consumed

by Sandra Sookoo

  “You are the first case of this kind I have experienced.”

  Fantastic. As they resumed walking, she slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, needing the touch of something tangible as an anchor. This style of walking, though extremely old-fashioned, took the pressure off her. With him as an escort, she didn’t feel as if she needed to take the lead in the conversation or even defend against overeager males. In his company, she felt protected and cared for. Definitely something she didn’t get back home.

  “But do you think it’s odd I’m here at all?” Her insides knotted when she thought about home. How did these people live without coffeehouses or megamarts or late-night food delivery?

  “Not all that odd. This is Destiny, after all.” His steps matched hers, neither pushing her to go faster nor attempting to slow her down. “Thelonious purposefully built the town as a safe harbor for outcasts like you and me. It’s refreshing to know we have a haven.”

  “Why didn’t he allow me to stay in the Destiny of my time? Why send me into 1899?”

  “Perhaps you need to accomplish a task here or find something you were missing then.”

  “Like?” When he didn’t answer, she let loose a low growl. “Fine. This Thelonious person obviously enjoys playing games with people’s lives.”

  “Mr. Evermore has a vast understanding of many things. He is his own riddle and enjoys remaining such. Did you meet him in your time period?”

  “Briefly, right before I got caught up in a tornado and landed here. He said I was in the right place but not the right time. Is that some sort of joke?”

  “How would I know?” His deep laughter reverberated on the air and warmed her insides. The panic dissipated like mist before the sun. “Take comfort in this. Thelonious never does things without a purpose. There must be a key reason for your arrival in this time period.”

  Ava scowled. When his eyes twinkled with humor, low-grade need pulsed between her thighs, something Mike had never been able to accomplish. “I don’t think it’s funny.” I don’t find it amusing that his smile or laughter can make me go all girly inside either.

  Her wolf howled in glee. You want to jump his bones, human. He challenges you in every way like Mike never could.

  That’s concerning.

  No, that’s wonderful. Her wolf gave a toothy grin.

  They left the grassy area in order to stroll along the empty street. Up and down the main thoroughfare, shopkeepers locked their doors for the evening. Every now and again one of them would call out a greeting to Sam, which he returned with all the charm and aplomb he’d given her.

  “Why does everyone close so early? It’s not even seven o’clock. In my time period, stores are open well after ten; sometimes they’re available all day and night.” One lady turned from her doorway and smiled at Sam. A stab of something cut through her chest. Surely it couldn’t be jealousy? Of what? She had no claim to him. Hell, she barely even knew him. But she wanted to—badly.

  “The business owners wish to spend time with family and friends. Working long into the night is at cross-purposes with that intent.” He patted her hand, which lay so snugly on his arm. “In the future, do people not spend time together?”

  Ava thought about kids overscheduled with extracurricular activities, adults who worked ten- to twelve-hour days, and families who were so dependent on electronics that they rarely spoke to each other outside of texting. The loss of her own cell phone brought a cramp to her stomach. How many messages sat in her mailbox right now? She heaved a sigh. “Not really. Some do. I guess, looking at it from this perspective, society has decayed—a lot. In some ways, coming back in time might be a good experience for me.”

  It didn’t matter how many people called or texted her phone. She’d never be able to listen or read them. Then the battery would die, and it would be as if she’d never existed…

  Cold fear trickled down her spine. What if she couldn’t return to her own time? What if she had to remain in the past for the rest of her life? Her steps dragged before she finally came to a halt, tugging him with her. Ava glanced around the area, at the shaded windows of the darkened shops and the dried leaves swirling along the cobbled streets, the lack of neon signs or shiny stickers in windows depicting all the credit cards a merchant accepted.

  She wriggled out of his grasp and pressed her hands to her suddenly cold cheeks.

  “Oh my God. I’m really stuck here.” Knots tightened in her stomach. Trying to take deep breaths to calm herself did no good as the corset restricted the action. Instead, a series of halting gasps escaped her throat. “What am I going to do?”

