3 Ways to Wear Red

by Janet Leigh

  I shuddered at the early hour and focused on the problem at hand. If I took a wristlet and strapped it to my arm, it should be fine; otherwise, it might end up in pieces. Lateral travel works if I have small objects in my pockets, but purses and bigger items tend to end up shredded and ready for the bottom of a rabbit’s cage.

  The Chanel watch Caiyan had given me for my birthday would be fine, and so would the diamond drops in my ears.

  Completing the ensemble, I added a pair of black FMPs that made my legs look a mile long. They were Manolo knockoffs, but the high platform-stiletto heel complemented the dress and would hopefully give me the results I desired without my falling on my ass and twisting an ankle.

  Caiyan was acting so mysterious. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going after dinner. He simply left me instructions to meet him at his house in Manhattan.

  I glanced in the mirror for a final check of my perfectly straightened hair. The process had taken an hour, but it was worth it. I added a swipe of Eminence cinnamon lip gloss, which promised big, luscious lips, to the red lipstick I had previously applied. I dropped the lip gloss, my cell phone, a debit card, and MAC lipstick in Brave Red into my vintage black, beaded wristlet and secured it to my arm. That would do.

  Gertie met me at the top of the stairs. “Wow, you look amaaazing.”

  “Thanks, I’m heading out, and I probably won’t be home tonight.” An uncontrolled blush sent heat to my face, and Gertie laughed at me.

  “You probably won’t be home until next month when Caiyan sees you in that dress.”

  “No can do. I have to be at headquarters early tomorrow morning. The moon cycle is beginning at midnight tonight. After the WTF gets the read on the brigands, I might have an assignment.”

  “Don’t drag me into this one,” Gertie huffed. “The last time you almost got strangled, and traveling back in time gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

  “I thought you had fun in 1985?” I crossed my arms and brought my index finger to my chin. Gertie had met a gorgeous drummer on our last travel together.

  “If you are referring to the drummer, when I returned to present day, I Facebook stalked him. He was old and had five kids by four different women. No thank you!”

  “You never told me you found him on Facebook.”

  “I started dating Brodie and forgot all about the little drummer boy.” She flipped one of her braids behind her shoulder and started off in the direction of her room. “Besides, I would rather watch old movies and drink wine with Itty.”

  Itty was Caiyan’s great-aunt. Too old to time travel safely but young at heart. She and Gertie had bonded during my last time travel, but I hadn’t realized they were hanging out.

  “Aunt Itty’s coming over?” I felt a pang of jealousy. When was the last time Gertie and I had spent any time together? I made a mental note to plan a girls’ night out when I returned from my mission.

  “Yeah, I get a little depressed when Brodie time travels. I’m afraid something bad might happen to him, so Itty comes over and keeps me company.”

  “Gertie, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s OK. You were always at training during the moon cycle. I think Jake was afraid you’d hitch a ride with someone and end up at the Spanish Inquisition.”

  “You’re probably right. His lack of faith in me is starting to grate on my nerves.”

  “He’s worried about you, and now Itty and I can worry about you too.” She started toward her room and then paused and looked over her shoulder at me. “Have fun, and Jen, be careful.”

  “You know me—safety first.” I smiled and headed downstairs, but I had a big uncomfortable knot in the pit of my stomach. I blamed it on the excitement of getting my key back and my night out with Caiyan.

  I searched the coat closet for my full-length black-leather Roberto Cavalli coat. Last year, Ace and I had scoured the leather shops in Florence, Italy, to find great bargains. I’d bought the coat, which he’d said I wouldn’t get enough use out of, because I live in Texas. April in New York tended to be brisk, and the weather forecast called for temperatures in the low fifties and a chance of rain. I was landing in a secluded spot in Central Park. It was surrounded by a dense clump of trees, and other than a few drug addicts partaking in their daily score, the secret spot was usually empty. If any of the druggies saw me land, they would assume they were hallucinating.

