Seducing Anne (26 page)

But then she always experienced everything this man did deep down in her bones.

They had a bone-deep connection she could no longer deny.

* * *

“The chip has to be near a major artery for this to work if you’re going to have it in your body,” Guy explained to her the next morning after they had eaten and woken a little more.

She was certainly alert now.

He showed her various places on her body where these arteries were. It was her choice as to where the placement would be. Each spot it seemed, though, would cause excruciating pain, so how would she choose?

She was almost dizzy listening to Guy and Carew discuss how they could make this work.

Guy was a whole new person, and her eyes were opened as he expounded on how dangerous his past had been and the types of trials he had gone through.

It was hard to hear him talk about how he “serviced” other women’s needs, but he spoke so detached, she knew it was because it had been his duty—not like Harry who did it in his past because he was a sexual brute with no regard to the feelings of others.

Anne stood from her spot and cringed as she heard Carew’s children playing outside.

Would she ever have this? According to Guy, this was exactly what he was going to provide for her, because if she stayed here, she would have only one child, followed by a few miscarriages and would not live to see her daughter, Elizabeth, past toddlerhood.

“Guy—a moment?” She stepped to the edge of the room.

Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweating.

He smiled at her so brightly, her heart jumped and galloped harder.

“Yes, lavender? Having moments of doubt?”

She shook her head and turned so Carew could not observe this exchange.

“When we leave here and arrive at our destination—will you keep being an agent?” She bit her inner lower lip and cast her eyes down. Shame drained the heat from her face. She hated that she had to question him on his morality.

“Are you asking me if I’ll be faithful to you?”

She nodded with a small head jerk.

“Sweetheart—look at me.”

Her eyes wound their way up his body and she wanted to look away, but she had to stay there. He commanded it, and she would please him. Always.

“We are married in the eyes of God. We are married in the eyes of Guy. I’m not an unfaithful husband. I protect you—and that means all of you. Your heart is more precious to me than anything, and gaining your trust is important to me. My work with the agency was done anyway. This was to be my last mission. I have money back home, and we can live comfortably, even if we have to run from the agency to protect our lives.”

“We will have to run?”

He gripped her arms. “We will, but you would have to do the same if you stayed here, and Harry would hunt you down to the ends of the Earth. At least in my home, I know how to evade better, and I will have friends who can help. We can disappear from before their sight.” His eyes were pleading.

“I trust you. Say you love me, and I will follow you anywhere.” Her voice trembled.

“I love you, Anne. More than you can possibly know. More than I ever thought I could. My heart can scarcely contain it. I will do anything to keep you happy. And you will have progeny that will survive and flourish.”

She smiled, and water leaked out of her eyes. He took hold of her and held her tight to his bosom.

“It will be the best decision of your life. I swear it,” he said with a fierceness that belied his devotion to her.

He rocked her back and forth, whispering about all the possibilities their future contained.

Her heart was filled to overflowing.

“I can do this now,” she said, nodding.

He released her and brought her over to Carew’s table.

Carew’s chips had already been removed and cleaned.

She stared at the odd little metal square shapes with little bumps and crannies and strange strands of colors swirling through it.

Guy rubbed his ear that had been damaged weeks ago when she had initially met him.

“This was how they sent me through last time. My boss, Kara, inflicted unexpected pain on me. Once I was in turmoil, she activated the chips to send me here.” His face morphed into one of unadulterated sadness. “I realize now how they sent me home. I never thought about it before . . .”

He trailed off, seemingly deep in thought. She sat and waited. He might never choose to share the rest of his ideas on this matter, but it would be well with her. It was not her place to understand all of this anyway.

He turned to her and cupped her cheeks. “I never considered how much it hurt me to know I would never get to meet any of my children, know them or be acknowledged as their biological father. A pang of sadness would hit me, and that’s when I’d be flung back to my own time period. I had to be harmed by it. I don’t know how we’ll reenact that, because if you were to tell me you’re with child, I’d be overjoyed.” He turned to Carew. “Shit!”

“What do we do now?” Carew crossed his arms over his chest.

“I don’t know.” Guy crumpled into the chair next to her.

He took her hands and caressed his thumbs over the backs of them.

“We’ll find a way, my love. Don’t worry. We’ll get away from here.” Guy swallowed and dropped his head, but kept his eyes lifted to her.

Was he hoping she would hold some answer?

She sighed with a heavy heart. “We may need to consider that we might be stuck here. How can we survive intact, together, if we must stay?”

He shook his head. “I’ve been considering that, and I have some ideas we can discuss later, but for now—I need to focus on this. I want you as safe as possible, and getting you away from here completely is the best way.” His eyes darkened and twisted in pain again. “I
will
keep you out of harm’s way—and away from Henry’s clutches.”

“I know you will.”

“Okay, let’s do this.” He motioned for Carew to get started, and then Guy dropped her hands.

Carew flipped her right arm over. “This will have some bite to it. Think of it as a snake without the venom.”

She flinched. “I would rather picture something a little more pleasant.”

Guy leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Think of me stealing your maidenhead away again because I cannot bear to be anything other than inside your delectable body. I cherish you—I devour you, and you. Are. Mine!”

“Sssssuuuuuffff,” she hissed, sucking in some air. Her body lit up, and her clitoris vibrated to life. “Yes, sir.”

“You’re ready.” He squeezed her right leg above the knee, then let go.

