Out of Time 01 - Out of Time

shone through the darkness.
    “I don’t think so,” he said. “But I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
    She laughed and let her head rest on the pillow. “Goodnight, Simon.”
    “Goodnight, Elizabeth.”
    She rolled away from him, and he let out a deep breath, closing his eyes.
    Sleep was a long time in coming. As the night dragged on, he found himself watching her. It was soothing and comforting in ways he didn’t dare explore. He listened to her slow breaths and watched over her until sleep finally claimed him. It was a ritual he would repeat every night they were together.

Chapter Six
    E lizabeth rolled onto her back and lingered in that foggy place right on the edge of sleep. She wanted to slip back into the haze, but something felt wrong, and slowly she started to wake. She stretched her legs and pushed the covers down to her waist. She blinked a few times, but her eyes didn’t seem to focus properly. She squinched them shut and then tried again. It wasn’t her eyesight, she realized; it was the room. This wasn’t her apartment.
    Then, the bed moved.
    She gasped and carefully looked to her left. A man’s back. Simon. New York. Time travel. For a moment she’d thought it had all been a dream. Moving through time to a strange place. Stuff like that didn’t happen. Except in dreams. In some bizarre Nyquil hallucination with images coated in thick green syrup.
    But it was real, she reminded herself, feeling the thin sheet in her hands and the lumpy mattress at her back. Very real. She was back in time. With Simon.
    As if on cue, he moaned in his sleep and rolled toward her. She held her breath, afraid to move. She didn’t want to watch him—it felt too peeping-tomish—but she couldn’t help it. He looked younger, happier. His mouth was caught in a gentle smile; whatever he was dreaming about he seemed to be enjoying it. She realized with a pang of sadness that she’d never seen him so relaxed and content. He was always a little on edge, as if prepared for some unseen foe. A part of him always seemed to be struggling, always on guard. It must be an exhausting way to live. With all they had to face now, Simon was sure to carry an even heavier burden than usual. It would be just like him to fall into a brooding mode and push her away.
    There had to be something she could do about that. Lying there in the early morning, she made a pact with herself. She would do whatever she could to ease his load. She’d put on her bravest face and swallow her insecurities. He had enough to worry about without adding her into the mix.
    Greedily taking what fate offered, she watched him for a few more minutes. He mumbled something incoherent and rolled his head to the side. His breathing was slow and steady. She could see the muscles of his chest under his thin cotton T-shirt. How did he stay in such good shape? The idea of Simon going to the gym was laughable, but he clearly did something to have that physique. She tried not to let her imagination run wild with just how he worked out.
    Memories of last night wheedled their way into her mind. Watching him through the darkness as he undressed. She’d tried not to watch him unbutton his shirt. She’d tried extra hard not to sneak a peek as he stepped out of his trousers. Tried like a trooper not to notice how broad his shoulders were. How strong the muscles of his legs looked silhouetted by the soft moonlight from the window. She’d tried not to feel the heat of his body next to hers as he slid under the covers. She’d tried not to let the moan escape her lips, but it did.
    Bad Elizabeth. She pulled her eyes and thoughts away from his chest to safer territory. His face held a few worry lines, no surprise there. But his lips, curved in that smile, were irresistible. Sculpted and sensual. What would it be like to kiss him? To feel them against hers. To feel the rough stubble on his cheek scrape along her skin.
    Oh, this was a dangerous train of thought. Derail. Derail.
    Simon moaned again, more softly than before and rolled onto his side facing her. His arm fell across her hip. Her stomach dropped, and she froze.
    His eyes opened, and he smiled sleepily.
    She hoped her voice didn’t squeak. “Morning.”
    Simon grinned, but then his expression changed with dawning realization. “Elizabeth,” he said. “Miss West?”
    “Right on both counts.”
    He blinked back at her. “What the devil is...” he said and then noticed his hand resting on her hip. He yanked it back