[English] LOVING ON BORROWED TIME (Tình Yêu Vay Mượn)

Loving on Borrowed Time
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Chapter 8

With both fists, Lara pummeled the wanna-be tin can who had yanked her off Reece’s horse and deposited her on his. When hitting him proved fruitless, she tried kicking him with both feet. Lara didn’t consider how she would respond if he actually let her go. The ground raced beneath them at a dizzying speed. If she fell, she probably wouldn’t survive. Especially since she was freakin’ naked. Again.

“Lady Eleanor,” her abductor’s voice reverberated from his helmet. “‘Tis I, Lord Abbot. Please, my lady, calm yourself. Your safety is now assured.”

“Put me down!” she demanded. At least they were all speaking English this time. Not American English. British English.

“Hush, my lady. Are you not chilled? Whatever happened to your gown? Did that blackguard dishonor you? I shall run him through with my sword and eat his kidneys in a pie.”

She had no idea what her relationship with Reece was. Lara had assumed that Reece would be her ally no matter where time took them, but perhaps they just leapt into a couple consisting of a naked woman and a man holding her. Maybe Reece was her enemy here. The very idea made her queasy. Or maybe it was the motion of the horse. Lara stopped pounding on unyielding metal long enough to say, “I am rather cold,” before she began pounding on Lord Abbot’s armor again. It made horrendous clanking sounds as she bashed at it until her hands were numb. They’d galloped quite a distance from where she had last seen Reece. The man holding her captive, or rescuing her—she couldn’t tell which—eventually drew his massive horse to a stop. He turned on his horse and pulled something from behind the saddle. It turned out to be a scratchy, yet warm, blanket. He wrapped Lara in the blanket and settled her more comfortably on the saddle in front of him.

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded.

“I’m taking you home, obviously. Did you get hit over the head?” The man removed one chain mail glove and ran his hand over her skull, checking for obvious lumps. She drew in a pained breath when he found one. “You’ve a nasty bump, my lady. Let’s make haste to the castle and get you some lanolin for the pain.”

“You’re the one who put that lump on my head when you yanked me off the other horse,” she spat. “I hit my head on your damned elbow.”

She looked up at him, not liking him one bit and not sure why. Maybe this knight was her savior, but she didn’t feel like he was. And she was worried about Reece. Fighting eight other soldiers alone were not good odds. Also, Reece had the amulet. If something happened to him, would she end up stuck here forever without him? No, Carl would eventually find her and make sure she returned to her own time to die. If Reece died here, was he really dead? Or would he just return to their time unharmed? She didn’t know the answer to that question. Frankly, did not want to entertain the thought. The thought of Reece dying made her heart race and her eyes burn.

“We can’t let him die,” she said, looking up at the helmeted man. She could see his eyes sparkling from within the helmet, but could not tell what color they were.

“Who?” Abbot’s voice echoed around in his helmet. He effortlessly guided his horse forward at a sedate walk. The other soldiers, Lara counted five of them, were hanging back a little, either embarrassed to see a high-class lady in nothing but a blanket or their ranks required it of them.

She tried to say Reece, knowing the true name of the knight would tumble from her lips instead, “Sir Ferguson.”

“I’m sure he’s already dead.”

A chill settled in Lara’s chest and it had nothing to do with the cool temperatures. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “He should not die for my sake.”

“You should feel no responsibility for his death. He is both a cad and a coward.”

Lara’s distress level grew incrementally by the second and she began to think she wasn’t the only one worried for his safety. This lady she shared a body with was highly distressed. And she didn’t like this tin can on a horse either. “We must go back for him.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Do you dare call yourself a chivalrous man and yet refuse a lady’s simple request? And what did Sir Ferguson do that was so terrible?”

There was a scrape of metal as the knight shifted his head to look down at her. “You really have experienced massive trauma to your wits, milady.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me, but I do believe you have just insulted me.”

“I would never insult a lady,” he claimed. She wasn’t sure if he was being sincere or sarcastic. Perhaps he was insinuating that she was not a lady.

“Then go back for him. Now!”

“I refuse,” he said, and kicked his horse into a gallop.

Lara leaned around the metal-plated arm of the knight and gazed behind them, hoping to see Reece dashing after them on a mighty steed. No such luck. Only the five depressed looking soldiers followed them. But what of the ones who had stayed behind to finish Reece off? Shouldn’t they have caught up with the group by now? Perhaps Reece was okay.

“But he has a piece of my jewelry,” Lara said, trying to reason with her captor/rescuer again. Or lie to him. Whatever worked. “One of your men might take it for himself and I’d be greatly embittered by its loss.”

“We are not going back after Reginald Ferguson, Eleanor. I’m not sure why you’d want to, seeing as he left your poor sister at the altar and kidnapped you in her place.”

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Why would a man kidnap his betrothed’s sister? Lara tried to put together a feasible explanation. She came up lacking.

“Why would he do that?” she asked.

Lord Abbot laughed. “Because no matter how much he wants you, he cannot have you, my darling. He is beneath you and you... you belong to me.”

A feeling of revulsion settled in the pit of her stomach and she could only conclude that Lady Eleanor had no romantic inclinations toward Lord Abbot. He made her want to hurl. “I most certainly do not belong to you,” she said emphatically, and again it was Eleanor’s strong feelings making themselves known. So it wasn’t only Lara’s concern for Reece, but also Eleanor’s concern for Reginald that had her so anxious. Eleanor’s desire to get away from Lord Abbot overwhelmed Lara with panic. “Set me down this instant,” she demanded. “I will walk.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Set me down. Now!” She moved to dismount from the moving horse, but Lord Abbot’s steel-encased arm stopped her progress.

“Woman, you are daft,” he said. “Do you wish to fall to your death?”