  “Survive. Look forward to tomorrow and the next day. Do the best you can with what you have available, and be thankful you’re alive. What other choice do you have?” He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest. “Life is gone before we know it.”

  Her breath hitched as she relaxed into the impromptu hug. Safe in his embrace, she knew everything would turn out okay even if the circumstances looked otherwise. “I guess that’s true.” She’d always fought for the jobs she’d wanted and the positions she’d lusted after. It was how she landed the job she had now—or had. Placing a palm against Sam’s broad chest, she pushed away, a tad regretfully. It felt like he had a great set of pecs, if the firm wall was a giveaway.

  Ask him for a room…

  She ignored her wolf’s urging. If only I could ditch the damn corset, I’d be fine.

  Liar.

  “Would you like to resume the walk to your residence? If we tarry any longer, your guardian will come searching for you. I wouldn’t put it past her to tie me to a tree.” His grin set the lights in his eyes dancing.

  “I guess that would be best.” Yet she remained in her spot. “What do women in this time period do for a living? I’ll probably need to take a job, huh?”

  Sam shrugged, then clasped his hands behind his back. “You can be a midwife, teacher, dressmaker, nurse, or domestic servant, which would include cook, housekeeper, and laundress. These choices are all open to you.”

  “Ick.” The thought of doing any of those things turned her stomach.

  Her wolf agreed as she howled in humor. Somehow I can’t see you as a midwife delivering babies, let alone handling them.

  Shut up. The whole point to kids was spending an hour with someone else’s because then you could give them back, go home, and snag a glass of wine.

  You’d feel differently if the baby was your own.

  Ava shook her head. Maybe. It’s not like it’ll happen anytime soon. No worries there.

  “Or,” Sam regarded her with a speculative light in his eye, “you can become a clerk in the bank where I work. I’d be happy to have you.”

  A rush of heat shot between her thighs and robbed her of breath. Oh man, what I wouldn’t do to have you, too, stud muffin. “Sounds great.” Giving in to the urge that had plagued her since meeting him, she closed the distance between them and stood on tiptoe. Damn, getting close to a guy without the stilettos was annoying. “How do you feel about kissing on the first date?”

  “If by dating you are referring to a first meeting, then I fully endorse the action.” He grasped her waist and hauled her against his body. “Proceed at will.” The wink that accompanied the request made her knees buckle.

  Spurred on by her wolf’s panting, Ava slipped her hands around his neck and fit her lips to his. Soft but firm, he immediately asked for her surrender with the forceful movement of his mouth on hers. Seeking to deepen the kiss, she pressed closer, but a jerk on her shoulder tore her from his arms before she could finish what she’d started.

  “What the hell?” She swung around, determined to chew someone out. Shock skittered through her chest when she encountered her frowning, very angry, new mother figure.

  “Proper ladies do not deport themselves in such a manner, especially in the open.”

  With her mind spinning and her insides on meltdown from Sam’s laughter, Ava nodded. “Yes, ma�
�am.” She shot a glance at him, hit again by a new resurgence of desire as he wiped a bit of moisture at the corner of his mouth. “See you tomorrow?” At least she had someone in this town she could talk with, maybe steal a kiss or two.

  He gave her a slight bow from the waist. “I shall call on you. I only have three more days on this earth, and I’d like to make the best of them that I can. Good night, Mrs. Altier, Miss Lesarris.”

  The matron huffed as Ava stared at his retreating back. Astonishment rolled over her. He was dying? How was this even remotely fair? She had zero time for reflection or raging at the heavens as Mrs. Altier pulled her down the street in the opposite direction.

  Chapter Four

  Sam paced about the small confines of his office the next morning. Scowling at the perfect golden sunrise, he peered out the window, hoping for a glimpse of flaxen hair and twinkling green eyes. When he saw neither, he concentrated on pacing. How had one tiny kiss during an autumn evening sent his mind into a whirlwind?

