Beyond the Edge (8 page)

Daisy bit her bottom lip and shook her head as Fallon had hoped. But then Daron went to twenty-two. And a new bidder entered the fray, Jamaal Ali Azeez, his wealth grounded in Saudi oil, coming in at twenty-five million.

Fallon didn’t like Jamaal. As far as she was concerned the hypocrite should go back to his homeland and his five wives, fifteen children and thirty-three grandchildren. His lifestyle irritated her for several
reasons. A man who had five wives shouldn’t be cheating on them with his French mistress, but Jamaal did it openly and proudly. She liked his political leanings even less. He had ties to poppy fields in Afghanistan that terrorists turned into heroin, which they sold to fund their illegal activities, and it was rumored he had several congressmen in his hip pocket. No, she had no use for Jamaal, but the man was far wealthier than she and could outbid her if he wished.

“Perhaps you should have asked your great-great-grandfather to stay,” she muttered to Kane.

“Why?”

She bid again, trying to decide how high she was willing to go. “He can better afford this purchase.”

“Bidder thirty-seven bids thirty million,” the auctioneer went on with his singsong patter.

At her comment, Kane rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Is spending money so painful for you?”

“Wasting money is painful,” she snapped, irritated when Jamaal went to thirty-two million. She immediately jumped to thirty-five. She didn’t want him to sense any weakness. While she was prepared to go to at least forty, she had already spent more than she’d planned for an item she didn’t want.

Jamaal hesitated, then shook his head. Finally the auctioneer dropped the gavel. “Sold for thirty-five million dollars to Ms. Fallon Hanover. And that concludes our auction. Thank you all for coming.”

F
ALLON SETTLED HER BILL
and accepted the crystal and plans. Kane waited for a private moment then transferred them back to the hotel room. While Fallon used the bathroom, he placed the plans in a garbage can, lit a match and began to burn them.

Fallon rushed back into the living area, her eyes wide, her steps at a run. She tried to take the can with the burning papers from him. “What are you doing?”

“I always intended to destroy these items.” He held the can out of her reach and when the smoke detector was about to sound off, he used his specialized technology to prevent it.

She picked up the crystal and held it out to him. “I just paid a small fortune for this…thing. If we’re going to destroy it, I deserve to know everything.”

He had to admire her intelligence. She hadn’t tried to stop him after her first burst of horror. Not that she could have stopped him from doing what he aimed to but that knowledge wouldn’t have prevented most people from trying. Instead, she was facing the fact that his action might be a good one and was asking for an explanation.

“You might want to sit down.” The papers quickly finished burning and he stirred the ashes with a hanger, then washed them down the sink drain at the bar.

“You’re from the future, aren’t you?” she demanded, without taking a seat. Instead she fixed them both a drink of tomato juice, vodka and a cel
ery stick and he noted that her hands weren’t even shaking.

He’d given her enough clues to guess the truth. Still, she had to be shocked. In his own time, only a few civilians had heard of time travel. Only those who served the government and needed to know ever learned about the technology.

“Yes. I’m from the future. I traveled in a time bubble and you were caught in it. The illness you experienced is on a cellular level. There are no permanent harmful effects, but you are trapped with me for the duration of my mission.”

“Which is?”

“Nigel James is also from the future. He stole technology and is trying to sell it here.”

She bit into her celery stick, chewed and swallowed. “I’m assuming he’s under the same constraints you are? He’ll eventually return to the future, also?”

Kane nodded. “But we couldn’t wait to catch him in our future. Allowing him to sell those items would disturb the time line. The consequences could be catastrophic.”

“How?”

“Without being too specific, suppose,” he took the crystal from her, opened the power source and disconnected the battery, “the wrong people got hold of this item? They could change history by planting a bomb in the Oval Office.”

“So I spent millions of dollars to—”

“Preserve the status quo.”

“The Agency could do a lot of good with that crystal.”

“Perhaps.” He tossed it into the air and caught it. Before she said more, he placed it on the floor, crushed it with his shoes, then ground every memory chip to dust before sweeping it into the trashcan. “But this machine isn’t supposed to be here. Even if your people used it for good, it could still damage the time line.”

“And who are you to decide what’s good for my world?” she demanded, her tone ringing with real annoyance.

“You’re forgetting that I’ve seen the future and it’s—”

“Perfect?”

“Better than now.”

She crossed her arms across her chest. “That’s too vague for me.”

“I’m not allowed to be more specific. I shouldn’t be telling you this much. Just the knowledge that the future is a better place might change your actions and damage the time line.”

“What do you mean?”

“Perhaps if you’re optimistic about the future, you’ll invest more heavily in computer circuits or transistors, instead of oil. With your buying power, you could change economies, alter the market.”