He drew the horse to a halt. Abbot dismounted, pulled her from the saddle, and set her on the ground. She tugged the blanket closer, her flesh crawling beneath Abbot’s heavy gaze.

“You are more trouble than you will ever be worth,” he said. “If it weren’t for your dowry, I’d have refused your father’s offer. Ferguson is foolish for spurning your mild-mannered sister. You might be more beautiful than she, but she would make a dutiful wife.”

“Then have her,” Lara said. “I won’t stop you.” She glanced around as inconspicuously as she could. How could she hope to get away from a knight and five armed soldiers? She had to think and use what she had. What did she have? A blanket. And…a blanket. She had nothing of use. And then a thought occurred to her. In one fluid motion, she stripped the blanket from her body and tossed it over Sir Abbot’s head. While he struggled to remove the blanket from his head, Lara grabbed the edge of the saddle, put her foot in a stirrup and boosted herself onto the back of Abbot’s enormous warhorse. She bounced up and down in the saddle, kicked the horse in flank, yanked on its reins, but the animal refused to budge. In fact, it merely blew an annoyed breath and shifted on its hooves.

“Move, you stupid horse!”

“My horse obeys only my commands. I tire of your little tantrums, Lady Eleanor.” His gaze raked over her naked body. “I will never tire of your beauty, though.”

She was no match for his strength as he pulled her from the horse.

“Men,” he called. “Ride ahead. We’ll catch up.”

A feeling of dread flood Lara’s entire body. “Wait!” she called to the retreating soldiers, but they galloped off into the distance, leaving her naked and alone with the man who was apparently to be Eleanor’s husband.

Abbot removed his helmet and she caught her first glimpse of his face. He was average in looks, his skin a bit pot marked. His only distinguishing feature was his eyes, which were nearly black and filled with malice. A shiver ran down her spine. He removed his remaining glove, his expression never changing as he glared at her. “You know better than to test me beyond my limits, Eleanor. You know I must punish you for it.”

When he began to remove his leg armor, panic suffused her. Not again!

She was running before she could formulate a plan, her only thought was to escape him. Before she got far, something careened into her back with the force of a battering ram and she fell forward, not even having time to catch herself before the ground came up to meet her face. Stunned, she was rolled onto her back, and staring into Lord Abbot’s livid face.

“Why do you run?” he asked. He removed his pants, exposing how truly aroused exerting his will over a helpless gentlewoman made him. He straddled her hips to prevent her from fleeing as he continued to remove pieces of armor from his chest and arms. “You know I will have my way in the end. I am bigger than you. And stronger. Scream and cry all you like. No one will hear you. No one will care.”

“Please,” she begged. She struggled, kicking at him and hitting him with her fists. He outweighed her by at least double. He caught her wrists in his hands and pinned them down on either side of her head.

“Don’t struggle, Eleanor. I can be gentle. If you stop fighting me, I will try not to hurt you.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head back and forth vigorously. “Never! You will never have me willingly.”

Her heart was pounding so hard the entire ground seemed to be shaking. Wait. The entire ground was shaking. An earthquake? Four hooves raced by, knocking Sir Abbot sideways from her body. He landed next to her with a thud, a huge gash on his temple. She didn’t know if he was dead or merely unconscious. She didn’t have time to check. The horse had drawn to a sudden halt and a pair of armor-covered feet hit the ground. Before she could react, she was drawn against the cold, hard chest of the armored man who had bashed Abbot in the head.

“Are you okay?” he asked, leaning away and stroking the hair from her face.

“Reece?”

“Did he hurt you?” he asked.

“Well, he didn’t do me any good,” she said. “How did you get away from those soldiers?”

“Apparently I’m an accomplished swordsman. Easy pickin’s.” He glanced over his shoulder, his expression concealed by his helmet. “Even so, I think we need to get out of here.”

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Lara laughed with no mirth. “What gave you that idea?”

“Here,” he said. “There’s a bundle of clothes in here.” He pulled some cloth out of a saddlebag. “Get dressed.”

“While I was about to be raped by Lord Asshat, you were searching through saddle bags?”

“I was looking for my mace.” He held up a long black club with a spiked head on one end. “Found it.”

Lara began to sort through the clothes Reece had provided. “These look like peasant garb,” she said. “Just how many women do you have?”

“I think this Reg guy kinda likes you the best, Lady Eleanor. Apparently, I left your sister at the altar.”

“I heard.” She looked at the half-naked knight sprawled on the ground. “Is he dead?”

“Do you care?”

She looked up at Reece who was still bedecked in his knightly helm. “No, actually, I don’t.”

“Where to?”

“Anywhere but that castle Asshat was speaking of.”

The knight on the ground moaned and brought a hand up to the gash on the side of his head.

“Looks like we’d better get going,” Reece said.

“Underclothes!” Lara said excitedly as she put on a pair of bloomers. A chemise, dress and stockings followed.

“You ungrateful bitch,” Abbot mumbled.

Reece went to stand over him. “Do not speak of a lady as such, Abbot. I have a mind to finish you off.”

“You are too much of a coward, Ferguson.”

“Eleanor, do you think his pants will fit me?” Reece called to Lara. He retrieved Abbot’s pants from the ground and held them up as if trying them on for size.

“Well, seeing as his arse is ten sizes bigger than his horse’s, I’d say no, but we could always use them as a vulgar tapestry.”

“Splendid idea, milady.”

“I will kill you, Ferguson!” Abbot bellowed, trying to get to his feet. Dazed, he managed to get one arm under himself before falling over again.

“No, I do not believe you will. Not today. But you have lost your pants and your woman. Explain that to your men.” He turned to look at Lara, smiling when he saw her fully dressed. “Are you ready, beautiful lady?”

“Almost,” she said. She went to Abbot’s horse and took it by the reins. “It won’t let me ride it, but I’m sure it will follow us.” She collected several discarded pieces of Abbot’s scattered armor and secured them to the horse.

