Free Final Hours by Cate Dean Page B

his shoulder—and immediately slowed. She was all but running to keep up
with him. “Thank you. Now can you tell me where you’re dragging me?”
    “There.” He spied a narrow side street on the left, and
hoped it would lead to the secluded back stoop of the building next to it. Once
they were alone, Kane reluctantly freed her hand. “Time to send you home.”
    “Oh.” She looked at him, those dark blue eyes wide, and,
damn him, starting to tear. “Right,” she whispered.
    Her head lowered, but Kane saw the tears slide down her
cheeks. They tore at him, left him helpless. He reached out and gathered her in
his arms, tortured himself a little more with the feel of her pressed against
him.
    Elizabeth didn’t carry on like other women of his acquaintance.
Her tears were quiet, and all the more heartbreaking for it, because he
understood the why of it. Since he learned that she was an orphan, like him, so
many of her reactions and choices made sense.
    Kane gently kissed the top of her head and set her away from
him, to keep from desperately hanging on to her. She deserved better; she
deserved a life of joy, and safety, and stability. He could provide none of
those.
    “Ready?” He kept his voice quiet. He still had no idea what
triggered her panic, and she needed to be calm for the journey ahead.
    “Yes.” Trembling fingers brushed at her tears. “Sorry. I
didn’t plan on using you as a six foot Kleenex.”
    “It was my pleasure to stand in for a standard size tissue.”
    She let out a shaky laugh, her tension easing. Just as he
intended. “Come, Beth. I need you to be at least arm’s reach from the
building.”
    “Okay.” She stepped into the center of the small back entry,
just big enough for both of them. “Will it be as—nausea inducing as the last
two trips?”
    Her question caught him completely off guard, and he
laughed, delighted by her humor. Who was he kidding? He was delighted by her .
    “It does get easier.”
    “Uh, huh. So I’ve been told, several times. I’m discovering
that’s a big, fat lie.”
    Kane laughed again. He couldn’t remember the last time he
laughed so much—
    Time to get this done. The longer he delayed, the harder it
would be to let her go.
    “You can endure one more time, Beth. Then you’ll be finished
with the trauma.”
    “Will I remember—everything?”
    “Yes.” I will not be able to forget you, love. Not for a
long time, if ever. He forced himself to smile. “Memory loss is not one of
the side effects.”
    “Part of me wishes it was.”
    “So do I, love.”
    Her eyes widened, and Kane cursed himself when he realized
he’d said it aloud.
    “Kane—”
    “Beth—I didn’t mean—”
    “Don’t you dare take it back.” She moved forward, running by
the time she threw herself at him. Kane caught her, held on, closed his eyes
when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his
shoulder. “I’ll miss you, Jackson Kane. I don’t want to, but there it is.”
    He smiled at her muffled words, before he cradled the back
of her head, buried his face in her hair. It was an indulgence, to feel the
silk of it against his skin, to have the soft lavender scent of her surrounding
him. “Then I am not sorry for missing you as well.” He pulled back, forced
himself to put emotional distance between them. That went out the window with
his next request, because he needed it, needed her, one last time. “Now give me
a proper goodbye, Elizabeth Barritt.”
    She raised her head, and Kane stopped any possible protest
with his lips.
    Her mouth opened under his, a soft moan driving heat through
him. God save him, she had the most sensual lips. He sensed the inexperience, but
her passion more than made up for any lack. That passion all but brought him to
his knees.
    Elizabeth hiked herself up, wrapped her legs around him,
deepening the kiss as she plastered herself to him. He was already painfully
hard; the feel of her had him throbbing.
    He turned,