Darkness of Time, page 15
Marcellious grunted, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
“Emily wants to help us,” I said, extending my hands. “She’s already like a sister to me, and I won’t allow anything to happen to her.”
“Like you can control that,” Marcellious said, sneering. “Like you can control anything.”
“You’re right. I can’t control anything, but I can prepare. And right now, we need you to come with us. I don’t know what awaits us on the way to Weston Hills. Doesn’t it make sense to band together for all our protection? Balthazar will hunt us all down if we fail in our quest, including you, Marcellious.”
Marcellious worked his jaw side to side, but he made no comment.
“So,” Roman said, “are you coming with us?”
“I’ll do it for my people. I’ll do it for the tribe,” he said, glancing from me to Roman and back to me. “Don’t think I’m joining you because you want me to.”
“I wouldn’t dream of such a thing,” I said, rolling my eyes.
The thought of a long journey with this miserable man rankled me. But, like I’d said, I needed Marcellious’ help.
I faced Roman, done with Marcellious’ snark. “Emily’s waiting. Meet me near the horses in ten minutes.”
I turned to leave, opened the door flap, smiled, and said, “Ready?”
“Yes, I’m coming,” she said, hurrying to join me. She carried a heavy satchel at her side.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the weighted bag.
Her cheeks reddened. “I, uh, sneaked to the food storage and helped myself to some bison meat and venison. Oh, and some pemmican.”
My expression brightened. The pemmican, consisting of rendered animal fats, berries, and herbs, would fill our bellies for hours.
“It’s a long journey to Weston Hills,” Emily continued. “And I didn’t think anyone would venture outside to offer us sustenance. I would have left something in return, but I have nothing to give.”
She cast her gaze at the ground.
“Oh, Emily, how kind of you to think of us. I would have hunted something, but you’re right. This will allow us to move quickly toward our destination.” I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “We’ll have to bring gifts of some kind when we return. Although I don’t think we’ll be given a warm reception upon our return.”
I scrunched up my face at the thought. But I released such worries, desiring to stay here and now.
Earth Bear waited for us out by the horse enclosure with four horses secured by their reins in his hands. The rest of the equines stretched into the distance, numbering in the hundreds.
“Grey Feather has asked that we gift you these horses. The horses you brought are white people’s steeds. They are not as swift and sure-footed as ours.” Earth Bear beamed.
“Thank you! Tell Grey Feather thank you, as well.” My throat became clogged with emotion. The people of this tribe, especially the great chief and his son, had been most gracious with us. I wanted them to know how deeply I appreciated their kindness, so I took a risk and clasped Earth Bear’s hands.
He blinked as if surprised.
“You have touched my heart with your generosity,” I said.
A warm glow spread across his cheeks.
“We shall instruct your horses in the ways of our people and teach them to be trustworthy rides,” he said.
“I’m deeply honored. Tell Grey Feather his kindness shall be returned ten-fold,” I said, reaching for the reins Earth Bear extended to me.
He handed over a horse to Emily then his gaze flicked behind me. He lifted his hand and said, “A-ho, brothers!”
“A-ho,” Roman called.
As always, my heart surged with joy at the sight of Roman.
He strode toward us with purpose and power.
“Grey Feather has gifted us these steeds,” I said, reaching for Roman’s hand.
He took it, kissing my knuckles, then turned his attention to Earth Bear. “Your chief’s generosity is great, Earth Bear. Please convey our gratitude.”
“Return to us safely,” Earth Bear said.
Roman turned to me and lifted me up to mount my horse.
Marcellious did the same for Emily.
Eyes wide, I blinked in disbelief. Marcellious doing a kind turn for anyone? This was a rare moment.
Roman and Marcellious both leaped onto the backs of their rides, and, after giving our farewells to Earth Bear, we were off.
We had to rely on Emily’s guidance, as we didn’t know where Weston Hills was.