“I like your style, Lady Eleanor.”

Reece mounted his horse, and directed it over to Lara. He tied the reins of Abbot’s warhorse to his saddle, then helped Lara mount his horse in front of him. They headed back the way they’d come, leaving Abbot to curse his fate on the ground in their wake.

“Are you certain you’re okay?” Reece asked. “I was hoping I hit him hard enough to kill him.”

“It’s a good thing you came when you did. I don’t think that’s the first time he’s forced himself on Eleanor. And I don’t think anyone stopped him on those previous occasions.”

Reece pulled his horse to a halt. He turned the animal and started back towards Abbot.

“Where are you going?” Lara asked.

“I’m going to kill that son-of-a-bitch,” he growled.

“Wait,” she pleaded. “Leave him. Let’s just get out of this place. I’d be happiest if I never had to see him again.”

“But what if he comes after Eleanor again?”

“Then you’ll have my blessing to do him in. I just don’t think we should go looking for trouble. It already follows us around like a hungry dog.”

“Are you sure? Reg really wants to kick Abbot’s uppity ass all over the countryside.”

“Reg can wait until we’re gone,” Lara whispered.

Reece sighed, turned the horse again, and headed towards a copse of trees. Several miles into the forest, he tied Abbot’s horse to a branch and left the animal behind.

“Apparently, we were prepared for this trip. We have provisions in the saddlebags, including those clothes for you. I just wonder where we were headed.”

“Perhaps if you try to talk to Eleanor with Reg, he’ll let us know.”

“It’s worth a shot.” He continued to lead the horse through the trees, one metal-encased arm around Lara’s waist, the other hand expertly controlling the enormous animal. “Eleanor,” he began, “let us continue on our way to… We should arrive at… If we head in the direction of…”

“I guess that won’t work,” Lara said.

“I guess not. Maybe the horse knows the way.”

Lara smiled and glanced up at her knight in shining armor. “So what do you look like under that helmet? And what do I look like?”

“You look like Lara right now,” he said. “But I caught a glimpse of Eleanor when we first arrived. She’s a gorgeous redhead with a very nice figure.”

Reece fumbled with his helmet and then removed it. Lara caught a glimpse of Reginald Ferguson before Reece’s image took its place. “No wonder Eleanor ran away with Reg. He’s one to melt the socks off your feet. Shoulder length black hair, strong jaw, piercing blue eyes. Very yummy.”

“Better than the real me?” Reece asked.

“Depends on your tastes.”

“My tastes don’t matter. What about your tastes?”

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“You can be cute,” she said. “On occasion.”

“I see. And when would that occasion be?”

Lara considered her words, biting her lip to keep herself from giggling. “Every other Thursday at three.”

“Lucky break. It just happens to be Thursday.” He glanced up at the sun. “I’d estimate it to be around three.”

“How do you know it’s Thursday?”

“Because you let me kiss you, so my cuteness must be at its peak.”

Lara’s brows lifted at him. “I let you kiss me? When?”

“Now.”

He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her mouth. The rush of desire that flooded her, surprised her. Should her heart be thudding like this? And why did he have to be wearing that soup can of an outfit? She wanted the warmth of his body *****rround her.

“Well, it’ll be another two weeks before I let that happen again,” she murmured.

“Uh-huh,” he agreed, using his thumb to tilt her chin slightly. His lips brushed hers again and the horse eased to a stop, tossing its head. Reece dropped his helmet and it landed on the ground with a loud clang. He then drew her across his lap, bending to feast on her lips like a starving man. She wasn’t sure how her fingers got tangled in his hair, or why her lips parted to deepen the mating of their mouths. Those little sounds of pleasure could not possibly be coming from the back of her throat.

“Lara,” he groaned into her mouth.

She tugged him closer, lost in the feel of his mouth on hers, the heady taste of his kiss. She was scarcely aware of the cold, hard metal pressed against her side and supporting her back. He drew away, breathing hard as he gazed down at her.

“God, woman, do you know what you do to me? I want to devour you whole.”

“I feel pretty safe as long as you’re trussed up in this steel,” she said, thumping the chest plate. It made a pleasant ringing sound.

“Well as long as you feel safe,” he murmured, before lowering his head to kiss her again.

She couldn’t seem to stop her body from pressing up against him. She was disappointed to find unyielding metal instead of a hard muscled chest. She moved her kiss to his jaw, his day’s growth of beard rough against her sensitive lips. Her mouth found the side of his neck just beneath his earlobe and she suckled the flesh there. He groaned, his gloved hands clutching the fabric of her dress. She was pretty sure she’d discovered another one of his spots.

“Okay, we have to stop,” he breathed. “I don’t think horseback riding and blue balls go well together.”

“Reece,” she whispered in his ear. He tensed as if she’d shot him. “Thank you for stopping that man earlier.”

“It was nothing,” he said breathlessly.

She nipped his earlobe playfully.

“No thanks necessary!” He pulled her away and looked down at her. “What are you trying to do to me?”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Maybe I have a previously undiscovered metal fetish.”

“Or maybe Eleanor and Reg have a very intimate relationship.”

“Could be,” she agreed, though she had no sense of Eleanor’s influence at the moment. “Don’t you want to take advantage of it?”

“That’s a baited question, Miss Kensington,” he said. “If I say yes, you’ll think I only want you for your delectable body and if I say no, you’ll make it seem as if I’m rejecting you.”

She grinned at him. “You didn’t answer my question.”

He took a deep breath. “Well, right now my dick is so hard, I think it’s dented Reginald’s armor.”

Chapter 9

Near dark, Lara and Reece stumbled across a seemingly abandoned cabin. The sinking sun allowed a chill to creep into the air. They were pleasantly surprised to find the cabin fully stocked with food, water and firewood. The small lean-to next to the cabin was perfect stabling quarters for the horse and even had fresh water and grain.

