by Rebecca York
I’m not that stupid.
Sorry. Just a passing impulse.
Clasping his hand more tightly, she ordered herself to relax. When she’d taken several deep breaths, she reached within herself, striving for the kind of state when she was reading the cards for a customer and trying to get more information than was just in the deck. Only, now she was grasping for potent energy, not insights into someone’s life. And she wasn’t quite sure how to do it.
Maybe this will help.
As he’d done when she’d been reading the cards that Evelyn Morgan had handled, Jake shifted his position so that he was standing behind her, his front pressed to her back. He stroked his hands up and down her arms, then leaned forward to slide his lips against her cheek.
She closed her eyes as he shifted his mouth so that he could use his teeth on her ear. Arousal began to build inside her, and she might have told him that was a distraction, but it wouldn’t have been the truth.
He moved his hands inward, cupping her breasts, pressing and kneading, making her nipples harden.
She could feel him smiling as he stroked his thumbs back and forth across the sensitized peaks, taking her arousal up another notch.
A thought flashed in her mind. His thought. Of turning her around and pressing her against the nearest tree trunk.
But she knew he wasn’t going to do it, not when he could tell that the heat building between them was generating the power that she was trying to find.
It simmered inside her, and she let it grow, feeling energy coursing through her into Jake and back again so that they were acting in concert, only he was letting her direct the process.
When the energy had built to some kind of tipping point, she held out her hand, toward a tree about sixty feet away. A flash of light sprang from her fingers, and she saw the bolt strike, watched it splinter and pop.
Jake silently approved. You’ve got the talent.
You know it wasn’t just me. I couldn’t do it without the energy you added.
But you knew how to do it.
Not exactly. I tried what I’ve learned from years of practice of reading people.
It’s the same?
Not exactly, but something similar.
She felt his annoyance that he couldn’t do it.
You did it when we needed to fight them, her thoughts told him.
Not well enough.
That’s why we’re here—to get better at it.
She felt his acknowledgment, but she understood that he wanted to be the one to direct the attack. He was the guy. He should be the warrior.
Let’s try again, he told her.
Sure.
This time when she let the power grow inside her, she tried to make him part of what was happening.
I feel it!
She built the energy but mentally stepped back and let him direct a bolt toward another tree.
When the blast crashed against the trunk, she felt his satisfaction.
Thanks.
You did it.
You let me take charge.
And you could.
He turned her in his arms, bringing his mouth down to hers for a hard, thankful kiss.
For long moments they feasted on each other, exchanging thoughts and so much more.
It was dumb of me to insist on being the one in control.
Of course not.
Pull me back when I’m being stubborn.
Only if you do the same for me.
Finally he lifted his head.
Back to work.
If you say so, boss.
He laughed. Only when you want me to be.
They stayed in the swampy area for another forty minutes, repeating the process, elation building inside them as they became better at controlling the mental weapon.
Let’s try it without touching.
They dropped hands and moved a few feet apart. It was harder to summon up the energy blast, and it was less effective, but they could still do it—until they were about ten feet apart.
When both of them began to waver on their feet, he squeezed her hand.
“Enough.”
“Probably not. If we can’t do it perfectly, we’re in danger.”
“But if we keep it up, we won’t be able to walk back to the car.”
When they returned to the vehicle, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
“I’m so hungry I could eat an alligator.”
She laughed. “There’s probably a restaurant around here where you can get it. Out here in the country, I’ve had it fried like chicken fingers and served with hot sauce.”
“Let’s go for it.”
He backed the car around, and they pulled out of the swampy area and back onto the main road.
They found a small restaurant in the next town they came to, and it did have alligator bites on the menu.
“It might as well be chicken,” Jake observed as he ate them.
“Anything weird tastes like chicken.”
When they were back in the car again, he said, “I want to try something else.”
“I sensed that.”
“But you didn’t know what I was thinking?”
She shook her head.
“Good. I was working hard to keep it from you.”
“Because it’s something bad?”
“No. Because that’s another skill we should try to develop.”
“I guess that’s right.” She waited a moment before saying, “I get the feeling we’re not going back to the swamp.”
He found a small motel, where they checked in. When they’d brought their luggage inside and locked the door, she looked at him.
You want to try to figure out where to find that clinic.
Yes.
As he spoke inside his head, he reached for her, pulling her into his arms.
She let herself sink against him, simply absorbing the fact of being together. Every moment with him was precious because she knew how quickly it could all be snatched away from them.
We’re going to win.
She didn’t answer. Everything would either work out for them…or it wouldn’t.
Since when did you get so fatalistic?
Since people started coming at me with guns and thunderbolts.
We’ll beat them all.
