Time Travel Romances Boxed Set (182 page)

*

Kurt nearly drove his truck into the ditch
when this guy just appeared in the passenger seat beside him.

Okay, it was early. He’d been out drinking
the night before and had spent most of the night entangled in some
redhead’s legs. He hadn’t had that much sleep.

But this tall, foreign-looking guy in macho
leather definitely hadn’t been invited into Kurt’s truck.

And his sudden appearance nearly made Kurt
swerve off the highway. “Jesus Christ!”

The man shook his head, then grabbed the
wheel to steady it. “No,” he said tightly. “You’ve got me confused
with someone else.”

Kurt was still rattled. ‘How did you get in
here? I’m doing a hundred and twenty clicks!”

“
Get used to it,” the man
said grimly.

“
Get the hell out of my
truck!”

The man shook his head. “Won’t help. You’re
stuck with me, Kurt MacEwen, although neither one of us has to like
it.”

That this guy knew his name was even more
creepy. What had he been drinking? “What the hell are you talking
about?”

“
I’m talking about
love.”

“
No offense, but you’re
hardly my type.” Kurt looked the intruder in the eye. “I’m a
straight shooter, all the way.”

“
You and me both,” the man
agreed with a sudden smile. “But then, they said we’d think exactly
the same.”

“
They?”

“
The people who sent me
here. Don’t even ask for details. You won’t believe the story.” The
man straightened. “Hell, I didn’t believe until I saw them
myself.”

A wacko. He had a wacko in his truck. The
day was just getting better and better. “So, do you always see
people that other people can’t see?” Kurt demanded skeptically as
he took his exit. “Or do you just hear them?”

To his surprise, the intruder snatched at
his collar and once again nearly compelled him off the road.
“Listen,” the man hissed. “I’ve got a job to do here and I don’t
want to do it any more than you want to be a part of it. But no
one’s giving us a choice.” He gave Kurt’s collar a shake, then
released him, sitting back in his seat like a big ruffled cat. “You
want to get rid of me – you just get the job done.”

“
What job?” The light at
the end of the ramp had turned green and somebody was honking
behind him, but Kurt didn’t drive on. He was staring at this guy,
unable to shake the sense that this was really
important.

The guy’s lips tweaked as though he had just
thought of a private joke. “You’ve got to learn to fall in love.
You’ve got to make a commitment to one woman for the rest of your
life.”

“
Yeah, right.” Kurt snorted
and stepped on the gas. “You’re wasting your time, man. That’s
never going to happen.”

“
Oh, I say it will,” the
man murmured silkily. “Because I don’t get out of this until you do
just that, and I’m not feeling inclined to take no for an
answer.”

But Kurt had had enough. He pulled over to
the curb, slammed the truck into park, leaned across the guy, and
opened the door. “Get your ass out of my truck.”

But the man smiled coldly and showed no
intention of moving. He was a big guy, tall and lean, probably even
stronger than he looked. And there was a determination in his eyes
that made even Kurt think twice about crossing him.

Kurt, after all, was a lover, not a
fighter.

“
I don’t think that’s a
good idea,” the intruder said smoothly. “You see, I’m going to find
you, no matter where you go.” He calmly recited Kurt’s address and
phone number, and Kurt felt a sudden chill. “And don’t worry, I can
outsmart any lock. The fact is, if I’m not in a good mood about
things, well, you might not like the results.”

“
You’re threatening
me!”

“
No, I’m
promising
you. I want this done, and I want it done soon. If you’re going to
buck me on it, well” – the man’s cold smile broadened – “I might
get vengeful.” He poked a finger in Kurt’s chest.

Kurt sat back in his seat with a thump. He
shoved a hand through his hair and looked sidelong at his
companion. “So, you just show up in my truck, threaten me, and
insist you’re going to plant yourself in my life…unless I fall in
love?”

“
That would be it.” The man
closed the door and offered Kurt his hand. “Sebastian. I suggest we
keep this short and simple.”

Kurt shook his hand, not certain what else
to do. “I just have to fall in love with a woman to get rid of
you.”