“Do you think the owners will return soon?” Lara said. “I feel sort of bad just barging into the house like this.”

“This is Reg’s hunting cabin,” Reece said.

“Are you certain?”

He pointed to a shield that hung on the wall and then the chest plate of his armor. They had the same crest. “Pretty sure. Let’s get a fire going and you can find us something to eat while I figure out how to take all that gear off the poor horse.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They worked together to start a fire and then Reece began to remove his armor. Lara watched, breathless with desire. He truly was a fine specimen of a man, even swathed in the quilted pads he wore beneath his armor.

“They might come looking for us here,” he said. “Actually, I can guarantee it. I predict that Abbot will be pretty pissed when he shows up.” He found a pair of boots near the door and pulled them on, stomping to settle his feet in the calf-hugging leather footwear. “I’ll be back shortly.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, fear gripping her again. She didn’t want to be left alone. Well, Eleanor didn’t want to be left alone and her fear was enough to unsettle Lara, too.

“To take care of the horse.” He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “I’ll hurry.”

She nodded, feeling ridiculous for being so afraid. She was safe here. Reginald would protect her from Abbot. He wouldn’t let him hurt her again. “I’ll have something for you to eat when you get back. I won’t promise that it will be good.”

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He dropped a kiss on her cheek before turning to leave the cabin. “I could really go for one of your Denver omelets right about now.”

How did he know that was her specialty? Oh yeah. She kept forgetting that he knew her. “I’ll do my best,” she promised.

He winked at her and left her rummaging around in the pantry.

By the time he’d returned, she’d warmed some slices of ham on a skillet over the cook stove and was frying some runty potatoes she’d sliced in a bit of lard. Eggs, unfortunately, were not part of their provisions.

“Smells good,” he said. He removed his armor pads to reveal a loose linen shirt and black trousers beneath. He left his boots by the door and sat down at the small table. “I think the horse was happy to have all that metal taken off him. Poor thing. I know I was glad to get out of it.”

“I think the real trick will be getting all that stuff back on later.”

“Shouldn’t I have a squire to help me with that sort of thing?”

“Unless he’s hiding under the bed, I think you’re out of luck.”

They both glanced at the single bed along one wall. Blushing, Lara set a plate of food in front of him.

He smiled at her warmly. “Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate you cooking.”

“No problem. You get to do the dishes.”

“That’s only fair.” He took a bite. “This is good. Much better than that Viking stuff.”

“That isn’t saying much,” she said, sitting down across from him with her own plate.

He smiled, watching her as he took another bite. His direct stare was starting to unnerve her again.

“What are you looking at?” she asked finally. “Do I have grease dripping off my chin or something?”

“Nope.”

“Then what?”

“I’m looking at you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why?”

“Because you’re here, and I can.” He was grinning at her like an idiot.

“Are you always this happy?” she asked, trying to be annoyed, but failing.

“Just when I’m with you.”

Her heart twanged. She focused her attention on her half eaten food. “You’re a sap, do you know that?”

“I have been accused of sappiness many times in the past.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Every single time by you,” he added, pointing at her with his fork.

She grinned, glancing up at him again. “And you never figured out that it wasn’t a compliment?”

He stole a potato off her plate. “You see, I choose to take it as a compliment. It means my feelings for you are apparent. I don’t even have to say them. Makes things a whole lot easier, in case I forget to tell you regularly.”

“And future me was okay with this?” she asked, shielding her plate from further thievery.

“She was. Are there any more of those potatoes?” he asked, fork poised as he waited for her to let her guard down.

“On the stove.”

He stood up with his plate and she relaxed her guard. He stole another of her potatoes with his fingers and put it in his mouth before he went to the stove for seconds.

“Keep your hands out of my food, Jericho,” she warned.

“Why? You’ll never finish it all anyway. You never do.”

It was true, but she wasn’t going to admit it to him. “You could at least ask me.”

“I could,” he agreed, sitting across from her again with a huge heap of fried potatoes on his plate. He stole another one of hers and munched it with a teasing grin. “But what’s the fun in that?”

She wondered if he’d always treated her like this. Wondered why she liked it, but pretended to be annoyed.

“What do you say, after dinner we play a game of spin the bottle?” he said and winked at her.

“There are only two of us here.”

“Exactly.”

“And we don’t have a bottle.”

“We’ll improvise.”

She chuckled. “Do you have to resort to middle school games to get me to kiss you?”

“Well, I don’t think I can wait a whole two weeks for Thursday after next.”

“You are looking pretty cute right now.” She stood up from the table to take her plate to a wash basin. He grabbed her around the waist and tumbled her onto his lap before she could move away. She laughed, struggling to return to her feet, plate in one hand, fork in the other.

“Cute enough to kiss?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

He lowered his head, his mouth covering hers, tongue gently teasing her upper lip. She started when a crash alerted her to the tin plate she’d dropped. He drew away, chuckling until their eyes met. Something sizzled between them and awareness smoldered in his intense stare. Her fingers found their way to his silky, brown hair as she strained to meet his lips for another kiss. She opened her mouth to him, anxiously stroking his lips with hers. When she tentatively touched her tongue to his, he tore away from her, gasping slightly.

He grinned. “I must be looking pretty damn cute at the moment.”

“Must be those lovebirds Eleanor and Reg having an influence over us,” she said, knowing full well she had wanted to kiss Reece and it had nothing to do with Eleanor or Reg.

“Remind me to send them a Christmas card.” He kissed her again, drawing her closer as he feasted on her mouth without restraint. An ache built at the juncture of her thighs. She pulled away, her body a swirling cacophony of desire and emotion. She’d come to terms with the desire. It was the emotions she was struggling to understand.

