He stiffened at that thought. His affinity for Annie was more than a desire to be with another person from his own time, but he wasn’t ready to examine how much deeper those feelings went.
“Tell me how you started your business.” Annie arched her back and settled more firmly against the tree and closer to him.
He welcomed her question. Much safer than the direction his thoughts had taken.
He turned down the lantern’s wick, allowing the forest night to close around them.
She shivered slightly and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Better?”
Annie didn’t exactly snuggle into him, but she didn’t shy away either. “Yes. Thanks,” she said. “So…about your business?”
Luke relaxed and considered the question. “I followed in my father’s footsteps.”
She cocked her head, giving him a sidelong glance. “I thought you owned Maxwell Development.”
“I do,” he said. “My father retired a couple of years ago, handing the business over to me. Although, he still dabbles with new purchases occasionally. After I took control, I expanded to include property management. The two facets of the company have blended well. It’s been quite profitable and kept me very busy.”
“Not so busy as to keep your name out of the society section of the newspaper.” Her tone seemed cynical.
He inwardly cringed at the public interest in his social life. Wealth came with a price. A backhanded way of getting free advertising, but he detested having his privacy invaded. He was intrigued she’d followed him in the papers. “I didn’t realize you were interested. You’re not jealous, are you?”
“Not me,” she said. “But I have co-workers who love to gossip about Idaho’s most eligible bachelor.”
He chuckled to cover a twinge of disappointment at her admission. “Well, I’m sure I’m not in the news anymore.”
Annie moved, her arm brushing softly along his side. “I wonder if anyone misses us?”
“How can we be missed when we haven’t been born yet?”
She groaned and shook her head. Silky tresses caressed his forearm triggering a tightening in his groin. “It’s mind-bending, isn’t it?”
“Only if you try to analyze it,” he said, concentrating on her words and not her body. “Until you arrived, I had no one to talk to. I’ve had a hard time keeping the most significant event of my entire life a secret.”
“Then I’m glad I could help.” She relaxed against his arm and sighed. “At least my grandfather won’t miss me.”
“Tell me about him,” Luke prompted. He found that he really liked the sound of her voice, the way it floated from her lips in a soothing cadence.
“He raised me after my parents died in a car accident,” she said. “I was very young and don’t remember much about them. For as long as I can remember, it was just Grandpa and me. When I look back on it now, it must have been hard for him to raise a young girl on his own.”
“What happened to your grandmother?” Luke asked.
“She was in the car with my parents. Grandpa hardly talked about her. He must have missed her a lot. The stories I remember most were those of his father and this place. It was very special to him.”
“Do you know why he didn’t go through with the property sale to my father ten years ago?”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t until after he died that I learned he’d intended to sell. Maybe he didn’t know a fair price to ask.”
“He would’ve had the land appraised.” Luke couldn’t imagine having ownership of so much property and not knowing its value.
“I don’t know. Something must have changed his mind. Perhaps he just wanted to keep it.”
“Why did you sell?”
Annie stiffened, almost as though she was unwilling to answer.
He knew she regretted her decision. Maybe he shouldn’t press her. Then she spoke, surprising him again by her candor and honesty.
“I didn’t have a choice. I knew money was tight while Grandpa was alive, but after he died, it got worse. Then the tax notice arrived.” She shrugged. “I couldn’t afford to keep the property.”
****
Emotions warred within her. Luke’s questions stirred up harsh memories Annie wanted to forget.
Yet his arm draped casually along her shoulder sent new sensations racing through her. Sensations she wanted to explore and ignore at the same time. She was out of her league when it came to men like Luke Maxwell. Her simplistic lifestyle couldn’t compare to his sophistication.
“That’s when you called me?” he asked.
“Yes.” She forced herself to focus on what she’d learned in the days following her grandfather’s death. Although painful, these memories were safer than the feelings she was beginning to have for Luke.
“The day after the funeral, I discovered an envelope. Inside was a letter clipped to the property deeds. The letter was written by Paul Crawford. It outlined how the White Rock mine went bust. Afterward, many of the residents left the area and Paul bought up most of the property.”
“Why would he do that?” Luke asked.
She shrugged. “In the letter, Paul described a vision of reopening the mine and seeing families return to a prosperous town.” Annie sighed. She could understand Paul’s desire. The White Rock she saw today was thriving with a promising future.
“But that didn’t happen.”
“No.” She continued, “A fire started in the livery. A severe drought that summer had dried up the creeks and the townsfolk couldn’t put out the fire. It spread from house to house. Most of them burned to the ground. Only the mill survived, but not without scorch marks to commemorate the fateful event.”
Luke cleared his throat. “I knew fire destroyed the town, but I didn’t realize that it had actually stood a chance of becoming a contributing township.”
“Paul’s dreams literally went up in flames. In his letter, he said the promise of better-paying jobs in Boise and growing logging communities lured most of the youth away. That’s when he chose to leave too. The orchards, the mine, their hopes—all abandoned.” She couldn’t help the slight catch in her voice.
