An Original Sin (24 page)

“What did I say last night, Leith?”

“Before or after ye danced on the table? ’Twas wondrously entertaining.”

Groaning, she slapped at him. He caught her hand in his and slowly brought it to his lips. Her breath caught as she held his hot gaze. Gently his lips brushed the inside of her wrist. The flutter in her stomach grew, and she placed her other hand protectively over it.

Immediate concern filled his eyes. “Do ye feel sick, lass?”

She grasped the easy out. Nodding, she broke eye contact.

He put the tray on her lap. “Ye’ll feel better once ye’ve eaten. ’Tis the empty stomach making ye feel poorly.”

Picking up the juice, she took a careful sip. “I’ll try. After all, who’d know better than you how to combat excesses?”

He grinned and helped himself to a piece of bacon. “Ye must toughen up, lass, if ye expect to live in this time.”

She put the glass down and studied him. “You think we’ll be here for a long time, don’t you?”

His expression turned serious. “I dinna know. Ye think forces will send ye back as soon as ye convince a man to go wi’ ye. I think I’ll be sent back when I’ve done suitable penance.” He shrugged. “Mayhap we’re both wrong. Who can guess what the Fates have planned for us?”

Could he be right? No, she was sure why she’d been sent here. There could be no other reason. One thing still niggled at her consciousness, though. If she was supposed to bring Leith back with her, why hadn’t she been sent directly to his time? Why had
he
been sent to this time? At first she’d believed this was a sort of halfway house, but now she wasn’t sure. It would’ve saved a lot of wear and tear on everyone if cosmic forces had just sent Leith directly to the year 2300.

Her head hurt too much to think. Besides, if she were honest, she didn’t want to consider anything right now that confused her. She was already confused enough by her feelings for Leith. “I’ll eat quickly so we’re not too late for work.”

“Dinna hurry. I called Mary and told her we’d be late.”

“OK, but it won’t take me long—”

He placed his finger gently against her lips. “Shush. We must talk.”

She stared up at his somber expression. “About what?”

“Ganymede.”

“Ganymede?” Now would be a nice time to throw a tantrum.
I want to talk about us. Us
!

Instead, she stared at Leith with stoic resignation.
There can’t be an
us.
Ever.

Did I blow it, or what? This is what I get for messin’ with humans. They’re emotional time bombs. Least little thing and they go off like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

So what happens? I’m around them for a week—a week, for cryin’ out loud—and I start actin’ like them. You’d think a couple of thousand years woulda made me a little smarter.

I take that back. Sure, I’m smart, but I have feelings just like every other guy. OK, maybe not
exactly
like every other guy.

Yeah, yeah, so I lost my temper with that ice-cream jerk. And when Leith took me out of the action, well, it made me mad. That’s when I made my biggest mistake. I let him look into my eyes, and he saw the real me. Major blip in my brain wave.

I never have these problems with my other operations. Hey, it’s hard to get emotional over a sandstorm.

Wonder what they’ll do? Who gives a damn? I’m still the man in command. I’m hangin’ in till the end. Every time they look around, I’ll be there. Every time they open a door, I’ll be there. Hmm, sounds sorta like a song title.

I still have a deadline. Only two more weeks to make it happen, but I’m gettin’ close.

Then there’s our I’m-so-dumb-I-don’t-know-when-to-cut-and-run ice-cream man. He’ll be back, and I want a piece of
him.

I’m not gonna make it easy for Fortune and Leith. I’ll sit right here on their bed while they decide what to do. Then I’ll decide what
I’m
gonna do.

Leith read Fortune’s reluctance to discuss Ganymede in her eyes. Maybe he should wait to talk about the cat.

But if he didn’t think about Ganymede, then he’d be forced to think about Fortune—how she’d looked last night, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, how even when she was sick as a dog he’d found her lovable.
Lovable.
He didn’t want to think of love and Fortune in the same breath.

It would take no more than two weeks to finish his work for Mary; then he’d return to Scotland and fall in love with some Highland lass, just as he’d always planned. For the first time in his life, the thought of a Highland lass in his bed brought no feeling of joy, anticipation.

But he had no future with Fortune. Love with Fortune would simply mean going back to her world, and that he would never do.

What if they stayed here? If they found no way to return to their times, then what? He shook his head. There could be no what-ifs. He
must
return to make his peace with Hugh, to help his brother make peace with himself. Beyond Hugh, there was his clan. The Campbells needed him, and he owed them his loyalty. Besides, with the knowledge he’d found on the Internet, he might be able to improve their lives, even if only in a small way.

“OK, let’s talk about Ganymede.” The set of her mouth indicated her unwillingness to believe what he was about to say.

He drew in a deep breath, strengthening himself for what he must tell her. “Fortune, I think yer cosmic force is sitting at the foot of yer bed cleaning his whiskers.”