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“You’re not that cute,” she said breathlessly.

She struggled as she tried to get to her feet and he tipped her upright.

“Sweetheart?” he murmured.

She bent to pick up the plate she’d dropped and looked around for the fork. She spotted it under his chair. Once she retrieved it, she headed to the wash basin.

“What?”

He stood and moved to stand behind her. “The way I’m carrying on, you probably think all we had together was passion and amazing ***.”

“Is that bad?”

He laid a gentle hand on her upper arms and leaned against her. “I really do love you.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about you, Reece. I need to slow down a little and sort through these feelings I have.”

He was suddenly hugging her from behind. “You have feelings?”

“I’m not even sure what they mean. Might be friendship. Might be lust. Something in between. A combination of the two. I don’t know. I need some time to think.”

“I understand,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to feel guilty for putting up boundaries. I’ll try to respect your wishes and slow down.” He made a wounded sound.

She grinned and shook her head. “You have no intention of slowing down, do you?”

“I said I’ll try. I will. I just...” He squeezed her.

She tossed her dishes in the sink and turned around in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. A wonderful feeling of being protected and cherished filled her as he held her. This feeling was not at all confusing. She wouldn’t mind holding on to it forever.

The longer Reece held her, the more Lara slipped away from herself. Eleanor’s thoughts began to swarm through Lara’s mind. When she glanced up, it was Reg she saw, not Reece. Eleanor’s belly fluttered with nerves. She loved Reg with every fiber of her being. They’d been planning to run away together for a while and she knew now that they were alone together, he expected her *****bmit to his passions willingly. She wasn’t sure she had it in her. For one thing, *** was painful and terrifying and humiliating. For another, she wasn’t pure for the man she loved. Abbot had stolen her innocence weeks ago and knowing she couldn’t give her virginity to Reg ate her up inside.

“Reg, I love you.”

“I know, sweet. And I you.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to wed me. I shall still stay with you.”

He cupped her face in both hands, his blue eyes softening. “Why would I not want to wed you? You are everything to me.”

“I have something to tell you,” she said, her heart a hard lump in her throat.

“What is it?”

“I am not...” She squeezed her eyes shut and hot tears traced paths down her face. “That is, I have been...”

“Don’t cry, love,” he whispered, kissing tears from her cheeks. “Whatever it is—”

“I am not a maiden,” she blurted.

He stiffened and his comforting arms dropped. “You’ve been with a man?”

She nodded. “It was against my—”

“Who was it?”

She swallowed to try to keep bile from burning up her throat. She couldn’t tell him. He hated Christopher Abbot. Reg would never want her if he knew that vile man had successfully ruined her.

“It was...”

Lara slapped Reg across the face, grateful that he suddenly looked like Reece again. Reece flinched. “What did you do that for?”

“She about to lie to him, which is the stupidest thing she could possibly do, but she’s afraid he won’t love her if he knows the truth.”

“So you slap me?”

“We have to fix this, Reece. She loves him so much. Does Reg love her?”

“He’d kill for her. He’s jealous of whoever claimed her maidenhead—did I really just call it that?—em, popped her cherry.”

“Reece! Don’t be crude.”

“He’s hurt, but he’ll get over it. Did she get carried away with some stable boy or something?”

Lara shook her head. “She was raped by Abbot.”

“God! Why didn’t you let me kill that f**king bastard?”

“I’m going to make her tell Reg the truth if I can. You need to make sure he’s supportive instead of jealous, got it?”

“Yeah, I’ll try. He’s not going to be jealous. He’s going to be murderous, I guarantee you that.”

“And then we have to help her get over her fear of ***. She thinks it’s disgusting, humiliating, and painful. We’re going to show her that it’s none of those things.”

“How?”

“Same way we made things nice for Helga and Eirick.”

Reece made a fist of victory. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”

Lara grinned at him. It was no wonder she’d fallen for Reece. He held nothing back. “Take it easy, okay? Don’t jump my bones at the first sign of surrender.”

“Me?” He attempted a look of innocence that made Lara laugh.

“Stop,” she said. “This is serious.”

“So why do you keep volunteering to help these women with their ***ual problems?” Reece asked.

“Maybe that’s why we’ve been sent here. To help.”

“Or maybe you just want an excuse to get into my pants.”

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“In your dreams, Jericho.”

“And they be very wet dreams.”

Lara shook her head at him. She wasn’t used to talking to men who blurted any naughty thought that occurred to them. Maybe that’s why she’d been so freaking bored with her life. “Hold me again,” Lara requested. “Last time, when I started feeling safe and comfortable, Eleanor’s thoughts came through.”

“You were feeling safe and comfortable?” he asked hopefully.

She emitted a long sigh. “Have I ever told you that you’re impossible?”

He grinned nostalgically. “All the time.”

She gripped his linen shirt in both hands and tugged him closer. “Will you just hold me?”

“If you insist.”

His arms surrounded her and she felt anything but safe and comfortable. Knowing that she’d just indirectly asked Reece to make love to her again had her feeling more hot and bothered than anything.

“Lara?” he said after several minutes.

She still wasn’t relaxed and Eleanor was still outside of her perception, but she was willing to let Reece hold her for as long as it took. Not because she was enjoying the feel of his hard body against her or anything. She really wanted to help Eleanor find happiness with Reg. “Hmm?”

“I’m not sure this is the best idea.”

Her heart twisted. “You don’t want to make love to me?” she asked breathlessly.

“Of course I want to make love to you, but if Eleanor’s been raped, wouldn’t it be better to give her time to heal emotionally before we have her jumping in the sack with Reg?”

“I don’t know. She wants to be with Reg. You’re so good in bed, I know you’ll make it special for her.”

“You think I’m good in bed?”

She didn’t have to look up at him to know he was grinning. “I mean, you’re not fantastic or anything, but I’ll be relaxed, so she’ll enjoy it instead of being afraid.”

