A Break in Time

by Michelle Miles

  “This.” Dane held the time bender in the palm of his hand.

  “Dane, I don’t—”

  “What is it?” Ben peered at the small silvery object.

  “A trinket I found a while back. It’s worth a pretty penny.”

  What the hell is he doing? Skye opened her mouth to protest but Dane squeezed her hand hard and continued.

  “You could sell it for more than your farm is worth.”

  “That so?” The sheriff looked skeptical but reached for the time bender.

  She watched him pick it up and turn it end over end, examining it. Skye glared at Dane, giving him her best death look.

  “It’s a one of a kind,” Dane said. “You won’t find another one of those around here.”

  “Pick your horse, Mr. Fortune, and be on your way.” Ben looked at him then, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

  Chapter Seventeen: Slipping Through Time

  Skye followed Dane into the barn, hot on his heels. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “Getting us out of here.”

  “Without the time bender? Are you crazy?”

  Dane paused at the stall of a paint horse Lara had called Sugar. He seemed to know what he was doing and she watched as he placed first the saddle pad on the horse’s back behind the withers. Holding the saddle underneath the horn, he hoisted it up on top of the pad and then buckled the cinch.

  “Dane?” she prompted.

  “It’s apparent, Skye, that we aren’t getting home. Don’t you think?” He paused to look at her from over the saddle. “We may as well start figuring out how to blend in.”

  “So that gives you the right to trade away our only hope? And you didn’t even bother to consult me.” She stepped around the horse, the anger boiling inside her. “How dare you. You had no right—”

  “Maybe not. But what are we going to do? Continue to travel around to different times and places every three days? No. I’m tired. I’m done.”

  “And I’m supposed to accept that?”

  He blinked as he stared at her, as if he hadn’t even considered how she might feel about the situation. She balled her fists, ready to bolt from the barn but he reached for her, pulled her to him.

  “I should have discussed it with you first.” His eyes burned into hers. “You’re right and I’m sorry. I made a decision that affects both our futures.”

  “Yes, you did.” Her instinct was to shove away from him, to beat him, anything but stand there and let him look at her like that. Like he was about to say something she wasn’t prepared to hear.

  “Let’s make a life here together. Let’s stop running.”

  Something like that.

  He swept one hand to fist in her hair, gently tugging her head back as his lips landed on hers in a fierce kiss. A possessive kiss. One that told her she belonged to him and no other. His tongue tangled with hers, doing a sort of dangerous tango.

  His kiss could make her forget everything—faulty time benders, running for their lives and a myriad of other problems. But she’d had enough of disappointment. She pushed him away.

  “I’m still mad at you.”

  “And you have every right to be.”

  But he kissed her again and this time she closed her eyes and let him have his way with her. She couldn’t stifle the muffled moan that escaped her, nor could she stop her arms from wrapping around his neck. Despite everything that had happened between them, she knew she loved him.

  His mouth left a searing trail from her lips down her throat and back again. Every nerve in her body stood at attention, unable to deny the feelings surging through her. She kissed him back with as much fervor as he kissed her. His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer still.

  When he broke from her, he left her breathless. Her chest heaved against his as she tried to suck air back into her lungs.

  “You’re mine, Skye,” he muttered against her mouth. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  To prove his point and before she could reply, he planted his mouth against hers in another fierce possession. She barely had time to have a coherent thought. Her heart did a rapid beat in her chest and she tingled from head to toe. His hands tangled in her hair, coiling her locks around his fingers.

  “Dane…”

  With one kiss, he turned her into a puddle of goo. His hand moved from her hair to cup her bottom, giving her a little squeeze. She could feel every inch of him through the trousers, knew he meant every word he said when he told her she was his.

  Skye was pliant in his hands, easily swayed to his bidding. He wanted her for his very own and he intended to show her exactly what he meant. She melted against him, her body molding to snugly fit his, like a glove. He gathered her skirt in his fist, seeking her flesh. She felt his fiery flesh on her bare thigh, working his way up.

  She could smell his earthy scent, something she hadn’t quite noticed until now. Her hands slid up his chest, over the curves of his muscle and he caught her wrists, stepping backward, away from the horse. She was only vaguely aware he pulled her deeper into the barn, from prying eyes to a mound of hay piled high in one stall. She couldn’t get enough of him. She needed to feel him—all of him—next to her. Skin brushing skin.

  He spun her around and they tumbled together into the hay. His urgent hands found the buttons on her dress, forced them open. She heard a rip and knew one was gone forever, disappearing into the hay.

  Dane palmed her breasts, her nipples ready and waiting for his touch. His mouth lingered on hers only a moment before trailing down the hollow of her throat, then capturing a rosy peak between his teeth and sucking.

  She shoved her arms out of the dress. He yanked her skirt from her hips, then whisked his shirt off. She felt his chest hair brush between her sensitive thighs while his mouth traced a line over her abdomen and up between the valley of her breasts.

  Skye wrapped her legs around his hips, her center reaching for his. He plunged deep inside her, their bodies meshing as if they were made for each other. Her thighs tightened around his waist, her hands slid through his hair as she pulled him down closer to her.

