Riley's Journey (13 page)

Knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Brett and Alicia had the information he needed, he decided to harass Miles again. He didn’t really need to, but he kind of enjoyed watching fat boy squirm! Strolling across the quadrant, he entered the main facility and made his way to the lab. Miles was bent over the computer, muttering to himself while furiously inputting data. Jonas tapped on the desk to draw his attention. Miles looked up and froze when he saw Jonas’ solid form.

“What are you doing here again?” Miles’ fat chin quivered, a spot of lunch pasted below his lower lip.

“Just checking. Anything new?”

“No, and I already told you it would take some time to finalize these computations.” Miles bent back over his computer, refusing to acknowledge Jonas further.

“I think you’ve had enough time. I think you already have the calculations and you’re just stalling.” Jonas moved slowly around the desk, giving Miles time to nervously question his intentions. “I’ve decided to bring Bethany back. Where is she?”

Miles snorted. “Bethany won’t help you!”

“Oh, but she will! She would do anything for Nathan and we are the answer to her deepest desire—to make a new life for Nathan.” He pulled out his bone-handled knife, scraping it along his arm, near enough for Miles to see the shaved space.

“Bethany would never allow all of you to go. She’s too careful.”

“Not careful enough; or you wouldn’t still be here.” Jonas waited, allowing Miles to consider his options.

Miles’ shoulders sagged in defeat. “She’s in Philadelphia, attending a seminar or conference or something. But she won’t help you. Her career would be over if she did.”

Jonas pressed. “We both know her career’s over anyway. You told me yourself there was no more funding and who’s going to hire a has-been time travel expert? Scientists who fail are a dime a dozen.”

“We didn’t fail!” Angry now, Miles lost his inherent caution. “We succeeded! And it would have been a major scientific discovery if we had just a little more time.”

“That’s what you keep telling me—you just need more time! Well, guess what, time’s up. Where is the conference?”

“I told you! It’s in Philadelphia, probably at the university. If not, someone can direct you to the right place. She always leaves a number there where she can be reached. Now can I continue or do you plan on standing there and harassing me longer?”

Interesting. Miles was finally showing a little backbone. Must be something he was hiding and it was Jonas’ opinion that people always fought harder if they had something to hide. Turning to Miles’ guard, he instructed, “Watch him closely. If you think he’s pulling something, shoot him.” The guard saluted smartly, his weapon in readiness.

Miles’ eyes widened as his jaw fell open. “You can’t mean that,” he sputtered. “Bethany will need my help if and when she does come back!”

“Never think you aren’t replaceable,” Jonas drawled, “just remember that.” Laughing to himself, Jonas exited the lab. Fat boy was so easy to torment.

Miles watched him go, hate welling up in red waves, his hands shaking with emotion. Damn Jonas! I’ll make you suffer, he silently vowed. All he needed was a little more time and Jonas and his group of miscreants would be out of his life forever, then he could leave this desolate place and head to Mexico. A bank account stuffed with funding he had misappropriated from the facility waited while he languished here. Visions of a sandy beach and dark skinned young women in skimpy thongs flashed through his mind, calming him and giving him purpose.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

T
he first signs of spring were dotting the landscape. Snowdrifts were decreasing with each day and the temperature outside the shelter was rising little by little. The frozen sheet covering the river began to break up and great chunks of ice spun drunkenly in the increased flow of the spring runoff. Flocks of birds began arriving, and small plants pushed their way through to the sun’s warmth.

Riley looked forward to the changing of the season. Being cooped up in the shelter was beginning to wear on all of them and the prospect of being outside more often was an exciting, if uncertain, one. Riley loved spring, but having little experience in the ways of the world 40,000 years ago, she didn’t know what to expect. How long would summer last, what new dangers would they face with the advent of warmer weather, what would they need to accomplish during that time, and could she finally wear shorts, and if so, how was she going to shave her legs?

As they were spending more time outdoors, and with the reality that more predators would be roaming the countryside due to the escalating migration of the flocks and herds, Nathan’s vigilance and safety measures increased. He had a small “family” to take care of now and he was more safety conscientious than ever. Riley was finding his fussiness oftentimes irritating and unwarranted. She was perfectly capable of keeping a lookout for herself, but Nathan was unwilling to allow her that concession.

Out of necessity, and on a daily basis, they worked on survival techniques, including toning her combat skills, food identification and gathering, and the basics to identify spoor and track game. Her botany/biology background was piqued by the prospect of tracking and food gathering, believing those were areas in which she could make a substantial contribution. As the snow pack receded, more and more plant life emerged. She was able to identify various genetic groups but a lot of the plant life was new and unusual.

Lambing season commenced and Nathan’s little flock increased twofold. He built a small holding pen outside the stable cave and allowed the animals time each day to enjoy the sunshine. During those times, he and Demon stood guard, watchful for any predators that might find his little flock easy prey. Large tracks had been found in the muddy areas near the enclosure on more than one occasion and Nathan was certain his flock had been targeted for some future feeding foray.

Riley ventured out alone for small hikes, mindful of keeping the cave in view. Memories of being lost in the snow and her increased knowledge of the fauna of the region kept her from straying too far. As she grew more accustomed to the surrounding area, her nervousness decreased, but her wariness remained on alert. Each time she was out, hairs tingled on the back of her neck, and she had the uncomfortable feeling she was being watched. Nathan was always within calling distance if she left the shelter and if he was not, he made sure she was safe in the shelter before he left. He was like having a vigilant and watchful mother—only with tight buns!

Riley sighed. Yes, he did have tight buns along with all the other interesting parts of his body. She had not made an attempt to touch him since that one very cold night; temptation was too great and she didn’t want to be the one to cause any strain on their budding relationship. Friendship was always the easier path and in view of the fact that she would be here a long time, being friends was paramount to their existence.

