Fighting Fate

by Louise Clark

  He was still wrestling with the puzzle when she tossed her golden mane and began to move.

  She headed for the phone. Now he was really feeling miserable. She was calling a taxi to take her home. Or maybe her sister. Or—oh hell—her mother. “Faith, you don’t have to—”

  Leaning against the counter, facing him, she smiled. Holding up one finger to ask him to wait, she said into the phone, “Yes, I’d like to order two pizzas, the works. Yes, that’s right. What was that? Oh, the hungry man size. The address?” She raised her brows. Numbly, Cody told her and she repeated it into the telephone. “And when should we expect delivery? Thanks.” She hung up. Holding his gaze with her own, she pushed away from the counter. “We have half-an-hour. Care to give me the rest of the tour?”

  “There’s only my bedroom left.”

  “Uh-ha. That’s what I figured.”

  As he took her hand to lead her up to his loft, he decided that sounded pretty much like an invitation, one he’d be happy to act on. “The master suite is my favorite part of the condo. There’s a fireplace, a huge walk-in closet, and a great big bay window that overlooks the Charles. It even has a little alcove for a desk and a computer. ” He knew he was babbling and she’d see it all in a minute anyway, but he needed to break the tension that was growing with each step they took up the staircase.

  “I thought you said the kitchen was your favorite room.”

  He had said that. That’s what babbling got you. He scrambled for secure footing. “It is, during the day, that is. At night—”

  He broke off, appalled. He sounded like an advertisement for sex. Faith was sure to be offended.

  She laughed. “Cody, are you as nervous as I am?”

  It was a good thing they’d reached the landing, because he stopped dead. “What do you mean?”

  She swallowed, then smiled shyly. “I want to make love with you. I’ve wanted to since before Uncle Andrew came to visit. But with him in my house and following me around everywhere I—”

  He kissed her and this time he didn’t hold back. He gathered her up in his arms and showed her, with his mouth and the sizeable bulge in his pants, that he wanted her too.

  By the time he released her, she was holding on to his shoulders. She put her head against his cheek for a brief moment, then she straightened. Her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips as she reached for his shirt and started to undo the buttons. Each time her hands brushed his skin little shafts of pleasure shot through him. If he let her continue he was going to explode all on his own. On the fourth button down he covered her hands with his and held her away. “Let me,” he said. He could hear the raspy edge in his voice and it appeared Faith could too, for she smiled as she slid her hands in a seductive path to his shoulders.

  He made short work of his shirt, then took his time with the blouse she was wearing, a sexy confection of lace and silk that hugged her curves. The jut of her nipples was clearly visible and he couldn’t resist taking one into his mouth, while he cupped her other breast with his hand.

  “Cody, that is really…” His fingers found her nipple and tightened. She groaned. “…really nice. Where is the bed?”

  “Soon,” he muttered.

  Her fingers dug into his shoulders. That only increased the pleasure he was getting from touching her, even through the thin silk. But if it was good now, what would happen if he stripped off her shirt?

  She was everything he had imagined. Her skin was softer than the fine material and the nipples that thrust into his hands were warm. They tasted of flowers and desire when he took one into his mouth.

  Gasping, Faith reached for the button at his waistband, then she pushed at the fabric. “Cody,” she said, “you are driving me crazy. Take me, now!”

  That sounded like a really good idea. He was about ready to burst and if Faith was too, then what was stopping them?

  Some perverse devil made him say, “Not a hope lady. You come on my terms, when I’m ready to drive you over the edge. Not before.”

  She laughed. “Oh wow. I don’t believe this. You’re making me wait? I don’t think I can.”

  “If I can, you can.” He knelt down, reaching for her waistband, the way she had reached for his. “Put your hands on my shoulders.”

  She trembled as she did what he asked. He pushed her pants down until he could see her underwear. It was bikini style, a hot red that made him smile when he looked up at her. She smiled back, shyly, he thought, but the message was clear. She’d put the undies on for him, so he would enjoy taking them off.