“
Exactly.”

Kurt pursed his lips. “I hate to be the one
to break this to you, but you don’t’ just pick some babe up off the
street and fall in love with her. Or maybe you would, I don’t know,
but it’s not my style.”

“
Your style is get in and
get out, I know that,” Sebastian snapped. “And there’s no need to
worry about the woman in question.” He pulled a slip of paper out
of his pocket. “I just happen to have Isabel’s name and address
right here.”

“
What?”

“
Just drive,” Sebastian
instructed. “I understand this Isabel thinks about men in the same
way we think about women. It could be quite interesting.
She
could be quite interesting.” He smiled again. “I just might give
you a run for your money.”

Kurt floored it and the truck leapt back
into the stream of traffic. He was always ready for a
challenge.

“
She’d better be cute,” he
said grimly.

“
On the contrary,”
Sebastian countered with poorly concealed amusement. “You’d better
hope that she thinks
you’re
cute.” He stretched his legs,
looking long and lean and very masculine, then smiled that smug
smile that made Kurt want to deck him.

That settled it. Kurt was going to beat this
bastard at his own game, one way or the other.

Even if he had to fall in love with some
Isabel to do it.

*

As soon as Sebastian was gone, Dritta led
Mitch and Lilith before the council. They turned to face each
other, right hand clasping right, left clasping left, the crossing
of their arms making the same figure eight that Lilith had made
with her cards.

The mark of infinity, the sign of a timeless
love circling back over and over again. This was her destiny; this
was her fate; this was the man she’d find time and again. Lilith
smiled into Mitch’s eyes as they pledged their love to each other
before a multitude of witnesses.

“
And now,” Dritta said,
“you may kiss the bride.”

Mitch did exactly that.

When Lilith opened her eyes, they were
standing alone in her living room. Although there was no sign of
Sebastian, the sky was the same hue of early-morning gray.

It was as though they had never been gone at
all.

Except that there was an envelope on the
mantle that hadn’t been there before. Lilith crossed the room, and
tore open the envelope, smiling when she saw its contents.

It was the last card of the higher
arcane.

“
Mitch, they’ve given us
The World!”

He grinned and strode in pursuit, taking the
card from her hands and flicking it back on to her table. “No,”
Mitch said, his eyes bright and his voice low. “They’re telling us
that we already have it.”

And this time, without an audience, he
really kissed her.

Lilith was only too happy to kiss him
back.

*

New Year’s Eve

It was going to be a beautiful wedding.

Andrea had clearly spared no expense on the
black tie fête planned to mark her fourth taking of marital vows.
Nigel, to his credit, insisted that this would be Andrea’s last
trip to the altar and Lilith loved how the older woman giggled at
that.

In fact, they were quite the couple,
obviously completely taken with each other and bent on making each
other happy. Nigel was a perfect gentleman, dapper and diplomatic,
always ready with a word to make everyone smile. He could dance
like a dream and Andrea just glowed in his presence. This shipboard
romance showed no signs of limping back to port.

Even Mitch conceded that he couldn’t have
picked a better man for Andrea himself.

To the astonishment of everyone - except
Mitch and Lilith - Kurt and the intern Isabel from Mitch’s paper
had become a devoted couple. They were so smitten with each other
that Andrea had invited them to the wedding, making more than one
comment about Kurt finally finding his match. There were rumors of
a ring being in the offing for Valentine’s Day.

Jen would be the only flower girl for her
Nana’s wedding, a role that delighted her no end. Lilith had picked
up the rose petals after three practice sessions, then declared
enough was enough and stored the basket high. Jason had marched up
and down the living room with the lacey pillow for the rings until
Lilith pronounced his pacing was right, although he had yet to be
trusted with the jewelry itself. Mitch had the rings in
safekeeping.

Jen looked like a little angel in her pink
taffeta dress. There were clusters of silk ribbon roses in myriad
shades of pink stitched along the bodice, chosen to match the real
flowers ordered for the wedding. A lace-edged petticoat held out
the full skirt and Jen was so smitten with that frilly petticoat
that she willingly showed it to anyone.

