A Break in Time

by Michelle Miles

  Once they were inside the main hall of the Citadel, families were reunited. As Skye stood still to catch her breath, she couldn’t help but smile. It did her good to see them hugging with tears of joy.

  Tia waved them down a hallway toward the private chambers. Dane came to a halt, though, and pulled her aside. Skye immediately sensed he was up to something.

  “Tia, take her to get cleaned up.”

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Skye demanded. As if he thought he could leave her here alone.

  “To find Ridgewood.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “No, Skye. Let me handle it.”

  “I’m not letting you go without me, dammit. We’re in this together.” Skye couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from him again. Perhaps she was having separation anxiety. Or maybe it was a compelling need to right the wrong of allowing Ridgewood to take their time bender. All she knew was she had to stay by Dane’s side.

  “I’m not going to argue with you. I need to find him before it’s too late.”

  “I’m afraid it already is too late.”

  The all-too-familiar lilt came from the other end of the hallway. And there, standing not three feet away, was Charles Ridgewood. He held up the time bender for them to see and turned it on. The green LCD display blinked awake. Fear shuddered through her and from her vantage point, she could see the read-out clearly, not faded out like normal. My God, he’s fixed it.

  Dane took Skye by the hand and shoved her behind him. She peered over his shoulder. Ridgewood smirked, as if he knew he had won.

  “Your time bender seems to be working, so I thank you both for allowing me to escape this hellish prison.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Dane said. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  “Oh? I’m afraid I am leaving, Mr. Fortune.” Ridgewood spun the dial, slowly, and Skye could hear the tick tick tick until it stopped. “You see? All fixed.”

  She could see the date even from this distance—the date of their past and their future. Panic gnawed at her insides.

  “And all I have to do is push this little black button.”

  “And hope you get home,” Skye said.

  “Oh, I’ll get home.” He sounded sure of himself.

  Dane took a step toward him.

  “I wouldn’t,” Ridgewood warned. “And I’ve just about had enough of you two.”

  The two of them watched in horror as Ridgewood opened his hand and held up the time bender.

  “I’ll tell your father you said hello, Skye.”

  She lunged forward, but Dane snatched her arm and pulled her to him just as Ridgewood pushed the black button. A high-pitched screech emitted from the time bender and as the flash of light came, they could see the devilish grin on his face just before he disappeared…forward in time.

  “No!” she shouted.

  He was gone, trapping them forever. Ice spread through her stomach, the nauseating sinking of despair overtaking her. What would become of them now?

  It was the final straw. All she could take. Her breath hitched in her chest and she gasped for air. As her spirits sank even lower, she couldn’t stop the wracking sobs. She collapsed into Dane’s waiting arms. Any spark of hope had finally been snuffed out.

  He let her have her cry, all the while holding her steady on her feet, even though her knees wanted to buckle and she wanted to crumple to the floor. Silence descended and she regained her control, shoving out of his embrace and turning away. Annoyed at her outburst, she wiped away the tears.

  “I’m sorry.” She choked past the lump still in her throat.

  “It’s not your fault,” he said gently.

  Almost too gently. It made her want to weep again. Finally, she braved a glance in his direction as he raked his hand through his short black hair and made it spike on top.

  “But it is my fault. I let him have it. I couldn’t get it back—”

  “Stop it.” He grasped her by the biceps and held her steady. “It’s not your fault, Skye. You did all you could.”

  “And it wasn’t good enough!”

  “I’m not letting you take the blame for this.”

  “But we’re stuck here. What are we going—”

  “We’ll worry about that later.”

  His jaw clamped closed, the muscles flexing, and his lips thinned. The cool green eyes she had grown so accustomed to flashed with dark fury. But something told her he wasn’t angry with her; he was furious with Ridgewood.

  She bit her lip, trying desperately not to cry.

  He met her gaze and his expression softened, as if he knew he had to be strong for her.

  “Everything is going to be fine.”

