Ancient Ties (12 page)

became aware that she was crying. Her body jerked and protested as he slowly released her clitoris and gently removed his fingers from inside her. Both of her hands covered her face.

As soon as she was able, she scrambled to pull up her jeans and then rolled to her side, arms hugging her bare breasts, to curl up into a ball.

Marek was bewildered.
What in the Gods’ names was wrong?

He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

She stiffened. “Don’t touch me.”

She sounded angry. She had come to his bed. She had been satisfied. Why was she angry? He was the one left with a raging hard phallus. He was the one left without release.

“Leave me alone!”

Marek reeled back in shock, his eyes wide, his mouth falling open. She’d wanted him. He had not mistaken that. Ever since the incident in battle, the boy’s death, Marek’s responses hadn’t been normal. He’d been living by rote, not quite able to make decisions, not really caring about anything. The sudden appearance of this strange woman changed all that. He was now thrust back into the land of the living with all his senses awakened.

It had been a few, well many, months since he’d had a woman, but not so long that he didn’t recognize reciprocated feelings. Whatever game she played, she was just fooling herself.

As carefully as he could, considering that his erection still hadn’t diminished, Marek lay down and gathered her close. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to, or needed to hold her. Only that he could not do anything else. She didn’t resist, which surprised him. He didn’t understand what was going on in her mind now, but she had welcomed him and had explosively orgasmed. He snuggled his erection against her bottom, and wished he’d been able to snuggle it up inside her creamy passage. Pleasuring Janney had turned out to be more satisfying than it had ever been with another woman.

“You might as well give in and relax. Lean back and enjoy it.” His amused, gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine.

Janney couldn’t believe that he’d actually said that, not after all that had happened the night before. She felt like a collection of brittle sticks in his arms, gathered haphazardly, but held securely. Even though his arms had to wrap around her to hold her on top of the huge beast, she still sat stiff and unyielding, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. Janney felt miserably conspicuous perched sidesaddle on top of her folded saddle pad in front of him.

All because she couldn’t comfortably sit her own horse.

After her wild response to the amazing things he’d done to her last night, she felt shy and awkward. What did he think of her?

Shrieking and crying. Making a fool of herself. Her orgasm had been stunning. He had made her come hard. She should have been weak with it, but as he’d curled up behind her, she had shaken with tension and wasn’t sure when she’d finally fallen asleep.

Marek had awakened before her, lugged water from the stream, built up the fire, and started breakfast. She was grateful that he’d left her alone, and let her sleep. When she felt his touch on her cheek, she bolted upright, her heartbeat fluttering madly in her throat.

She recalled the night before. It had turned chilly, and she must have unconsciously sought his warmth. She’d ended up grasping frantically at him, her tongue down his throat. His hands had been all over her. He’d done the most sensuous, voluptuous things to the most intimate parts of her body. She had never, in her whole life, come so explosively. Or so loudly.

She’d enjoyed every minute of it until she’d realized how pathetically needy she must have appeared to him. Ed had never aroused her so completely, but he had not wanted her to shriek like she had last night.

In the morning, when she tried standing, every single muscle and joint in her body revolted, almost knocking her back down to the ground with the pain. Janney didn’t know why he

wasn’t smirking, or even laughing outright as she stiffly hobbled out of the camp to attend to her personal needs in the bushes.

She tried not to sob when faced with climbing aboard that heinous monster horse for another day. She didn’t realize until too late what her other option would be.

Stiffening her spine, Janney pressed her lips together. She would not let him see her discomfort. Nevertheless, her belly flooded with heat at the thought of being alone with him much longer. She had succumbed to him last night, and, to tell the truth, she wanted more. The man knew how to kiss. She’d thought she was dreaming at first. She didn’t know exactly what woke her up, but there he was, on top of her, taking her clothes off. She’d tried to push him away, she really had. Hadn’t she?

The intensity of what happened next still stunned her.

“Janney,” he leaned forward, his steamy breath tickled her ear. “I asked you, what do men do in the Twenty-first Century?”