She liked his confidence and knew she was in the hands of the man who had pulled himself up from nothing to become a prominent New Orleans businessman. He’d done it when the odds were against him, which made him a good man to have on her side. Still, she couldn’t let herself bet on them without more evidence.
Then we’d better get to work.
He gathered her to him, lowering his mouth to hers for a kiss that instantly started the blood running hotly in her veins. He’d kissed her like that out in the swamp. Now they were in a nice private motel room, where they could do anything they wanted.
Don’t get too comfortable, he warned, opening himself fully to her.
She made a strangled sound when she realized what he had in mind.
You devil!
Do you have a better idea?
Since she didn’t have a good answer, she let him continue down the path he’d started on.
When he reached under her shirt and unhooked her bra, she leaned away from him so that he could pull the garment up and cup her breasts, gliding his thumbs over the crests, which instantly hardened at his touch.
He unbuttoned her shirt, then slipped it off along with her bra and tossed it onto the chair.
When she was naked to the waist, he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off before pulling her back into his arms, swaying her upper body against his, making her cry out at the erotic sensations.
When she thought she’d fall over he lowered her to the bed.
Safer that way, he murmured in her mind as his hands stroked over her back while he nibbled at her ear with his teeth.
She closed her eyes and stroked his broad shoulders, trying to get as close to him as she c
ould. Not just physically but mentally, as well.
She was on fire for him, but they’d made a silent agreement not to satisfy their cravings for each other. At least not until they’d accomplished their goal. Which was why they were still half-dressed as they rocked together on the bed.
Take us back to the clinic, he finally said, his silent voice urgent inside her head.
Arousal brought their minds together in a way that would have been impossible a few days ago.
At that moment in time, they were truly one as she sent her thoughts spinning back to the clinic where her mom had taken her years before.
Once again she saw the children playing with the toys scattered about the floor. And the parents in the seats around the room, watching.
Last time, she and Jake had sent only their minds here. This time was different.
She and Jake were actually standing at the side of the room, like two ghosts invisible to everyone around them.
Everyone?
She struggled not to gasp as a little girl looked up at her and Jake. As their eyes met across the space of eight feet—and twenty-five years—she went rigid.
The child looking at them was the little girl Rachel. She tipped her head to the side, studying them with a bright curiosity that made Rachel’s chest tighten. Confronting her earlier self like this was the strangest thing she had ever done.
Quickly, she looked down, relieved that in this scene, the shirt she’d been wearing earlier was back on her body.
Relief gave way to panic when she tried to speak into Jake’s mind, but found she couldn’t do it.
“Yeah, strange,” Jake murmured. “In a lot of ways.”
“You can’t talk in my mind, either?”
“No.”
When the girl spoke, Rachel’s focus shifted back to her. “I never saw you here before. Who are you?” she asked.
“Visitors,” the adult Rachel answered.
The girl looked back at her mother, who was talking to one of the other women.
“Do I know you?” the young Rachel asked.
“You will when you grow up.”
“And then I won’t be alone?”
Rachel’s heart squeezed at the question and the wistful quality of her child voice. Even back then, she’d known that feeling of separation from the rest of humanity.
“It’s going to turn out okay,” she whispered, hoping she was telling the truth. Well, at least the part about Jake was true. If they could just find a way to defeat all the forces bent on destroying them.
In the vision, Jake pressed his shoulder to hers, and she leaned against him, grateful that he was here with her and she didn’t have to face this strange situation alone.
“You’ll find someone really special,” she whispered to her younger self.
The girl’s gaze flicked to Jake. “Like you have?”
“Yes.”
The young Rachel nodded solemnly.
As if aware of something out of the ordinary going on, Mrs. Gregory looked over at her little daughter, and Rachel pressed her lips together.
“Is something wrong, dear?” her mother asked in an anxious voice.
“No,” the child answered quickly. She gave the adult Rachel one more look before turning back to the toy farm on the floor in front of her. She was playing with an intensity that told Rachel she was still interested in the visitors, but she didn’t want her mother to ask her any more questions.
Jake reached for Rachel’s hand, and together they edged around the room, heading for the door. But the closer they got, the harder it was to make any progress. It was as if they were underwater, pushing against a strong current that had flowed there to keep them back.
“It’s resisting us,” Jake muttered.
Rachel tried to answer silently, but that was still impossible.
“Why?” she whispered.
He shrugged, then spoke in a low voice. “We shouldn’t be here in the first place. Maybe you’ve already broken one law of the universe by talking to yourself.”
“What law?”
He shrugged again. “I don’t know any more about this than you do.” He turned his head toward her. “Didn’t you ever read any time-travel stories?”
“Not my thing. I wasn’t into science fiction.”
“Just the paranormal.”
“I guess.”
“Do you remember the conversation with the visitor—from when you were little?”