Today was a beautiful day for a short walk. As she walked, a small niggling desire to step over the line chipped at her conscious. After all, she reasoned, who else was there for either of them? Meandering slowly through the natural borders surrounding their rock shelter, Riley’s mind drifted onto pleasant thoughts of interesting ways to accomplish that little maneuver. Brazen and bold were not her way, nor had they ever been. Subtle and sexy! Yeah, that was her, or could be under the right circumstances. With no one else for comparison and given that Nathan had been alone for five years, it went without saying that she could accomplish that quite easily, unless of course he was gay or something, but he spent too many long moments watching her and it was pretty obvious that his body was interested.

Blushing at the thought, she returned to the present, as her nerve endings began tingling. Somewhere, something was following and watching again. Realizing she had ventured farther than was prudent, cautiously she turned and, hoping to give the impression she was unconcerned, casually started back, keeping both eyes glued to the surrounding areas.

An unnatural silence goaded her into speeding up. Feeling as though the forest were laying in wait, she scurried back to the open area near the shelter.

“
Nathan!
” she called hysterically. “
Nathan!
”

From the direction of the animal pens, Nathan and Demon ran into view. Nathan’s face was twisted with alarm but relaxed when he caught sight of her. Demon skidded to a halt, his head tilted questioningly.

Embarrassed by her show of nervousness, she stammered, “I...I thought something was stalking me. I could just feel it.” Suddenly cold, she rubbed her arms to warm them. “It got too quiet, not like it usually is.”

Demon froze, hackles rising as he caught the scent of something untoward. Growling low his chest, the dog’s gaze was focused on the forested area where Riley had been. Nathan glanced around. Everything seemed fine, but he had been here too long to always believe what he saw, and Demon’s attitude told a different story. “Let’s get inside. Never hurts to be cautious.”

“What about your animals?”

“They’re fine. I penned them up already. I was just starting back when I heard you yell. You scared me!” He rolled the huge rock back into place as he spoke.

With the entrance blocked, some of Riley’s nervousness left. “It was just so weird. All of a sudden, it got really quiet, like everything knew something was going to happen. Made me really nervous.”

“We’re safe now. I’ll go out and check in a little while just to be sure.”

“Do you have to go out today? Maybe you’d better wait until tomorrow. That’ll give whatever it was time to leave.” Her eyes were huge, the irises dilating with emotion.

Not wanting to alarm her any further, Nathan conceded, commenting softly, “Okay, just for you. Tomorrow’s fine. There isn’t much daylight left anyway.” A warm grin wreathed his lips, his eyes soft and compelling. “We can have an early dinner and relax for a change. We’ve been working way too hard lately.”

A small flutter tickled Riley’s stomach, her mind’s eye visualizing the possibilities, fraught with anticipation. “Great! But tonight I’m doing the cooking. I am a fantastic cook, you know.”

“Are you?” he teased. “Then why have I been slaving over meals every day.”

Riley laughed. “I hardly think cooking the same thing day in and day out qualifies as ‘slaving’.”

“It’s edible,” he retorted, “and you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“I am, but I have some ideas on something new and exciting.” Waggling her eyebrows, she marched ahead into the living quarters of the shelter, banging kitchen utensils around in a show of competence.

“Well, if you’re really serious about doing the cooking, I’m going to relax, have a shower and clean up.”

Riley could hear him undressing and whistling as he moved about. Glancing up, she hesitated as he stepped into the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel.

“Uh, I forgot the hot water.” Sheepishly, he reached for a bowl. At the same time, Demon decided it was time to play and made a grab for the towel, pulling it off and running for the back room. Abashed, Nathan stood there in all his glory, uncertain what to do, his face reddening in confusion.

Riley calmly regarded him. His arms, upper torso, and legs retained some of last summer’s tan. Below his waist, his skin was pale; a V of dark hair covered the juncture of his thighs, where his masculinity hung heavy and full. Turning away, matter-of-factly, Riley began ladling hot water into a wooden bucket. “Nice tan,” she commented dryly as she handed him the water. “Did you teach the dog that little trick?”

Nathan coughed in embarrassment, retreating to the back room, using the bucket as a shield. “Uh, no,” he choked, “surprisingly enough, that’s the first time he’s done that.”

Grinning, Riley watched his retreat, enjoying the view. The guy had one seriously great butt and combined with his muscular back and legs, it was a show worth watching. Her earlier thoughts returned. What would he actually do if she threw herself at him? It wasn’t like he had any place else to go if she had him cornered. Chuckling in amusement, she threw herself into making dinner, adding the fresh greens she had harvested during her walk. Dinner was almost finished when Nathan entered the kitchen again, his hair damp and curling around his ears. A slight blush still colored his cheeks and he avoided looking her in the eye.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Nathan, it’s not like I haven’t ever seen a naked man before. Sheesh! Relax, your manhood is safe with me.”

His face coloring even darker, Nathan tried miserably to explain. “I know, but it’s been over five years since anyone other than the dog was around to see me and I don’t want to scare you off.”

Her eyes twinkling devilishly, Riley pushed a few more of his buttons. “Well, you have a great body, so quit worrying about it. I enjoyed the view. Next time, give me a little more warning so I can prepare myself. You know, like pop some popcorn or buy some Raisinets and try for a front row seat.”

Nathan burst out laughing. Her silliness wiped away the last of his embarrassment and concern. Warmed by her sense of humor, he relaxed, prepared to enjoy the remainder of the evening. Dinner smelled wonderful and his stomach growled in response. Demon crept back in, his attitude guilty and pleading forgiveness. Nathan scowled at him. “Forget it Mutt, you’re in the doghouse tonight. You’re lucky I’m even letting you stay inside.”