Heart's Delight Page 7
“It’s what teenagers say. It means no problem.”
“Teenagers? Who are they?”
“It’s what we call young people between thirteen and about sixteen or seventeen.
Then they become young adults.” She fastened her bra and tugged the T-shirt over her head, flipping her hair out of the neckband.
“Shelly and Marnie are in grade nine at the high school. They help me during the holidays. They’re in the horse craze stage.”
Quinn raised one eyebrow.
She stepped into the overalls.
“Not many people ride nowadays,” she added as she clipped the fasteners of the bib. “Lots of young girls like to take lessons, if their parents can afford it.”
Quinn shook his head. “I can tell I have a lot to learn.”
She thrust her feet into a pair of sneakers. “I’ll find you some clothes and you can meet them.”
A half-hour later the two teenaged girls gasped in astonishment when they set eyes on Quinn in his borrowed jeans and black shirt. She wasn’t surprised. The way the denim clung to his muscled thighs and his biceps rippled as he took hold of a large pitchfork made her mouth go dry.
“This is Quinn, a friend of mine,” she said by way of introduction. “He’s visiting.”
“Good morning.” Quinn gave the girls a devastating smile, obviously making their knees go weak. They murmured a polite greeting, but Elaine saw Marnie make a silent
“wow” with her lips when Quinn half turned away.
The girls had propped their bicycles against the wall of the stable. “See you, Mrs.
Christie,” Shelly called and paused to fish carrots and apples from her saddlebag.
Elaine waved back at them and watched the morning ritual. Each horse had to chomp on a treat and have its nose well and truly rubbed before there was any hope of work.
Between the road and the main barn were six small paddocks, each with a three-sided shelter for the animals. Elaine was tempted to follow Quinn everywhere he went, but there was a lot to do elsewhere on the property. With a last look at him to carry in her mind, she left him.
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Heart’s Delight
Just before noon a large black pickup truck rolled up to the driveway as she was finishing up in Star’s enclosure. A middle-aged man in jeans and a checked shirt slid out from the driver’s side.
“How can I help you?” She looped an arm ‘round Star’s neck. The horse laid her muzzle on Elaine’s shoulder.
“Nice animal,” the man said. He held out a card. “Jim Batt. I’m with Denman and Sons. The developers,” he added, as she looked blank. “Mr. Denman is coming into the area next week and we’d like to set up a meeting.”
For the moment she hadn’t recalled the name, but she’d seen some of the drawings of what Denman planned to do. He figured he could put twenty-four houses on her property. This area was just being discovered by those who could no longer find secluded or waterfront houses around Shawnigan Lake. “There’s no point. I’m not selling.”
“Well, perhaps you should wait until you hear his offer—”
“It won’t make any difference.”
The man’s pleasant smile faded. “You’d do well to think it over very carefully, Ms.
Christie. Mr. Denman is aware of your—difficulties. If you leave it too long, he might be able to acquire it at a fire sale price.”
Star tossed her head and snorted through her nose. You and me both, Elaine thought.
Aloud, she said “I don’t think Mr. Denman has all the facts, Mr.—” she glanced at the card, “—Batt. Please tell him that you’ve wasted your time. And now, excuse me, I have horses who need me.”
She saw Jim Batt’s eyes flicker to a point just behind her. “I didn’t know you had help.”
She heard a footstep on the gravel path and knew Quinn was there. “No, you didn’t,” she said without turning. “So you and your ally the bank manager can stop telling my customers that I’m inadequately staffed.”
Batt opened his mouth to say something, then obviously decided against it. “Hold on to my card. You might change your mind.”
With a nod to them both he turned and got into his truck.
Elaine turned to Quinn. She’d drawn comfort and strength from his presence behind her. “Thank you for coming out,” she began. Quinn was staring after the black pickup, oblivious to anything she said.
“What is that?”
She followed his gaze. “It’s a motor vehicle. We call that a pickup because, well, because you can pick things up and put them in the back.”
“My Lord,” he said, shaking his head. “Are there many of them?”
“Thousands. Plus cars, and vans and buses—” She patted Star’s neck. “It’s lunchtime, and the girls will be going home now. I’ll have a word with them, then we’ll go inside and I’ll show you some things.”
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Margrett Dawson
The girls would obviously have liked to have stayed around Quinn for a lot longer, but Elaine sent them home with a promise that they could come back on Saturday.
“Will you be here, Quinn?” Shelly asked.
“I don’t think so. I have to leave tonight, in fact.”
“Goodbye, then,” she sighed. “It was nice meeting you.”
On the way out of the barn Marnie took a step toward Elaine. “What a hunk,” she whispered. “Will he come back again?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
She watched them mount their bicycles and start off down the drive. Would he come back? No one knew. She felt Quinn behind her.
“You made quite a conquest,” she said.
“They’re cool chicks.”
Elaine burst into laughter. “What else did they teach you?”
Quinn took her hand as they walked toward the house. “Oh, I don’t know—a few words. Like these horses are awesome.”