“You’re joking.” She didn’t smile.

“I wouldna joke about this. When I took Ganymede from the roof of the truck, I looked into his eyes. I saw there a power that…frightened me.” Putting his fears
into words sounded foolish in the bright light of morning. Fortune would laugh.

She didn’t laugh. “How do you see power in someone’s eyes? You’ve been under a lot of stress, maybe—”

“I know what I saw, lass.” He stopped and raked his fingers through his hair. Losing his patience wouldn’t accomplish anything. “There was more. When I reached the truck, a wave of heat pushed me back. The cursed truck had begun to glow red. I didna imagine that.”

Fortune still looked doubtful. “I don’t know…”

“Think, Fortune. Has he ever acted like an ordinary cat? Do ye truly believe him a stray?”

For the first time, he saw fear touch her eyes. “Come to think of it, when I woke up in that rest-over room, Ganymede wasn’t there, because I remember looking at the bureau. And the door was shut, so he couldn’t have wandered in. But when I looked back a minute later, he was there.”

Leith nodded. He glanced at the last piece of bacon, but for some reason his appetite had fled.

“What is he, Leith?” Her question was hushed. She glanced nervously at the foot of the bed, where Ganymede watched them with unblinking amber eyes. “Should we be discussing this in front of him?”

Leith smiled and shook his head. “I dinna think it matters where we discuss him. He’ll know.”

Fortune closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they glistened with tears. “Should we…get rid of him?”

Leith had no idea why he saw humor in this situation. “We havena had much luck in getting rid of the wee beastie so far. What makes ye think we can do so now?”

Fortune didn’t share his humor. “I want a serious answer. What do you think we should do with him?”

Leith took a long moment before answering. What
did
he think? How did he really feel about Ganymede? His decision surprised him. “I think we should keep him. I dinna know who or what he is, and I dinna know what part he has played in all this, but he has proved a brave friend when we needed one. One doesna get rid of a friend.” He smiled. “Besides, if the wee dev il brought us here, ’twould be wise to keep him near. Mayhap we can ply him wi’ food to win his favor.”

She smiled weakly. “That shouldn’t be hard. I think we should keep him, too. He kind of feels like family.” She shrugged. “But what would I know about family?”

“Ye have a mother.” He held a finger to her lips when she would’ve interrupted. “I ken that ye and yer mother havena been close, but she’s still yer mum, and ye must love her or she wouldna have the power to hurt ye.”

“I…I don’t even think of her anymore.” She glanced away from him.

He smiled gently. “I think I’ve told ye before that ye dinna lie well.” Placing his hand beneath her chin, he tipped her face up to meet his gaze. “We canna choose our families, and our families are not always what we’d wish, but they are still our families. They will always hold a part of our hearts.”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

“Time doesna change the human heart. I understand yer feelings for yer mother because of Hugh.” Would speaking of his brother never grow easier? “I canna forget what he did at Glencoe, but I also canna forget that he raised me, kept me safe. He is still my brother, and I love him.”

He nodded toward Ganymede, who gazed back at them with unblinking intensity. “ ’Tis the same wi’ the wee beastie. It doesna matter what he’s done. Ganymede is part of our family, and he will stay wi’ us.”

Emotion flooded him. Perhaps he was being given
another chance, a chance to defend his second family when he’d failed so dismally with his first.

Her smile was one he’d remember, no matter how old he grew. On a chill Highland night when the mist drifted in from the sea, he’d see her smile in the flames of the fire that warmed his old bones, and she’d be there in his memory.

“You’re right. You and Ganymede are family to me and…and dammit, we’ll stick together.”

He couldn’t help it; he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She lifted her face, and he transferred his lips to her mouth. She tasted of orange juice and warm woman, a combination he found irresistible.

He’d just begun to deepen his kiss when a knock came at the front door. With a groan of frustration, he pulled away. Her lips, swollen from his kiss, tempted him back, but he couldn’t ignore the renewed pounding. “Ye can get ready whilst I see who is at the door.” He couldn’t look at her again or else he might leave their visitor banging at the door forever.

Fortune watched him leave and softly close the bedroom door behind him.

Now that she was alone, the silence gathered around her as she forced herself to look at Ganymede, who still crouched at the foot of the bed. For a moment fear intruded, but she pushed it away. “I feel sort of silly calling you kitty, but old habits die hard.”

At the sound of her voice, Ganymede rose and crept over the covers toward her. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and scratched behind his ears. “Who are you, kitty? Where did you come from? What have you done?”

Ganymede met her gaze, and she looked into amber eyes that reflected…nothing. So what had she expected, a demon’s evil glare? Ganymede curled into a ball against her side and began to purr. Releasing her fear, she listened
to the sound of the front door closing and Leith’s returning footsteps.

