Death Displacement: A time travel romantic thriller

by Holly Copella

  “Have you seen Hayes? He disappeared right after dinner,” Riley remarked.

  “No, I haven’t.” He considered her comment then muttered, “I hope he didn’t go for a walk.”

  Kane appeared tense and again avoided looking at her. The thought of her kissing him crept back into his mind, and it bothered him. After all, this woman later kills his girlfriend. He was ashamed of his inappropriate thoughts. He was even more ashamed of his arousal to her kiss. He was thankful she hadn’t been pressed against him enough to notice that. At least if he was the only one who knew, he could pretend it never happened. Of course, even that was proving difficult. Riley studied him a moment then shifted while looking away.

  “I guess Selena’s not the only one I’m making uncomfortable these days,” Riley remarked and appeared tense as well. She attempted a weak smile, but it was obvious something was bothering her. “You can relax. I’m not going to molest you. I’m not nearly as aggressive as you think.”

  He stared at her and had to keep from laughing. “No, I think you’re more aggressive than you think you are,” Kane teased then felt ashamed by the comment and looked away.

  His thoughts immediately strayed back to the way she came on to him and kissed him without any warning in the cave. It was actually one of those moments he and Casper loved to tease about in their younger years--or more fondly known as yesterday to his younger self. Things like that never happened to him. Now that they had, his feelings were mixed. Who was he kidding? The thought was making him insane!

  Riley grinned in response to his comment. “Considering I’ve never been with a man, I’d have to say you’re wrong.”

  Kane suddenly looked at her and was surprised by her comment. She’d managed to peak his interest. She was a virgin? “You’re kidding, right?” He didn’t actually mean to say that aloud but realized it too late. “Is that even possible?”

  “I’m going to have to answer ‘yes’ to that,” she remarked while hiding her smile. “Between us--?”

  Kane nodded and watched her with a strange anticipation to what she was about to say next. He couldn’t believe she was sharing this private information with him. He couldn’t believe he wanted to hear more about it.

  Riley frowned and suddenly appeared uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and her look turned serious. “When Hayes suggested coming up here, I sort of intended to seduce him.” There was an odd silence from both. “I thought it was time I experienced certain things, and he was the logical choice.” She groaned lowly and rolled her eyes. “Then he suddenly meets someone.” Riley avoided looking at Kane while fidgeting. “I guess Selena was right. Obviously, I’m happy for him, but it wasn’t the trip I thought it would be.”

  Kane stared at her and finally put it altogether. Everything suddenly made sense. “That would explain a lot,” he accidentally said aloud.

  She looked at him and appeared stunned. “Have I been acting that odd?” Riley asked while grimacing.

  “No, it’s just--” Kane considered then smiled gently. “Just thinking out loud.”

  “Well, that’s my story. What’s yours?” She fidgeted slightly possibly at her own directness. “I mean, it’s obvious you’ve been trying to impress Selena,” Riley remarked casually. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Considering her recent tiff with Tucker, I’d say your odds just increased. I can help, you know. I know what she looks for in men.”

  “Yeah, a younger one,” he muttered.

  “Selena doesn’t appreciate mature men the way I do,” she replied with a tiny smile. “You should be playing the financial security card. Personally, I think you can do better.” Riley hesitated possibly regretting having said that aloud. “Selena might be fun for a while, but she’s only going to break your heart.”

  Kane stared at Riley with surprise to the comment, but she was so sincere, he couldn’t condemn her for it. She appeared tense then fidgeted while standing. Kane could almost feel Riley’s world crashing around her, and he actually felt bad for her. He knew the emotional roller coaster she was riding; it was the same one he’d been on the last week.

  “It’s been a rough day,” she announced a little softer than usual. “If I don’t see you in the morning before we checkout, maybe I’ll see you around the museum.”