She swallowed. “I didn’t. But I think I do now.”
“Oh?”
“We shouldn’t keep talking. I mean, we might draw more attention to ourselves.”
“Right,” he answered in a whisper as he tightened his grip on her hand and kept moving toward the door, ushering her along.
She let him lead. Maybe because he was bigger and stronger, he made better progress against the thickened air that formed an invisible wall in front of them.
They were almost to the door, when a loud voice rang out. “What’s going on here?”
Chapter Thirteen
Jake swung around to see who had spoken. It was a young, nicely dressed woman with dark hair, light-colored eyes and a questioning expression on her face. He had the feeling he’d seen her before. It took a moment to place her, but when he realized who she was, his heart skipped a beat. It was Evelyn Morgan.
Rachel had also turned and was staring at the woman.
“What are you doing here?” Evelyn asked in a brisk voice.
“Sorry. I…uh…I think we’re at the wrong place,” he managed to say, although his mouth was suddenly so dry that he could hardly speak.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at them. “You shouldn’t be in here unless you have business with Dr. Solomon.”
They must have become more solid and real looking while they’d been in the clinic. Or maybe Evelyn had the same ability as the young Rachel. In her case, because she’d seen them before, and she recognized them.
No, wait. Not before. Later.
Trying to figure that out had his head swimming. Still, he knew what they had to do.
“I’m sorry. We’re leaving,” he said quickly, hoping they could get out the door before Evelyn came over.
“Just a minute.”
Ignoring her, he kept walking with Rachel at his side.
It had been hard to walk toward the door, but it seemed that Evelyn Morgan’s voice had broken the spell that kept them in the room.
He reached the exit, turned the door handle and walked out into bright sunshine.
Rachel let out the breath she must have been holding.
“It was her,” she said. “She was younger, but it was her.”
“Yes. When she took a step, I saw the limp.”
“Did she work there?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she had some other business at the place.”
She turned to look at the plate beside the door. Now she could read it, and it said Solomon Clinic.
The door behind them opened, and Evelyn Morgan stepped out.
“I want to talk to you.”
“I’m afraid not.” Jake tightened his grip on Rachel’s hand and started down the street.
He was worried that Evelyn Morgan would follow, but he heard no footsteps behind him.
In the distance he heard a police siren.
“Are they coming for us because we weren’t authorized to be in there?”
“I don’t know.”
“Now what?”
He knew how they had traveled to the past. He hoped to hell they could leave using the same technique, but not in front of anyone else.
His heart was pounding as he ducked between a hardware store and a restaurant called the Waterside, coming to an abrupt stop when he found they were facing a bayou. The restaurant had a wooden deck overlooking the water, with tables where patrons could eat.
He and Rachel climbed onto the deck, out of the passageway between the buildings.
“Now what?” Rachel gasped as she looked
around. “She must have seen where we went.”
The deck projected over the water, where he could see a turtle swimming and an alligator on the opposite bank.
Rachel followed his gaze. “We’re trapped.”
“No. We don’t have to stay here.”
Jake turned her toward him, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her close.
“Think only of me,” he murmured as he brought his mouth down on hers.
He tried to ignore the sound of voices coming toward them and closed his eyes, focusing intently on the woman in his arms. The feel of her body pressed to the length of his. The urgency of her kiss. The sensation of his hands traveling up and down her body, molding her hips to his.
The world seemed to swirl around them, and he fought a dizzying sensation. It felt as though the two of them were caught in a whirlwind, being lifted off their feet and thrown through the air.
Rachel gasped and clung to him, and all he could do was wrap her more tightly in his embrace.
He tried to thrust away the idea that they were going to get caught. And then what? Would they be stuck here? Well, that was one solution to their problems. If they stayed back here in time, the cops in New Orleans wouldn’t be after them. Maybe they could even save Evelyn Morgan’s life.
As those thoughts chased themselves through his brain, he found that he and Rachel weren’t standing anymore. They were lying on a bed.
He opened his eyes and looked around, trying to remember where he was—and when.
The scene solidified, and he knew they were back in the motel room.
He couldn’t be sure of the exact time, but he did know that Rachel was in his arms, naked to the waist, her breasts pressed to his chest. Arousal, hot and urgent, sealed them together.
“What happened?”
“Later,” he muttered as he brought his mouth back to hers for a frantic kiss.
He’d never wanted a woman more. Never needed this woman more. And she must have agreed, because her mouth began to move against his with urgency.
He felt as if he were drowning, with no one to save him except Rachel.
Perhaps she was feeling the same thing, because she made a hungry sound and slid her arms around his neck. Her lips never leaving his, she deepened the kiss.
He had wanted her since they’d first come here and all the way through the scene in the clinic.
