wild deer would be more than happy to share with you.”
Strom’s eyes darkened with a faint hint of longing. “I think
I’d rather share with you.”
Ingrid’s tongue flicked out and she licked her lips
nervously. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? She inched
closer, staring at his mouth, desperately wanting to kiss him.
The bedroom door opened and Finn appeared, carrying a
breakfast tray, setting it down with a clatter on her bedside table. “All your
favorites, Ingrid—one large latte with chocolate sprinkles, fresh croissants
and apricot preserve. Nothing but the best for my girl.”
The bedroom door closed again. The viking was gone, taking
his clothes with him.
When he reappeared, Strom was clean-shaven and his hair was
damp. He didn’t lie on the bed this time, but pulled up a chair and stayed a
respectful distance away from her.
“We have to talk about what happened at David’s house.”
Ingrid nodded. She had been trying not to think about that.
She’d had some very strange dreams. Something about swimming and doctors and
bright lights, but it was all mixed up and seemed to have happened a very long
time ago, not just the day before yesterday.
“When we got to David’s house, they carried me upstairs.
Barbara was there, and she was… S-s-she was dead. And then Raoul came.” She
could feel a tear sliding down her face and she brushed it away impatiently.
Ingrid couldn’t look at Strom’s face, so she stared instead at Finn’s
ridiculous alarm clock. “He kept asking me about the team and who they reported
to and where you were, but I wouldn’t tell him.”
She stole a look in Strom’s direction. His hands were
clenched in his lap and his knuckles were white. She had to get this over with.
“Then he came back with the other man.” Her voice began to shake and she took a
deep breath. “I was so scared when I heard them coming up the stairs that I
started to laugh. They must have thought I was crazy. The other man had some
kind of knife and it burned and I…”
Ingrid heard a crash as the chair fell to the floor and then
she was in his arms and he was kissing her face.
“I’m sorry, Ingrid, I’m so sorry. All of this is my fault. I
should have gone with you. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight for an
instant.”
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s my fault too. I shouldn’t have
gone looking for David.” She kissed him, a slow sweet embrace, and he responded
in kind, with long, deep kisses that almost made her forget.
She settled into his arms again. “What happened afterward? I
know that I didn’t go to the hospital, but my arm and the—”
“I took you back to the future.”
“You what?” Ingrid struggled to sit up, but Strom pulled her
back down again.
“We’ve been gone for a week. You gave the docs in Med Unit
One quite a surprise. They were expecting Jake and they had to put an emergency
contagion field around the entire unit to protect everyone from all those
twenty-first-century bugs that you carry.”
“I do not carry bugs,” she protested, slapping him
halfheartedly. She didn’t have the strength to inflict a decent blow.
“Oh yes, you do,” he said, rolling away from her flailing
hands. “Do you know how many sessions of immuno-therapy we had to have before
coming here? You’ll probably keep the contagion research unit busy for a year.”
His smile faded and his eyes grew serious once again. “It’s
not over yet. You know that, don’t you?”
Ingrid nodded.
“We have to drag Raoul out into the open and take him back
where he belongs.”
She didn’t want to think about that. David and Barbara were
still lying dead in their house and Raoul had to be caught. But when the
mission was over, there would be no reason for Strom and the others to stay
here. They would have to go back to their own time and she didn’t know how she
would cope with that.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked nervously.
“Tomorrow, we need
Strom’s eyes darkened with a faint hint of longing. “I think
I’d rather share with you.”
Ingrid’s tongue flicked out and she licked her lips
nervously. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? She inched
closer, staring at his mouth, desperately wanting to kiss him.
The bedroom door opened and Finn appeared, carrying a
breakfast tray, setting it down with a clatter on her bedside table. “All your
favorites, Ingrid—one large latte with chocolate sprinkles, fresh croissants
and apricot preserve. Nothing but the best for my girl.”
The bedroom door closed again. The viking was gone, taking
his clothes with him.
When he reappeared, Strom was clean-shaven and his hair was
damp. He didn’t lie on the bed this time, but pulled up a chair and stayed a
respectful distance away from her.
“We have to talk about what happened at David’s house.”
Ingrid nodded. She had been trying not to think about that.
She’d had some very strange dreams. Something about swimming and doctors and
bright lights, but it was all mixed up and seemed to have happened a very long
time ago, not just the day before yesterday.
“When we got to David’s house, they carried me upstairs.
Barbara was there, and she was… S-s-she was dead. And then Raoul came.” She
could feel a tear sliding down her face and she brushed it away impatiently.
Ingrid couldn’t look at Strom’s face, so she stared instead at Finn’s
ridiculous alarm clock. “He kept asking me about the team and who they reported
to and where you were, but I wouldn’t tell him.”
She stole a look in Strom’s direction. His hands were
clenched in his lap and his knuckles were white. She had to get this over with.
“Then he came back with the other man.” Her voice began to shake and she took a
deep breath. “I was so scared when I heard them coming up the stairs that I
started to laugh. They must have thought I was crazy. The other man had some
kind of knife and it burned and I…”
Ingrid heard a crash as the chair fell to the floor and then
she was in his arms and he was kissing her face.
“I’m sorry, Ingrid, I’m so sorry. All of this is my fault. I
should have gone with you. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight for an
instant.”
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s my fault too. I shouldn’t have
gone looking for David.” She kissed him, a slow sweet embrace, and he responded
in kind, with long, deep kisses that almost made her forget.
She settled into his arms again. “What happened afterward? I
know that I didn’t go to the hospital, but my arm and the—”
“I took you back to the future.”
“You what?” Ingrid struggled to sit up, but Strom pulled her
back down again.
“We’ve been gone for a week. You gave the docs in Med Unit
One quite a surprise. They were expecting Jake and they had to put an emergency
contagion field around the entire unit to protect everyone from all those
twenty-first-century bugs that you carry.”
“I do not carry bugs,” she protested, slapping him
halfheartedly. She didn’t have the strength to inflict a decent blow.
“Oh yes, you do,” he said, rolling away from her flailing
hands. “Do you know how many sessions of immuno-therapy we had to have before
coming here? You’ll probably keep the contagion research unit busy for a year.”
His smile faded and his eyes grew serious once again. “It’s
not over yet. You know that, don’t you?”
Ingrid nodded.
“We have to drag Raoul out into the open and take him back
where he belongs.”
She didn’t want to think about that. David and Barbara were
still lying dead in their house and Raoul had to be caught. But when the
mission was over, there would be no reason for Strom and the others to stay
here. They would have to go back to their own time and she didn’t know how she
would cope with that.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked nervously.
“Tomorrow, we need
Similar Books