Reece chuckled. “You know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think you’re using her as an excuse to get me into bed.”

Lara shook her head. “I can’t believe you’d think I’m doing this for selfish reasons. I just want to help her.”

“Uh-huh,” he agreed in a most sarcastic tone.

She slapped his chest with the flat of her hand. “Don’t make fun. I think we’re supposed to help these couples.”

“By having *** with each other?”

“I guess that does sound pretty stupid.” She sighed. “Maybe I am just being selfish and trying to make this all work out in my favor.” It didn’t feel that way though. She really wanted Eleanor and Reg to be together. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. She legitimately thought she and Reece could help them find their happily ever after a little faster.

“We’re traveling through time, fixing one f**ked up relationship after another,” Reece said.

She laughed and moved her arms around his back to draw him closer. Her hands slid over his shirt up the solid muscles of his back, craving the texture of his naked skin. “Exactly.”

“We’ll try your approach and if Eleanor starts to experience emotional trauma, we’ll stop.”

Lara tilted her head back to gaze up into Reece’s eyes. He was genuinely concerned about Eleanor’s feelings. Was it because he was sharing space with Reg? She didn’t think that was why at all. Lara cupped Reece’s face in both hands. She could practically see his heart melt as he gazed down at her. “This must’ve been why I fell in love with you.”

He grinned crookedly. “You just thought I was ***y.”

“That’s just an added bonus.” She rose up on tiptoes and claimed his lips in a searing kiss.

If he’d had reservations about making love to her before, they were gone now. Fingers tangled in her curls, he tugged her head back and feasted on her mouth. She yanked his loose, linen shirt free of his trousers and impatiently pushed it up his body. He released her lips long enough to pull the shirt off over his head, but claimed her mouth again immediately, caressing her upper lip with his tongue, nibbling on the lower. Her hands roved the planes of his back and shoulders as she pressed against his hard chest. She just wanted to touch him. Everywhere. When she reached for the fastening of his pants, he groaned against her lips before tugging away.

“Lara, you’re going to get me all worked up and I’m supposed to be taking it easy.”

Lara’s hand cupped his erection through his pants. “I want to touch you.”

Reece fumbled with his waistband and she found her hand full of thick, hot, and oh so hard, ****. She stroked his length gently, her free hand moving down his back to ease his pants down so she could explore the flesh of that hot little ass of his. She pressed her lips to his collar bone and trailed kisses down his hard chest to his nipple. She gave it a playful nip and then soothed it with the flat of her tongue.

“Someone is feeling naughty,” he murmured.

“It’s your fault,” she said, kissing her way down his belly. Her hand continued lower, pushing his pants down until they settled around his ankles. He kicked them aside. He stood before her naked, and gorgeous, and hard.

“I could really get used to this,” she said, sinking lower as she sucked kisses around his navel and then along a ***y path of hair that pointed her toward her ultimate destination.

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“Me, too,” he breathed.

She hesitated, her lips inches from his swollen ****, her heart suddenly racing with fear. It sure was a bad time for Eleanor to let her feelings known.

“El, if you want to stop...” Reg’s voice said from above.

“No,” Eleanor whispered, her heart still hammering, “I just need to get used to your body.” Abbot had used his tool to cause her untold pain and humiliation. Eleanor just had to remind herself that this was Reginald. She promised herself that she would endure his lust. She wanted to give Reg pleasure even if every minute of the interaction caused her agony. She loved Reg mind, heart, and soul. Now she just had to learn to love his body. She loved most of it already, it was just this strange protruding part of him that caused her anxiety.

Reg touched her hair gently and she looked up at him. When he smiled, her racing heart slowed slightly. She lowered her head and kissed the swollen end of his c**k gently. It twitched in her hand. Her heart skipped a beat. It moves?

“Take as long as you need, love,” Reg said.

She trailed her fingers down the length of him. The skin was loosely attached so that when she pressed against it, it slid slightly over the hard, thick rod beneath. She traced the veins just beneath the surface of his satiny skin and then ran her thumb up the thick ridge on its underside. Reg’s breath came in sharp, shaky gasps and when she glanced up at him, he had his head tilted back and his jaw clenched.

“Reg?” Eleanor whispered, her heart thudding for a different reason now. Was she touching him wrong? Hurting him? “Are you okay?”

“Never better,” he said breathlessly.

She knew he’d say that to placate her, even if it wasn’t true. Every muscle in his body was taut, as if he were in pain. She started to draw her hand away, but he caught her wrist.

“Please,” he groaned. “Don’t stop now.” He took a deep shuddering breath. “Unless, you’re afraid. Or... disgusted.”

She shook her head. “I thought maybe I was hurting you.”

“It feels wonderful, love.”

Her confidence restored, Eleanor returned her attention to Reg’s ****. The texture of the skin at the enlarged tip appeared different than that of the shaft. She stroked it with her fingertips. Reg shuddered violently. Eleanor’s ni**les tautened and a strange throb centered between her thighs. She had experienced those responses when Reg had kissed her. Held her. But he wasn’t even touching her. She was touching him. Lowering her head, she kissed the head of his hard length.

Reg’s body jerked. Recognizing now that his response meant he liked it, she kissed it again, rubbing her lips and then her tongue over his sensitive skin. Her kisses became feverish, sucking gently. His quivering reactions fascinated her. She felt empowered. Wanted to give him more pleasure. Make this strong knight tremble at the touch of her lips. Her tongue. She sampled a drop of fluid she found at the apex of his erection and found it salty on her tongue. Wrapping a hand around his shaft gently, she held him as she explored his c**k head with her tongue. Her fingers. Her lips. With her thumb, she traced the rim that separated the head of his c**k from the shaft. He stiffened and cursed under his breath.