  She could only nod, swallowing past the lump in her throat and forcing back tears that wanted to fall. She wished she could believe him.

  “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.”

  Tia had witnessed the entire ordeal, they realized, and stood wide-eyed, her face pale under her normal taupe hue. She blinked slowly.

  “Tia—” Dane began.

  “I do not understand. How did he disappear?”

  “It’s hard to explain.”

  Her brow wrinkled then as she chewed on her lower lip. “There is another?”

  Skye rubbed her forehead, tired of everything around her. All she wanted now was a hot bath and a soft bed.

  “What?” Dane asked.

  “Enough!” Skye’s patience was paper thin. “Can we just go?”

  Tia nodded and hurried past them. “Come now and I will take you to a place where you can rest and bathe.”

  “And Skye needs medical attention. But don’t send that crazy shaman.”

  A grin played at the corner of Tia’s mouth. “I will tend her myself.”

  Lacing his fingers with hers, they followed Tia down a hallway toward the private chambers. Even though Skye was moments away from a breakdown, she couldn’t help but ask.

  “What happened with the shaman?”

  “Oh…nothing much.”

  Since he seemed reluctant to answer the question, she let it slide. Instead, she had something else on her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about Ridgewood and their time bender.

  “Dane, did you see the green read-out on the time bender?”

  “It worked,” he said with a nod. “I saw it.”

  “And did you see the date that was on it?”

  “Yeah. I did.”

  She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “The day you killed my parents. How did he know?”

  He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, Skye. I really don’t.”

  Chapter Twelve: Guarded Secrets

  Dane waited in the hallway, leaning casually against the wall, when Tia emerged from the room. She softly closed the door behind her and when she spotted him, gave him a warm smile.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  “As you wish.” The smile faded.

  “First off, how is she? She okay?”

  “I used a healing salve on the lashes. She will be well in a few days’ time. It will also help with the pain.”

  He was relieved to hear Skye was okay physically…emotionally was another story. Nodding, Dane pressed on. “Something you said earlier has been bothering me. When we were in the hallway after Ridgewood disappeared…you asked if there was another. Another what?”

  She swallowed and hesitated before answering. “I meant nothing by it.”

  “Tia, after everything we’ve been through don’t lie to me.”

  She took a deep breath then, a blush rising under her taupe-colored cheeks. “There was a man who visited us often.”

  “A man?”

  “Like Ridgewood.”

  “You mean…an Englishman?”

  “He spoke English, yes. But he sounded different.” She nodded. Her dark eyes took on a faraway look as she remembered. “He was kind to us, brought us things. Pretty, shiny things.”

  “Like what?”
He tried to get a feel for who it could be.

  “Jewels for our ears, necks, things like that. He brought the king a gold cup. One day, he asked about the tunnel under the city.”

  “The one you were going to lead us through to escape?”

  “Yes, yes. I led him there once. He knew all the secrets of the tunnel and would spend sometimes days there before he would come back to court.”

  “Did he have a name?” he asked, trying to put the pieces together. Perhaps the man she spoke of was Conner, and if that was the case, then he wanted to know what was so damn important in the tunnel that he’d spend days there.

  “He told me his name was Jake.”

  Shock rolled through Dane. Jesus Christ! If she was telling the truth, then Skye’s father had spent a great deal of time with the Nenchota. He just didn’t know why.

  “Tia, in the morning I want you to take us there. Can you do that?”

  She nodded slowly. “I could.”

  “I don’t want you to tell Skye, either. This is between you and me. Got it?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “We leave at dawn.”

  * * *

  Skye sat under the bright full moon, surrounded by a blue-white veil. With her knees drawn up in the oversized chair, she looked out across the balcony. Unfamiliar constellations winked brightly against the black velvet backdrop of the night sky and the air smelled sweet and fragrant.