  Riley walked past Kane and approached the steps. Kane caught her hand as she was about to leave. He wasn’t sure why he had done that and didn’t even know what it was he intended to say. He just couldn’t let her leave feeling the way she did. They exchanged stares in a strange, perplexing silence. He couldn’t even guess what his eyes said to her, but it made her smile. Riley kissed him quickly on the lips. Before she could pull away, his hand was on her neck and he returned the kiss with a little too much passion. She eagerly responded. His body reacted so quickly, it almost caused him physical pain. She broke off the kiss, smiled timidly, and left the hot tub. Kane stared after her, took in her toned backside as she walked away, and then groaned lowly while shutting his eyes.

  “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Kane walked down the stairs toward the lounge later that evening. It had been an exhausting day, but he couldn’t seem to relax. His mind was flooded with thoughts and emotions, some of which were quite troubling. The hot tub didn’t help, but that was Riley’s fault. That long, hot shower he took afterwards didn’t help either. Perhaps a few drinks would relax him. The last thing he needed was a sleepless night watching the clock. He had too many of those in the last week. As he entered the archway to the lounge, he saw Hayes sitting on the sofa with a drink in his hand and a distant look on his face. He appeared to be fighting some particularly nasty demons of his own. Kane studied him and considered if he wanted to get involved in someone else’s problems when he had so many of his own. He reluctantly approached Hayes on the sofa and sat in the chair across from him. Hayes didn’t even acknowledge that he had entered. Perhaps he hadn’t even noticed. Kane studied him a moment before speaking.

  “Everything okay?” Kane asked.

  Hayes snapped out of his trance, shifted in his seat, and immediately appeared uncomfortable. “That cave-in has me a little unsettled,” he said softly and shook his head. “I should have been there. Riley could have been killed.”

  “She’s fine.”

  “So she keeps saying,” he remarked then groaned softly, rolled his eyes shut, and leaned his head against the back of the sofa. “I really screwed up with her, and I don’t know how to make it right.” He straightened and looked at Kane. “If anything had happened to her--”

  “But nothing did.”

  Hayes’ mood didn’t improve. Kane sank into thought and carefully considered what he should say. His thoughts strayed to his conversation with Riley in the hot tub, but he couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss--their third kiss! He couldn’t believe he kissed her back. He couldn’t believe how much he enjoyed it! His body ached in agreement. Kane shook the inappropriate thoughts from his mind. It was time to do the right thing.

  “I’m going to give you some free advice, Hayes,” Kane finally said. “Be honest with her. She knows you’ve met someone but feels like you’re pushing her away.”

  Hayes stared at him and appeared slightly surprised by his candor. He groaned softly and replied, “It’s just so complicated.”

  “What makes it so complicated?”

  Hayes finally looked at him with all seriousness. “I ran into an old friend. We were close once, but she never had romantic feelings for me,” he said with a reluctant sigh. The look on his face said it all. “Suddenly, there she was, ravishing me. My head was spinning for days.”

  Kane stared at him and suddenly felt envious and tense at the same time. “I’ve never had a woman ravish me,” he remarked faintly and wondered what that would be like. He immediately pushed the fantasy out of his head. “You’re one lucky man.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” Hayes muttered and remained conflicted. “I don’t wan
t to ruin things between Riley and me, but at the same time, I don’t want to give up mind-blowing sex several times a day either.”

  Kane squirmed in his seat and attempted not to grin like a schoolboy, but he was perversely fascinated and it showed. “Several times a day?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he groaned while playing with his drink. “She just shows up whenever the mood strikes her, makes my head spin, and goes about her day.”

  “You’d be an idiot to give that up,” Kane announced a little louder and a little quicker than he’d intended.

  Kane fidgeted in his seat by how he must have sounded. He wanted to entertain that particular fantasy, but attempted to put it out of his head. Even at the height of their erotic moments, Selena had never taken him to that level. In hindsight, that was probably his own fault. Although, he had attempted to seduce her in the antique store afterhours once. That didn’t go over as well as he’d anticipated. Kane returned his focus to Hayes’ dilemma.