“****, Lara, I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” Reece said unexpectedly.

Lara grinned up at him.

“How is she doing?” he asked. “Please tell me she’s getting over her fear of trouser snakes.”

“Touching Reg is starting to turn her on.”

“Her touching Reg is driving me insane. Could you help her out with her technique a little?”

Lara wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft and ran her tongue over the head of Reece’s ****. She blew a breath over the moistened tip. “Like that?”

Reece swept an arm across the table, sending tin cups, plates and utensils to the floor. Lara squeaked in surprise when he grabbed her around the waist and set her on the table. He fumbled under her skirt and found her very, un***y underdrawers were split in the crotch. His fingers brushed the hot, slick skin between her thighs and she gasped.

“Oh thank God,” he muttered, and grabbed his ****.

When she felt Reece’s ****head against her entrance, she concentrated on his handsome face, not wanting Eleanor to intrude upon this moment. Lara wanted Reece. Inside her. Immediately. She wanted to experience everything he had to offer. It had nothing to do with helping anyone but herself.

Reece eased into her slowly, his strokes shallow at first as he wet himself with her freely flowing juices. Instead of thrusting deeper, he withdrew completely. Took an inch of her. Withdrew again. Entered her again. Withdrew completely. It drove her insane with need.

“Oh Reece, deeper,” she gasped, staring into his hazel-green eyes.

Beneath her hiked skirts, his hands gripped her hips and he plunged deep. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes closed, and she cried out in delight. He pulled out again.

“Please,” she gasped.

He shifted her to the very edge of the table so he could thrust into her again, taking her balls-deep this time. She dropped back on the table, bumping the back of her head on its hard surface.

Reece reached up to rub her scalp with one hand. “You okay?”

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded.

He moved his arms to hold her legs up and bent. He concentrated all of his effort on rubbing her deep inside in exactly the right way with perfectly timed gyrations of his hips. She stared up at him, her heart thudding with a mixture of excitement and unmistakable love. He had his bottom lip pinned between his teeth and his eyes tightly closed as he thrust and churned, thrust and churned. Sweat trickled down his strong jaw, corded neck, and pooled along his collar bone. The ripples of his stomach muscles bunched and relaxed as he thrust into her. The only thing that could possibly be ***ier than watching his belly tense and relax would be seeing his ass tighten each time he thrust deep. What she wouldn’t have given for a mirror along the wall behind him. Lara reached between her wide-open thighs to rub her hands over his hips, wanting to feel his muscles working. She arched her back so she could reach his ass, careful not to interrupt his perfectly orchestrated thrusts. She held onto him with both hand as her pleasure built and built.

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As her excitement intensified, Lara cried out each time their bodies came together. “Yes, Reece. Oh God.” Her vocalizations grew louder and louder as he f**ked her closer to oblivion. “Reece. Reece!” When he sent her flying over the edge, spasm of bliss wracked through her body. Concentrated within her pu**y and her womb, the pulsations of pleasure radiated outward, making her belly quiver, her thighs quake. “Oh yes, Reece. Yes. Reece.”

Reece’s breath caught and he thrust deep, gripping fabric at her hips with clenched hands as he flooded her with his fluids. She watched his face while he came. With both eyes squeezed shut and his entire face contorted with ecstasy, Lara decided it was the ***iest thing she’d ever seen her life.

Reece sucked in a deep, shaky breath and then blinked his eyes open. When their eyes met, he grinned. “There’s a sample of what we usually share.”

“Can we do that again?” she murmured. “Minus the dress?”

“I think that can be arranged.”

Chapter 10

A knock on the door early the next morning pulled Reece from sleep. He was reluctant to move. Naked and sated, Lara was cuddled up against his side fast asleep. He probably should answer the door, but the last thing he wanted to do was disrupt the intimacy between his body and Lara’s. A second knock pulled Lara abruptly from sleep and she sat upright, staring at the door apprehensively.

“Someone’s at the door,” she whispered.

Her mass of brown curls were tangled around her beautiful face and he decided what he really wanted to do was pull the covers up over their heads and pretend no one was home.

“Sir Reginald. It’s Toby. I’ve come with an urgent message,” the voice of a young man called outside the door.

“Who’s Toby?” Lara asked.

With her blue eyes wide and that bewildered look on her face, Reece couldn’t resist kissing her. Just a gentle brush on the lips before he forced himself to climb from the bed. “I have no idea who Toby is. Reg’s squire perhaps? We can only hope.”

Reece crossed the cabin and peeked out the small window beside the door. A blond boy of about twelve years stood on the doorstep with a roll of parchment clutched in his hand. The only other living creature in the yard was a sleek, black horse.

Reece found his discarded pants and donned them. Lara whined in protest and he grinned at her disappointed pout. Reece opened the door, not sure how he was supposed to greet Toby. He was thankful that he’d volunteered his name. “Good morning, Toby. What brings you here today?”

“A challenge has been issued,” he said excitedly and handed Reece the scroll.

Reece accepted the paper and moved into the cabin. Toby followed him inside and closed the door. Reece unrolled the parchment and began to read.

“G-good m-morning, Lady Eleanor,” Toby said.

Reece glanced up to see the kid’s freckled face scarlet with embarrassment. Reece looked over at Lara who was climbing out of bed and trying to keep her nakedness concealed. From Toby’s expression, Reece doubted if the lad had ever seen a lady in such a state of undress. Lara pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around herself before walking towards Reece.

“Good morning, Master Toby,” Lara returned. “What do you mean a challenge has been issued?”

Toby pulled his gaze from Lara and looked at the parchment. “Lord Abbot has issued a challenge. A tournament of knights. He says the winner shall claim you as his bride, milady.”

“That’s ridiculous!” she said. “I’m not a piece of property. He can’t offer me as the prize of some competition.”