Until she had found the deed buried in a trunk with her grandfather’s keepsakes, she’d never known he owned the property. When they visited the valley on picnics, he’d never told her the property belonged to him—only that his family had lived in the old town.
Finding those papers had been an answer to a prayer. The sale paid off debts her grandfather had incurred and gave her a nest egg to build a retirement. If she managed it carefully, there would be enough money left over to buy a home of her own, someday.
Except that dream was lost, too. She was living in the very past she’d sold. This was her punishment for giving up her heritage.
Luke’s arm tightened around her shoulder. “You’ve gone quiet. What are you thinking?”
She sighed. “I’ve been unfair to you.”
He straightened and looked at her. “Why would you think that?”
“You’ve been so nice to me since I got here. I thought you were the one being punished for this situation.” She hurried on to explain. “You were going to tear down everything. I thought maybe fate was teaching you a lesson. Instead, it’s me who needed the lesson.”
“What have you learned?”
“I sold the property. I sold the town, without coming back to see for myself what I was giving up. I should have at least visited before I signed everything away.”
“I think we’re both learning from this. You can’t blame me for what’s happened any more than I can blame you.”
Luke reached over and cupped her face in his hand. A shiver traced down her spine. She leaned into his palm.
“Forgive me for what I said the other day?” he whispered. “I was wrong.”
Her breath caught in her throat and she could only nod.
Then as black as the forest night was, it grew darker when Luke’s head descended toward hers.
Delicately, his lips brushed hers.
Her mouth moved under his, accepting his kiss with a fervor she’d never experienced before. Maybe it was the magic of the night. Maybe it was their shared connection. She didn’t care. This man filled her mind.
Blood surged wildly through her veins. Her world spun. It wasn’t the same as the vertigo she’d experienced earlier, but something stronger, sweeter. Everything fell away, leaving only the two of them.
He must have sensed her surrender. He gathered her in, crushing her body against his.
She gripped his shoulders and her lips parted under his. The velvet sweep of his tongue seared straight to her center. She’d wanted this—wanted him from the first time he’d kissed her. Perhaps even before that.
She slid to the ground, taking Luke with her.
His weight descended over her like a leaf settling to the earth.
Her hands slid through his thick hair, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepened, awash in need and heat. Doubt and fear gave way to desire and hunger.
Wriggling beneath him, her breasts flattened against his chest. She couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.
A moan of protest escaped her lips when he lifted away. But he didn’t go far. With deft expertise, he unbuttoned the bodice of her dress.
The forest night cooled her heated skin while his gentle fingers traced fire along the trim of her chemise. His hand closed over her breast and she arched into his touch.
This was right. He was right.
Chapter Ten
Luke had no idea what came over him. One moment he and Annie were having a pleasant conversation, under the pine tree, awaiting a return to their own time, and the next he was touching her, kissing her, reveling in her womanly softness.
Had it not been for the miles of dress material, he would’ve taken her right there on the forest floor. Reaching for more of her enticing body wasn’t as easy as it might have been if they were wearing modern clothing. The frustration of working around her skirt gave him a moment to rethink his actions.
This attraction between them had happened too quickly. Emotions crowded out reason and leaving him confused.
As he pulled back, Annie leaned into him. “No,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”
Between her breathy pants and addictive kisses, he nearly succumbed to the plea.
“Annie.” His voice, husky with desire, barely broke the silence of the night. He pulled her chemise over her breasts, concealing temptation. “Nothing’s going to happen tonight.”
The double meaning of his words weighted the air. Not only was it evident they wouldn’t return to their own time, but making love to her was bad idea.
The situation wasn’t right. He’d been driven by a primitive reaction to her as a woman and allowed his libido to take over. His desire to connect with something from his own time had pushed him to a place neither of them was ready to experience.
She wasn’t like other women. Selfishly taking advantage of her would strain, possibly even destroy their fragile relationship. When—if—they came together, it would be because she wanted to. Not because he seduced her in a weak moment.
The haze of passion cleared her eyes and she sat up to finish redressing.
He caught a flash of embarrassment on her face before she bent her head to her task.
He stood, taking a step away from the situation, both physically and mentally. “I shouldn’t have kissed you,” he said. “I didn’t expect this to happen.”
“Taking on more blame, Mr. Maxwell?”
He hadn’t known her long, but he could tell she was angry.
“Are you protecting my honor? Well, I’ll save you the trouble. I lost my virginity a long time ago.”
She’d completely misunderstood his reason for stopping. He wasn’t holding her to a double standard. Very few women her age were virgins. Yet the thought of another man touching her triggered an unexpected stab of jealousy.
“I’m sorry I’m not up to your expectations,” she said, clearly drawing the wrong conclusion from his silence. She stood and dusted off her dress. “Would you turn up the lantern so we can see our way home, please?”
He cleared his throat. “Annie, let me explain.” He couldn’t let her think he’d stopped the lovemaking because he didn’t want her. In fact, the opposite was true. Without understanding how, he realized he wanted Annie more than he dared admit. He wanted to see her face—to look in her eyes.