  Her hair reminded her of wild strawberries; her skin like a milk and honey body wash she used to have…except she was pretty sure what Tia used was no manmade soap. It had to come from the surrounding nature.

  She heard the door open and close and then a pause before footsteps headed for the balcony. She knew it was Dane, but she didn’t move. He paused just out of her view.

  “You all right?” he asked. A question he seemed to be asking a lot.

  “I’m fine.” As fine as she could be under the circumstances, that was.

  He came closer, placed his hand on her shoulder. “How’s the back?”

  “Better. I don’t know what Tia used, but I don’t feel a thing.” She looked up, met his gaze, and managed a smile. Shrugging off his hand, she stood. “I think I’m going to turn in.”

  Even though she wanted to ask him what they were going to do, where they would go, she didn’t. She wanted answers and needed his guidance, but still…she was terrified of what he’d say. They were, after all, stuck there because of her.

  “Skye.” He caught her arm as she brushed past, pulling her gently to a stop. “I talked to Tia. In the morning, she’s going to lead us through the tunnel under the city.”

  Had he been reading her mind? “Why? There’s no place for us to go.”

  “We’ll be fine. You have to trust me.”

  She searched his eyes for some hint of anything but reassurance and certainty. He was so sure of himself, as if he knew exactly what he was doing, where he was going. And maybe he did.

  “Isn’t it pointless?”

  “We’re going,” he said. “At dawn.”

  And it sounded almost like an order. “If you insist.” She slipped away from him, heading for the bed.

  “It’s not your fault, you know. I wish you’d stop blaming yourself.”

  She reeled on him, her fists balled at her sides. “Maybe I should remind you that we’re here because of me. We wouldn’t be in this mess if I had never pushed that button back in the dressing room of that shop.”

  “No.” He crossed the distance between them in two steps. “We’re here because of your father’s invention. We’re here, right now, at this moment, because Charles Ridgewood stole something that doesn’t belong to him.”

  She felt the tears sting her eyes again and bit her lip. She had told herself she was done crying.

  “Don’t worry.”

  “Dane, I…”

  Her voice trailed off, unsure of what she was going to say. His gaze met hers, desire smoldering there as his eyes drifted down to her lips. He lifted his hand, let his cool fingers graze her cheek. With that small touch, it set her on fire and she knew what he meant to do next.

  “Skye, I’d like to kiss you now.” His baritone voice could reduce her to jelly.

  “Are you asking my permission?”

  “No. I’m telling you what I’m going to do. And after I kiss you, I’m going to make love to you.”

  Her heart skipped a beat, her stomach knotted. Standing so close to him, smelling his fresh clean scent, made her head swim. She needed him to kiss her again. She needed to feel close to someone familiar, to feel safe. She just needed him.

  He brushed his fingertips through her hair, sweeping her long tresses from her shoulders. He traced a delicate path against her skin as he outlined the curves of her neck. At the base of her throat, her pulse throbbed madly, as though her heart had decided to relocate.

  His hands continued their downward trail, sliding over the tunic dress she wore. The heat of desire coursed through her, making her dizzy and prickling her skin and her senses. She grasped his wrists, stopping him.

  “I thought you were going to kiss me?” she asked, her voice breathy in her throat.

  His sharp eyes flickered back to hers. “In time.”

  For now, she thought, he would torture her with this slow love play. This was much different than before, when he had taken her hard and quick in Nyan’s bathroom.

  This time, she would allow him whatever freedoms he wished and she was going to savor every moment of it. She released him, her hands dropping to her sides.

  At her thighs, he fisted her tunic dress in both hands, slowly pulling it upward and over her head. The rough skin of his palms slid over her breasts, kindling the fire deep within her.

  Skye’s breath caught in her throat as his head dipped and his open mouth landed on her collarbone. His damp, hot kisses made a trail from collarbone to neck and continued his downward jaunt. She slid her hands under his tunic, over the muscled chest and through the coarse hair, pausing to feel his warmth radiating through her fingertips.

