The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance by Katherine Logan (i am reading a book TXT) 📕

surprised her with a kiss, and the scent of leather and cloves and balsam tickled her nose, and she tasted coffee on his tongue, not whisky. He hadn’t isolated himself to get drunk but to clear his head and find a way to save their son and a path back to her.

Whatever fears she had, her all-consuming need for her husband quieted them, and her body ached more insistently with each kiss and stroke of his fingers along the side of her neck. And his breath flowed warmly over her face. Slowly, slowly, his mouth traced the line of her jaw with touches that lingered, tantalizing and spicy.

She wrapped her arms around him, anchoring herself once again to the man she loved. The only man she’d ever loved.

63

MacKlenna Farm, KY (1885)—David

David and Austin galloped into the clearing, each leading an extra horse. Kenzie and Ensley were on the porch in the rocking chairs, chatting and rocking back and forth as if there wasn’t an emergency. The sight lowered David’s stress level since it meant Meredith must be in the cabin with Elliott. And since Kenzie didn’t seem alarmed, Elliott must not have activated his brooch for a quick getaway.

David dismounted and tied the reins to the hitching rail. This entire adventure was only three-quarters done, and he’d be glad when they finally wrapped up the loose ends, wrote After Action Reports, and locked the brooches away in the safe. His bones were getting too old to continue playing dodgeball with the universe.

Why in the hell was he complaining? Elliott was much older and hadn’t missed a step, and he planned to leave here and climb a goddamn mountain. Even now, locked in a cabin with his bride, he was probably having makeup sex. His stamina was that of a forty-year-old.

Whatever McBain did during this trip, sex with his bride was out of the question. Every time they traveled with a brooch and stayed longer than a few hours—surprise, surprise. She got pregnant.

Five wee McBains were plenty. Although Robbie and Henry were at Cambridge, raising hell in the UK instead of the States, they still found a way to create disruption, which required a monthly parental trek across the pond to settle disputes. They were good lads, but their pranks on each other often went too far.

David hopped up on the porch, his bootheels clicking against the slats, which for some damn reason, reminded him of being in Leadville, Colorado. But it wasn’t the kids or even previous trips that were on his mind. It was the vision he had three years ago that led the family on a quest to find the torc.

He didn’t understand the significance of recalling it now, and when he didn’t understand the whys and wherefores, it frustrated him and interfered with clear thinking. He hadn’t mentioned it to Kenzie yet, or anyone else for that matter. They would just ask the same question he was asking—“Why now?”

“That was quick,” Kenzie said. “Tell me you didn’t saddle three horses and ride over here in under fifteen minutes. If you did, remind me to check the tack before I mount up.”

He gave her a light kiss on the lips. “Ye know me better than that.”

Austin laughed. “McBain can do the impossible with one hand tied behind his back, but it takes him fifteen minutes to saddle one horse.”

Kenzie quirked her eyebrow. “So you lazy butts didn’t saddle any of them while the women ran a six-minute mile in layers of silk and lace.”

“And a corset,” Ensley added. “It felt like I was running with only one functioning lung.”

Austin winked at Ensley. “I know how that feels. But you and Kenzie are Amazon women, and Uncle David and I were saving ourselves for the heavy lifting.” He leaned over the railing and reached for Ensley’s hand, which she eagerly gave him. “Truth is, Sean just snapped his fingers, gave the order, and here we are.”

“Without the gear,” Kenzie said.

“We could have waited for Sean and the wagon but thought we should be here.” Austin glanced at the cabin door. “You know, in case we needed to…whatever.”

A frown knitted Kenzie’s brow. “So you two didn’t think we could handle this situation. Is that what you’re saying?”

David leaned over for another kiss. “Ye always handle situations better than me, Kenz.”

“Then what?” she shot back while they were still kissing.

It was such a deliberate tease, it sent a spike of lust through his gut, and he had to remind himself—no sex…no sex…no sex. “If the fog sucked ye in, I wanted to be with ye.”

“Ah…” Ensley said. “He’s a softy at heart, isn’t he?”

David winked. “Ye best disabuse yerself of that thought.”

“Sorry. Too late. I’ve always thought of you as William Wallace in Braveheart. But now I know you’re more like Shrek. Sweet and mean, charming, and charmless.”

Kenzie rolled her head back and burst out laughing. “Mean and charmless.”

David snarled up and narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, but she also said I was sweet and charming.”

“Oh, McBain. You’re that for sure.” Kenzie finally stopped laughing and wiped her eyes. “So, where’s Sean now?”

“He told the men to saddle the horses first, so he’ll be along shortly.” Austin nodded toward the cabin door. “What’s going on in there?”

David glanced at the door. “It’s quiet. Ye sure they haven’t vanished?”

“I assume they’re still in there since we haven’t smelled stinky peat,” Kenzie said.

“Elliott’s a true Scot. He has priorities.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He pulled Kenzie up out of the chair and into his arms for a twirl, dip, and kiss. “If I hadn’t been with ye for days, we’d be having makeup sex.”

“If you’re so sure about that, then we don’t need to hang around here. Let’s go to the cave and leave Elliott and Meredith alone.”

“We can’t yet. We have to wait for the gear. I want one of the cameras to take pictures of the footprints before everyone tromps all over them,” David said. “I’ve met Erik.