“They would be even better if there were a few more of them.”
“Whatever.”
She slipped off her shoes, laughed again and gave him a quick kiss. “You’re a fast learner. Let me boot up my computer and you can find out some more while I get lunch.”
He grabbed for her to prolong the embrace but she slipped away, fired up her desktop and gave him a few instructions.
“Is this where I can google myself?” he asked, slipping arm around her waist again.
“What have those girls been teaching you? Where do they think you’re from?”
“I said I was a traveler. Been out of touch for a while.”
“You can say that again.” She let herself appreciate the warmth of him against her side, then tore herself away to make a sandwich while he explored some web sites. He caught on quickly on how to use the mouse and his declarations of surprise and delight at each of his discoveries reached clearly into the kitchen.
“Good Heavens above!” The exclamation was followed by a long period of silence.
She moved to the doorway to see what he had found that was holding his interest.
Quinn looked up from the screen as she approached his chair.
“What did you find?” she asked, expecting to see the description of a sleek car, or a holiday resort.
To her surprise she saw the words “Cariboo Gold Company” in bold letters.
He looked at her with an expression of dismay. “Does this say they failed?” he said.
She leaned forward to scan the article on the screen. “Yes, it looks like it.”
“I’ll lose everything.”
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Heart’s Delight
She touched his shoulder in sympathy.
“And so will Margaret.”
She hadn’t realized Margaret was a potential investor. “Oh, no!”
“It’s not too late. I can warn her.”
“Yes,” she said in a low voice, ignoring the stab of pain that speared her heart. “You must warn her.”
They sat at the kitchen table to eat their sandwiches wi
thout speaking. At last Quinn swallowed a mouthful and broke the silence. “There was a full moon last night,”
he said.
Elaine nodded. She knew he was figuring out the chances of going back through the mirror to his own time.
“It stays full for three days,” he continued. “Maybe that had something to do with the passage opening for me.”
“It is the solstice.”
He took another bite of his sandwich. “True.”
Elaine reflected for a moment. “I think I might know one of the reasons why you could come through the mirror,” she said in a low voice.
He looked at her expectantly.
“I really wanted to touch you.” She thought of her use of the vibrator alone in her bed. “When I watched you in Margaret’s house, I wanted you.” She lifted her glass to take a sip of water and found her hand was trembling.
He stretched out his arm to stroke the backs of her fingers. “Full moon, mid-year solstice, desire. A potent combination.”
“Maybe you have to want very much for the passage to open.” She looked down and felt the warm blood rise in her face. “Last night I didn’t really want you to go. So the mirror closed up.”
“So you may be the one with the power,” he said. “Will you let me go tonight? To help my sister?”
She fought for breath against the lump in her throat. “Of course I will.”
His eyes met hers. She nodded, unable to speak.
“But before I go,” he smiled that wicked smile, “do you have any more chores to do?”
“Nothing that can’t wait.”
Shoving back her chair, she moved toward him, took his face between her palms and drew his lips toward hers. She kissed him full on the mouth, her tongue seeking his. He responded immediately, his arms wrapping around her, crushing her tightly against him. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, pulling him even closer as if there could never be any space between them.
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Margrett Dawson
At last she paused to breathe and removed her mouth from his. Her heart ached at the thought of letting him go. Who could know if he would be able to come back, or if he would want to come back once he returned to his family? Why would he?
She drew in a shuddering breath. Quinn touched her lips with his fingertips, making her quiver. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.
She gave a wry smile. “In my work clothes?”
“Yes, astoundingly beautiful, but even more so without them.” He smiled and fingered the clasps on the bib of her overalls. He released the catch and the front fell forward. Her breasts ached for his touch under the thin cotton of her shirt.
His hands were warm on her ribs as he slipped them around her waist, then down over her hips, pulling the trousers down past her behind, over her thighs. The overalls puddled on the floor and she stood in her shirt and panties, waiting for him.
“Make love to me,” she said, her voice catching in her throat.
He raised an eyebrow. “Bed?”
“Yes, please.”
He stood quickly and swept her into his arms. She kicked away her trailing overalls and put her arm around his neck, burying her face in the lovely hollow above his shoulder, breathing in the fragrance of saddle soap and hay, warm horse and virile man. The mingled scents were intoxicating, exciting, making her head swim and her body tremble.
He climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to her bedroom. The sheets were still in a tangle from the frenzy of their last coupling and she caught the heady aroma of sex lingering in the air and on the coverings. It was wonderful, bewitching, and made her long to experience it again.
Quinn set her down on the bed and quickly shucked his jeans and shirt. She watched through half-closed eyes as his strong torso was revealed, his slim hips, his powerful thighs. Each inch of bared flesh made her heart beat faster until she could feel it pounding in her throat. Creamy moisture ran from between her legs and the ache low in her belly made her bite her lip in impatience.
Quinn said nothing but kept his eyes on her as he stripped. He stood for a moment when he was naked to allow her eyes to feast on him. His cock stood tall and thick, surging from the nest of dark hair at the base of his belly. It grew and swelled under her greedy gaze, a pearly drop already shimmering on its tip.