He flung open the bedroom door and hurried to her side. Embracing her in a bear hug, he nuzzled the side of her neck. “Blade brought the money from my check, and he also brought a great many things he said ye could use for creating sculptures.”

She laughed at his exuberance, and he tickled her. Squealing her dismay, she rolled away from him, but he followed. Pulling her on top of him, he tangled his hands in her hair and kissed her hard. “Blade said he talked to some people who can get us new identities, but ’twill cost money. Mayhap we should talk to Mary. She’s the only one who understands our need.”

Catching her breath after his kiss, she lay still atop him, content to remain there all day, if that were feasible. “What Blade intends to do is illegal; I know it is.”
What you do to me should be illegal.

Rolling to the side, he took her with him, still clasped in his arms. “Lass, we must survive in this time. And we canna survive wi’out identification. We canna get a license to drive a vehicle, nor can we cash a check.”

She watched his gaze drift away from her. “I spoke wi’ Blade, and he said we canna leave this country wi’out a passport. And for this we need identification.”

She grew still beside him. “Leave the country? Why would we leave the country?”

He looked at her, and she couldn’t meet his gaze. “If we dinna return to our own time, then I would choose to live out my life in Scotland.” His smile slid across her heart, leaving a trail of sadness. “All those I know will be gone.”

He looked at her, but she knew he didn’t see her.
All those I know.
She knew he thought of his brother, and her heart ached for him. What must it feel like to love that deeply?

“But the land will remain. I must see the Highlands again—the hills, the lochs, the heather.”

“I understand.” Where would this leave her? Would she have to go home by herself while he stood atop some hill in Scotland, his dark hair whipping tangles around the savage beauty of his face? Would he think of her?

“Aye, and ye’ll come wi’ me, lass.” His gaze was intense, searching. “If ye still remain in this time.”

Heartlessly, she trampled her sudden burst of joy that he’d want her to stay with him. It didn’t matter, didn’t matter at all. “Do you really believe we’ll stay in this time?” Her question was a harsh whisper.

He stared at her for endless moments, then shook his head. “Nay. The powers wouldna be so forgetful. ’Twill take me no more than two weeks to finish my work wi’ Mary. Then…” He shrugged.

Panic stirred. For the first time she forced herself to face squarely the realization that she’d lose him, and not in some nebulous future, but soon, too soon. “No. Two weeks isn’t nearly enough. You were supposed to teach me the joys of love. OK, I’ve had a few giggles, but it’s not in the
joy
category yet. We need a lot more time to work on the joy part.”

His smile was tinged with sadness. “Ye’re trying to pretend, as I was, that this willna end. But ’twill.”

She could only nod.

“When will ye make plans to take a man back wi’ ye?” His gaze searched her soul. “Or mayhap ye’ve aleady made yer plans and need only capture yer…victim.”

“You do have a talent for melodrama, Leith.” Her cool words covered the heat of denial, a denial that was false. He was right. She had to take a man back with her, and cosmic forces had chosen Leith. But why,
why
out of all the women in the world had they chosen her for this job? She’d thought she knew the answer to that question at the
beginning. But now? Mentally she might be diamond hard, but emotionally…? Emotionally she was powdered talc, blowing away in a firestorm of feelings she didn’t understand.

So what would she do? Whether she returned home with Leith or a dozen substitutes, she’d still return alone. Alone with her guilt, her memories. Alone to live out her life making fake men who would all probably end up looking like Leith, but would never even come close to
being
Leith.

“Let’s talk about this later, when I’ve recovered from last night.” She knew her smile was wan. “Besides, Mary will wonder where we are.”
Mary doesn’t give a dingdong what time we come to work.
When had she become such a coward?

After such a strange beginning, the week had improved considerably. Fortune felt like singing and…dancing. Yes, like dancing. She’d never tried to dance before. Humming a little tune, she took a few skipping steps in time to the rhythm.

Leith glanced at her. “And what are ye so happy about, lass?”

She punched him playfully in the side. “Lighten up, Campbell. The last few days have been wonderful. Ganymede decided to stay home, the writing went great, and now we get to shop.” She flung her arms in the air to encompass the mall they’d been strolling through for the last five minutes.

“Buying things. ’Tis what a woman does best.” Smiling, he reached down to clasp her hand in his. Pausing for a moment, he gazed into a store window. “ ’Twould take me a lifetime to understand all that I see.”

“Umm.” She leaned forward to study the objects in the
display. CDs. Music. Blade had loaned them a combination radio and CD player. “Maybe I’ll look around.”

“Dinna hurry.” His attention had already shifted to a display of knives in the next window.

With the help of a salesman, it didn’t take her long to make her purchase; then she left the store to rejoin Leith.

“What did ye buy?”

He pulled her hand into the warmth of his again, and she suddenly realized she was happy.
Happy. Go figure.
“It’s a surprise. You’ll find out when we get home.”