Timeless Moon (30 page)

"Drop your shields."

"Josette
—" His tone was of both warning and panic.

She did understand, but she needed this, especially tonight. "Please, Rick. I want to feel what you're feeling. I want you to know what's in my heart."

He closed his eyes, and she felt the walls that separated them crumble to so much dust.

She rose up on her elbows to kiss him, claiming his mouth as the two of them were caught together in a tide of emotions that roared over them, leaving them both breathless and elated. She felt his love, and gave him her pain at his leaving, and, in the same moment her love and forgiveness. He cupped her face
with one hand, as the other moved slowly, gently, treasuring every curve, fingers dancing gently downward before tracing a slow, lazy path upward to tease at the lips between her thighs.

She whimpered then, body arching to urge him onward. Still, he teased her opening until she was ready to scream with frustration.

"Please," she begged him breathlessly. "Please."

"I was going to wait. I know I won't last."

"It'll be long enough." She gasped as his finger found her clit and moved across it. "Oh God,
please."
Her orgasm was building with each touch. The air around them sparkled with magic, dust motes becoming like tiny stars that were almost blindingly bright.

His member throbbed and jerked in her hand. She heard Rick as though from a distance. "Yes.
Now."

Strong hands grasped her thighs, spreading them wide, tilting her until she was fully exposed. He thrust inside and it was almost too much. She thought she was ready, and she was, but she was still tight. It was an exquisite pain that brought a scream from her lips, made her claw at his back as she rose to meet each powerful stroke.

His breathing grew ragged, his rhythm speeding. Over and over again, his body moving in and out with almost bruising force in a rhythmic slap of skin on skin.

She couldn't think. Her awareness narrowed until all that was left was the two of them and the rapidly
building pressure
of her pleasure and his, rising in a tightening spiral. When the dam burst in an explosion of pleasure, shouts of joy erupted from their throats as their bodies convulsed together again and again, until they collapsed to the floor in a sated, exhausted heap.

Rick didn't dare
sleep. He just held
Josette
and stared out the open door as the miles rolled by. She smelled of sex and contentment, and he could feel her deep happiness and love for him. He stared at her in amazement. She was an incredible woman. What an idiot he'd been to leave. He wouldn't be making that mistake again, that was for damned sure. All he had to do now was keep her alive long enough to prove it to her.

He kissed her lightly, and she shifted positions, snuggling in closer. He hated making her move, but they needed to get dressed. They were starting to pass houses and intersections with flashing railroad crossing signs. It would only be a few minutes before they needed to jump off of the train.

"Josie, sweetheart. We need to get dressed. We're almost in Albuquerque."

Her eyes opened a slit, just enough to glare at him as he slapped his hand playfully against her rump.

"C'mon, we've got to get dressed and out of here before the railroad workers catch us and arrest us for indecent exposure or something."

That got her at least to sit in an upright position. When he started tossing her the clothes she'd discarded earlier, she managed to pull them on.

"How are your palms?" He asked as he pulled on his jeans and zipped them. The wood wasn't much of an issue, but these boards smelled of creosote, which could quickly get infected, even with healing abilities. The gun and holster came next, a project made more difficult by the increasing rocking of the train as the conductor applied the brakes.

"Fine. The splinters all worked their way out." She grabbed her purse from the floor. "We'd better hurry. The train's slowing down."

She was right. The rocking of the cars seemed even more pronounced now that the train was braking. "I'm ready when you are." Rick finished pulling on his boots and rose to his feet. He moved to stand next to the open doorway.

There was a certain trick to dismounting. He managed it, but was damned glad the train had slowed, otherwise he probably would have twisted a knee or worse. As it was, he had to put up with being slapped and scraped by tree branches that had grown too near the track area.
Josette,
being smaller, seemed to have less trouble altogether, even though she was barefoot and carrying her purse. She came up limping beside him where he stood at the edge of the graveled area just a few steps away from a steep drop off.

"Why didn't you put on your shoes?"

"Have you ever tried to ran in thongs? On gravel? I'd have broken my neck."

"Oh." The thought hadn't occurred to him. Of course there was no reason why it should. He'd never worn a pair of thongs in his life. They seemed a little silly to him. There wasn't enough to them to really protect your feet, so why bother. Either wear shoes or boots, or go barefoot. Still, he kept his mouth shut and waited as patiently as he could while she sat down, opened her bag, pulled out the sandals, and slid them onto her feet.

"What time is it anyway?" he asked.

"How would I know? I'm not even positive of the year right now."

"Doesn't it say on your cell phone?"

"Oh." She pulled the phone from the bag and hit a button. "Seven o'clock."

