Gift of Gold

Caitlin’s party?”
    “For the same reason I came with you on this stupid little jaunt. I don’t want you driving over here alone. I don’t trust that woman. She wants something from you, Verity.”
    “Friendship.”
    Jonas shook his head with great certainty. “Caitlin Evanger doesn’t need anyone’s friendship.”
    “We all need friends, Jonas,” Verity said gently. “Just because she gives the impression of great self-sufficiency, that doesn’t mean Caitlin’s an exception.”
    “She’s got good old Tavi.”
    Verity frowned, thinking about that. “You know, now that you mention it, I don’t quite understand that relationship. I know Tavi is a paid companion, but I get the feeling she’s very attached to Caitlin. Did you notice how nervous she was this morning when she served breakfast? She was very tense.”
    “Maybe she had a bad night.” Jonas was not concerned about Tavi. “Forget those two, Verity. I want to talk about us.”
    “What about us?” she asked warily.
    “Now that you’ve had a few hours to think about what I told you last night, do you still think I’m crazy?” he asked bluntly.
    “I never said you were crazy,” she muttered defensively.
    “You might not have said it, but don’t try telling me the thought hasn’t crossed your mind. Dammit, Verity, tell me the truth. Are you afraid of me?”
    The question took her by surprise. She thought about it. “No, I’m not afraid of you,” she finally said honestly. “I just don’t understand what’s going on.”
    He shot her a searching glance. “I’ll take what I can get for the moment. It’s enough that you don’t think I’m going to turn into a werewolf some night when the moon is full. In the meantime, will you help me?”
    Her head came around in surprise. “Help you do what?”
    “I want to conduct some tests,” he said tersely. “I want to see how far my control extends now that I’ve got you to hold on to. We can use those dueling pistols of your dad’s to start. I only touched one long enough the other night to get a sense of its authenticity. As soon as I felt the emotions attached to it, I dropped it. But not before I felt you in that corridor with me. You were in that corridor again last night, honey. I saw you. You touched me.”
    Verity gave a start. Shock widened her eyes. “What corridor?” Her breathless demand gave her away.
    Jonas smiled briefly and ferociously. “I wondered if it would translate into your mind with the same imagery. Apparently it does. Interesting.”
    “Jonas, please…” The plea drifted to a halt. Verity didn’t know what to ask for. She swallowed, her mouth going dry. Until now she had been certain the corridor was merely a quirk of her imagination.
    “I’m talking about a long, maybe an endless tunnel. A corridor that seems to stretch forward and backward into infinity. If there is such a thing as infinity,” he added thoughtfully. “Personally, I’m not so sure there is. At least not on the continuum that links time and space. Maybe there are other continuums that are truly infinite. Or maybe each universe is finite but the potential for the creation of universes is infinite. Or maybe time isn’t on a continuum at all. Maybe it’s more like a foggy sea surrounding us. Or there could be millions of time continuums all existing simultaneously…”
    “Jonas, you’re losing me rapidly,” Verity said with a quiet desperation.
    “No, I’m not. You told me yourself you had an excellent education. You just don’t want to hear what I’m going to say. But you’re going to listen, Verity.” The ancient gold of his eyes burned for an instant, “There’s not much else you can do. After all, like it or not, you’re trapped in this car with a crazy man who just happens to be your lover.”
    Verity flinched. His sardonic remark was far too close to what she had been thinking earlier that morning as she descended the steel staircase. If Jonas was getting to know her well enough to second-guess her thoughts, she was in real trouble. “I never said you were crazy and two nights of sex does not automatically make you my lover. At this point you don’t qualify as anything more than an occasional bed partner.”
    “Your
only
occasional bed partner.” His long fingers tightened on the wheel. “Tell me something, Verity. Are you using me?”
    “Using you! What a thing to say! If anyone’s using someone in this relationship of ours, it’s you.”
    “I’m