  He peeled them down her hips slowly, taking pleasure in the smooth, warm texture of her skin, the way she trembled with every touch. Then he made her step out of the puddle of pants and underwear on the floor and open her legs.

  When he kissed her there she gasped and cried out. He used his teeth and his tongue and his hands until he felt her go over the edge in her first climax. Then he swept her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed.

  She smiled and reached for him. “What about you?”

  He laughed and stripped out of his clothes as quickly as he could. Then he stretched out beside her and stroked her breasts. “I’m going to make you fly again, then I’m going to come inside you.”

  “Promise?” she said, her lips curled in a sultry smile.

  He straddled her, letting her feel his erection while he nibbled her mouth, nipping her lips with his teeth, stroking them with his tongue. She arched against him, her fingernails busy tracing thin lines along his back. He kissed his way up her jawline to her earlobe, and enjoyed her little squeak of pleasure as she began to squirm against him. He held her steady, making sure she was ready for him, then he entered her.

  She gave a little groan that sounded like a purr of feline pleasure as he anchored himself. “Oh, wow.”

  She said a lot more than ‘oh wow,’ when he began to move. She arched and writhed and said his name over and over again. Their coupling seemed to last forever until he tipped her over the edge and followed her down.

  The intercom phone rang two minutes later. He groaned. “The pizza.”

  “Good timing,” Faith said. She bit the tip of his chin. “I’m starved.”

  “Oh my God. That is some dress. Faith, you look fantastic!”

  The dress that Liz was gushing over was a dark red sheath that burned with an enticing fire. Cut square across the bodice and held up by narrow ribbon straps, the lustrous fabric was a sensual silk that moved when Faith moved and slithered against her skin in a feather-light caress. The hem almost reached mid-thigh, showing off the length of Faith’s legs.

  As Faith twisted this way and that in front of the mirror, Liz said enthusiastically. “Cody’s going to love it.” She grinned a knowing, very female grin. “He’ll drag you off to bed without bothering with dinner.”

  “I hope so,” Faith said, remembering the before pizza, after pizza, dessert and midnight sex from the night before. “But I’m going to tease him a little. Make him wait while we eat. And then, when we’re both so hungry we can’t hold back any longer, I’ll take him to bed and tell him who Uncle Andrew really is.”

  “Whoa! What did you say?”

  Faith turned away from the mirror. “Cody helped me out this week and it almost cost him his job. He deserves to know who I am.” She took one last look in the glass and saw Liz frowning at her.

  “What’s this about losing his job? Is this Ava the Tyrant Lizard in action?”

  Faith headed for the changing room, Liz trailing along behind. “Yup. I’m going to buy this, then let’s have lunch. I can do my grocery shopping afterward. I’ll tell you what happened while we eat.”

  They went to one of the sit-down restaurants in the mall. The menu was packed with standard items labeled with cute names to make them seem different, the service efficient. Liz managed to wait until they had ordered before she pounced. “So give. What has Ava been up to now?”

  Faith stirred cream into her coffee. “One of the computers we
nt down on Friday afternoon. Andrew didn’t know how to fix it.”

  “Uh-oh.” Liz sat back. They were in a booth, sheltered from the other patrons of the busy restaurant. She picked up her coffee mug. Holding it between her hands, she watched her sister. “Let me guess. Ava arrived on the scene, figured out Andrew was a fraud and started to roar.”

  “Something like that.” Faith sipped her coffee. Then she put the cup down with a sigh. “She cornered me in my office and gloated that she was going to get Cody. She said he’d foisted Andrew on the company and that was grounds for dismissal.”

  Liz sucked in her breath. “What did you do?”

  “I told her the truth.” Faith shrugged. “What else? I couldn’t let her destroy Cody.”

  “The truth? The real truth?”

  Faith laughed at the astonishment in Liz’s voice. “Not the complete truth, just enough to clear Cody. Can you imagine how she would have reacted if I’d told her Andrew came from 1772? She wouldn’t have believed a word. No, I told her Andrew was my cousin and that I’d begged Cody to help me out by bringing him in as an intern.”

