Final Hours

by Cate Dean

  “Wait—” Elizabeth jerked against his grip, tried to slow him down, but he was an immovable force. “Kane, please.”

  “I am not stopping until you are safe, home, and out of Guy’s reach.”

  She ran to keep up with his long strides, her heart pounding. That meant she would have to say goodbye. Again.

  ~ ~ ~

  Kane was still reeling at her appearance. She was supposed to be back in her own time, away from the danger Kane had drawn her into. Away from him.

  The feel of her warm, small hand in his had him thinking impossible thoughts. How much he wanted to explore more than that soft hand, discover if all her skin was that soft, with the scent of lavender that had haunted him since he first collided with her.

  He mentally shook himself. That kind of thinking would lead him down the path he could not travel. A path that had Elizabeth at his side.

  No, it would best for both of them—safer for him—if he sent her home now. He simply needed to find a secluded place for her to disappear.

  “Kane.” Her quiet voice sounded a bit desperate. He glanced over his shoulder—and immediately slowed. She was all but running to keep up with him. “Thank you. Now can you tell me where you’re dragging me?”

  “There.” He spied a narrow side street on the left, and hoped it would lead to the secluded back stoop of the building next to it. Once they were alone, Kane reluctantly freed her hand. “Time to send you home.”

  “Oh.” She looked at him, those dark blue eyes wide, and, damn him, starting to tear. “Right,” she whispered.

  Her head lowered, but Kane saw the tears slide down her cheeks. They tore at him, left him helpless. He reached out and gathered her in his arms, tortured himself a little more with the feel of her pressed against him.

  Elizabeth didn’t carry on like other women of his acquaintance. Her tears were quiet, and all the more heartbreaking for it, because he understood the why of it. Since he learned that she was an orphan, like him, so many of her reactions and choices made sense.

  Kane gently kissed the top of her head and set her away from him, to keep from desperately hanging on to her. She deserved better; she deserved a life of joy, and safety, and stability. He could provide none of those.

  “Ready?” He kept his voice quiet. He still had no idea what triggered her panic, and she needed to be calm for the journey ahead.

  “Yes.” Trembling fingers brushed at her tears. “Sorry. I didn’t plan on using you as a six foot Kleenex.”

  “It was my pleasure to stand in for a standard size tissue.”

  She let out a shaky laugh, her tension easing. Just as he intended. “Come, Beth. I need you to be at least arm’s reach from the building.”

  “Okay.” She stepped into the center of the small back entry, just big enough for both of them. “Will it be as—nausea inducing as the last two trips?”

  Her question caught him completely off guard, and he laughed, delighted by her humor. Who was he kidding? He was delighted by her.

  “It does get easier.”

  “Uh, huh. So I’ve been told, several times. I’m discovering that’s a big, fat lie.”

  Kane laughed again. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed so much—

  Time to get this done. The longer he delayed, the harder it would be to let her go.

  “You can endure one more time, Beth. Then you’ll be finished with the trauma.”

  “Will I remember—everything?”

  “Yes.” I will not be able to forget you, love. Not for a long time, if ever. He forced himself to smile. “Memory loss is not one of the side effects.”

  “Part of me wishes it was.”

  “So do I, love.”

  Her eyes widened, and Kane cursed himself when he realized he’d said it aloud.

  “Kane—”

  “Beth—I didn’t mean—”

  “Don’t you dare take it back.” She moved forward, running by the time she threw herself at him. Kane caught her, held on, closed his eyes when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his shoulder. “I’ll miss you, Jackson Kane. I don’t want to, but there it is.”

  He smiled at her muffled words, before he cradled the back of her head, buried his face in her hair. It was an indulgence, to feel the silk of it against his skin, to have the soft lavender scent of her surrounding him. “Then I am not sorry for missing you as well.” He pulled back, forced himself to put emotional distance between them. That went out the window with his next request, because he needed it, needed her, one last time. “Now give me a proper goodbye, Elizabeth Barritt.”