“It’s in South Carolina.” She gave more directives, and Marcellious frowned.
He trotted his horse next to her. “You’ve got to give us more clues than that.”
Her face flushed as she said something to him that I couldn’t hear.
They chatted back and forth before Marcellious announced, “I think I’ve got it.”
The sun blazed as we crossed the plains, heading southeast. My grief lessened slightly the further we got away from the tribe. It was as if I could feel the sorrow and rage emanating from the teepees. But traversing through endless miles of prairie grass, I let my woes fall from my shoulders.
At a creek, we all dismounted and allowed the horses to pick their way through the stone-lined stream to drink.
Holding the reins in my left hand, I squatted in the middle of the creek and scooped some water into my hand. There were no water bottles, and we could not carry the precious liquid.
Emily rummaged around in her satchel and found the pemmican, then broke off a piece for each of us.
We all stood, munching on the bison fat, berries, and herbs. I looked at Roman, desire filling my heart. It had been too long since we’d shared a sexual encounter of any depth. We’d had a rushed, frantic experience in the Hypogeum, where Roman had been held prisoner. I missed touching him with abandon.
He turned to look at me, and the world fell away. I felt safely enveloped by our love.
But then Marcellious interrupted us, saying, “We’ve got a long journey ahead. Let’s not stand around and make love eyes at one another.”
We traversed the rest of the day, saying little, and riding our horses in companionable silence. At least Roman, Emily, and I were companionable.
Marcellious rode ahead of us, keeping to himself.
When we broke for camp, two hawks circled over our heads. I took that as a sign that this spot was as good as any to stay the night. The sun dropped toward the horizon, heralding the day’s end.
A small spring bubbled nearby, so we all had a water source to sip through the night.
And, so far, no sign of the darkness.
We ground-tied the horses so they could graze, and Roman and Marcellious took off searching for firewood.
Once a nice blaze burned, Emily passed out more pemmican, and we sat around the fire, eating.
Marcellious and Emily kept to their own thoughts, saying little.
As stars illuminated the sky, Roman turned to me and said softly, “Olivia. Let’s take a walk together. It’s beautiful out tonight.”
“Of course,” I said, eager to share some alone time with him.
“We’ll be back in a bit,” Roman told Marcellious, but Marcellious only grunted his reply.
“Will you be okay?” I said to Emily.
“Are you staying with me?” Emily asked Marcellious.
“Now, where do you think I’d go?” he said with a sneer.
“I’ll take that as a rude yes,” Emily said to him. She turned toward me and said, “Yes, I’ll be fine.”
Hand in hand, Roman and I took off toward a small stand of trees. As we walked, my insides began to quiver with longing, and wet heat flooded my core. We said nothing, but a world of desire and unmet needs sizzled between us.
Once we stood with the trees obscuring us from the others, I said, “Did you need to speak to me?”
“Not in words, my love,” he said, pulling me close. “I can sense the overwhelm inside of you, the fear beneath the surface of your skin. You don’t have to carry it alone, my beautiful flame. Let me ease your pain. I can’t wait for another second. I need to make love to you.”
He tugged my supple dress over my head, running his palms across my bare skin. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, stroking my naked shoulders.
“So are you,” I whispered, delighting in the feel of him beneath my fingers.
Roman kissed my neck and jaw with so much tenderness that I could weep. My vulnerability split wide open as his lips worked along my cheekbones and eyelids.
Our bodies were close, so close, and yet still separate. “Roman,” I breathed.
“What is it, my beloved?” He pushed his fingers into my hair, massaging and stroking.
“I need to be closer to you.” I traced the planes of his jaw with my fingertips.
Roman let out a soft chuckle. “Our bodies are pressed together. How much closer can we get?”
I met his eyes and searched for his soul. “I don’t know. I just want to be consumed by you, to get lost in our connection.”