  The waitress arrived with their meals, a chicken salad sandwich and fries for Faith, soup and a salad for Liz. After she’d topped up their coffee and departed, Liz said, “That still leaves Cody vulnerable. After all, he agreed to it, knowing that Andrew didn’t have the skills to do the job.”

  Faith popped a chip into her mouth and chewed. “I told her that I lied about Andrew’s skills, that I conned Cody into agreeing. She knows that Cody and I have a thing going outside of work. She probably figured I blinded him with sex.”

  A spoonful of soup halfway to her mouth, Liz regarded her with a fascinated expression. “So what did she do?”

  “She fired me.”

  Liz put the spoon back in the bowl, the soup untasted. “She what?”

  “She fired me.” Faith laughed at the amazement on her sister’s face. “And before you ask, no, I’m not upset.”

  “But your job at NIT is so important to you!”

  “Cody is more important,” Faith said simply. She picked up the sandwich half, looked at the toasted bread, the curly leaf lettuce, the chopped chicken, mixed with celery and mayo. “You know, Liz, I’ve been living my life on Dad’s terms, not mine. I assume people will react a certain way because that’s how Dad reacted. I desperately wanted to succeed in business because I believed it would make me succeed in Dad’s eyes. It didn’t. All that happened was that I got in the habit of being everything someone else expected. When Ava Taylor started at NIT I followed pattern and turned into someone she wanted as an employee.”

  “You didn’t, you know,” Liz said. “You were always complaining about Ava, resisting her demand that you conform.”

  Faith took a sip of coffee while she considered that. Finally she shook her head. “I don’t think so, Liz. I wanted to fit in so badly I allowed her to manipulate me into going out with Cody even though I was afraid of becoming involved with him. Then, because I thought Cody wouldn’t understand, like Dad never understood, I told Andrew to stop visiting. But Andrew came back anyway and Cody helped us without asking why. He just did it, because…because he loves me, I hope. I know it is because he believes in me.”

  “Hold it! Go back a step. You hope Cody loves you?”

  A smile that was a little shy, a little triumphant, dawned on Faith’s lips and in her eyes. “I sure do, Liz, because I am so deeply in love with him.”

  Liz sat back, her face a portrait of delighted surprise. “Oh, wow!”

  Faith’s smile turned dreamy. “I trust him Liz. That’s why tonight I’m going to tell him about being a Beacon. I think he’ll accept me for what I am.”

  Liz reached out, squeezed her sister’s hand. “Faith, I’m so happy for you. But…” She hesitated. “What if he doesn’t?”

  Chapter 20

  Faith shouldered open her front door. She was loaded down with the bag from the dress shop, one containing new shoes to go with it, and two bags of groceries filled with supplies she planned to use to make the perfect dinner for Cody. She’d chosen a menu that wouldn’t need much preparation, so she did a bit of quick prep work, then put away the food. She checked her watch. The afternoon was creeping to a close. Time to wash and change for the evening.

  She sang in the shower. Tonight she was going to tell Cody about her ability. That frightened her, but it was also a relief. Cody would not abandon her just because she was a Beacon. She was sure of it.

  Well, almost sure of it. Her stomach did nervous flips while she dressed carefully in the flirty little sheath that screamed ‘I want you!’ and butterflies danced as she swept her hair back into a sophisticated knot that begged to be taken down. After another quick look at her watch, she headed for the kitchen. She wanted to have the table set in the dining room and the appetizers in the oven before Cody arrived.

  She had just put a tray of sausage rolls in the oven when she heard an impatient bellow. “Faith, finally! You are home! Where have you been?”

  She froze. After a moment she carefully closed the oven door then cautiously followed the sound of the voice. “Andrew?”

  He was standing in the middle of the living room, his expression angry but determined. Though he was wearing one of his best suits, a burgundy silk coat with wide lapels laced with gold thread at the button holes, a white brocade waistcoat, and black silk breeches, Faith noted that the silk of his coat and breeches was dusty, as if he’d rolled around in the road a time or two. Then there was his face and knuckles. “You’ve been fighting.”