Janney jumped at the sound of his sultry voice. Here, she’d been contemplating seduction, and he wanted to have a conversation about her century. Even to her ears, Twenty-first Century sounded strange. The Millennium was so new that the words Twenty-first Century still sounded like science fiction.

Whoa! God!
The feeling of a cold hand squeezing around her heart scared her. She came from the future but was trapped in an ancient past. What if she never got back?

She and Marek had a unique chance to find out about each other’s worlds. Janney was afraid on one hand, but on the other, she knew that Marek would protect her. From himself? That she didn’t know. From herself? Would he want to repeat last night?

Her orgasm had been violent. She’d come, but she didn’t think that he had. It had taken a long time for her to get to sleep, and she’d been very aware of his hard penis tucked against her backside. She doubted he realized how good he felt cuddled up behind her.

“How do men support their families?” he persisted.

Good. That’s a safe topic of conversation.

Janney turned slightly and settled the back of her shoulder into the middle of his chest. It was impossible to ride without bumping against him, and she figured that her shoulder was the least susceptible body part to lean into him.

“Lots of ways. We have soldiers,” she glanced up at him.

“But we also have sailors and airplane pilots in the military.”

“Airplane pi-lots?” He repeated the unfamiliar words one syllable at a time.

Janney pointed to a bird soaring overhead in the early morning sunshine. “See him? Two brothers at the beginning of the Twentieth Century built a machine that could fly like a bird and now it’s called an airplane and can carry hundreds of passengers.”

“In the air? How is that possible? Janney Forrester, you’re trying to trick me. To make a fool of me.”

“No.” She squirmed around a bit more on the saddle blanket and looked at his face. “It’s true,” came out in a breathless sigh.

Her arm, pressed full length down his hard chest, prickled with sensation. Her wrist against his flat belly warmed with the heat from his body. She didn’t dare move anymore. The flare of desire in those brown eyes of his, warned her that he was a virile man.

She licked her lips. His nostrils flared.

God, he’s gorgeous.
Janney had covertly watched him wash that morning by the stream, splashing the crystal-clear water on his head and bare chest, around his neck. His tunic was still damp at the top.

Oh, God. This is torture
. She squirmed again.

“I can’t do this. I can’t sit like this with you so close,” she cried.
Damn. Just tell him everything, why don’t you?
Janney bristled at the flash of his smile.

“If you would relax and lean on me, we would both be a lot more comfortable.” His voice was soft and husky. “Don’t fight it so hard, Janney.”

She felt the little hot spurts of his breath on her cheek as he whispered in his gravelly seductive way. Obviously, he wanted

to continue what happened last night. Their gazes met. Janney fought to keep hers steady.

God, he’s a good lover. I’d just be a disappointment. I’m no great
shakes in the sex department. Ed made that clear time after time.

They rode silently for a while. Janney turned again so that the boniest part of her shoulder leaned against his chest. She needed time to think. She’d just been bounced painfully from a relationship. Becoming involved with a man from the ancient past would be the height of self-destructive folly. Could it be just about the sex for her? She wasn’t sure, but she doubted it.

“Tell me more about airplane pi-lots,” Marek finally said.

Grateful that he broke the silence, Janney said, “There’s a lot more about my time that I could tell you that would curl your hair.”

“Curl my hair? What does that mean?”

Laughing, she said, “It means that it would shock you.”

“Well I don’t have much hair to curl, so I’m safe.” He brushed a hand over his head.

Janney sneaked a peek upwards. His hair was just long enough to slide her fingers through if she wanted to, that is. It was what she thought of as crisp hair. Hair you wanted to crumple in your hands. Entwine in your fingers. Tug. Gently.

Grip hard—in the throes of passion.

As if reading her mind, he thrust his fingers through the strands. She had to look quickly away. Swallowing heavily, her throat dry, she knew she was falling fast.

Janney made herself remember the future, her time, and tried to describe automobiles, moving pictures, phones, and space travel. She wasn’t sure he believed a word of what she said. He was certainly intelligent and understood that things like these could be invented, and when she mentioned space travel, she could see that he was fascinated with the idea.