  I pulled on the coat. It hung loosely on my shoulders, thanks to all the self-defense training and exercise Jake had been demanding. I had lost twenty pounds of fat and gained five pounds of lean muscle. I felt good, but I was a little sad the coat now swallowed me. Wrapping a black faux-fur warmer around my neck, I double-checked my wristlet. Fastening the buttons of my coat, I exited to my vessel.

  The final sliver of sunlight was disappearing over the horizon as I closed my eyes and focused on the spot in Central Park. Hopefully, all the derelicts would be seeking refuge from the cool weather at one of the local soup kitchens.

  My vessel made a smooth landing, and I was grateful I didn’t tear my dress in an unexpected dismount. I dropped my wristlet into my pocket for safekeeping. As I stepped out of my vessel, a cold wind whipped madly at my hair. I cussed the air like a sailor under siege.

  “My, my, such a pretty lass with a veery foul mouth.” Caiyan was leaning against a large tree trunk, smiling at me. His dark hair was covered with a black watch cap, and he wore head-to-toe black. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought he was a mugger.

  “I didn’t know you were going to meet me,” I said, trying to secure my flyaway hair. “I spent an hour straightening my hair, and now I probably look like Barbie on acid.”

  He walked over to me and brushed a kiss across my red lips. “I hope your dress is that same color of red.”

  “Why?” I raised a curious eyebrow in his direction as I encircled his neck with my arms.

  “Ye look good in red,” he said, taking another nip at my lips. “And yer veery tasty too.”

  My inner voice gave me a high five. I knew Caiyan chewed cinnamon-flavored gum, so I was counting on the cinnamon lip gloss leading to more taste testing.

  He pulled my arms from around his neck and interlocked his fingers with mine, and we began walking away from my vessel.

  The outhouse disappeared with a flip of my free hand and a fleeting thought of see you later. I walked, tucked into the warmth of Caiyan’s arms, through Central Park toward his apartment. We passed a few couples taking a walk through the park and a woman pushing a baby stroller who was clearly trying to get her kid to sleep. She looked at Caiyan with that longing that comes from too many dirty diapers and not enough “me time.”

  The busy sounds of the city drew closer as we made our way to the exit. Caiyan’s co-op apartment was located on the upper west side of Central Park. The white-brick facade of the building came into view, and he picked up the pace. We crossed Central Park West and walked a few blocks to Caiyan’s building, where we were greeted by his doorman, a short butterball of a man with silver hair and blue eyes that were almost lost under gray, bushy eyebrows. The man gave Caiyan a nod of recognition and held the door open for us.

  The lobby always took my breath away. A high rotunda ceiling, stacked with layers of intricately carved crown molding, dressed the extravagant entrance hall of the expensive Central Park address.

  As we entered the foyer, a small seating area with a massive stone fireplace provided a welcome warmth. The clicking of my stilettos against the Italian marble floors echoed as we crossed the lobby to wait for the elevator.

  I tilted my head back as he pulled the scarf from my neck and drew me in close. He kissed the inside of my neck and nibbled on my earlobe.

  “If you keep doing that, we won’t make it to dinner, and I’m starving,” I said, taking a step back out of his reach.

  “Maybe I can do something to distract ye from yer hunger pains, aye?” The elevator doors opened, and he pushed the button for the penthouse. About halfw
ay up, he stopped the elevator and began kissing my neck.

  “Caiyan, dinner?” I asked as I reached over and set the elevator in motion.

  “Yer not much fun tonight,” he said, pouting. He removed his gloves and exchanged them for the apartment key in his pocket.

  “I’ll be fun after we eat.” I wanted a date. A real date with dinner and conversation. One that held all the excitement of a first date. It seemed Caiyan and I had made a habit of too much sex and ordering takeout in our stolen moments together.

  He reached over and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. His gaze held mine, and my desire for first-date excitement was forgotten. As he moved in closer, our lips parted for a deep, lingering kiss. My hunger pains for food were replaced with a craving for Caiyan. Leaving traces of red lipstick on his neck, I reluctantly exited the elevator as it opened on his floor.