  All she cared about now was having him inside her, his rhythmic movements. She grasped the hair at the nape of his neck as his mouth collided with hers, his breath intermingling with hers. His roughened cheeks scraped down her supersensitive skin.

  Her body exploded against his, her hips grinding hard against him as she shuddered once, twice and a third time. He arched his back and yellow sunlight spilled over him. Her hands landed on his chest, her thumb tracing the length of the jagged scar. She delighted in the way his prickly chest hair felt against her, the way he looked down at her with his sultry eyes—usually so clear green, now clouded with desire.

  Sweat glistened on his neck, his chest, his biceps as sunbeams kissed his olive skin, burning an image that would forever belong to only her. His climax followed hers. As the final spasm rocked him, he came down. His face nestled in the side of her neck, his breath hot on her skin as he panted.

  Skye knew then he had completely shattered her.

  Her fingers traced the length of his spine, running over every vertebrae. Achy and exhausted, she sighed contentment. She could sleep here, in this pile of hay with this man blanketing her. Clutching her, he rolled to his back. She snuggled against him, her head on his shoulder and one hand on his chest.

  “Dane?”

  “Hm?” He trailed a hand up her arm, raising gooseflesh in his wake.

  “How do you know Ben won’t use the time bender?”

  “I don’t.”

  She loved the way his baritone voice rumbled around in his chest under her ear. She flattened her palm, feeling his heart beat. “And how do you know he won’t alter time somehow?”

  “I don’t,” he said again.

  “And you gave it to him anyway.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Did you warn him not to pu
sh the button?”

  His hand stilled. “Why would I do that?”

  Impossible man. She huffed out a breath and tried to remain calm. “So he doesn’t go gallivanting through time.”

  “I didn’t warn him nor do I plan to.”

  “Why not?” she demanded.

  “Because that one your father gave us won’t work again.”

  “You sound like you know that for sure.”

  “I do. I took out the microchip.”

  She blinked, confused. “There’s a microchip?”

  “Probably how the thing works. Who knows? I’m not the Science Guy.”

  She sat up, meeting his gaze, and she could tell in his hardened expression he had every intention of keeping them there. “You were serious when you said you wanted to stop running.”

  “Yes.”

  She laid her head back on his shoulder, contemplating this new development. She had trouble envisioning her being the little woman on the farm while Dane worked the fields. She sighed. She should be angry with him, but somehow, she wasn’t.

  “I guess we have no choice but to ride away, then, huh?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  And make a life together. That’s what he said. Did that mean marriage?

  “Dane?”

  “Yes, Skye?”

  “I love you.”

  “I know.”

  * * *

  Dane led Sugar outside the barn and they both stopped, as if to take one last look around the little farm belonging to a sheriff and his three kids. Ben came out of the house, trailed by Lara. Skye knew he told his youngest goodbye so he could ride to the Harrison farm. Lara hugged her father’s leg and he patted her golden halo of hair before walking toward the barn, the girl still following him.

  “I guess this is it, folks.” He paused in front of them.

  “Thanks for everything.” Dane stuck out his hand and Ben grasped it.

  “You’re welcome.” He held up the time bender. “And thanks for this. You think I could get a small fortune for it, huh?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  The sun glinted off the bender and Lara stared at it. She held up her hand. “Pa, can I see?”

  Skye laced her fingers with Dane’s, watching as Ben gave her the bender. She still wasn’t certain giving it up was the best idea, nor was she certain Dane really had made sure it was broken and wouldn’t work again.

  Lara spun the dial on the bender and Skye bit her lip to keep from shouting no.

  “You’re right. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “And you probably never will again,” Dane said with a grin. “Goodbye, Sheriff Williams.”

  She couldn’t stop watching the little girl holding the time bender.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “As I’ll ever be.” But really she wanted to tell him no and try to talk him out of it one more time.

  Dane helped Skye onto the horse before settling into the saddle behind her. She saw Lara’s thumb hover over the little black button.

  “Lara, don’t—”

  But before she finished, Lara pushed it.

  Skye squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable, but nothing happened. No blinding lights, no nothing. Dane gripped the reins in his hands.

  “You see?” he whispered in her ear.

  Dane had told her the truth—he had taken the chip out. And maybe this time bender wouldn’t have worked like the other one. Maybe they would have been stranded there—

  The wind picked up around them, her hair blowing in her face. The temperature dropped to almost bone-chilling. Skye tucked the wayward locks behind her ear, struggling to get it under control and shivered. Dark ominous clouds formed in the sky, moving in fast, as if a thunderstorm was suddenly upon them.

  “Looks like rain,” Ben said.

  Directly in front of them, a blinding flash seemed to part the air, ripping a gaping hole before them. It grew wider and closer. Her gut told her this had nothing to do with the time bender. This was something more powerful. Skye glanced down at the little girl who looked away from the bright light and met her gaze.

  “It’s time.”

  Somehow, over the din, she could hear Lara’s small voice.