She shook her head. “You’re giving me way too much credit. But I have another question. If Nigel is going back to your time, how will he take his new-found wealth with him?”

“There are several possibilities. For example, he could convert his paper wealth to a commodity and leave it in a trust. Or he could hide it and retrieve it in the future.”

“Has this kind of unofficial time travel happened before?” she asked.

“A few times. I’m a time cop. It’s my job to preserve history.”

“And it was during one of your past missions that you fell in love?”

He held her gaze. “I left without a trace and she never knew why.”

“My…God.” She raised a hand to her lips, her eyes bright with compassion. “You never told her?”

“She lived in a time without much technology. And back then I never broke the rules.”

She eyed him with a speculative arch of her brow. “And if Kincaid hadn’t cleared me, you wouldn’t be telling me, either.”

At her words, his frustration escalated. He could not go through falling in love and leaving a woman again. And there was a reason he’d been harsh and uncommunicative: to discourage her and to protect himself. “If you know the truth and understand that I must leave, you will not allow your emotions to become involved.”

She let out a long, low whistle. “Damn you. It’s too late. You should have told me sooner.”

“I will not allow you to have feelings for me.”

“Really?” She released a harsh laugh. “Do you have a machine, some new invention in that future of yours, to prevent people from having feelings?”

“That’s not what I meant. I’ve been so reserved and distant, there should never have been any real connection between us.” And if the time bubble hadn’t trapped them together, they wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

“Maybe you’ve held back with words. But your actions and expressions reveal the real you. From the first moment we met, when you handed me a damp paper towel to ease my sickness, you’ve shown yourself to be kind. You also like to be in control. The pleasure I’ve had has all been very one-sided, no doubt so you could keep your feelings in check.” He stared at her, surprised she could know him so well. She sighed again. “Well, did it work?”

“What?”

“Did stopping yourself from making love to me prevent you from wanting to?”

“Of course not.”

“So—” she shoved a lock of hair behind her ear and drilled him with a stare “—what you’re telling me is that your rationale for not making love to me is a complete failure.” She held out her hands to him. “And since you’ve already broken your rules by revealing your secret to me, you might as well break the rest of them.”

His mouth went dry. She was offering him everything he wanted…everything he couldn’t have.

K
ANE SHOT
F
ALLON
a harsh, heated look that should have rocked her back on her heels and made her wish she’d never uttered those last words. “You want to make love to me, knowing that after I leave in a few days it will be impossible for us ever to see one another again?”

Fallon didn’t hesitate. “If we don’t make love, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”

He countered. “And if we do, you may regret it for the rest of your life.”

She grinned, her smile saucy, her hip cocked at a brazen angle. “If we could have regrets either way, then why not enjoy ourselves today?”

Kane chuckled, pulling out her cell phone and offering it to her. “You certain you wouldn’t rather return these dozens of phone calls?”

He was testing her. And she almost reached for the phone out of habit, but she resisted and shook her head. “What I want right now is you.”

“Your mom’s called eight times.”

“Then she’s still alive, and right now, that’s all I need to know. But what about you? What about catching Nigel?”

“He’s already gone.” Kane’s tone was light and easy as if catching Nigel didn’t matter, but she knew he was not a man to take his mission lightly.

“How do you know he’s gone?”

“I can…keep track of him.”

Kane was being vague and she realized he was trying hard not to reveal more about the future technology. But if he could track Nigel, then why had he earlier insisted on using the television to find him? Did his technology require the television for it to work? “So you know where he is?”

Kane shook his head. “I should have said I am aware of his proximity to me, just like you are aware of when I’m near you.”

She didn’t understand. “But you and I are connected through the time bubble.”

“Our connection to one another is different,” he admitted, then let out a long, low breath of air. “All you need to know is that when Nigel uses our technology, I’m aware of it. And once he discovered that we’d spotted him, I had the choice of either following him or securing the technology. Since the technology was dangerous, I had no choice but to let him go.”

“So where is he now?”

“He jumped from New York to Logan airport. I haven’t picked him up since then. He must have taken commercial transportation after that.”

“Perhaps I can be of some assistance.” She held out her hand. “My cell phone, please.”

He passed it to her without hesitation and she was pleased to see that he trusted her more than he had
before. She dialed Dan Mitchell, Kendals’ chief auctioneer. “Dan, I’d like to know the seller’s name of the item I purchased today.”

“I’m sorry that information is private.”

“Dan, I’d consider it a personal favor. And you know I can be discreet.”

At her words, Kane raised an eyebrow. Let him wonder. She wasn’t about to explain how last year her intoxicated mother had palmed a million-dollar brooch out from under Kendals’ security guards’ noses. Fallon had returned the item and no one had ever known about their security lapse or her mother’s indiscretion.

“Art Drayson? Okay. Thanks, Dan. I owe you one.”