It was earlier than he would've expected. So much had happened during the course of the day that time seemed
off.
It hadn't helped that the rain and the clouds had kept him from seeing the movement of the sun. What would it be like to feel this disoriented all the time? He'd never really thought about it. He'd just dealt with the result.

"Do you want to call Raphael or should I?" she asked.

"You do it."

Nodding, she hit the button for Raphael's number. He must have answered on the first ring, because she began speaking almost immediately.

"We're here." She put a hand over the speaker and turned to Rick. "Are you sure we're in Albuquerque? He says he was expecting us a half hour ago."

Rick turned to look at the train rumbling slowly behind them. There were still more than a dozen cars to go before it ended. "It must be Albuquerque. There weren't any stops before this one."

"Could we have slept through it?"

"I didn't sleep. Besides, the railroad workers would have found us."

Josette
moved her hand. "Maybe the train was delayed? We're in a residential area, but I think I see gas station lights in the distance. We'll head that way." She sighed. "Well, it'll take that long to get identification for Rick anyway. Do you want me to just get us a cab to a hotel near the airport?"

Rick shifted impatiently from foot to foot. Now that they were up, he wanted to be moving. A restroom would be nice, too. He just hoped that the gas station
Josette
had spotted was open, because this didn't appear to be one of the city's better neighborhoods. He could see what looked like gang graffiti decorating the privacy fence guarding a yard at the foot of the hill. Many of the houses were ramshackle, with rusted or burned out vehicles in the yards. They were Sazi, and he was armed, but they didn't need the kind of trouble they might find here.

He heard her end the conversation, watched as she turned off the phone and tucked it back into her purse. "Well?"

"We'll go to the gas station and call a cab. Raphael's got his hands full right now." She accepted the hand he held out to her, letting him pull her to her feet. "It's a small pack and someone is having a difficult birth."

"No problem." Rick lied. It was a problem. He could sympathize with Raphael, caught between his responsibilities to his pack and the help he was trying to give them. He'd already done more for
Josette
than anyone had a right to expect. It was not his fault that things had gone wrong in nearly every way they possibly could.

"We'll be fine."
Josette
assured him. "Any bad guy with an ounce of sense is getting showered and cleaned up for his Saturday night out." She made her voice light, breezy, but it was a lie, too.

"You're probably right." Rick played along, but he kept all his senses fully alert as he edged sideways down the drop-off. The two of them moved like shadows among the trees, picking their way over the uneven ground, careful of the half-buried junk and broken glass that littered the way.

The barking and growls started almost immediately as the dogs in the neighborhood caught the scent of the two cats moving under the trees. They strained at their leads, their barks filled with rage, and their scents filled with anal pheromones as they fought to protect their territory and the humans in the homes they guarded.

Rick winced. The racket hurt his sensitive ears,
and it made him even more irritable and nervous. There was no chance of them passing unnoticed now. They'd be lucky if someone didn't come out to investigate armed with a shotgun. He started to move more quickly, and was startled when, instead of following
Josette
came to a complete stop. Tilting her head back she gave voice to the deep throated roar of an angry lion.

Silence descended as abruptly as if someone had flicked a switch. Rick turned to face her, eyes wide with surprise. "What in the hell?"

"Just a little something I learned from my mother. Works really well. I haven't used it in years." She grinned. "They were giving me a headache."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Woman, you never cease to amaze me." He shook his head as he turned to continue their walk.

The gas station
was open. It sat at the
co
rn
er
of a major intersection, across the street from an adult video store on one side and a paint and body shop on the other. It was close enough to dark that they'd turned on not only their sign but every light they had, so that every inch of the lot was illuminated as brightly as if it were midday.

Rick followed
Josette
through a glass door that had been modified by adding heavy security bars. Inside, the tiny convenience store four or five other customers were walking its narrow aisles, picking up junk food and various sundries while they stopped for gas.

Rick made his way quickly to the toiletries. As long as he was here he would pick up a few things. He particularly wanted a toothbrush, toothpaste, razors, and a comb. He hadn't missed the worried look the old man behind the counter had given him. He didn't blame the man. He knew he looked both scruffy and dangerous. He just hoped that nobody noticed the gun. If that happened things would get ugly quick.

Concentrating slightly, he used the slightest touch of illusion to hide the weapon. He kicked himself for
not having thought of it sooner. It was the kind of stupid, rookie mistake he had no business making.

He moved from the toiletries to the far end of the store where the high ticket travel items were displayed: there were stuffed toys, souvenir T-shirts and tote bags, travel pillows, inexpensive nylon duffels, and more. He half-listened as
Josette
charmed the man behind the counter into letting her use his phone book, while he selected a clean T-shirt in his size and one of the duffels in navy blue.