  He whisked off his tunic. She could stand it no more. Their bodies collided with force, her mouth on his, their kisses fiery and passionate. Gathering her close to him, he backed up to the bed and pulled her into his lap.

  She gave him a shove backward and straddled him, gazing down at his torso in the half-light. She ran her fingers over the length of the scar across his chest before pausing at the bullet wound on his ribcage. She fingered it, feeling the lumpy scar tissue.

  She liked the way he felt against her palm. Her hands roamed to his thick shoulders, across his collarbone, down his arms. Beneath her hips, she could feel his need for her rise. Pulling him close to her, she rolled to her back with him but he paused, lifted up.

  “It’s not hurting you, is it?”

  She knew he meant the lashes on her back. Knowing he cared enough to ask, endeared him to her. “No, Dane.”

  She stretched her body out, giving him access to every inch of her. She slid her arms above her head and he grasped her wrists in one powerful hand, holding them there while his tongue did lazy circles under first one breast then the other.

  Her eyes fluttered closed and she held her breath as his tongue never ceased the magical things it was doing. He caught one peak in his mouth, gently sucked before twirling his tongue over her hardening nipple and pausing there for agonizing sensual moments. She felt a tautness in her belly and a warmth spread between her legs.

  Her willpower faded quickly, the wall was broken and a flood of emotions burst through her. A moan escaped her in a broken gasp between her teeth. He released her wrists, his hand trailing skillfully down the underside of her arm, down her abdomen. He shifted his weight as his mouth moved from paying homage to her breasts to kissing the smooth expanse of her belly.

  Skye peered through her thick lashes at him just as his gaze met hers and he stared at her with an intense desire in his eyes. Her heart beat a loud tattoo as she ran her fingers throug
h the dense, black chest hair.

  His hands lightly traced a wicked path over her, down the length of her thighs and up again before gliding into the dense curls and finding her wet heat. His fingers did a sinful dance over her tender, throbbing flesh before plunging inside her. She shut off her mind and let her body respond to his touch. Her back arched and her hips opened giving him full access to her secret depths.

  It didn’t take long before he shattered her resolve completely, making her come apart at the seams and causing a blinding flash in her head. But his slow torture wasn’t over yet. In a moment his hand was gone, replaced by the wetness of his tongue as he swirled little lazy circles with the tip. Her hands plunged into his thick black hair, willing him to stop, but her hips had other ideas. She exploded again, gasping his name.

  “I need you, Skye,” he whispered.

  She needed him, too, but she was afraid to admit it.

  “Say it.” He lifted his head, his eyes burning into hers. “Tell me.”

  The words were frozen in her throat. Fear gripped her. Her heart was tender and she was afraid to open it and let him inside. Yet he was inside and she knew it.

  “I want to hear you say it.”

  She placed her hands on either side of his scruffy face and pulled him close. “I need you,” she whispered against his lips. “I want you.”

  She didn’t have time to think before his mouth crashed against hers. Her breath mingled with his as he kissed her with an intense harshness, conveying his need and desire.

  Her hands found his naked chest finally, her fingers running the length of him. She felt the jagged scar and the bullet wound on his ribcage, paused to trace them before slipping her hands inside his waistband. She felt his need taut against the material of his pants and sought to free him from his bindings.

  He shoved her hands away and yanked on the clasp of his pants. Breaking the kiss, he moved to get out of his clothes. He crushed against her, skin against skin. Her hands tangled in his hair again as she pulled him toward her, their mouths meeting in another scorching kiss. She could taste her own sweetness on his lips as his tongue did dangerous things to hers.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled and settled her on top. He grasped her hips, positioning her so she could feel his hardened length against the wet folds of her throbbing desire. Arching her back, she slid over him, feeling every inch fulfilling her fantasy and welcoming him into her body. He sucked in a sharp breath as their bodies meshed. She arched her back as his hands found her breasts and the rhythmic cadence began.