  Damnation! As kisses went, it was a paltry affair indeed. Barely had their lips met before that gray-haired dragon pulled them apart. He shoved a hand through his hair. Thinking about holding the futuristic woman in his arms sent heat flowing over his skin, yet the most important organ of his body remained, for the most part, unaffected.

  He threw himself into the padded leather chair behind his desk. In desperation, he fumbled at the buttons of his trousers and plunged a hand beneath the waistband of his short pants. Wrapping his fingers around his listless penis, he stroked his hand up and down its length. For the love of all that’s holy, stiffen! No amount of rubbing or encouragement changed his circumstances. His member was as limp as a two-day-old fish and just as useless. “Botheration.”

  Sam removed the hand from his pants and buttoned up. Never had he been as vexed as he was now. Finally, he’d met an intriguing female, one who seemed to be made of stiff mettle, one who wouldn’t back down in the face of life, and no matter that desire raged through his veins like wildfire, his cursed member remained unaffected.

  “This is impossible.” He leaned back in the chair, his chest tight at the dismal failure he’d become. Three days until he became sparks in the sky. Three days to find a cure for his erection problem and bed the fair Ava. The shock he’d seen in her eyes when he left her with that tidbit wrapped around his heart and squeezed like a jungle serpent.

  Regaining any sort of trust with her would be an uphill battle. “Now that is impossible.”

  “So you continue to say, yet I have never known you to balk at a challenge.” Jamison came into the office and settled into the chair on the other side of Sam’s desk. “Why are you here this morning, friend?”

  “I might be at the end of my life, but I am fairly certain I remember where my place of employment is.” He leaned forward and folded his hands on the desktop. “What are you hinting at, Jamison?”

  “Just this.” The lean man rose, rapping his knuckles on the desk. “If I were in your position and had days to live, I certainly would not spend those precious days behind a desk in a cheerless office.”

  “You wouldn’t mind if I took a leave of absence?”

  “Not at all.”

  He considered his friend’s words. The bank had been his oasis from the disappointment his life had become in recent years. Now, the thought of leaving its safe harbor sent cold chills over his skin. “The idea has merit. Yesterday, I met that woman who came to Destiny. She claims to be from the future.”

  Jamison lifted an eyebrow. “Do you believe her story?”

  “For whatever reason, I do. Ever since I left her company last evening, I have thought of little else. She walked my dreams, the first woman to do so. That concerns me.” Even waking in the middle of the night with his heart racing and need for her singing through his veins, he still could not convince his cock to cooperate. Something must be done, and soon.

  “Well, Sam Tremaine, if I didn’t know better, I’d guess you went and fell in love with this woman, and at first sight to boot.” Jamison followed the statement with a loud string of surprised laughter. “I never thought it would happen.”

  Heat crept along the back of Sam’s neck. He thought about slapping up a hand to cover the telltale flush, but what would be the point? Nothing escaped Jamison’s sharp-eyed gaze. He really was an annoying vampire, and frankly, Sam couldn’t wait for the bloodsucker to fall under a female’s spell. “I do not think what ails me is love. Call it interest or curiosity, perhaps. She talks of things I have no explanation for or even knowledge of, and she’s a wolf-shifter—well, a latent one, which would be a sure sign of why she was drawn—or led—to the town.”

  “Call it whatever you feel you need to. I know that look, my friend.” His partner’s grin showed off his half-lengthened fangs. “Many broken shifters and other paranormals have found their way here. Some of them you have never met, and not one of them has spent an evening in your company.”

  “Your point, Jamison?” The game wore on Sam’s nerves.

  “How do you feel about her as a potential mate?”

  “I never thought about it before.” Except that was an enormous lie. Part of why he felt so anxious about dying could be thrown at the doorstep of regret. He’d never found a woman relatable enough, special enough, that he would actually consider mating with or even reproducing with.

  Of course, such a thing brought a whole host of new problems. Yet, entering that equation with Ava as the answer, suddenly the problem didn’t seem so dire.