  By the time we reached his apartment, dinner was an afterthought. He took off his cap, spilling glorious waves of dark hair across his brow. His eyes stayed on mine as he removed his coat. I started to unbutton my coat, but he stopped me and continued the task himself. As we stood in his entry hall, I did a small spin so he could admire my dress, and he whistled.

  “You like it?”

  “I like you. The dress I like on the floor.” He brushed his lips against mine, and in one swipe, he sent my dress into a heap at my ankles. I stood naked, with the exception of my stilettos, on his marble floor.

  “Even better,” he said and scooped me up in his arms.

  Caiyan’s apartment was decorated in early medieval. The furniture was solid and strong but comfortable. His extensive art collection decorated the walls, and ancient artifacts were placed on the tables. Indiana Jones would have loved the place. Caiyan’s bed was a large sixteenth-century four-poster. He’d told me it had been redesigned to fit his height and reinforced for other things. A zebra-skin rug covered the hand-scraped wood floors.

  He laid me gently down on the soft, down-filled comforter. Leaving my stilettos in place, he ran his lips up the inside of my thigh and kept going until he reached my hard nipples, kissing me in all the right places along the way. I reached down and brought his lips to mine and lingered in his sensual kisses. He proceeded to make his way down south and do that thing with his tongue that took me to my limit. I cried out in uncontrolled ecstasy as he rolled his tongue around and brought me to climax. My inner voice reminded me I had only been here five minutes. Shut up!

  Caiyan was fully dressed, and I was completely naked. I lay panting on his bed as he removed his clothes.

  “Why, kind sir, what about my dinner?” I asked, fluttering my eyelashes and doing my best Scarlett O’Hara impression.

  “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” he quoted playfully as he moved on top of me and entered me. The ride started slow and smooth and became more turbulent with every thrust. His muscular chest contracted as I ran my hands across his nipples. We moved in sync until I was begging to reach the peak and cascade down the vertical drop. We went over the edge together, falling to a blissful release. Afterward, we lay spent in each other’s arms.

  “Ye are beautiful, Jennifer Cloud,” he said, running a hand down my side in a way that caused my nipples to stand up again. “And now I think we should eat.”

  “Eat? Oh, yes.” I had forgotten how hungry I’d been earlier, but my grumbling stomach reminded me. “OK if I borrow your shower?” I asked, gently skimming my fingers over his abs. The WTF wanted all its defenders in combat condition, and so far, I hadn’t seen one who had an ounce of fat on his body.

  “Yer training is paying off,” Caiyan said as he watched me walk toward his bathroom.

  “Why do you say that?” I asked, feeling a little awkward standing naked in front of him again.

  “I can tell Agent McCoy has had his hands on you.”

  I frowned. Was he referring to my physique, or did he think I was still having sex with Jake? Caiyan and I hadn’t been specific about our relationship. He’d told me he loved me, once, maybe twice. I, on the other hand, hadn’t said those three little words out loud, but I thought Caiyan knew how I felt. The fact we had never identified our relationship had me second-guessing myself. I’d assumed we were a monogamous thing, but maybe Caiyan wasn’t ready. Or maybe you’re not ready, my inner voice chided.

  “No,” I said, ignoring my inner voice and pulling my hair to the front so it spilled over my right breast. “Jake is doing weapons training. The big guy, Max, is the one who has been physically training me.”

  Caiyan smiled, came over, and kissed my shoulder. “Veery nice—firm. Get dressed. We’ve dinner reservations.”

  “I need to shower and redo my makeup. Which is a problem, because I don’t have any makeup here.”

  He kissed me gently and stared into my eyes. “Ye look lovely just as ye are.”

  I told my inner voice to fuck off. I’m ready.

  * * *

  ***

  * * *

  I took a quick shower in the guest bathroom and fiddled with my hair. My makeup wasn’t too bad, so I added the red lipstick to my lips and compact powder to my face.

  As I walked into the living area, a slow, sexy whistle greeted me. Caiyan was leaning against the counter of his fully stocked bar, wearing a black Armani suit and tie. He looked incredible, and I felt my nipples harden. No, I told my inner slut. I wanted to go on our mystery dinner date, not spend the night—like so many others—in bed. Thankfully, he finished the scotch he was drinking, and we left for our night on the town.

