Timeless Love (11 page)

Last night had been the most incredible
experience of her short life so far. She sat up and rubbed her
eyes. The sheet fell away and she was nude. Catherine fell back on
the pillow and pulled the sheet and blankets up to her chin. How
had the evening ended on such a sour note? Joey pushed her away
emotionally and withdrew back into his protective shell.

She played their conversation over in her
mind. He was quite vexed about Lord Lampton and she could not
understand why. The man meant nothing to her. Hot tears clustered
in her exhausted eyes. Joey was absolutely correct. She had not
thought about the possibility of staying permanently. Looking
around the tiny bedroom she could see why. Her servants lived in
better conditions than these. Catherine gazed at the walls. While
they were freshly painted with a light green color, she could still
see the faint wallpaper pattern of large roses underneath. The
parlor had brown carpet in the center of the small room, but around
the perimeter badly scratched and scuffed hardwood was quite
evident. The prospect of living in a tiny hovel did not
appeal.

Catherine exhaled. That was not fair. Joey had
provided a roof over her head, food, and clothing since he found
her. Deep down to the very core of her soul she was frightened to
death of her uncertain future and her confused feelings. Catherine
knew in 1821 she never would have given Joey a second look. In her
world he would be a tenant farmer with a harried wife and five or
six squalling brats at his feet. Perhaps he would have worked in
the stables on a nearby estate.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around her
bent knees. In her vivid imagination he would be at best a footman
in her father's sprawling country manor, a man she would walk by
and barely give a glance except a momentary admiration of his
handsome countenance and his ability to fill out a footman's
uniform. She was a wretched, spoiled little miss. In her era she
never would have permitted any man in her bed before marriage. It
was not proper.

When she was around Joey, she did not want to
be proper. Catherine knew what they shared in this very bed was
barely scratching the surface of how they could be together. For
all her brave talk and courageous airs, the time had come to put
foolish hopes behind her. The carriage was still here and sitting
in a dark, abandoned mill.
Waiting, but for what?
She could
not move forward until it was proven to her absolutely she would
not be returning home. The only proof she would accept would be a
thunderstorm. If she had to wait until the following spring, then
so be it. Her fervent determination to return to her time was the
only thing preventing her from falling to pieces.

In the meantime, she had to face her feelings
for Joey Indelli. Catherine did not think one week in a man's
company would have her care quite this much. Did she go to bed with
him out of gratitude?
No, surely not.
For all her haughty
ways she did have a heart. She felt the strong bond holding them
fast, as if they had been embroidered together with fancy
stitching. Was the thread very strong? Would the tie snap easily if
they were parted or would the bond hold even across the mists of
time?

The fact Joey was tall and extremely handsome
was all well and good. He had rough edges and she found she liked
them. His vulnerability, however, made her heart ache. He tried so
valiantly to hide his emotions.

Catherine laid her head on knees. Did she love
him? It was all so very vexing.

****

Joey stood before Liam McGonagall like a
dirty-faced kid in the principal's office. He was sick of these
meetings. One time he didn't collect and he now he was made to feel
he was on probation.

McGonagall tapped his fingers. He then nodded
toward Jack who tossed Joey an envelope. He caught it in one hand.
"Your cut for the collections you made a couple of days ago. You're
up to date, except for McKeen. I don't like loose ends."

Joey gritted his teeth in irritation. "One guy
in six years of collecting hits the bricks and I'm to blame?
Besides, I said I’d find him."

McGonagall shrugged his shoulders, his fingers
still tapping. "Yeah, so you told me. You should have known he
would run. Anyway, we have a bead on the bum. As soon as we find
out where he is, you'll finish the job."

Jack laughed cruelly as he tossed Joey a
package of garbage bags.

"Here ya go 'Man from Glad', you'll need
these. Might need a saw, too."

McGonagall joined Jack's disdainful
laughter.

Joey clenched his fist, squeezing the package
of Glad bags. "Enough of this shit, you're telling me I'm to kill
the guy for running?"

The laughter stopped. McGonagall frowned.
"Indelli, you're not stupid. How did you think things worked around
here? You're one of my best collectors. You've been good these last
six years. No one ran out on you or didn't pay until now. No one
runs from me or I cut off the legs from under them. Understand
now?"

Beads of sweat broke out under Joey's
hairline. Yeah, he understood. He was fucked.

Chapter Eleven

Catherine heard the unmistakable roar of
Joey's motorcycle head up Alma Street to the parking lot for the
building. She stood. His boots pounded on the sidewalk. The key
slipped in the lock and Joey entered.

A wave of utter joy washed over her, she
wanted to run into his arms but pride kept her standing
still.

Joey carried a paper sack. She tried to
ascertain his mood, but his protective shutters were down. She
should offer him some lunch, but she only knew how to make
toast.

She smiled, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I
believe I can manage to boil water."

Joey shrugged out of his leather coat. "Sure.
Great."

Catherine walked to the nearby kitchen and
turned on the water tap and filled the kettle. She tentatively
plugged the appliance in. Electricity scared her and fascinated her
at the same time. A few days ago she had seen sparks when Joey had
plugged in the toaster implement, since then she had been
hesitant.

Five minutes later she walked out holding two
steaming mugs, coffee for Joey and hot chocolate for her. Joey sat
at the table. His long legs out straight and crossed at the ankles.
He took the mug.

"Thanks."

Catherine sat opposite him. "What is in the
sack or is it none of my business?"

Joey took a sip of the coffee and sat down the
mug. Reaching in the sack he pulled out a box and showed
her.

"It's a camera, a Kodak instamatic. I thought
you might like to take some pictures."