He slid onto the bed beside her and reached for her, his strong arms surrounding her like a protective shield. He kissed her once, slowly, as if savoring the taste and feel of her, then again and again, tender kisses like the soft brush of velour against her skin.
Then he pressed deeper, his touch sure and deliberate as he began to caress her and ease her skimpy clothing from her unresisting body. She felt the warmth of his fingers on every curve and hollow, in every secret place. She shivered as the cool dampness of his tongue laved her nipples, sucked them into his mouth and left them aching for more as he buried his head between her thighs.
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Heart’s Delight
She lay in a state just below consciousness, but where every movement, every touch caused exquisite sensations of delight bordering on pain. She cried out when he entered her, urgency replacing the heady pleasure that had made her limbs heavy with desire.
He rocked inside her and her body began to build to climax. She tried to prolong the moment as long as possible, until it was no longer something she could control, and she cried out again, her nails digging into the muscles of his back, her hands clinging to him as if he were the only thing between her and a treacherous ocean. Seconds later they collapsed against each other, their bodies bathed in a thin film of sweat.
“Are you all right?” he asked at last.
“Are you kidding?” She laughed, a deep throaty chuckle. She hadn’t laughed like that for years. “I mean, are you joking?” she translated. “I am perfect.” She stretched out like a contented cat.
Quinn laughed with her, kissed her forehead and gathered her into his arms.
“That was wonderful,” she sighed. “You’re a great lover.”
“Now who’s kidding? You inspire me.”
He kissed her again, drawing her back against the pillows, their bodies folding comfortably together, their breathing steady and rhythmic. He pulled a cover over them both and she snuggled against him.
She closed her eyes, very conscious of the man lying beside her where only twenty-four hours before there had been cold, empty space. Tonight there would be emptiness again if he succeeded in passing through the mirror.
Suppose it didn’t work? Did she want him to stay against his will? He would fret about his sister, might grow to resent his imprisonment in another time. She had to let him go, if indeed she held the power to keep him or release him.
She touched his arm, ran her fingers over the smooth muscles and over his bare chest, tracing the fine line of dark hair around his nipples and down to his belly.
He stirred and groaned. “God, woman, if you do things like that, be prepared for the consequences.”
“Like what?” She touched his cock with a featherlike brush of her fingers. It stirred to life again.
“Every time you touch me—” He turned his head to kiss her. Her lips parted and he ran the tip of his tongue on the sensitive flesh just inside her mouth.
She murmured in appreciation of the tingle that shot from her bruised mouth down to the spot between her legs that throbbed anew.
He raised his head and caught sight of the vibrator, still perched on the bedside table.
“You know, a friend of mine is a doctor,” he said. “Bright fellow, much more studious than I.”
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Margrett Dawson
She felt a pang of dislike for the family who had taught him so well that he was of little worth. Before she could protest, he continued. “They have a thing like your dildo.
Some fellow in the United States is taking out a patent.”
“A patent?”
“It’s a medical device. Used to treat female hysteria.”
<
br /> “I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true, I swear it. The medicos used to do it manually, but with the new thing it’s much more efficient.”
“Do what manually?”
“Clitoral massage, they call it. My friend is always up on the latest techniques. Says it’s very effective. The women come regularly and it really seems to help with anxiety and all kinds of hysterical manifestations.”
Laughter bubbled up inside her and she shook in his arms. “Are you seriously telling me that doctors induce orgasms in their patients and pretend it cures hysteria?”
“Hey, steady on. Who said anything about orgasm?”
She gasped and wiped her streaming eyes on the sheet. “It’s not really funny.” She gulped for breath. “Those poor women. Don’t their husbands do it on a regular basis?”
“Couldn’t tell you. I daresay they would think it not nice. Unseemly, you know.”
“I daresay your country girls never needed such treatment.”
“No, now you come to mention it, they never did. Funny that. I should mention it to my friend. He’d be interested.”
“I’m sure he would.”
“Talking of inducing orgasms,” he said against her ear. “You said your friend gave you that marvelous thing we used last night. Did she give you anything else?”
“Heaps of stuff.”
“What do you like best?”
“I couldn’t tell you.” She put her lips against his neck, feeling the thread of his pulse. “I never used them.”
He ran his hands up her ribs and stroked her breasts. “Where are they?”
Oh boy! She swallowed to moisten her dry mouth in order to speak.
“In the drawer in the other bedroom.”
He plopped a quick kiss on the end of her nose and swung his legs out of bed. He turned away from her and she watched the delicious ripple of his bare buns as he strode to the door. This had to be a dream. It wasn’t possible that she was neglecting her stable, lying in her warm bed, redolent with the steamy fragrance of wonderful sex, waiting for a fantasy lover to come back to her with sex toys, which would do she knew not what.
The drawer of the dresser in the spare room opened with a rattle.
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Heart’s Delight
She considered her options. She could get up, dress quickly and return to her work.