Free Final Hours by Cate Dean Page A

looked—happy, carefree.
Two emotions she didn’t expect from him. He was such an intense man, and being
an orphan, she knew that happy tended to be the first thing lost, after family.
    After a few more enthusiastic dog kisses, he handed Jane
Eyre back. “We should be going. Elizabeth needs to go home.” He punctuated the
statement with a glance that had her clenching her jaw. “I thank you, again,
for your generous offer.” With a smile, he bent over her hand, kissed it—then
blew away Elizabeth’s unexpected burst of jealousy when he leaned in and loudly
kissed the dog.
    How did he keep throwing her off balance like that? The
thought startled her, and worried her. It meant she cared more than she should,
and that path led straight to heartache. God knew she’d already had enough of
that in her life.
    Kane took her arm and practically dragged her out to the
sidewalk before she could do more than wave goodbye. “What are you—slow down,
unless your plan is for me to hit the sidewalk face first.”
    She let out a squeak when he shoved her against the front of
the building and trapped her there with the weight of his body.
    “Have you any idea how badly you scared me?”
    “I scared you ?” Elizabeth pushed at his chest, to
gain some space. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. “Who went racing off
after a maniac, while still recovering from the knife wound they received from
said maniac?” He just looked at her, those clear grey eyes amused. “What?”
    “All that fire, hidden behind such a sweet exterior. You are
a constant surprise, Miss Barritt.”
    His smile ignited her temper.
    “Here’s another surprise for you, Jackson Kane.” She stomped
on his foot. Hard.
    He let out a yelp and pushed off the wall, shaking out the
stomped on foot. Elizabeth wasn’t sure who got the worst of it; her boots had
nearly indestructible heels, but his boots had to be lined with lead, or steel.
She could still feel the aftershock, all the way up to her hip.
    To top it off, she felt like a fool for losing her temper.
    Kane stopped shaking out his foot to greet an older couple,
eyes wide as they halted on the sidewalk, out of arm’s reach.
    “Good afternoon.” He flashed them that heart-stopping smile.
“Fine weather for a walk.”
    “Yes, of course,” the man said. He kept one arm protectively
around the waist of his wife, glancing at Elizabeth with narrow eyed suspicion
as he hustled them both past.
    “Fantastic,” she said. “Now you have nice old couples
thinking I’m crazy.”
    “Last I checked, you were the one doing the enthusiastic
foot stomping.” He limped back over to her. Braced for retaliation, he shocked
her as he leaned in to brush his lips over hers. “Thank you, for coming after
me.” She was still buzzing from that gentle, intimate touch when he grabbed her
hand and pulled her after him. “Now I’m sending you home.”
    “Wait—” Elizabeth jerked against his grip, tried to slow him
down, but he was an immovable force. “Kane, please.”
    “I am not stopping until you are safe, home, and out of
Guy’s reach.”
    She ran to keep up with his long strides, her heart pounding.
That meant she would have to say goodbye. Again.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    Kane was still reeling at her appearance. She
was supposed to be back in her own time, away from the danger Kane had drawn
her into. Away from him.
    The feel of her warm, small hand in his had him thinking
impossible thoughts. How much he wanted to explore more than that soft hand,
discover if all her skin was that soft, with the scent of lavender that had haunted
him since he first collided with her.
    He mentally shook himself. That kind of thinking would lead
him down the path he could not travel. A path that had Elizabeth at his side.
    No, it would best for both of them—safer for him—if he sent
her home now. He simply needed to find a secluded place for her to disappear.
    “Kane.” Her quiet voice sounded a bit desperate. He glanced
over