  The light enveloped the four of them and suddenly it felt as though they were being torn limb from limb. Skye gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, the spark bursting against her eyelids. The horse had suddenly disappeared and a yawning black chasm cracked the solid earth beneath them. She felt Dane’s arms wrap around her waist, holding her tight.

  The familiar sensation overtook her and Skye sucked in a sharp breath as they began to free-fall. Fear shook her, vibrating her very limbs and she fisted Dane’s shirt in her hands.

  They crashed through the gateway, falling into the depths of time. Despite her attempts to hold on to Dane, she was ripped from him. She had never been able to stay with him during their jump through time. This time was no different.

  Her arms flailed, her heart was in her throat. She thought her stomach would turn inside out. Wind rushed past her face, through her hair, tangling it. She opened her eyes, saw Dane as a mere blur next to her and scrambled to reach for him.

  His arm crashed into hers, their hands fumbling. She saw his mouth moving, but couldn’t hear him. Their hands collided. She tried to grip him. But then, suddenly, he wasn’t there anymore. He had disappeared.

  She opened her mouth to scream, to shout his name. Anything. But nothing came out. Her vocal cords seemed frozen. Glancing down, she saw a patch of green spread beneath her feet. Her limbs stiffened as she prepared for the landing.

  The blurry green surrounded her now. She felt a cold wisp of air on her face. She sucked in a sharp breath as the world took shape around her. Still she couldn’t find Dane. Large grayish blobs appeared to her left and to her right. She couldn’t decide what they were.

  Now the ground was large, fast approaching. She sucked in a deep breath…and hit the earth, jarring every bone in her body. Her skull ached, but her wild ride wasn’t over. She had landed on a slope and rolled down it, acutely aware of every rock and stick jabbing her on the way.

  When she finally came to a rest, she lay there, immobilized, taking mental inventory of her body. Everything hurt. Her teeth, her hair, her arms, her legs. Her back shouted in agony. Her head throbbed worse than any hangover she’d ever had. She blinked her eyes, trying to focus, but the world still spun out of control.

  Her hand fisted in the cool grass at her side. She felt dirt slip under her nails. As long as she was alive. She wondered where Dane was, if he was all right.

  Overhead, the sky came into focus at last. A brilliant blue sky with the bright orange ball of the sun as it dipped toward the horizon.

  Good God.

  None of the jumps she and Dane had been through felt like that. The time bender hadn’t brought them here. She was sure of that. So if it hadn’t, what—or who—had?

  Slowly, she sat up, her head throbbing so hard she didn’t want to keep her eyes open. But she forced herself and found she sat on a slope at the foot of a copse of trees. The lush green landscape was oddly familiar and yet…so different. It reminded her a bit of thirteenth-century Scotland. She half expected William Wallace to appear at any moment.

  Rolling green hills, a forest of trees behind her…and not a soul in sight. A faint bone-chilling wind rustled the leaves and she gripped her elbows, warding off a shiver. She wished she had warmer clothing.

  Feeling a bit stronger, she struggled to her feet. Through the green, there seemed to be a path. Looking left and right, she couldn’t decide which way to go. And where the hell was Dane?

  “Dane?” Her voice sounded odd in the cold air. “Where are you?”

  Nothing. Not even a peep.

  She could hear someone whistling an unknown tune on the wind and turned. In the distance, an old man with a long white beard hobbled down the path holding a walking stick. He wore a knee-length tunic, a hooded cloak a
nd what looked like soft-soled shoes. Skye wondered how he wasn’t freezing to death in his thin garb.

  “Hey, there!” Skye waved and headed toward the man. As she neared, she could make out more about the man. He had some sort of bottle or gourd at his side, and an axe head on his belt.

  He spotted her and paused, tilting his head to one side and looking her up and down. He had the most haunting blue eyes she’d ever seen. She plastered her best smile, though it was difficult in the cold as her teeth wanted to chatter.

  “Hi!” she greeted, trying not to shiver. “I was wondering if you could help me.”

  “You are not of this land,” he said. “Curious.”

  “Um…I’m sort of lost.”

  “Your speech is strange, too.” He stepped closer to her, leaning in to her face and sniffing her. “You smell of mint.”

  “Mint?” Now that was just crazy. How could she smell of mint? All she could smell was the cold, damp earth around her. “Right. Listen—”

  “I must bring you to the chieftain.”

  Oh, great. Are we doing that again?

  Her last experience with a chieftain wasn’t exactly a happy memory. She ended up being dragged half-naked up a frozen mountain and almost sacrificed.

  “Um…right…about that. I’m kind of in a rush. I’m looking for someone. Maybe you’ve seen him? He’s tall with black hair and these incredibly piercing green eyes, and—”

  “I have seen no such person. You must come with me now.” He took her by the arm.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  For an elderly man, he seemed rather spry and he was definitely stronger than he looked. Even though she knew it was pointless to argue, she’d had enough of pushy men.

  Besides, she really needed to find Dane. She didn’t like being separated from him. He was her rock.

  “You must come now.”

  He placed his hand on her forehead, his cool fingertips pressing into her skin.

  “What are you…?”

  But her words faded as her eyes refused to stay open. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and she couldn’t fight it. Blackness consumed her as she passed out.