Rounding the side of the building and into the shade of a leafy tree, Craig crushed her against his chest without a word and plundered her mouth in a devastating kiss. His lips were possessive and all thoughts swept into oblivion as his mouth explored, no, devoured hers. Never before had she been so completely staggered by a kiss or touch.
Love.
Sparkling, shining and new, it brimmed over at the surface of her being. Tired of being cautious and guarded she abandoned reason at least for tonight… this one special moment. His hands circled her slender waist and slid over her curves in a caress that left her flesh hot and thirsty for more. A soft moan escaped her lips as she leaned further into him. This felt so… Right.
He traced a trail of fiery kisses down her neck and murmured, “I’ve been waiting, wanting to do this all night. I just want you, only you.”
“Oh, Craig,” she moaned his name, a breathless whisper escaping her throat. At that moment she would follow him anywhere.
Pulling back he implored her, “What do you say Marissa?”
“Say to what?” She pressed forward, wanting nothing more than to be swept back into his arms.
His face was intense, nervous. “I want to--”
“Oh!” A startled cry pierced the night. “I do declare!”
As one, they turned to see Kirsten Jamison staring at them from the crushed shell path, one hand clamped over her mouth in mock horror.
Craig groaned aloud. “Kirsten, what in the hell are you doing out here?”
Kirsten’s eyelashes fluttered as though she’d been struck. “Dr. Langston,” her voice was indignant, wounded. “How could you say such a thing to a lady? How could you use such language?” Her chest heaved and a hand flew to her brow as though she might swoon. “I,” she breathed heavily. “I only wanted a breath of fresh air, and instead of finding relief, I find you out here with this—” She stared pointedly at Marissa, “This—well, a real lady could hardly utter the word!” Before Marissa or Craig could give suitable riposte, Kirsten spun on a heel and marched back into the ballroom.
Marissa bristled at the other woman’s words but the tales Kirsten claimed were running through Charleston developed into full clarity in her mind, especially in light of what that drunk had said. Could it be true? Was the whole of Charleston society firm in the belief she was not only a spy, but a harlot?
“What was all of that about?” Craig asked.
“You mean you don’t know? How could you possibly not? I’m told stories about me are all over Charleston.”
“I know some foul rumors have been bandied about, but I assumed it was only among the low-minded. Someone started a story days ago, weeks even, about you offering ‘special doctoring’ after hours. I know it isn’t true and I hoped you’d never hear of it.”
“What?” A hand flew to her mouth. If the rumor that she was nothing more than a whore had been started days ago, then how long had Kirsten’s accusation that she was a Yankee traitor been circulating? I’ll shred you, the other woman had said. She hadn’t put much stock in the malicious words before, but in light of these rumors...
“Marissa, I’m sorry.”
“Just leave it,” she said miserably, pulling away from him.
“Wait, Marissa!” Craig reached for her arm. “There’s something I have to ask you.”
“Not now, Craig, I have to see Genie.” She yanked from his grasp and whirled into the ballroom in a swirl of emerald satin.
Utterly confused, Craig stood at the doorway, watching Genie, Carolyn and Marissa picked up their wraps and leave the ball. Would it help her, or make things worse for her if he raced after her? Pulling one hand through his hair he shoved the other into his pocket.
Kirsten Jamison seemed bound and determined to make his life miserable until she got what she wanted, and that was him.
How could he make her see it was never going to be? He, too, left the ball early.
* * *
“Marissa there is no way back!” Genie repeated in exasperation later that night, after Carolyn had gone to bed.
“You don’t know that!” Marissa shot back equally annoyed. “I can’t stay here! Have you heard what the gossip mill has been saying about me?”
“Yes,” Genie sighed, sitting heavily on a sofa. “I’ve heard it all.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What would be the point? It doesn’t change anything.”
“Don’t you see that if I stay here I could be putting your and Carolyn’s reputations in question, not to mention your lives in danger? If the rumors that I’m a traitor to the south escalate you could both be in trouble too!”
“Marissa, there is no evidence that you’re a traitor, and you work every day at the hospital around Confederate officers who are obviously not concerned. I even talked with Craig about this a few days ago.”
“You did?” Why had no one seen fit to tell her about this? “What did he say?”
“That in light of your accent it had just been a matter of time before some idiot—his word not mine—got paranoid and accused you of treason. He also said that the law is so hyper-vigilant about espionage that if anyone was truly suspicious you’d be in irons.”
“Irons?”
“Point being,” Genie placated, “that you have nothing to worry about.”
“I need to go home, Genie,” she whispered again. “I can’t stay here. There is no future for me, here, in the past.”
“What do you mean there is no future? You just spent the night twirling in the arms of Prince Charming.”
“I told you, that subject is closed! I will not consider marrying a man I make a concerted effort to lie to every day!” As a closing argument, she added, “Besides, he hasn’t even asked me.”