  “Talk to Riley,” Kane stated. “She’s a remarkable young woman.”

  “She certainly is,” Hayes eagerly replied. “I’d gladly spend the rest of my life pining for her.”

  Kane stared at Hayes. His feelings for his assistant were all too clear. “You love Riley, don’t you?” he asked gently.

  Hayes didn’t even bother looking at him. He just snorted his response as if to say ‘no kidding’.

  “Maybe you should tell her how you feel,” Kane gently informed him.

  “I assure you,” Hayes announced boldly, “she’s aware of my feelings. She’s known how I’ve felt about her for years. It’s no secret.”

  “Maybe,” Kane replied. “People change, Hayes. She may surprise you.”

  He stood with added stiffness, patted Hayes on the shoulder, and left the lounge.

  †

  That evening, Kane sat on the porch and stared at the dark, quiet countryside that seemed to stretch on forever. He’d been thinking about everything, yet thinking about nothing. So many thoughts filled his head, but he couldn’t keep a single thought straight. He didn’t remember life being this complicated. He loved Selena; he knew he did. It almost seemed troubling that he had to convince himself that he did. This trip to the past had emotionally scarred him. Selena’s disinterest was puzzling and actually quite frightening. What made matters worse; every time he attempted to evaluate his relationship with Selena, Riley popped into his head. He couldn’t keep her out of his thoughts. He absolutely hated her for killing Selena in the future, but she made it so easy to want her in the past. He chased after Connie in the city nightclub for months before she’d go out with him, and she wouldn’t even let him kiss her for a week. Selena let him kiss her on their first date, but they didn’t sleep together for nearly three months. Now here he was, he hadn’t even been on a date with Riley, and she’d already kissed him three times! Perhaps the universe was punishing him for messing with the timeline. The porch door opened, snapping Kane out of his rant-filled daydream. Selena walked past him, sat on the railing, and smiled at him. He suddenly felt anxious by her presence. Did she know he was thinking about Riley? Was it cheating?

  “Well, I don’t know what you said to Riley, but I’m back on her good side,” Selena informed him.

  Kane was surprised by her comment. “I didn’t say anything to her.”

  That didn’t make any sense. If Selena were back in Riley’s good graces, why would she kill her five years from now? Maybe Casper had it wrong. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to return to his own time even if he never had a reason to leave it in the first place. Perhaps he was stuck here for eternity. The thought was sobering. Everything would be ruined. At least for him--this him. The older version of him.

  “She says you did. You made quite an impression on her,” she informed him in an almost timid tone. “Made me think about what a jerk Tucker was.” Selena reflected then smiled. “I’m glad we’re through.”

  “Young men can be immature.”

  “You’re right. I need to have an adult relationship for a change,” she announced with a soft sigh. “Maybe Riley has the right idea about mature men.”

  Kane and Selena stared at each other in silence. Kane wondered if she was saying what he thought she was saying. His heartbeat quickened, but his arousal wasn’t there. Perhaps she’d played too many games with his head and now his body needed further reassurances.

  Selena flashed a lustful smile while playing with her necklace not far from her low-cut shirt. It almost seemed as if she was attempting to draw attention to her cleavage.

  “Know any mature men?” she teased.

  “Quite a few, actually,” Kane replied while attempting to read her smile and the meaning behind it.

  Selena stood, leaned over him, and kissed him warmly but passionately on the mouth. She pulled away and looked into his eyes with the same, lustful smile.

  “If you feel like talking, I’ll be in my room,” she whispered almost seductively.

  Selena ran her hand along his chest as she walked passed him and headed inside. Kane appeared stunned, his mouth hanging open, and watched her leave. What the hell just happened? Was she inviting him to her room? It didn’t seem possible. They didn’t sleep together for nearly three months after they started dating. Did she do some sort of sexual growing in the next three years as well? This hell he was living in made no sense!