“That is amazing. I wish I could see it,” he sounded awestruck. “A man standing on the moon looking back at us. I can see it in my mind’s eye. Man must be very wise in your time to have all these inventions.”

Thinking about that, Janney said, “Well, smart maybe, but believe me, wisdom and happiness are sometimes hard to come by.”

“Why,” he asked, “with such magnificent things?”

“I think there are too many things, Marek. There’s too much to do and not enough time. You never really get to relax and do nothing. You always feel you should be accomplishing something.” Did she really want to go back to that? It sure didn’t seem too inviting.

“It’s so peaceful and beautiful here. Quiet. Simple.” Riding slowly with Marek had lulled her into a peacefulness that was unfamiliar to her. She looked around again at the landscape.

What would it be like to live in an uncomplicated time? Could she stay here? How could there be any future for her here?

Soberly, Marek warned, “Janney, it’s not all peaceful.

There have been battles here. Fierce battles. Horrifying for both sides. You wouldn’t want to see that.”

His big body tensed. She felt his withdrawal.

“We’ll stop now,” he said, effectively shutting her off.

“Stretch our legs.” Marek had to get away from her. Not even taking advantage of the opportunity to hold her as he lifted Janney off the horse, he dropped the reins to trail on the grass so the horses could graze.

“Stay here,” he ordered before he disappeared into a thick stand of trees.

Out of her sight, the now familiar pain overwhelmed him.

He knew he couldn’t stop the feelings, and it was better to let them come. They’d pass more quickly that way. At least Janney couldn’t see him, his knuckles white as he gripped a tree branch.

She couldn’t see his sweat-beaded face straining for composure, his strong, solid body shaking. The occasional spells of disorientation caused sick rumblings in his stomach. She must not see any of that.

Murmuring to himself, he tried to relax his body and soothe his mind. Enough people had seen him break down. He couldn’t

stand it if Janney witnessed that. War. Killing. Burning. Terror.

He didn’t want to bring her into it. He didn’t want, at this moment, to even deal with his own horror. He might never go into battle again. He wasn’t a coward, but he was older, wiser now and couldn’t go on leading young men to their deaths like cattle to the slaughter. His own men had found him weeping over the body of a dead enemy. He had collapsed for several days after that. Augusta sat with him some nights when he cried out with rage and grief, not understanding his feelings. In the past, it had been easier. After taking lives, strong wine and soft women relieved the tension.

After his breakdown, he hadn’t wanted a woman. Then he saw Janney come through Augusta’s door. Now, he wanted. He wanted Janney. She could make him forget. She and her stories about the future he’d never see. He could show her so much about his life in Britannia. She was curious. He noticed that she peered at everything around her, taking it all in. She was definitely courageous. Look how she dared to come with him to his villa.

As Marek’s thoughts turned back to Janney, he realized he’d better return to her so they could be on their way. They were almost home. He let thoughts of home comfort him—

Janney in his home. In his bed. He wanted that more than anything else.

Marek stalked out of the woods, pale and drawn. Their eyes met over the neck of his horse. He fought to clear his expression, but he knew she’d caught a glimpse of his anguish. The woman stood in a shaft of sunshine, and by Jupiter, she glowed like a Goddess. Yellow, curly hair framed her face. Her sweet cheeks—a chuckle erupted from his chest.

Did I just use the word sweet? Again?

Her skin was soft, smooth, and pink. She ran her hands over his horse’s neck and shoulders, sniffed at his horse’s scent, let him nibble at her palm, bonding with him. Even his stallion allowed this woman from the future to gentle him. Something in the area of his heart flipped over. His breath caught in his lungs.

“Marek,” her voice shook. He liked that he affected her even though she seemed to fight it. Ruthlessly, he plotted to have her. Right now would be good. He had time. Janney was nowhere near the portal back to her life. They would soon be at his villa, and he would conquer her in time. It was inevitable.