"Oh! I read about cameras in the book from the
lending library. One minute!" She jumped up and ran for the book.
Sitting back down, she flipped through the pages. "There! 'The
first Kodak camera was offered for sale in 1888'. It looks nothing
like the camera contraption you have."

"They made a lot of improvements. Here's the
film that loads inside. I bought flash bulbs too for indoor
pictures. Then you take the film to be developed at a camera store.
It usually takes a couple of days. They have cameras out now where
the picture develops right in front of you, but they're too
expensive. I thought we could go out this afternoon and take some
shots uptown. I would like to take your picture."

Catherine nodded. "I would like that, Joey.
Can you teach me how to use this? I would love to take your picture
too."

He smiled. The shutter holding his handsome
face in cool indifference lifted. There was the Joey she knew
intimately. His very fine eyes sparkled with amusement and his
sensual lips broke into a wide smile showing his perfect white
teeth.
Oh heavens, he was glorious.

"Yeah, sure. We'll go as soon as we finish our
drinks."

"Joey..." She didn't know how to start this
conversation. Perhaps she should not do so at this moment. Bringing
up the carriage and 1821 would only annoy him afresh and she did
not want to upset him at all. "Last night was truly wondrous. Do
you think? Is it possible for us to attempt lovemaking
again?"

Joey's smile quirked in amusement. "You liked
the sex then?"

"Very much." Catherine could feel the hot
blush warm her cheeks. "Very much indeed."

****

Cathy had the uncanny ability to allow him to
forget his troubles. The conversation with Liam McGonagall played
over and over again in his mind. He was in deep and he didn't know
how to get out of this mess. Should he run and take Cathy with him?
How? The only money he had was the envelope in his pocket. The
thought of placing her in danger turned his stomach. Maybe he could
reason with McGonagall, finish the job, and be cut loose. With any
luck he could get on at the sugar refinery or at Simms Brush
factory, drive a truck, something… anything but this.

How stupid and naive. Joey never expected he
would be called on to whack some idiot. How could he live with
himself after taking another person's life? Regardless of his
occupation, he wasn't some soulless bastard– thanks to the nuns at
St. Patrick's. The walls were closing in on him.
Maybe that
friggin' idiot, McKeen, had skipped town.

Joey glanced at Cathy sipping her hot
chocolate. All he wanted to do at this moment was bend her over the
table and fuck her until she screamed. He knew she'd like hard and
fast. His cock hardened and his skin burned. He needed her, wanted
her, and he loved her. His future was murky and dangerous and for
today he wanted to forget.

He held out his hand and Cathy slipped hers
into his. Joey brought her to her feet, held her face tenderly, and
kissed her. She tasted of sweet, sinful chocolate. Joey angled his
head for deeper possession. He plunged his tongue and tasted her
sweetness and her desire. Cathy gave in return a thousand
fold.

God, he couldn't get enough
. Her mouth
was hot, wet, splendid, and had him panting like he had run up a
hill. Joey moved one hand to the back of her head while the other
trailed down her back and cupped her ass bringing her in tight
against his hardness. She gasped out of the corner of her mouth and
then moaned. The groan was so damned sexy, the thread of control he
barely hung on to snapped. Joey pulled away from her lips and
luscious body and turned her to face the small table. Cathy was
wearing the tight dress he gave her on the first day. He grasped
her tiny waist and pulled her back against him. Her head fit
perfectly under his chin. He moved his hips, his cock teasing her
ass.

Joey leaned in and whispered, "Remember the
horses?"

He waited. Cathy gasped. "Joey." Her voice had
a sexy rasp which hardened him beyond any erection in his
life.

He bent her forward. "Grasp the table and hold
on."

His hands disappeared under the dress and he
lifted it past her waist. Only a pair of bikini underwear stood in
his way. He spread his hands over her round, shapely globes and
squeezed. His eyes fluttered shut. Her ass felt so good. One hand
slipped under her underwear and met hot juices. She was wet
already. Joey took a handful of the cotton underwear in one yank
and tore them. His eyes snapped open in momentary shock. Never did
that before. Throwing the underwear to the floor, Joey unzipped and
had his cock of out his jeans in seconds flat. Without further
thought or reason, he spread her ass cheeks and plunged his cock to
the hilt into her wet pussy.

Cathy cried out, not in pain but in lust. He
began to thrust and held nothing back. The mugs on the table moved
with each forceful hammering of his cock. Coffee and hot chocolate
splashed on the formica. Joey moved faster. Cathy braced herself
while spreading her legs further apart and moving her luscious ass
back to take him deeper. Her moans matched his. Sweat began to pour
down the side of his face from the exertion. He was fucking her and
he loved it.

Joey couldn't stop now for anything or anyone.
Cops could break the door down, McGonagall could show up with
garbage bags and a circular saw and still he wouldn't stop his
thrusts.

Joey could stay inside her forever.
Deep
.
Full
.
His
.

One mug tipped over and rolled off the table
hitting the linoleum and smashing into bits. The odor of spilt
coffee intermingled with sweat and musky sex.

"What am I doing, Cathy?" His husky growl
demanded.

"Oh...heavens!" She cried in between the
thrusts.

"Tell me!"

"You– You're… Fucking me!" She
screamed.

He was going to blow apart. The veins in his
neck were distended. The blood flowed hot and thick through his
whole body. He gritted his teeth while his potent thrusts
continued. Cathy cried out and then she climaxed. He kept going. He
could do this all night he was so far gone. So far gone common
sense and reason had long left him. Joey felt his cock and balls
tighten, he was about to blow and a minute later his semen spurted
out with such force he realized he didn't put on a
condom.

What had he done?

****