“Ah,” he said, smiling. “Then, let’s get lost together.” Roman claimed my mouth with a ravenous kiss that took my breath away. Then, with one hand around my neck, he caressed my breasts with his other hand, fingering my nipples into aching buds of need.
He broke the kiss and bit his way down my neck.
Chills cascaded up and down my spine.
Crouching slightly, he sucked one of my breasts into his hot mouth.
I moaned, tugging at his wild hair, and my head dropped back.
He sucked me hard as he moved his hand down my belly and dropped to explore the slick, wet juncture between my legs.
My body was ignited by his passion.
He groaned as he stroked me with his strong, callused fingers. “You’re so wet, my beautiful flame.”
“I am. It’s all for you,” I said, eager to have his hard cock inside me.
“Lie down,” he commanded.
Something about his tone of voice excited me to no end. Roman was a warrior, used to having his own way. I longed for him to have his way with me.
I dropped to my knees like a stone and spread my suede dress on the ground. I lay back as a burning fire of desire blazed inside of me.
Roman’s eyes ignited with passion as he gazed at me. Undoubtedly, he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
I desired his everything, given without restraint or reservation. I’d endured countless lonely nights without him. And now was our chance, perhaps our only chance for quite some time, to join together.
Roman tugged his shirt over his head and unfastened the ties holding his deerskin breeches up. Then, he was on top of me, our lips grinding together, his tongue thrusting into my mouth with fury.
Unable to repress my urges, I rolled on top of him. I needed to be in charge and wanted to take control. I wanted to feel like I wasn’t a tumbleweed being swept along by a dark wind but a powerful being shaping my own destiny.
Roman yielded to me, lacing our fingers together, saying, “Use me how you want, my love. I’m yours for the taking.”
My breasts ached to be caressed, to be sucked, to be teased. I dragged them back and forth across his solid chest, feeling my nipples tighten into sensitive buds.
“Oh, God,” I cried out as the ache in my breasts grew unbearable.
Roman let out a wicked laugh. “Olivia,” he breathed, his warm breath dancing across my face. “I can’t get enough of you. I’ll never get enough of you.” His hands swept my sides, exploring, and teasing my sensitive skin.
I was high on his intoxicating touch.
I propped my hands on his chest and let my long hair drape across his eyes, cheeks, and torso.
His face appeared rapturous as my silken strands caressed and enticed him.
Then, he hooked his hand behind my neck and brought my mouth down to his. He caressed my back, my ass, my shoulders, and my arms as he kissed me.
When our lips collided, I let out a wild groan, devoured by Roman’s kisses.
His hard cock lay between us, waiting to claim my insides.
I began to tremble with longing, and a plaintive, mewling sound escaped my throat.
Roman wrenched his lips from mine and growled, “I’m going out of my mind. I need to be inside you. Now!”
I reached between us and fit his swollen cock into me.
I hovered there, feeling him stretch me to my limit, filling me like no man ever could. Time seemed to stretch as this exquisite sensation of belonging, of being claimed by this powerful man, filled me.
There was and would only ever be Roman. He was my love, my warrior, my world, my reason for existence.
Roman grabbed my hips and began to thrust inside me, slow and steady, grunting with each thrust.
“Olivia,” he cried out. “I want to be deeper, so deep inside you that we both disappear.”
“I want that, too, Roman.” His insistent thrusts made my body sing, caught in a storm of pain and pleasure. “Oh, yes.”
As he plunged inside me, I undulated. I needed to bite, to claim, so I bit at the juncture of his neck and shoulder.
He let out a roar of satisfaction, and his hip thrusts intensified, driving relentlessly.
I let go of the world, everything, and anything that worried me and surfed on the waves of desire. There was this, only this, only this moment of ecstasy captured on the American Plains in the dark of night.
His cock felt like a knot of fire, waiting to explode, to shoot inside of me in a volcanic stream.
This agonizing tension, this blaze of heat, crackled between us, seeking release. Our bodies slapped against one another, slick and wet with sweat.