Mitch had rolled his eyes the first time Jen
did this and called it a bad omen of the future.

Jason was less thrilled with his miniature
tuxedo with its emerald jacquard vest. He made a great show of
sticking out his tongue as though he were asphyxiating when Mitch
knotted the tie. They both looked cute as could be, though, and
ought to be able to stay that way at least until the end of the
ceremony.

The wind was sending snowflakes against the
windows and the children were downstairs, when Mitch’s reflection
loomed behind Lilith’s own in their bedroom mirror. He was
perfectly turned out in his tux, his wavy hair combed to some sort
of order, a smile curving his firm lips.

Lilith’s heart made the little flutter at
the sight of Mitch that she sincerely hoped would never stop. “Need
help with that zipper?” he asked, and Lilith nodded mutely. The
black and white of his tux complemented the deep ruby red of her
evening dress, the garnet rose on Mitch’s lapel marking them as a
couple.

Lilith liked that.

“
You’ll outshine the
bride,” Mitch teased in a low voice, taking his time with the
zipper, then running a leisurely fingertip across her bare
shoulders. His golden eyes gleamed when Lilith caught her breath,
the warmth of his fingertip meandered down her spine. “Have I
mentioned that this is a very sexy dress, Mrs. Davison?”

“
About forty times,” Lilith
admitted with a smile. “Today.”

“
Then, let’s make it
forty-one,” Mitch breathed. “I like your hair up - it leaves lots
of neck free for nibbling.” He caught her shoulders in the strength
of his hands and as Lilith watched in the mirror, bent to kiss her
nape.

His breath and the gentleness of his touch
made Lilith shiver, but she straightened deliberately. “If you’re
going to do that all night, I’ll have to wear a jacket.”

“
Mmm, then I’ll have to
behave,” Mitch murmured, showing no immediate intention of doing
so. His hands slid around her waist, his kisses ambled closer to
her earlobe. Lilith was trapped between his hips and the dresser
and didn’t really want to escape. “Is it all right with you if I
fantasize about the matron of honor during the
ceremonies?”

Lilith laughed. “Fair enough. I’ll be
thinking about taking off the best man’s tux.”

Mitch’s eyes glinted with mischief as he met
her gaze in the mirror. “With your teeth?”

Lilith pivoted in his embrace and looped her
arms around his neck. “It could be arranged,” she whispered, then
stretched to kiss him.

Mitch was every bit as delicious as he had
been that very first time. Lilith loved the taste of him and the
smell of him; she loved going to sleep in his arms and waking up
with their legs tangled together. She liked living together and
laughing together, cooking together and raising the kids together.
They had sold her house, Lilith more than ready for the challenge
of rescuing another, and Mitch good naturedly lugged paint and
stripped ancient wallpaper at her command.

Maybe one day they’d have more children, or
maybe that wasn’t destined to be. Lilith didn’t care. She was happy
and she knew from the light in his eyes that Mitch was happy,
too.

It was more than enough. All that good
stuff, Mitch had once called it - and this certainly was good.

Long moments later, Mitch lifted his head
and stepped away. “Ready?”

“
This is as good as it
gets,” Lilith said with a smile. She touched up her lipstick and
dropped it into her evening bag, then turned to find that Mitch had
conjured a small blue gift box tied with a white satin
ribbon.

“
Maybe you need just one
more thing,” he suggested softly.

Lilith looked from the box to him. “What’s
that?”

Mitch shrugged. “You’ll have to open it to
find out.”

Clearly he wasn’t going to give her any
hints. Curious, Lilith accepted the box and untied the ribbon. She
opened the lid to find two matched gold rings - one big, one
smaller - nestled in the deep blue velvet lining.

“
They look like wedding
rings, old ones.” Lilith looked questioningly to Mitch, who stepped
closer.

With gentle fingers, he lifted the pair of
rings from the box and his smile faded. “They were my parents’
rings,” he admitted, his voice unusually husky. “Andrea gave them
to me the other day.”