“If we refuse, he will call the law and have me imprisoned,” Reece said, repeating what he’d read on the scroll. “For kidnapping.”

“Then we should run.”

“Milady,” Toby chastised. “A knight would never refuse a challenge. How can you even think to ask Sir Reginald to run?”

“Toby, mind your tongue,” Reece warned.

“You aren’t thinking of running are you?” Toby asked. “I’ll fight him myself, just to watch the pompous ass lose. No prize necessary.” He swung his arm in a wide arc as if wielding a sword.

“I’m not running,” Reece assured him. But he doubted he had the skills necessary to joust a trained knight. Even with Reg’s expertise aiding him, Reece would need more than an inkling *****rvive. “The joust is to take place tomorrow,” he said, reading the challenge more carefully. Perhaps he and Lara would leap before he entered the arena. “And there will be two other events, one chosen by each participant.”

“No,” Toby said. “This was written yesterday. The tournament is today.”

“Today?”

Lara snatched the paper out of Reece’s hand. “You have to refuse,” she said, glancing up at Reece. Her concern was touching. “There’s no way you can win.” Okay, that was less than touching.

“But, milady,” Toby said. “Sir Reginald is one of the top champions in the kingdom. Of course he can win. Abbot is a fool for issuing this challenge. And his eagerness in this matter leads me to believe he plans to cheat.”

Reece ran a hand over his face. This was not a good situation to be in. Not a good situation at all.

“Can we postpone the tournament for a few days?” Lara asked hopefully.

“For the sake of your reputation, milady, it would be wise to wed Sir Reginald at once,” Toby said. He flushed again. “Meaning no offense, ma’am.”

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“So it seems I have no choice in the matter,” Reece said. “And this will make our engagement legitimate, Eleanor. We won’t have to run off to get married.”

“But what of my sister?”

“She doesn’t like Sir Reginald anyway,” Toby cut in. “Everyone knows she wanted to marry Lord Abbot. He does have a better title and more money.”

“Thank you for reminding me, Toby,” Reece teased.

“Meaning no offense, sir.” The young man nodded at Reece.

“Well, I suppose you should get busy polishing my armor, readying my sword, preparing my horse.”

A bright smile crossed Toby’s face. “Yes, sir!”

“And I suppose I should have a bite to eat. It might be my last meal.” He glanced at Lara. She was staring at him as if unsure what to make of their situation. Toby left the cabin to begin his duties and Reece moved to draw Lara into his arms.

“Are you feeling all right?” he asked.

“Reece, what do we do if something happens to you?”

He tilted her chin up. “I’d better teach you the words that activate the amulet,” he said. “I think you should be the one who wears it.”

“No,” she said emphatically, shaking her head. “I don’t want it. You will wear it, and you will recite the words, and you will refuse this ridiculous challenge.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Of course, I’m worried about you. This isn’t some show at a medieval fair. This is a joust, with a real lance, with a real knight who wants you dead for humiliating him.”

“So you don’t think I can win?”

“Reece, this is serious. You could be killed.”

“I am more aware of that than you are, sweetheart. But we can’t mess up Reg and Eleanor’s future together. We have to go along with the chain of events as they transpire. Reg knows how to joust. I’ll just let him take control. Like when you were Helga and you milked the goat.”

“That goat kicked me through the milking shed’s wall.”

“Bad example,” he admitted. “I’ll be fine, Lara. Have faith in me.”

“I’m trying, Reece, but I don’t want you to get hurt.” She swallowed hard. “Or dead...”

He smiled. “You’re starting to care about me, rather you want to or not.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“So you’d stop me if I did this?” He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips.

His plan to distract her didn’t work. “Reece, we could just stall for a couple of days. Then Reg could retain his honor and win his lady and you wouldn’t have to be in danger. What if you lose? And Reg and Eleanor never get married and have children? And wonder if those children are your ancestors so you’re never born?”

“Easy, Lara,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about that. What’s meant to happen will happen whether we are here or not. If I win, Reg won the first time through. If I lose, then Reg lost.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I’ve been through similar situations as I leapt through time for eight months.”

“You’ve jousted?”

“That’s not what I meant. When it looks like there is no way I’ll be successful, things turn out the way they should.”

“And if you’re meant to lose?”

“Then I lose.”

“And if Reg dies?”

He hesitated. “Then I die.”

“Just until we leap, right? You’d be okay after we leap.”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

She shook her head. “I won’t accept that.” She stomped her foot angrily.

He hugged her to his chest and she relaxed against him. “Everything will work out for the best. There is a feeling of confidence in me that can only mean Reg knows what he’s doing.”

“I hope you’re right, Reece. I’m not prepared to lose you. Not for Reg and Eleanor’s happiness. Not for anything.”

Chapter 11

They rode into the courtyard of a castle around midday. Lara glanced around, a feeling of dread in her chest. Eleanor did not like this place and she wasn’t happy to be returning.

“Everything will be fine,” Reece whispered in her ear, picking up on her unease.

“Are you sure we can’t run away?” she said, glancing up into his intimidating helmet.

“How would it look if we ran off and young Toby jousted in my place?”

Lara’s gaze fell on the profile of the young man riding the horse beside them. His eyes were glassy with star-struck wonder.

“Funny, I don’t think he’d be upset about it.”

Reece chuckled, the rich sound of his laughter made Lara’s heart sing. “You’re probably right about that.”

A man stepped in front of their miniscule processional. The clopping of hooves on cobblestones drew to a halt.

The man spoke, his voice authoritative and rather bored. “The challenge will commence in two hours time. Prepare yourself, Knight, for three rounds of tournament. Milady, your father would like a word with you.”

“My father is here?” she blurted.

“Since he is your guardian, he must agree to the terms of the challenge,” the man said as if annoyed by Lady Eleanor’s obvious ignorance.

“Of course,” she said.