  Caiyan hailed a cab for the short ride to Marea. As soon as we walked in the door, Caiyan was greeted by the staff like a member of the family and escorted to a private table with a view of Central Park. He ordered a bottle of wine and some Russian caviar. I wasn’t a big fan of caviar, but this stuff was the bomb. I went over the details of my probation, leaving out the part about Marco joining the WTF and becoming my new defender. Why ruin a perfect evening? Throughout dinner, Caiyan seemed a little preoccupied. He hardly touched his tagliata as I hoovered through a beautifully prepared capesante. It was almost too pretty to eat, but I was starving.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” I asked.

  He pushed his plate away and asked if I wanted dessert.

  I smiled, and he signaled the waiter for a tiramisu. He took a few bites that I spoon-fed him and continued to play with his fork.

  “OK, what’s up?” I asked.

  “Do ye want to go to Scotland?”

  “Scotland?” I asked. “What for?”

  “I want to show ye my family home.”

  My inner voice did a little tap dance. I definitely wanted to see the family home.

  “When?” I asked, mentally planning to ask Eli for some time off work.

  “Tonight.”

  “Right now?”

  “Yes.”

  “I guess I’m driving.”

  “Aye, lassie, ye get the reins today. But it won’t be long before I’m back in the saddle.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “Should I ask what you mean by that?” My inner voice pulled out her magnifying glass and her Sherlock Holmes Guide to Sleuthing.

  He paused briefly, as if debating what he should tell me. Finally, the corners of his mouth drew up in a sexy smile. “I’m sure Mitchell Mafuso will screw up, and I will get my key back soon.”

  He paid the bill, and we walked into Central Park to a cluster of trees so I could easily access my vessel.

  “How will I know where to go?”

  He pulled out his iPhone and showed me a picture of a beautiful stone estate. He scrolled down a few pictures to a meadow a short distance away.

  “Land here,” he said, pointing to a spot in the meadow. He Google mapped it for precision while I called my outhouse.

  We climbed aboard my vessel. “I’m surprised you don’t have a special landing pad inside your Scottish fortress.”

  “Aye, I do, but ’tis a tight squeeze, and I’m afraid ye’d end up in the moat.�
��

  I rolled my eyes at him. Wait, did he say moat? Geesh. These men and their lack of confidence in my traveling skills. What was the point of going through all that training if I was going to be treated like a toddler? My inner voice nodded in agreement and snapped on her leather driving gloves. I focused on the meadow and the map location as we disappeared into the night.

  Chapter 5

  We landed in the exact spot in the small meadow from the picture. I gave Caiyan a smirk. Not enough skill, my ass. A misty rain was sprinkling on us as we exited my vessel. The dark sky, illuminated by brief glimpses of a cloud-shrouded moon, threw shadows on the landscape. I squinted into the distance and thought I could make out rolling hills dotting the horizon.

  I was surprised to see a black BMW sedan waited with the engine running at the bottom of the lane. A driver held the door for me as I settled myself against the soft leather seat. Caiyan greeted the driver and slid in next to me. The smell of dewy grass and fresh country air reminded me of the first time Caiyan and I had met in Scotland. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I shuddered in response.

  “Are ye cold?” Caiyan asked. He leaned forward and asked the driver to adjust the thermostat in the car.

  “No,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Just having a déjà vu about the first time I was in Scotland. I was eighteen, and you seduced me and took my virginity.”

  “If I had known who ye were, lass, I would never ’ave been so rude.” He smiled faintly.

  “You mean you would not have tried to seduce me?”

  “No, I didnae say that. I couldnae have helped myself, because ye were so beautiful—loud, but veery beautiful.” He chuckled at the memory as the car eased its way up a steep incline. “If I remember correctly, ye seduced me, because ye were freezing and used my body for warmth.”

  “I seduced you because I was freezing?” I asked a little skeptically.