I could feel the moment when the fiery knot unraveled and Roman spilled his seed inside me.
He shouted and cried out my name, clutching my hips.
In the distance, the coyotes howled, joining us in ecstatic surrender.
Then, I exploded like a billion shooting stars cascading through the heavens. I shook with the relentless force of our combined orgasms.
“Roman!” I yelled through gritted teeth. “Oh, Roman!”
We soared through the sky like those two hawks that marked our arrival. I felt weightless, free, and on fire.
When gravity called me back to earth, I collapsed on top of Roman.
He caressed my back and whispered, “My love,” over and over until I fell into a blissful drowse.
When he said, “Ti voglio bene,” I stirred in surprise.
He’s telling me he loves me in Italian.
Then, he murmured, “Ti adoro con tutto il cuore.”
I pushed up onto my hands. “How can you tell me you adore me with all your heart in Italian?”
A playful smiled graced his face. “Conosco molte frasi. Parlo correntemente l’italiano.”
“You know many things, and yes, I can hear you speak Italian fluently. How is this possible?”
“Well,” he said, urging me from his hips. He pushed up to sit, and we both faced one another. “How is it you know so many languages? You probably studied them, as did I. My mother tutored me to the best of her abilities. She wanted me to learn Italian because she loved it. And then I learned Arabic and Turkish in honor of my father.”
“That’s so hot, Roman,” I said, grinning. “That’s such a turn-on.”
“If by ‘turn-on’ you mean you find it sexy, then I’m glad.” He reached out to place his hands on my thighs. “I find your intelligence sexy as well.”
“You don’t get it. The men in my time are such assholes. You are truly an honorable man. I never want to be away from you, Roman,” I said, placing my palms on his hands.
He laughed. “I’m guessing there are assholes in every century. You and I were destined to meet in whatever century we could. Even if we were to be separated, we’re soulmates. We’ll always find a way to be together.”
My heart soared. I would never tire of hearing Roman say words like that to me.
In the distance, a shout filled the air, competing with the chirping cicadas all around us, humming their nightly prayer.
“Hey! You two lovebirds... I’ve got to go take a piss, and I don’t want to leave Emily’s side,” Marcellious yelled. “She’s like a frightened rabbit.”
“I am not,” Emily said.
“Dammit!” Marcellious called out. “Get over here!”
Roman cupped his hands around his mouth. “We’ll be right there.” He turned to me and said, “I hope the weight and burden have been lifted off your shoulders tonight. We will conquer this together. We have each other no matter what awaits us on this journey.”
He lowered his lips to mine, kissing me with ferocious passion.
I was captivated by the warmth of his lips and the scratch of his stubble against my tender skin. Raw intensity stretched between us as our souls reached to one another to connect.
Far too soon, we withdrew from one another.
“Together, we can conquer anything, mi amore,” I said.
The following day we continued our journey. Marcellious kept his distance and answered questions with minimal effort. Finally, he galloped ahead of us.
The days and nights of riding, resting, eating, and sleeping became a blur. Finally, after days of riding, we came upon a home that had been badly burned. Only a few walls and the remnants of furniture, household goods, and appliances remained. Part of the roof clung to whatever it could for support.
My heart sank.
Her eyes glistened with tears. “It’s so sad. This used to be a beautiful home. We had a garden over there.”
She pointed to remnants of a fence surrounding a cluster of tall weeds.
“Our livestock lived in that field.” She pointed to a pasture to the left of the house. “My sister and I had a swing beneath that willow tree.”
A single rope stretched from the ground to a branch of the tree. All that was left of the swing was swaying listlessly in the breeze. The wood that made up the seat and the rope that had held up the other side lay in a tangle on the ground.
“Let’s go investigate,” I said. I took Emily’s hand and turned toward Roman, who still sat astride his horse. “We’re going to go look around. If anyone comes, yell for me, and I’ll be right out.”