  She raised her head, and Kane stopped any possible protest with his lips.

  Her mouth opened under his, a soft moan driving heat through him. God save him, she had the most sensual lips. He sensed the inexperience, but her passion more than made up for any lack. That passion all but brought him to his knees.

  Elizabeth hiked herself up, wrapped her legs around him, deepening the kiss as she plastered herself to him. He was already painfully hard; the feel of her had him throbbing.

  He turned, opened his eyes long enough to find the wall, and trapped her against it. Every inch of her body arched into him, her lips more desperate, her breathing ragged. Kane could barely hear her above his own raw breath.

  She slid her hands into his hair, her legs tightening their grip on his waist. His legs nearly gave way when she started to move against him. He matched her rhythm, meeting every thrust, groaning into her mouth, rock hard and wanting to be inside her, to feel that slim body wrapped around him as they joined together—

  He broke off the kiss, tried to pry her off him before he took her right here. The need to be inside her had his hands shaking. Damn it, he never lost control like this.

  “Beth—” She moved, aiming for his lips. He lifted his head to discourage her, so she pressed her lips to his throat, kissing her way down. He let out a groan, gripped her waist. “For the love of God—”

  “You said—” She kissed her way back up his throat. “You wanted a proper goodbye.”

  He looked down at her, surprised by the mischief in those beautiful eyes. With a smile, she leaned in, and he stilled when she kissed his scarred cheek. She had no idea what it meant to him that she treated those scars as if they were simply part of him.

  “Beth,” he whispered.

  She pulled back, obviously hearing the strain in his voice. “Oh, God.” A blush spread over her face. There was no possible way she didn’t feel his erection, not the way she was still wrapped around him. “I’m so sorry—I’m not a tease, Kane—I just couldn’t—”

  “Stop what you started?” Her blush deepened, but he gave her points for keeping eye contact. “My sweet Beth, if you had started it anywhere but in the middle of an assignment, I would have finished it.”

  “Promise?”

  His laughter had her smiling. Carefully, he eased back from the wall and lowered her to the ground. His hands circled her waist until she found her footing. It pleased him more than he could admit that she found it hard to stand.

  “As much as I want you to stay,” he said, brushing his lips over her cheek, “it is time for you to go.”

  “How are you going to—not get sucked in with me?”

  Kane had been working on that problem, and thought he found a way. The agents had always gone back together, so this was an experiment. Of course, he didn’t mention that fact to her.

  “I want you to hold on to my right hand, until the portal appears. Do you remember the snapping sound you heard when Guy appeared?” She nodded. “That means the portal is engaged. Once you hear it, let go of me. I will get myself out of range.”

  “Okay.”

  Kane took the transport out of his greatcoat. It had already been set for the next journey. He closed his eyes briefly, braced himself, and looked at Elizabeth.

  She met his eyes, more lovely every time he looked at her. Her face was flushed, her hair disheveled from him
nearly ravaging her. Tears shimmered in her eyes—and he would not give in to them this time. Tears were what nearly had him taking her right there, in a dirty back entry.

  “Goodbye, Kane. Thank you for the greatest adventure of my life.”

  He didn’t say anything, simply strapped the transport on his left wrist and moved his thumb over the button that would send her out of his life forever—

  “Hello, Kane.” He froze at the sound of Guy’s voice coming from the transport. A moment later, his face flashed on the screen, replacing the coordinates.

  “Impossible—”

  “To hack such a simple bit of technology? This was like snapping my fingers.” Kane turned around, putting Elizabeth behind him; he didn’t want Guy to know she was still in reach. “Now watch carefully, old friend. This is my next move on the board.”

  Another face appeared on the screen, just long enough for panic to grip his heart. Helaine.