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Kane walked along the second floor hallway only ten minutes after his baffling conversation with Selena and approached one of the guestroom doors. He hesitated before the door and took a deep, nervous breath. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. Nothing made sense anymore and trying to sort through it was giving him a headache. Kane gathered all his courage and lightly tapped on the door. He couldn’t believe how fast his heart was beating. Why was he so nervous? The door opened to reveal Riley. She stared at him and appeared slightly surprised.

  “Kane, is something wrong?” she asked.

  “What did you say to Selena?” he suddenly demanded to know while cocking his head sharply to the side. “She invited me to her room to talk.”

  Riley smirked and leaned seductively against the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest. “You’re welcome. So why the hell are you here talking to me?”

  Kane glared at her and appeared offended. “I don’t need your help getting laid.” He immediately regretted using that term in mixed company. Apparently, he’d be hanging out with Casper too long.

  “Yes, actually, you do,” she announced boldly and straightened, allowing her arms to drop to her sides.

  He was stunned by her comment.

  “It was degrading watching you try to impress Selena while she brushed you off like a speck of dirt. You don’t deserve to be treated that way,” she remarked sternly then turned almost hostile. “And you’re one to preach. Explain Hayes suddenly dropping by to profess his love for me.”

  Kane was horrified by her callousness. He was concerned about what must have transpired between them. “You didn’t shoot him down, did you?” he suddenly demanded.

  “What the hell do you think?” she lashed out. “I told you I was happy he found someone, and then you go polluting his mind with the fairy tale of us living happily ever after.”

  “Will you just listen to yourself?” he suddenly bellowed and felt his irritation building. “You want him. Stop being so damned stubborn and just admit it.”

  Riley immediately became offended by the comment and took a quick, disgusted step toward him. “I don’t want him, you idiot! I want you!”

  She tensed to her own words, immediately blushed with embarrassment, and avoided looking at him. Kane stared at her with surprise as a thousand confusing thoughts exploded in his mind. His body twitched in response.

  “I’m sorry,” she said with a frown while finally able to make eye contact. “That’s the tequila talking.”

  Kane stared at her a long moment and attempted to organize his racing thoughts. “Riley, I-”r />
  His sudden arousal was stronger than anything he’d ever felt before, and his need to act upon it swept over him in a wild rush of sexual desire. Kane suddenly groaned, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her passionately. Riley hesitated only a moment then returned the kiss with an aggression he’d never experienced before. She pulled him into the room without breaking off the kiss and closed the door behind him. She half pulled him to the bed and attempted to undress him without a single hesitation. He aggressively lowered her to the bed while firmly running his hands along her body. She kissed him passionately and aggressively, which only increased his own aggression. They shed their clothing without missing a beat. Kane’s head was spinning as Riley responded to every touch and every kiss with more passion then he ever thought possible. What should have been an awkward first time wasn’t awkward at all. As with every conversation he’d ever had with her, she was making their sexual encounter too easy for him. Her every response filled him with increasing confidence that he could do no wrong. He attempted to slow things down when the thought of her being a virgin echoed through his mind, but she continued to encourage him and showed no resistance or apprehension. It was as if she wanted him to show aggression! He couldn’t take much more then finally gave in to the temptation and proceeded more aggressively. He hoped he wasn’t being too aggressive, but she wasn’t resisting--only encouraging. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so sexually invigorated. He felt almost drunk while making love to Riley. The insanely wild moment finally passed, and he panted heavily while motionless on top of her. Reality flooded back to him, and he looked into her eyes for any indication that he hadn’t been too aggressive with her. He feared he might have hurt her with his animal like behavior. He didn’t know what came over him. Riley clung to him and caressed his lower back while rubbing her calves against his naked buttocks. Her lustful grin told him everything he wanted to know. He smiled and kissed her warmly and with less aggression and more passion.