Edge of Time 230
Eight
Marissa was in trouble. Deep trouble. And she would swear she hadn’t gone looking for it. Wending her way through the cobbled streets of Charleston—to a destination that she was not entirely sure she would manage to reach—she contemplated the predicament, nay the mess that was her life. Nay? Heavens! Now I’m even thinking in old-fashioned speech! She was Marissa McClafferty born July 8, 1985, currently residing in Charleston, 1863—in the midst of the Confederate South—with a war on.
Even now it sounded impossible.
And, as was so wont to happen, life was crashing in on her from all sides and she had absolutely no idea what to do about it. Her futuristic knowledge of the inevitable death and destruction, and one could not forget heartache, be damned. She yearned with every other Charlestonian for a copy of Harper’s Weekly and news of this terrible war. Her knowledge of medical advances yet to come was far more torturous than it was helpful, and every time she watched a soldier at the hospital die a slow, miserable death, said knowledge rattled taunting and useless in her mind.
And then there was Craig Langston, the real source of her trouble. She hadn’t meant to get involved with him, she hadn’t pursued him, and yet it had happened. She was thoroughly entangled with him. He came to call on her at Carolyn’s house, walked her home from work almost every day, and in this time, a man as prominent as Craig Langston didn’t publicly “court” a woman he wasn’t actively interested in… Marissa gulped… marrying.
The lump that seemed to form in her throat whenever Craig popped into her head returned. When she saw him today, it would be to say goodbye forever, which quite simply sucked because she loved him. She loved him with every fiber of her being and when she thought of leaving him there was no gaping hole in her heart, just complete emptiness, as if no beating heart lived in her at all. But it didn’t matter that she loved him because it could never be. It could never work. To be with him, she could never really be honest, and no relationship could survive if it was based on lies and half-truths. She didn’t belong here and she was going home. Period.
Stopping in front of the impressive Charleston townhouse, Marissa drew a deep breath and willed the frantic beating of her heart to slow. This had to be done before the affair went any further. However much it hurt to walk away and spend her life without him she knew what it was to be left in the lurch. She would not lead him on any more than she already had.
Steeling her will against the tempting desire to take the coward’s way out and simply hide from him until a route to the future was found, Marissa climbed the stone steps and lifted the heavy knocker.
The door opened and she jumped.
Craig stood just inside the doorway dressed in casual attire, charming her with his ever irresistible grin.
“Marissa!” He propped a muscular arm on the door frame and looked straight into her eyes, pleasure brimming over. Her heart stumbled, maybe even stopped for a beat or two. She opened her mouth but found no words forthcoming.
Craig took a step back from the door. “Would you like to come in?”
Of course, it wasn’t proper for her to enter the home of an unmarried man, not in this day and age, but what the hell—her reputation lay in tatters anyway. With a faint nod, Marissa stepped into the two-story brick house. She nearly forgot her mission as she took in the striking decor of Craig’s home. The front hall was impressive with a high ceiling sporting a wrought iron chandelier, and the tall windows lent a fresh, natural light to the interior.
“Do you live here all by yourself?” This was unlike any bachelor pad she’d seen before.
Craig’s eyes twinkled in response. “Well, I employ a couple of servants to help maintain the place but other than that it’s just me.” Clasping his hands behind his back he continued, “My family owns a plantation just outside of town but my father and I don’t do well living under the same roof. Besides that, I’m far more accessible to my patients from a town location. Of course, my decision to go into medicine is just another of a long list of sore spots between my father and me.”
“A plantation,” Marissa murmured.
“Yes, my father named it The Highlands. You may have heard of it.”
She shook her head. “How does plantation business fare with the war on?”
Craig heaved broad shoulders in a casual shrug. “Well enough I suppose. We’ve been fortunate in that our slaves haven’t deserted yet. Not all of them in any case. My mother and grandmother always saw to it that they were treated with the utmost respect.” Rocking back on his heels Craig continued. “At the start of the war my father and grandmother offered a paid wage to any willing to stay. Most don’t have anywhere else to go and stay on to help us run the plantation.”
Marissa nodded, processing the information.
“What brings you here today, Marissa? I thought you’d be resting after the ball.”
She hardly dared to look at him. Drawing upon her courage, Marissa forced herself to meet the gaze of the man she knew she must push from her life.
“There is something I need to discuss with you.”
“Would you like tea or lemonade? I can ring for Hodges.”
“No. Nothing, thank you.”
With a nod, Craig bade her follow him into a lavish parlor and indicated for her to sit on the sofa. Marissa squirmed uncomfortably when he took a seat beside her and quickly stood to move about the room. She paused before a picture of Craig with three other men who could only be his brothers. Following her gaze, he came to her side and lifted the framed photograph from the mantel. “My brothers. Davy is the oldest, then me, Curtis is number three and Jake is the youngest.” Craig cleared his throat before continuing, “Curtis was reported missing a few months back so I don’t know that you’ll ever meet him.”