“One what?” Kane asked.

“It’s just an expression. Another way to say thanks.”

Fallon dialed her personal assistant next. “Janet.”

“Oh, thank God. Your mother wanted me to call the FBI and report you’d been kidnapped. You all right?”

“I’m fine. I need you to—”

“Your sister was arrested last night and her lawyer won’t bail her out until—”

“Not now.”

“But your mother is hysterical.”

“Janet, I need you to call my travel agent. A Mr. Art Drayson departed Logan airport this morning. I want you to find him for me.”

“Yes, ma’am. What do you want me to do about—”

“Tell them I’m at a high-level conference and cannot be disturbed. I’ve got to go.” Fallon hung up before Janet could tell her about any other emergencies and she gave in. The more time she spent away from the constant business of her life, the more she realized that she allowed her family too much leeway. Jaycee had already been trying to tell her that she wasn’t responsible for everyone else, but letting go was hard. It was her nature to fix problems, to help. Perhaps her good intentions with her family had made them dependent on her. Without her there to fix things, maybe they’d learn to cope on their own. And no matter how difficult it was for her to let go, this was the perfect opportunity to allow her family and employees to stand up for themselves. She’d spent years building an efficient organization and had good people in place. If she let them run things for a day, surely the Hanover empire wouldn’t fall apart. Surely the research for a cure for cancer wouldn’t end. And it might do her sister some good to spend a night in jail—maybe then she’d admit she had a problem and get some help.

Fallon tossed the cell phone back to Kane and was surprised by how liberating it felt to be rid of the machine that kept her at the beck and call of others. “Janet will find Nigel and call back.”

“Do you know you’re amazing?” Approval glowed in his eyes and she sucked in her breath as his heat washed over her.

“For helping you find Nigel?” she asked.

“For getting what you want.”

“Excuse me?”

“You cleared my calendar and yours. So we have nothing to do for a while.” He eyed her with a look she couldn’t read, as if he was thinking five steps ahead.

“That’s a good thing, right?” She was suddenly a bit less sure of herself. Perhaps she should have allowed herself to be satisfied with orgasms orchestrated by gadgets. Perhaps she’d been wrong to long for Kane’s personal involvement. But just thinking about him kissing her and holding her made her pulse leap with excitement.

“You know it suddenly occurred to me that you are wearing way too many clothes.” He fingered the tied shoulder strap of her dress and it unfastened as if by magic. Then the whole dress disappeared, leaving her standing before him in nothing but gold glitter, the dangling chain and spiked heels. “Ah, better.”

Although she’d spent a good part of her time with him in an undressed state, the suddenness of losing her clothes while he remained fully dressed reminded her of how much personal control she’d ceded to him. And as much as she wanted to fling herself into his arms, unbutton his shirt and tear off his slacks, she’d agreed to yield control of the direction and timing of their touching to him.

The rings attached to her most sensitive places were dormant now. However, she suspected from the gleam in Kane’s eyes that wouldn’t be the case for long.

“Come here.” His tone went husky, making her steps to obey him shaky and difficult.

But she held her chin high. Didn’t rush. In fact, she managed to sway her hips a little more than necessary. But she paid for that sway when the chain tugged and a tingling jolt arced through her flesh.

“It also occurred to me that I haven’t introduced you to the discipline of remaining still while I taste you.”

Desire rippled through her. “I am ready to do whatever you ask.”

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Do not move.”

He dipped his head and she thought for certain he would kiss her lips. But he didn’t. Instead, he bent farther, until his breath fanned her breast. With almost no warning he took half her breast into his mouth and the exquisite warmth and his clever tongue flicking over her nipple caused her to gasp.

She almost reached out and clutched his shoulders to steady herself, but just in time remembered to hold still. And then her eyes closed at the wonder of his lips and tongue laving her breast, tugging on the ring of her nipple. And suddenly the pleasant tingling began to pulse, as if his mouth had activated a totally new sensation. Her breast became more sensitive than she’d ever imagined. Each cell vibrated with energy that reverberated deep inside her and thrummed in rhythm to her heartbeat.

And when he switched his mouth to her other breast, the delicious sensations began all over again. Standing became an effort.

She longed to reach out, clutch the back of his head and thread her fingers through his hair. At the same time, she wondered how much longer she could remain still. And just when she thought that she might pool into a puddle, he took her nipple between his teeth and lightly bit her.

“Ow,” she complained.

But when he sucked away the tiny pain and wondrous heat flooded through her, she gasped in awe. “I’ve never felt…anything so…incredible.”

He moved to bite her other nipple. “If you move…I’m going to start over.”

