“God, yes,” she moaned, pulling on the nipple he’d just left. “I can feel every tug of your lips all the way to my…”
He lifted his head to lick her areole, nipping at the succulent flesh. “All to the way to this?” As he claimed her nipple to suck it deep, his fingers found the pearl of her sex. She was so slick – so hot. He swirled his fingers round and round, rewarded beyond measure when she exploded in his arms.
Going to his side, he drew her to face him. “Put your leg over mine.”
Journey snuggled close to his big body, burying her nipples in the light dusting of hair on his chest. “Like this?” she asked as she draped her thigh over his.
“Oh, yea. Just like that.” He felt between her legs, rubbing the small slit, and dipping his finger into the well of her sex. “You’re ready for me.”
“Past ready. Aching. Empty.” When he fit himself to her and pushed in, she groaned from the ecstasy. This was more than just sex to Journey. This was a completion. A fulfilling. The sweetest connection she could have with the one she adored above all others. Clinging to him, she accepted every thrust with joy.
Journey held him to her as he loved her. He’d never call it anything else. This was sacred. This was eternal. How in God’s name could he ever give it up? How could he give her up? Every fiber of his being rejected the thought. She was his. His. “Mine. Mine. Mine,” he chanted the word as he drove deep within her.
Hearing Reno claim her the way he did, Journey couldn’t hold on. The love that built and built in her heart, just overflowed. She clung to his shoulder, her nails digging in. Cries of ecstasy burst from her lips as she succumbed to the sweet convulsions of her body.
Reno clutched her to him, adoring how in the moment of sweet surrender, her body gave him the greatest rapture known to man. As he emptied himself into her, he poured out his love as well. “I love you, Journey. I’ll love you forever.”
* * *
Looking back, Journey knew the moment things began to change. It was the severe bout of morning sickness that hit the day after he proposed that sent her world spiraling out of control. Such a simple normal thing shouldn’t have been so huge, but that was the hour things began to fall apart for her.
They didn’t argue. Journey would’ve welcomed an argument. She even tried to start one a time or two – but her hard-headed man wouldn’t cooperate.
This wasn’t to say he was inattentive, Reno made triple certain she had everything her heart desired. He took care of her like she was made of spun glass. And he talked to her about anything and everything.
Except for the one event that loomed large in their lives.
What killed her was that he talked about the future – some vague, nebulous time of togetherness – but not one word about what would happen on the full moon.
She really could voice no complaints about anything specific. Especially the bedroom. The man was insatiable in the bedroom. Tender. Loving. Passionate. He was making love to her like a man at a banquet who knows he’s having his last meal.
And – that why she was afraid.
Reno hadn’t said so yet, but he didn’t want her to go with him to the past.
Oh, she knew that wasn’t really a correct statement. He wanted her to go, he just was desperately terrified it wasn’t safe for her or the baby. And God knows, she could never resent her own child, much less a child she’d made with Reno. But Journey knew the baby and their health was the straw that broke the time traveling camel’s back.
So, one day bled into the next. They went on walks and horseback rides. They enjoyed picnics at the creek. Several times, they went into Austin to visit her apartment and to pick up oils. He helped her with some of her recipes, telling her about different herbs and plants that his mother used to bank on. Once, they even made a daytrip to Houston. Reno loved visiting NASA, especially after everything they’d learned from Lou. Another time, they drove to Galveston Island. He’d never seen the ocean before and he stared at it for hours.
One of the first nights after their engagement, they sat down to answer Myles list of questions. Some of them were serious – like what was Reno’s opinion of General Lee and he wanted to know any memories the original Sojourner shared with him about her time on the Trail of Tears. Other questions were odd – like did he regret coming forward in time. Journey was especially interested in his answer. Of course, he’d given the right one by saying he wouldn’t change a thing.
Other nights, they would read together. Or watch television. He quickly settled on the History Channel as his favorite, especially enjoying any program concerning events that he would consider to be from the future. Some he argued with, especially documentaries about his own time. “Why can’t they get things right?” he’d say.
Last Saturday, they attended the practice session for the Hill Country Cowboy competition. Journey didn’t know what to expect. Reno had been moody, and she’d expected him to back out. Instead, he’d jumped in with both feet, charming everyone. She shouldn’t have worried, he seemed to enjoy himself. And she was glad to learn that he wasn’t the only one who had to rent a tux for the evening. Most of the others didn’t own