Marissa stared for a long time at the men who seemed to be assessing her— judging her for what she was about to do to their brother. They looked so young, so full of the promise of life, and then the war—
Moving away from Craig’s disturbing nearness, she went to a high-backed chair and sat. To her relief, he didn’t try to sit too near again, but took a seat on the sofa opposite her.
This is going to be far more difficult than I thought.
Looking at her in some bemusement, Craig sprawled with casual self-confidence on the sofa. He flashed that alluring smile and asked, “What did you need to discuss with me, my dear?”
My dear… My dear… There were those two little words again. Marissa swallowed convulsively, praying for the strength to accomplish the deed she must.
Oh, but he looked so good sitting there with his shirt gaping open at the top giving her a glimpse of the brawny, bronzed chest she knew lay beneath. And he was so tall. Deliciously tall… unearthly tall… and strong… with shoulders as broad as a building! One strong arm stretched across the back of the sofa and she could hardly tear her fascinated gaze from the muscles in his forearm as they flexed powerfully with the drumming of his fingers.
With a forceful shake of her head, Marissa plunged into the dialogue she’d rehearsed a hundred times in her head. “Craig...” She licked her suddenly bone dry lips, and coughed as though to clear her throat. “This, this thing,” she emphasized the word, “between us it… it just has to stop.” This certainly didn’t sound as eloquent and matter-of-fact as the words she’d practiced, and his intense blue eyes had been far easier to resist in her imagination.
Determindly, she plunged on. “I just can’t see you anymore. There can be nothing else between us. It’s over.” There she’d said it; the words were out, and for better or worse it was over between them.
Over.
The word sounded hollow even to her ears and she need only to glance at his raised quizzical brow to know he’d hardly taken her seriously. Frustrated by her own lack of resolve Marissa desperately tried to remind herself that she had no business getting involved with a man nearly two centuries out of her lifetime! Whether she loved him or not, she didn’t even want to be living here! But even as her mind preached logic and good sense, she knew that pulling away from Craig was the last thing on earth she really wanted.
Still… It just wouldn’t fair to him if… no, when... she went back to her life in the future.
Craig stared at her. “Over? What do you mean, over?”
“I mean you’re no longer welcome to call on me. I don’t wish to see you any longer.”
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You’re serious aren’t you.”
She didn’t respond. There was nothing left to say.
“God damn,” he muttered more to himself than her, staring down at the floor. “Christ, Marissa, don’t you understand?” His gaze snapped back to hers. “I love you.”
Panic sparked Marissa to action. She jumped to her feet, whirling toward the hall and the door he’d so politely left open. She had to escape. But Craig leapt as swiftly from his seat as she had hers, jumping over an end table to snare her upper arm and spin her into his embrace. Their eyes collided as physically as their bodies, and Marissa could scarcely draw air into her lungs. The sensual awareness that had burned between them for the last several weeks soared to new heights and Marissa had, not for the first time, strong doubts as to her ability to resist his mere presence. Craig exuded an intoxicating aura that left her senses reeling whenever he was so much as in the same room.
* * *
Craig wanted to shake her. “What do you mean it’s over?” His entire body was tight and primed, with desire burning relentlessly in his loins. Rather than cool his ardor her unexpected words had sent his manly cravings spiraling dangerously close to the edge of control. She looked so goddamned beautiful standing before him that Craig wasn’t sure if he should throw something against the wall to vent his anger over her announcement, or kiss her senseless.
Those huge, liquid brown pools were a smoldering vortex of conflicting emotions and her full round lips parted ever so invitingly just inches from his. H
eat radiated from her body pressed intimately against his hardness and he was… lost.
He lowered his head to claim her mouth in a heated kiss that and she responded so sweetly he was powerless to stop
Grasping her roughly against him Craig could hardly control his rampaging emotions. He kicked the door to the parlor shut and tore with a feverish need at the buttons of her day dress. What he felt went far beyond animalistic need to have her because he finally understood completely what possessed people to fall in love. The simple act of loving her was enough to sustain him for a lifetime. Falling to his knees he clutched her to him and traced a steaming trail of kisses down the warm creamy flesh below her breasts. How he wanted her, longed for her, loved her…
“Marissa,” his voice was barely above a rasp. “I want you. Please don’t hold yourself from me, please. I love you. Say… say you’ll marry me.”
* * *
Marissa clasped his head to her bosom with tremulous hands, and drew a cleansing breath, struggling to control the shredded emotions Craig’s plea had so effectively scattered to the winds. At that moment every fiber of her being craved his touch and she yearned to throw herself into his arms and know the rapture of making frenzied, passionate love to him. But this was not her time and place! This was the only thought allowing her to maintain even a tenuous grasp on her sanity.
For all that she wanted him, she still didn’t know if this was where her life was going to be. If the opportunity to get back home arose would she be willing to turn it down for a man?
It didn’t matter. Not really, because all points considered… it just couldn’t work.
This had to be done. Now! She was barely treading water, drowning in a whirlpool of her own making.
Edge of Time (Langston Brothers Series) Page 11