  Kane was already talking when Guy showed himself again. “If you harm her, in any way—”

  “Stop chasing me, and she will be free to go. I cannot make the same guarantee for her dog, I’m afraid. I may have done more than stun the wretched beast when I threw it at the wall.” A sob in the background had him looking away. “It’ll be all right, sweet. Kane will do the noble thing.” Guy looked back at him. “He always does the noble thing. Now say yes, Kane, and I will give you directions, so you can play hero.”

  “I will meet you, Guy.”

  “So you already sent the sweet Elizabeth on her way?”

  “I will be alone.” Kane felt her move next to him. He clapped his right hand over her mouth and pulled her tight against his side. She fought him, whatever curses she threw at him muffled against his hand.

  “A shame. She is fierce, for such a delicate little thing.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Do you know the field behind St. Edmund’s?”

  Elizabeth made a noise. He glanced down, and she nodded at him.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “There’s a lone building, at the far edge. You have one hour, before the knight removes the pawn from the game. Your move, Kane.”

  Guy cut off the transmission, and Kane let Elizabeth go. After a few seconds, the blank screen lit up, showing the coordinates for their current location. No matter what he punched he could not change them.

  “Damn it—don’t you move another inch, Elizabeth. You are staying right here, until I send you home.”

  “You don’t know where she is—and he’ll hurt her, all because she was in the wrong place. I won’t have that on my conscience, not when I can do something about it. Besides, you won’t be able to send me home until we stop Guy.”

  Surprise had him staring at her. “How do you—”

  “The second you saw it on the screen.’ She crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow. “I can read you like a book.”

  No one had ever told him that before. He had always been accused of quite the opposite—especially by women, frustrated with his lack of reaction to anything they told him.

  The grip eased on his heart. “This is the deal—agree, or you will go nowhere near them. I plan on surprising Guy, taking him down. You do what I say, no matter how much you disagree. If I tell you to run—”

  “I run. I get it, Kane. I faced Guy myself, remember? I know what he’s capable of.” She touched his wrist, her fingers warm, steady. It took all his control not to pull her in, protect her from what might happen. She would hate him for it; he knew that much about her. That streak of courage simply made her more attractive. “We’ll find her, Kane, and you will stop Guy from doing—whatever it is he came here to do, without someone else’s life hanging over your head.”

  “All right.” Without the distraction of Elizabeth kissing him blind, his shoulder gave him a throbbing reminder of its need for recuperation. “I want to start where we met. Guy hurt—”

  He cut himself off. How did he become so attached to that bit of fur? When did he become a sentimental sot? The answer stood next to him, her presence like a balm. One he could not get used to; as soon as he freed Helaine, and strangled Guy within an inch of his life, he would send her back.

  “Kane.” He blinked, meeting Elizabeth’s amused gaze. She had obviously spoken his name more than once. “Are you ready?”

  “Of course.”

  He took her hand and ran down the side street, headed for the canal, and hopefully, for the little dog that meant less to Guy than an insect squashed under his shoe.

  Guy would pay for that.

  ~ ~ ~

  Elizabeth fought to keep up with Kane, but she didn’t say anything to slow him down. Time was not on their side.

  As they rounded the corner, into the side street next to the canal, she spotted a white bundle of fur.

  “There,” she gasped, right before Kane veered over to the edge of the canal.

  She pulled out of his grip and dropped to her knees, half-afraid to touch the dog. Red streaked the white fur, just below its throat, and Elizabeth hoped—prayed—that Guy hadn’t lied when he said he only threw the dog at the wall. That was bad enough, and she hoped he burned in a special level of Hell for it. Before she could talk herself out of it, she gently turned the dog over.

  It let out a weak yip, and opened its eyes.

  “Oh, thank heaven.”

  Kane reached past her and scooped the dog up. A blue scarf was still partly wrapped around it. The scarf Kane had on when he left the lab.

  “Hey,” he said, cradling the dog in one arm. “How are you doing, Jane Eyre? One adventure not enough for you?” A stronger yip answered him. “Yes, we’re going to find your mistress. Are you up for a trip?”