“Start ov—oh…my…” His words hit her at the same time as the heat. No mere mouth or tongue—no matter how skillful—could be teasing and taunting her like he was. He had to be manipulating her through the rings and chain attached to her flesh. But between feeling the delicious sensations coursing through her and willing her muscles not to move, she couldn’t think clearly. But one thing she knew for certain: she couldn’t stand still too much longer. Yet the idea of him beginning the sweet torture all over again kept her motionless, trembling, wanting.

“My legs won’t support me much longer,” she warned him. “You feel too good.”

“I’m just getting started.”

He couldn’t be serious. She’d never been more ready to make love. She wanted him inside her. Now. She wanted his flesh against hers. Now. She wanted him to be pumping back and forth as frantically as her own heartbeat. Now.

But he, as usual, was in complete control, albeit breathing a little heavily. And as lovely as the anticipation zinging through her was, she simply wasn’t accustomed to this intense stimulation.

“Kane, please. I am…oh…oh…trying to do…what you ask, but I am not…used to…I cannot—”

She didn’t think it was possible, but she was going to orgasm from his touching her breasts and only her breasts—but then he lifted his head and his gaze seared her. “This is what you wanted.”

“I wanted to make love.”

“You said I would set the terms.”

Her breasts ached, her nipples hard as her thoughts swirled. “I didn’t know waiting could be so…” She licked her bottom lip, trying to find the right word. “I didn’t know waiting could be so difficult.”

He checked his watch and she wanted to smack him. “It’s only been a few minutes.”

He had to be wrong. She was going to explode. Her pulse was racing. Her legs trembling. She was slick and ready. Delaying longer would do nothing but irritate her. “What are you waiting for?”

His stare bored into her, demanding that she understand. “It is not your right to question me. However, if you cannot support yourself, I will solve that problem.”

She expected him to lead her to the bed, or a sofa, or a chair. Instead, he picked up a stool and set it on the desk, then placed his hands on her waist and lifted her until she sat on the stool, her heels on the desk.

“Part your legs.”

Excitement raced through her. But then she realized that making love in this position wasn’t likely. Obviously, he intended to keep right on teasing her.

“My mouth is going to trace every inch of those chains,” he promised.

She didn’t see how. The chain went directly between her legs and she was sitting on part of it. But she opened her legs and when he reached between her thighs, she prayed that his touch would give her a measure of relief from the need holding her strung so tightly.

Instead, he yanked out the stool from beneath her. She let out a shout, expecting to fall. But she didn’t. He’d suspended her in the air over the desk. Totally open to him, she instinctively tried to close her legs—and couldn’t.

“What have you done?” she asked.

“You no longer have to worry about supporting your weight,” he told her, offering no explanation at all.

She couldn’t close her legs. Couldn’t stand. Couldn’t run. Her hands rested on her parted thighs. She couldn’t move them, either.

“In fact, since you can no longer move,” he grinned at her predicament while he tweaked both her nipples between thumbs and forefingers, “you are totally at my mercy.”

She was naked, totally helpless and all she could think about was that her nipples wanted more of the same. She was craving his touch like an addict. But
she could do nothing but wait for whatever he did. And despite that she craved his touch, he looked so damned satisfied and smug with his bright-eyed expression that if she could have closed her legs, she would have. “I’ll let you do whatever you want.”

“Now, you no longer have a choice.”

She swallowed hard as he pointed out the subtle difference. It was one thing to yield to him. It was totally different to be entirely at his mercy. And her body was wringing with need, trembling at the idea that he could touch her, where, when and how he liked and she could do no more than wait and anticipate.

And when he tilted her position in midair, he did it slowly, thoroughly enjoying her realization that her most private parts were now tipping up toward his face. His gaze focused on her neatly shaved mons, then lower to her lips dusted with golden sparkles, and finally to her pulsing clit that he’d branded with his rings and chain.

And she’d never felt so wanton, so wanted. She could see his desire reflected in his eyes. See how alluring he found her. And then his mouth seared a path up her leg. He nibbled and nipped and she gasped and would have squirmed or pulled his head closer. But she could do nothing—except enjoy every lick, every nibble as he edged ever closer to where she wanted him most.

“You like having to wait on me…don’t you?” he asked, his tone low and husky, leaving no doubt he was totally enjoying himself.

“Yes.”

“You even like it when I don’t give you what you think you want. Correct?” he demanded.

“Yes.” As much as she hated to admit he was right, she couldn’t lie when his mouth was so intimately pressed to the inside of her thigh. She was quivering with the need for release, but he wasn’t in any hurry at all. His hands cupped her bottom, his fingers tracing up and down the chain and driving her as wild as his lips and his tongue, which finally landed exactly where she wanted.

He seemed to know exactly what she needed to reach orgasm but deliberately denied her. His lips and tongue teased and taunted. She was panting, feeling so much tension that she would have been shaking with it if he hadn’t trapped her there by unknown forces.