Josette
turned to Rick and smiled. "The cab will be here in about ten minutes. I want a hotel room."

"A room?" Rick moved to take his spot in the line and pay for his purchases.

"Absolutely. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to drop. I need to eat, clean up, and change clothes before I go anywhere or do anything else." She passed the telephone book across the counter, nodding her thanks to the cashier.

"Are we going to have time for that?"

"Sadly, yes. Raphael said the plane doesn't leave until this evening." She sighed. "Did you get me a toothbrush?"

He wasn't used to thinking for two anymore. "Sorry. I didn't think about it."

She grabbed a small plastic basket from a stack next to the door. Keeping the phone to her ear she moved away, gathering items from the various aisles as she arranged for their lodging.

They paid for their purchases just as their cab pulled up at the front door. Thanking the cashier again for his help,
Josette
hurried outside. When she gave the cabbie the address of an elegant chain hotel, just across the street from the convention center, the man's raised his eyebrows, but didn't argue once she handed a hundred over the seat. They might as well make use of the money they had, and they'd certainly paid the price to earn a little pampering.

It wasn't that long a drive in terms of distance, but the change in setting was startling. Gone were the security bars and boarded-up windows; they were replaced with tasteful landscaping. The cars parked and driving on the streets transitioned from aging and rusted vehicles to brand-new shiny luxury cars and SUVs.

A doorman stepped up to greet them as the cab pulled to a stop in front of the hotel. He opened the car door for
Josette,
who stepped gracefully out and opened her purse. Taking a look around, she nodded in satisfaction before pulling out a pair of tens for a generous tip. She strode confidently through the glass doors leading into a well-lit lobby, deliberately ignoring the scandalized looks they drew at their appearance.

"May I help you?" The uniformed attendant behind the reception desk greeted them. The words were polite, but his tone was cold as he very deliberately looked down his beakish nose at them. Rick's eyes narrowed, and irritation flooded him. But
Josette
spoke quickly and pushed magic at him gently, very obviously hoping to avert a scene that would do them no good at all.

"It has been a very long and difficult day." Her smile was a baring of teeth that was meant to intimidate. "Our private plane had engine trouble and our bags were sent ahead of us. We're stranded here for the next few hours." She set her bag on the counter, noting with satisfaction the attendant's raised eyebrow when he recognized the brand. "I know it's short notice, but we need a room." She opened the purse and withdrew her wallet. Pulling her driver's license and credit card from their plastic sleeves she pushed them across the dark marble countertop.

"One moment please." As the attendant walked over to the computer, carrying the small squares of plastic, Rick added his own brand of persuasive magic to hers ever so delicately. He watched the muscles in the clerk's shoulders relax beneath the stiff navy blue blazer he wore. When the approval for the credit card went through he returned, carrying their paperwork and wearing his best professional smile.

"We have a room with a king-size bed available if that would be suitable? Or would you prefer a larger suite?"

"The king room will do nicely. We're hoping to freshen up a bit while they make the necessary repairs."

"Of course." He tapped a manicured finger next to
the line for her signature. "Basic toiletries are provided. There is a coffeemaker in the room as well. The restaurant opens for breakfast at 6:00. Room service will be available at that time as well." He glanced a second time at their clothing, but this time with sympathy, rather than prejudice. "Our clothing store might be able to replace your
…
garments. Anything can be charged to your room if that's more convenient." He gathered up the papers she signed, deftly separating the various copies before passing the pink carbon, along with her credit card and identification back to her.

"Your room number." He pointed to the number on the page. "It's on the twelfth floor. When you get off the elevator, take a left. It will be the fourth door on your left side." He passed one of the two plastic room keys to
Josette
and held the second out for Rick. "If there is anything you need, please feel free to call us here at the desk."

"Thank you very much. We'll keep that in mind." Rick took the proffered card from the man's hand, barely managing not to sound surly. It was unfortunate that magic should have been necessary. It was annoying how some people responded to such useless trappings as proper clothing. They strode across the lobby to the elevator, the flip-flopping of Josette's sandals on the marble floor echoing oddly through the empty space.

The silence in the elevator as they rode up was
broken only by the irritable tapping of his toe, and the whir of the motor. When the bell dinged, and the doors whooshed smoothly open he finally confided in a harsh whisper. "I hate snobs."

Josette
sighed. "I can't blame him for wondering whether we could pay for the room. I mean,
look
at us." She gestured at the mirror that hung on the hallway wall.

Rick winced. His ill-fitting clothes were filthy from the floor of the rail car, he had a two-day stubble, and while the untucked T-shirt partially obscured the holster and gun, it was still fairly visible when he moved.