He twisted the wick on the lantern. The light destroyed any sense of intimacy.
“You don’t need to explain,” she said. “Your actions were clear enough.” Annie pivoted on her heel, her skirt flared out, brushing against his legs. She headed for the edge of the grove, her back stiff and proud.
Luke kicked at the dirt. Damn the woman!
****
Annie marched through tall grass toward the clearing at the top of the hill. Once she was out of the forest, she didn’t need the light to guide her. The moon had risen above the trees, bright and nearly full. The path into town was clearly visible.
Behind her, she heard the measured crunch of Luke’s footfalls. He didn’t seem in a hurry to catch up, which was good.
Anger and embarrassment roiled. This was much worse then her reaction to his first kiss. She’d practically thrown herself at him, begging him to make love to her.
Damn that man!
It was lust—a pure physical need—a need for connection. It had to be. If it wasn’t lust, then it was— She suddenly stopped. No. It was lust. She wouldn’t consider another explanation.
Anxious to put more distance between them, she started walking faster. She hardly knew Luke. She was nobody to him. Someone he wouldn’t have thought twice about if they’d been in their own time.
“Annie, wait.”
His entreaty gave her pause. By ignoring him, she could ignore her feelings. Feelings that had grown into something she didn’t recognize or fully comprehend. She needed time to figure things out. Without turning around, she continued down the hill.
As she reached the bottom, he caught up to her and grasped her elbow.
She spun out of his hold. Rounding on him she said, “You really don’t want to touch me again. You wouldn’t want me to get the wrong idea.”
He extinguished the lantern and the night closed in around them. “I’d like to explain.”
“No need. Your actions speak volumes. And frankly, Mr. Maxwell, you just aren’t my type.”
He jerked as though she’d slapped him. Good. Let him taste rejection. With his reputation, it was probably the first time.
“The moment caught me off guard,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re attractive. Things got out of hand. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Did he really think saying that made her feel better? She fisted her hands on her hips. “Well, forget it. If you want to pretend it didn’t happen, I can too.”
He hissed in a breath, his chest expanded at if it might explode. “Okay.” He blew out slowly. “This is not going well.”
“You think?” She laughed without any humor. “What isn’t going according to your plans? You lured me up to the grove so we could leap back to the future. I fell for it, like some stupid schoolgirl. Suddenly, you realize you’re stranded in 1891 with someone you don’t even want to seduce!”
“That’s not it at all.” He looked up at the stars, his throat working as he swallowed. “I know I messed up back there. All I can do is apologize. Please, Annie, I don’t want to argue. I just want to ask you one thing.”
She wiped damp palms against her dress, wary of what he might say next. “As long as it’s not about what happened on the hill.”
“It’s not. Exactly.”
“Good. I’d rather forget it.” She folded her arms across her chest, prepared to disagree with his request on principle alone. “What do you want?”
Luke looked down as he toed the dirt with his boot.
What
was he so afraid to ask her? “I’m listening.”
His gaze lifted almost cautiously. “Will you meet with me tomorrow night?”
She nearly choked at his audacity. “You’ve got to be joking. After we almost…the way you—” She shook her head and spun on her heel. “No.” Without a pause, she started marching toward the dark street.
In three long strides, Luke was beside her. This time he didn’t try to grab her arm. “Please. Hear me out. Our only chance of getting back to our time is to be together.”
She stopped and stared at him. Surely, he wasn’t serious. She was humiliated and he wanted to go out with her again? “No.”
He rushed on. “I promise there won’t be a repeat of tonight.”
Heat flared over her cheeks. A repeat of his kiss was exactly what she wanted. Her body ached for his touch. She squelched the unwelcome yearning. It was apparent he didn’t feel the same. She wasn’t about to throw herself at his feet. “I said no.”
“Please, Annie, we have to return home.”
Did they? If she stayed, she could save Elizabeth. She could protect the baby and her newfound family. Hadn’t she dreamed of moving on, of making a change in her life? So what if time travel hadn’t been part of the plan? Her life was headed a new and exciting direction. Wasn’t that what she wanted?
She hesitated, realizing if she accepted her current situation, she’d allow these bizarre circumstances to dictate her life. She wouldn’t be in charge of her own future.
She’d gone to the grove with Luke tonight because she wanted control over her destiny. He was right. Returning to her life—her own time—was the only way she’d define her choices. She didn’t belong in White Rock any more than she belonged in Luke Maxwell’s arms.
Leaving Elizabeth would be hard. She’d come to love the woman who was her great-great grandmother. Yet if what Luke said was true, she wouldn’t be able to stop Elizabeth from dying. Her heart cracked at the thought.
Maybe it was better not to be here when the tragedy happened. Once she returned to her own time, she could leave Boise. Leave her old life behind. She’d start over while Luke disappeared into his world of wealth and privilege.
Lightning Only Strikes Twice Page 13