  The dog reached up and licked his chin. Elizabeth watched the exchange between man and dog, seeing a side of Kane she didn’t think existed. Obviously not as injured as they feared, the little dog stood with its front paws on his chest, and yipped at him impatiently.

  “I believe she’s ready to do this.”

  “Okay. Wait,” she said, when he started to set the dog on the ground. “We need some kind of leash, or it will get away from us.”

  “She.” Kane corrected her absently, like he did it all the time. “We can use my scarf.”

  Elizabeth helped him unravel it from the dog, rolling up one end to tie around the collar.

  “How did it—she—end up with your scarf?”

  “After taking a dip in the canal.”

  Her fingers froze on the scarf. “You… pulled a dog out of the canal.”

  “You say that as if I wouldn’t even think of doing such a thing. I could hardly let her drown.” As if the dog knew what he was saying, it—she, Elizabeth corrected herself again—licked his face, wagging the fluffy tail. “Can you check for injuries?”

  “Sure.” After tying the scarf around the collar, she ran her hands over the still shivering body, and found a long scrape, behind one ear. “There’s a scrape. It isn’t bleeding anymore.” But against that pristine fur, even a tiny amount of blood looked fatal.

  “All right. We’ll keep checking it.” He took the makeshift leash from Elizabeth and set Jane Eyre on the ground, crouched down beside the trembling dog.

  “We need to go straight ahead once we get to the sidewalk,” she said. “Then across the high street. If it’s the field I’m thinking of, it’s on the other side.”

  Kane nodded, and scratched the fluffy head before he stood. “Let’s go find your mistress, shall we?”

  With an answering bark, the dog took off, headed for the sidewalk. Kane followed her, looking absurd and far too appealing. Now that her mind wasn’t occupied with a crisis, it did a laser focus on her and Kane, kissing. No—in her mind, at least, she would call a horse a horse. She jumped him, like a desperate, horny woman.

  Heat spread over her face again at just the memory of it. What did that nun call her in the orphanage? A harlot. “With all that hair,” she said, turning her bulbous nose up, like Elizabeth smel
led bad, “you will tempt even the most devout man.” Then they held her down and cut it all off. Elizabeth remembered crying herself to sleep for months after it happened. That was when she learned not to make a sound when she cried.

  No sound meant you weren’t teased, or bullied. Or worse.

  Part of her wanted to own that passion, and how it made her feel so free, yet so connected to him. But the past she still fought to escape clutched at her, left her mortified. She just wouldn’t let it happen again. Problem solved.

  All she had to do was not touch him.

  She pushed aside the relative impossibility of that happening, and caught up with him, careful to stay out of reach. “Do you know why Guy picked this time period?”

  He glanced down at her. “All the researchers are leaning toward Churchill.”

  Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “You don’t agree.”

  Kane flashed her that heart stopping smile, damn him. “That obvious, is it?”

  “I don’t think the detour to Dover was a glitch. We are just days from,” she glanced around, to make sure no one was nearby to overhear. “The start of the evacuation from Dunkirk.” Kane glanced at her, surprised. “History buff, remember? Possible future author of art history books?”

  His laugh warmed her, sent the same hot thrill that shot through her when his lips—

  Stop it.

  “Beth? You were saying?”

  “Right.” She stared straight ahead, blushing. Again. In her peripheral vision she saw Kane watch her, amusement on his face. She knew it was about to change. “If something happened to Admiral Ramsay, that would throw the evacuation into chaos—maybe even prevent it from happening. There has been speculation that if Hitler had stopped the BEF from escaping Dunkirk, he could have won the war.”

  Kane stopped and grabbed her arm. “Are you certain?”

  “I’ve read some books on it.” It wasn’t easy, but she kept her voice level. “There is still no good reason for Hitler to approve the halt of his troops when they were literally on the edge of victory. The Brits and French were trapped and running, the Belgians had surrendered. It was ideal. But he approved Rundstedt’s order to hold, which gave Ramsay the breathing room he needed, breathing room he didn’t expect.”