinguished all but one of the oil lamps. Tidying the counter, Elise leaned a moment to stare out the back kitchen window into the dark night.
Darien and Rufus had been nothing less than generous, but Elise couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy. These two Remington men lived in a big, beautiful house, well taken care of inside and out, with an abundance of rooms, all tastefully decorated. . . but it was empty. There should have been children and a family to fill its vastness. Her children. Isabeau should have grown up knowing her father and her uncle.
And Rufus should have a family of his own. He had mentioned returning to the sea, but she sensed there was unfinished business that kept him here for the moment.
Elise wondered what would happen to this house in the years to come; in her present time there was a large pasture lot where this house now stood.
Elise's head dipped with tiredness, and she straightened. Hardly able to keep her eyes open, she decided she might as well find her room and the comfort of her bed.
She cleaned off her plate and extinguished the final lamp on the table, pausing once more to look out into the inky dark night. The fog was drifting across the back field, dowsing the gardens and night alike under a thickening mist. It seemed to roll
across the ground, shrouding everything in its wake.
She wondered was it her imagination when she saw shadows move across the top of the field. It was too distant to see whether animal or man. Pressing her face to the small kitchen window, Elise was certain she saw another shadow as the mist parted for a brief moment.
Quietly, Elise stepped out onto the back porch, concealed in the shadow of the overhanging roof. As she managed to stay concealed in the shadows, her foot touched the rocking chair where she and Darien had passionately kissed.
She waited and watched, then saw two dark garbed figures and two equally dark horses draw closer, so close she heard the faint murmur of voices.
Elise relaxed. Darien and Rufus, no doubt coming home after a long day at the sap house. Elise started to move forward to call a good night, but in the next instant she was frozen to the spot.
"I question your timing, Brother -- what if she finds out?" The whisper was low but Elise knew it was not Darien.
"We have to trust if she discovers the truth, she'll keep her tongue." Darien.
"For the Hellhound's neck, we had better pray it is so." It had to be Rufus.
Elise leaned shakily against the rough wooden wall, dropping her head back to stare sightlessly at the starless night. Rufus was not mute, he could talk. Why the pretense?
A new truth hit her in the face. Her heart pounded so fiercely it hurt, and her body began to tremble. How had she been so naive, so blind! Anger burned through her to know how easily she had been tricked.
One of the Remington brothers was the Hellhound, of that she was now sure.
Rufus could speak and yet he chose to remain mute and use sign language.
Dazed, Elise stumbled back inside and up the stairs to the second story.
She closed her bedroom door and sank down to her bed.
She had been well and truly deceived. How could she have been so stupid?
With a groan, Elise lay back, her eyes bleak as she stared out her window at the shadowed moon. Following their passionate night, she had hoped that she and Darien could get to know each other again. Elise felt tricked. That first kiss she had shared with the Hellhound, had it been Darien . . . or Rufus?
Time Travel Romance Collection Page 41