Carew did something to the chip and then pressed the metal piece high up on her inner arm.

It stung right away, bringing pricking tears to her.

She closed her eyes as this wretched burning sensation crept its way up her armpit and landed in her chest.

Her lungs expanded violently, then all but collapsed. She bent at the waist as much as she could.

Both men held her arm down, pinioned to the table.

“Breathe—Anne, breathe!” Guy nudged her leg with his.

“Uuuuhhhhhhuhhhhh,” she dragged in some morsels of air, but it did not aid her as she had hoped.

Her body was protesting.

“It’s almost complete, sweet lady. You’re doing so well. Such a good girl,” Guy soothed.

She blinked away the tears, sat up straight and braved a glance at the top of her inner arm.

The metal was dissolving her skin around it. Her flesh appeared to be bubbling about the edges as it melted its way inside.

“It is unbearable,” she whimpered.

“I know, but you’re so close. Almost finished. I promise it will be over soon.” Guy’s voice was filled with desperation. “I’m sorry it hurts. I wish I could take that part away.”

“I have to endure another,” she reminded him.

“Yes, you do, sweetheart, but you can rest in between. It doesn’t have to be right away.” He nodded and offered a weak smile.

“This is for us.” She leaned toward him.

“It is. And I love you all the more for it. Such a brave little one,” he said, his voice framed with a sweet reverence.

“I love you,” she whispered.

The stinging sensation was a dull roar and an aching throb now. In some manner, the skin went from burning to chilly in sensation.

“Will the skin heal after this?” she choked out.

“’Twill,” Carew answered. “In a few hours there will be scabs, but the pain will persist for a few days. After we place poultices on it, then it can start the mending process. There will be minor scars, but not very noticeable.”

She sighed with a shuddering breath. “At least I keep my head,” she teased.

Guy gave her a stern look. “Not funny.”

“Why not? I liked it.” Carew laughed. “She is ever the witty woman.”

“Anything having to deal with your extermination is off limits in terms of jesting,” Guy told her, his accent resembling theirs again.

“You dizzy me, sir. The way you slip in and out of our cadence and pitch and then fall back into your complicated manner of speech.”

He smiled, and his eyes softened. “I’ll speak any way you want if it means you don’t mock what is supposed to be your fate. It’s not a laughing matter to me. At least, not while we still live and breathe in his air. Henry owns it.”

The movement of the chip stopped.

“Is it done?” She flung her eyes back to her arm.

“Almost. There is a little more to do,” Guy said, leaning over and crushing her lips with his. This was a bruising, urgent kiss.

When he released her, he whispered into her mouth, “You shall live and be with me.”

“Yes, my lord. That is the plan.” Her heart fluttered past the pain.

“And you will be ever at my side, tucked away in my heart.” His eyes searched hers as he rested his forehead on hers.

“There is no hope for us. We are a mess without each other.” She smiled.

“Truer words have never been spoken, little lavender.” He closed his eyes, sighed and pulled away. He turned to Carew. “All finished with this one?”

“Yes.” Carew released his hold on her arm and stepped away.

Guy studied it, his eyes tracing along every inch of her assaulted flesh. “Yes, I think you will heal well. I do not think there has ever been a tougher lady than you, madam.”

“My daughter will be,” she replied.

The room went silent.

Chapter 13

Anne struggled even more so when Nick had to allow Guy’s old chip, that he’d removed and placed in Anne’s choker, back into the still-healing spot on the back of Guy’s neck.

She cried bitterly, trying to remain silent, but it was no use. Her tenderheartedness got the better of her.

Nick took his family and left for the remainder of the day, giving them space.

“Come here. Let me hold you. We both need this,” Guy said, reaching for her.

She tossed herself into his arms and keened on his chest.

“I cannot tell you what it means to me that you endured unspeakable pain to put those chips in your body. You did not have to. I could have fashioned earrings for you.”

“But then we would be unequally yoked, would we not? If the agency chose to send you somewhere else, I would not be able to follow. If you are a rogue agent with the capacity to remove yourself in time and space, then I must be able to follow.” She wiped her tears away as she stayed tucked in his chest.

He lifted one of her arms and kissed around the wounds, careful not to actually touch them.

“Do not doubt my devotion to you. You are everything to me. I have to do some things at times you might not like in order to get us back home—where we belong—but trust in your heart it is all for the best.” He lavished his affections on her, kissing her with tenderness, burning his love right into her flesh like the microchips had done, but his would burn in a better way. In a way that would feel delicious. It would be more permanent, too.

“I never doubt you,” she replied, her breathing going heavy.

“When I get you into my own bed back home, I will make love to you endlessly and make you ripe with my child as soon as possible. I want you filled with my babe.”

She moaned and gripped the backs of his shoulders hard, digging her fingers in.

“Guy . . .” Her voice drifted through the air with a promise of complete submission.

He picked her up and carried her back to the guest bedroom Carew had given over to them.

Guy placed her on the bed, stripped out of his clothes and told her to stay fully clothed.

She gave him the scrunched brow and pinched lips.

“I plan to peel you out of that dress with my teeth.” He approached her with a slow, predatory walk.

Her eyes went heavy and her chest heaved with pounding, straining breaths.

“You would like that—would you not? Me using my mouth alone to strip you bare. To expose you to my wicked tongue and teeth that want to sink into you and savor your flesh.” He growled and caged her in, trapping her with his thighs, hovering his mouth above her right shoulder.