She grinned at him. “I can’t promise anything.” But these feelings she experienced, they were more than friendship, more than lust. This was something bigger than both of them. She wasn’t sure she could keep it inside for much longer.
He took the amulet in his hand, staring at it with a perplexed expression on his face. “Carl should be along tomorrow,” he said.
“I wonder where we’ll leap next.”
Reece removed the amulet from around his neck and put it in Lara’s hand.
“You wear this in case we aren’t together when he arrives. It’s more important for you to get away.”
Panic filled Lara’s chest.“What do you mean in case we aren’t together? I can’t leave without you.”
“I’ll teach you the hieroglyphics on the pendant, so you can recite them,” he said.
She pushed the amulet back into his hand. “No,” she said, “I won’t go without you. You keep it.”
“Lara, this is for your own safety. You can’t worry about me. I want you to have the amulet. Now, repeat the chant after me until you know it by heart.”
“I won’t.”
Lara scurried to her feet and moved away from him so he couldn’t force her to take the amulet.
“I’ll do everything I can to be with you when you leap, sweetheart, but my objective is to keep you safe. Do you understand? Take the amulet.” He climbed to his feet and moved to stand behind her. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder, holding the amulet out in front of her. “Please, Lara. Wear it for me.”
“Fine,” she said, taking it and putting it on over her head, “but I won’t learn the chant. Then I know I can’t leave without you. We’re in this together.”
“That’s what I want too, but—”
“There is no but,” she said.
She turned to face him. She could see the worry in his intense hazel eyes.
Reece stroked her hair from her face. “If he catches you, he’ll take you back to make sure you are killed.”
“Why does he care so much?”
“He’s afraid of what changing the past will do to the future.”
Lara hesitated, wondering if she and Reece were messing up things that were meant to be. “He has a point.”
“Not as far as I’m concerned. You are the future. My future. Without you...” His voice cracked. “Please, baby, promise you’ll do whatever it takes to stay away from him. I can’t... I don’t ever want... Lara, you were dead.”
She wasn’t sure why tears were springing to her eyes, but she seriously needed to change the subject. Thinking about her own death. Knowing that if she went back to her own time, she had less than a year to live. It was too much for her to handle. She kind of regretted not knowing what that year she was missing entailed. In that year, she’d apparently fallen in love with Reece and they’d gotten engaged. Must have been one hell of good time. Well, except the murdered in a parking garage part. “You said you’d tell me about your marriage proposal sometime.”
He grinned, blushing. “We’ll save that for the day you admit you love me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She could admit it right now, but the thought terrified her. She rolled her eyes at him. “Like that will ever happen.”
“I think you’ll say it next time I make love to you.”
It never took them long to get back to this topic. “All we ever had in our relationship was sex. Is that about right?”
“No, we had other things. We share a love for history and adventure. I give a great massage. You make a fabulous Denver omelet. We have fun together.”
Well, that was true. Just being next to him was fun.
Currently, he was looking at her like a stud sniffing out a mare in heat, however. “I’m sorry I seem to be fixated with sex. I’ve had a very lonely, very horny eight months. I’ve been faithful to you, Lara, even when I leaped into a man with marital duties, I didn’t take advantage. I left behind a few angry wives and mistresses through the ages.”
“You should have given in. It wouldn’t have mattered to me one way or the other.”
He scowled. She’d hurt him. She could tell by the look on his face.
“It would have mattered to me,” he said. “I don’t fall in love easily and I fall out of love, not at all.”
Maybe he really did love her. Why else would he risk so much to try to save her? This wasn’t your regular save the damsel in distress situation. They were toying with the fabric of time here.
“I’m sure my future self is very happy you were faithful,” she admitted.
“I’m sure your future self thinks your current self needs to kiss me.”
She grinned. “I never listen to that crazy broad.”
“You should. She was pretty terrific.”
He bit his lip. It was strange to hear him speak of her in the past tense. A breeze picked up and Reece shivered.
“I think we should head home,” she said. “You need to get warmed up.”
“I guess I can’t convince you to warm me up.”
“Isn’t that how you got wet in the first place?”
“Come to think of it, it was. But I don’t want to leave just yet. We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. I just like being here with you. Just the two of us.”
“I like it, too,” she said. She was surprised by how easy it was to admit it.
“Can we stay a while longer then? I’ll try to control my involuntary shivering and get these goose bumps under control.”
He gave her a puppy dog look and though she knew he was manipulating her, she couldn’t resist.
“Well, since you asked so nicely,” she said. “And gave me jewelry.”
She lifted the amulet from her chest and looked down at it. She could feel the strangeness of it. It gave off the weirdest aura. Not malicious…just strange. Like something was tugging on it and it was tugging on her.
“Would you like some more wine?” he asked.
He took her hand and led her back to their little blanket.
“Sure.”
He handed her the wine flask and she took a sip before handing it back to him. He took a swig too, watching her examine the amulet as he drank.
“So what places and times has this amulet taken you?” she asked.
“I think I’ve been in every human war,” he told her. “Did you notice how this thing seems to transplant us in the most dangerous of situations?”
“I thought it was coincidence.”
“I don’t think so. It seems attracted to the most intense occurrences in people’s lives.”
“Did it always land you in a situation with a woman?” She denied the feeling in her chest was jealousy, though the feeling was becoming all too familiar.
He took her by the chin and she looked up from the amulet to his eyes. “Only when you’ve been with me.”
“But you said there were other women on your adventures.”
“They just happened to know the guy I leapt into.”
She lowered her eyes.
“You do care that I was faithful,” he teased.
She glanced up, her temper ignited. “Why would I care?”
He shrugged. “You tell me.”
“I...” She had a retort on the tip of her tongue, but when she met his eyes, she couldn’t say it. “I don’t know.”
His mouth brushed hers, surprising her into instant submission. He broke away, looking down into her eyes.
“Admit it. You wouldn’t want me to do that to any other woman.”