  “This morning,” he said grimly. “Where were you all day? I’ve been trying to come forward since noon.”

  “I was out shopping.” Frowning, she studied him. Whoever he’d been fighting had certainly landed a few good blows. An enormous bruise, high on his cheekbones was already turning black and blue and affecting his eye, which was swelling shut. “How many this time?”

  With a little groan, he sat down at one end of her sofa. “There were two.”

  Her dismayed glance moved lower, to his hands. There she could see smears of blood. Since his face and body showed no evidence of cuts or scratches, she guessed the stains came from one or more of the other guys. “I hope you gave as good as you got.”

  He grinned at her, then winced as the movement affected his injured cheek. “Those men will think twice before they make another attempt, but it was George Strand who set them upon me and I do not doubt that he will send others in their place.”

  Faith sat down on the edge of the recliner. “Andrew, what happened?”

  “I stole a few private minutes with Mary Elizabeth last night at the ball. I explained to her about being a Beacon and traveling to the future.” He paused and smiled faintly. Faith had a sudden mental image of Andrew locked in a passionate embrace with his eighteenth century lady.

  “She believed and accepted. My joy knew no bounds! I asked her then and there to marry me. She agreed. We decided I would visit her father this morning to formally ask for her hand.”

  “Let me guess, her dad was not pleased.”

  “He was furious. He ordered me out of his house and before I knew it I was being set upon by two of his men, intent, as they said, upon teaching me a lesson.”

  “I know you want to marry Mary Elizabeth and that George Strand is her father, but the guy’s contemptible,” Faith said. She was furious that Andrew had been treated this way. She went to the fridge for an ice pack, which she held out to Andrew.

  He rested it against his cheek cautiously. “Aye, he is that. After I sent his men back to him with their tails between their legs, I returned to my farm to decide what I must do. Strand made it very clear that he would not willingly allow his daughter to join her hand with mine.” He stood restlessly and began to pace. “If Mary Elizabeth and I are to wed, it will have to be by an elopement. And after we elope—will I be able to bring her back to my farm? Or will her father steal her away from me? Or make her life miserab
le?”

  “If she loves you, Andrew, and she is with you, her father’s anger will hurt, but it will be countered by the love you give her.”

  He paused at the window, staring out into the front yard at an ancient maple that was a relic of the original woods where he’d found Faith’s beacon. “That may be, Faith, but I cannot be sure.” He paused, then added, “More important, nor can Mary Elizabeth. She is a fine young woman who respects her father. Indeed, she feels great affection for him, despite his faults. I would not be the one to drive a wedge between them.”

  “I’m sorry, Andrew.” Faith went over to him to give him a hug. “What a mess. Is there anything I can do?”

  He nodded. “I wish to use your computer.”

  “Why?”

  “Does it matter?”

  Well no, it didn’t. Unless…“That depends. If you want to play computer solitaire, be my guest. If you want to use the Internet for research, the answer’s no.”

  He glared at her. “I need to know what happens to George Strand. I can find out on the Internet.”

  “Not necessarily. And it’s not allowed, Andrew. You know that.”

  “Not only is the man one of the King’s chief agents in Boston, but he is a bully and a brute. I must know what happens to him.”

  Faith knew George Strand’s fate. Everyone in the family did. He would die in the service of King George, shot by a patriot during the Revolutionary War. Shot by the son-in-law he refused to acknowledge. Shot by Andrew.

  There was no way Faith was going to let Andrew on the Internet, because he was right, he probably would find out what had happened to George Strand and then what?

  “You can’t, Andrew. What happens if you discover he lives another forty years and makes his daughter’s life a misery each and every day? What would you do?”

  “Take her away from him!” Andrew said, putting his hands on his hips in an authoritative way.

  Faith shook her head. “Then you would be changing history. Andrew, you cannot search out your own future. It is too dangerous!”