  “If I were you, Sam, I would stop thinking. She is a woman, not a financial conundrum. Go out and find her.” Jamison grinned as he moved to the doorway. “Steal her away from wherever she’s gone. Spend the rest of your time in the perfumed arms of the time traveler. Who knows, maybe she’s here for you, and if she is, enjoy it. Most folk generally are not afforded a second chance.” As always, Jamison pushed for risk while Sam weighed in on the side of conservative performance.

  What if taking the risk was the right thing to do now? The wealth he’d accumulated and properties he owned had been gained because of his steady hand in business. Never one to throw dollars at shaky schemes, he’d always contented himself with waiting. In the case of his romantic life, had he waited long enough?

  Sam barely noticed his friend leave the room. While he wasn’t naïve enough to believe one hundred percent in Jamison’s theory, a tiny thread of hope wiggled through his insides. Perhaps, given the right circumstances, his aging member would meet with a miracle and he could lose himself in a few short minutes of pleasure. With Ava, the woman who possessed multiple shades of blonde in her hair, the woman who he’d connected with from that first moment of seeing her from the bank window.

  Shooting out of his chair so fast it crashed against the back wall, he ran out of his office and into the lobby. “Jamison, if you should have need of me, send word to the house. I am taking a holiday!” He dashed across the stately tiled floor, grabbed his hat and gloves from the entry table, and left the bank.

  It was time to resume the life he’d put on hold for much too long.

  Ten minutes later, he rapped on Mrs. Altier’s door, resisting the urge to pace the length of the wraparound porch. Hay bales and dried cornstalks rested in the area, with a few pumpkins and baskets of apples placed about for decoration as much as for storage. When he thought his knock would go unanswered, the door slowly swung inward and the gray-haired matron stood in the doorway, her customary frown in place.

  “Did you need something, Mr. Tremaine? It is quite unorthodox to call so early.” In spite of the morning hour, the woman was fully dressed as if she frequently entertained for breakfast, albeit gray crepe wasn’t all that cheery.

  “I am aware of that, Mrs. Altier. However, time is of the essence at the moment.” He slapped his gloves against his thigh. “If Miss Lesarris is available, I wish to see her. I promise not to keep her away from home for more than an hour. Simply conversation, I can assure you.” Unless I c
an convince her otherwise. An hour is ample time for that.

  Mrs. Altier shook her head. “She is still in bed. Please come back this afternoon.” She retreated and the door began to close.

  Sam lunged forward, grabbing the edge of the wood. “I’m begging you, Mrs. Altier.” He held her gaze, almost daring her to deny his request again. “I would not ask if it wasn’t a matter of vital importance.” Did it bother him that his actions closely mirrored those of a man stalking a woman? Perhaps slightly, but at this point, it did not matter. With or without the dragon’s consent, he would see Ava.

  “Mrs. Altier? Is there someone at the door?” Sam heard Ava’s muffled question seconds before she appeared at the door, nudging her companion to the side. Though she wore her hair up, the strands gleamed in the sunlight.

  “Apparently, Mr. Tremaine must speak with you right away.” Disbelief hung heavy in the matron’s voice. “I told him you were still abed and would not be receiving visitors until this afternoon—the time when it is proper to call on young ladies.” The reproach didn’t slip past him.

  “Is that so? Thank goodness I’m not considered a young lady then, huh?” Ava’s gaze swept to him, her eyes bright with interest and laughter. She leaned toward him and said in a near-whisper, “I’m over thirty.”

  He couldn’t help the grin spreading over his face as his breath condensed in the chilly November air. “For shame, Miss Lesarris, you are well into being an old maid.” The comment earned him a thunderous glance from Mrs. Altier.

  Ava snickered, covering her mouth with a hand, but she pinned him with a sturdy glare. “You owe me an explanation about that whole ‘end of days’ thing.”

  “I look forward to giving it to you.” And if all went well, even more.

  The dragon released a heavy sigh.

  Ava patted her arm. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Altier. I’m used to getting up before dawn almost every day. I’m glad he came by. The idea of sitting around with nothing to do besides embroidery or reading poetry doesn’t appeal to me.”