It was bloody frustrating to be left holding nothing but thin air when a moment before he was holding a warm and lovely woman in his arms. The way she had straddled his lap and pressed her hips into his during that last kiss hinted of delights yet to come.

And then the bloody garlic bread had started to burn.

Giving off a strangling sound of frustration, Lachlan leaned his head back against the cushions of the couch and stared at the ceiling. Down boy … you’ve got all evening …

“Hey Flash, what kind of salad dressing do you like?”

He smiled at the use of his nickname. Funny, a couple of other women he had been with had tried to use it but he had asked them not to; it just didn’t sound right as it hinted at an intimacy that didn’t exist. It was different when used at work. The pilots had earned the right to address each other by their call signs but from anyone else, it had always sounded too personal, like a childhood nickname that you had grown out of. But coming from Jessie, it just sounded right and familiar.

“Thousand Island.”

Jessie leaned around the archway that separated the living room from the kitchen, her face alight with an incredulous grin when she caught the expression on his face. “Really? I thought you liked Ranch?”

“I do. But my mum always liked Thousand Island and every so often I like a little variety.” Hopping up from the couch he slipped his hands into his pockets to make a very delicate but much needed adjustment before turning to face Jessie. She didn’t notice his little maneuver, but her smile hinted that she’d understand if she did.

“Mind if I keep you company while you get dinner ready?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he brushed past her, but Jessie reached for his hand and he spun around and snuggled in behind her. “You smell good.” Nuzzling her ear he caught a whiff of her scent; flowery and just slightly musky. He took a teasing nibble of her ear. She tasted good, too.

“You goof, that’s the garlic bread.”

“Still smells good enough to eat.” He planted a kiss along her neck and felt her shiver in his embrace. “Think that maybe dinner can wait?”

Again he didn’t hold out for an answer as his hands reached around to cup her breasts, her nipples hard beneath his fingertips as she arched her back against him, softly humming her pleasure.

“Mmmm … gotta turn off … the stove” She tried to reach out to do just that, but one of  Lachlan’s hands had managed to its work its way up beneath her dress and his other arm was snaked around her waist, holding her back against him. Not that she wanted to move away, but the garlic bread was already burned to a crisp and she didn’t want the spaghetti sauce to follow. The noodles were still in their plastic wrapper and the salad could fend for itself. “Babe, just one sec …”

Loosening his hold just enough to allow her to reach over and turn off the burner, he spun her around to face him, bringing his lips down upon hers; hot, demanding, and impatient.  Jessie melted in his embrace, loving the way his arms felt around her; strong and protective, safe and sure. As his hand slipped beneath the elastic of her panties he took a healthy handful of her soft firm ass and pulled her up closer so her toes were barely touching the floor. Wrapping her legs up around his hips seemed to right the awkward position, and as Lachlan leaned back against the kitchen counter for support, the sound of breaking glass brought them momentarily back to reality.

Lachlan broke away from Jessie’s kisses just long enough to assess the broken drinking glass that had shattered around their feet. “I hope that wasn’t a family heirloom or something.”

Jessie glanced over, following his line of vision for a brief second before continuing to trail several hot kisses across his cheek and along the side of his neck. “It was a Target special … a dollar apiece. Forget about it.”

The strap of her dress had slipped off her shoulder and Lachlan wasted no time in pulling it down far enough to expose a full round breast and a rosy pink nipple. “Oh yeah, now we’re talkin’…”

Jessie giggled and leaned back, allowing him better access, and as his lips made contact with her sensitive flesh the giggle turned into a sigh of delight. Cradling his head close as he suckled, she worked the other strap free, giving Lachlan free access, but it threw their center of gravity off in the process. Then Lachan began to teeter…

“Enough of this.” Adjusting his hold around her, he edged his way out of the kitchen and away from the broken glass. “I think we’ll be safer on the bed.”

Setting Jessie down before him, he smiled wolfishly; her dress slid off to pool around her ankles as her feet came into contact with the carpet. All he could do was stare at her admiringly as his cock throbbed painfully in response. “My God, you’re beautiful.”

Before Jessie could respond, he gathered her up in his arms and carried her down the short hallway into her bedroom, setting her down at the foot of the bed. Jessie gave him a wolfish grin of her own and started to unfasten his pants.

“This isn’t very fair, you know; I’m standing here all but naked and you’re still fully clothed.”

Lach grinned and pulled his shirt over his head, and was rewarded with Jessie’s happy exclamation as she pulled his pants down around his thighs.

“Oh my … hello big guy …” Another soft giggle. “Does that thing have a name?”

Now it was Lachlan’s turn to giggle. “I’ll let you have the honors, love.”

As he kicked free of his pants Jessie dropped down on her knees before him, her eyes soft and full of desire. “Babe, you’re the beautiful one.”

Bringing her lips down over his cock, her hand gently pulled back the foreskin to expose the sensitive tip to her exploring tongue, her eyes closing in enjoyment as she tasted the salty warmth of his skin. Bringing his hand up to caress her cheek, his fingertips brushed softly against her lips as his other hand tangled in her hair, guiding her rhythm.

Lachlan’s breath caught in his throat and his head began to spin. “Oh Jess …”

She sucked and kissed and flicked her tongue along his length, feeling his body tense as he neared release. Not wanting to give in just yet, Lachlan pulled Jessie to her feet and pressed her back onto the bed, his body covering hers as he kissed a trail along her neck and shoulders, stopping to suckle her breasts, rolling his tongue over her pebble hard nipples as his hand slid across the warmth of her belly.

Jessie whimpered and spread her legs open to him, arching her back as his fingers brushed gently across her clit. “Lachlan, please …”

He glanced up to see her eyes locked on his, pleading, impatient for something more. He hesitated only a moment. They had the rest of this evening and all day tomorrow to take their time and learn every inch of each other’s bodies, and since Jessie was being so insistent, well, it would be ungentlemanly to keep her waiting.

She pulled him up to cover her once more, reaching between them to guide him into her. Kissing her softly as he slipped inside, her eyes opened in surprise and he felt her shudder as his length filled her. “You feel so goooood,” she keened, arching up to meet him as their bodies found their rhythm, the fire of desire burning between them and their bodies melded, moved together as one. He felt her body tighten around him as she neared her release, his cock throbbing in answer as she cried out his name. A moment longer and his own release followed, pushing deeper with each thrust as he spilled into her.

She held him as he came back to earth, smoothing his hair away from his brow and kissing his forehead as he drifted off to sleep for a moment. She watched him as he dozed, remembering every contour of his face, her heart full of the knowledge that this man was real and had begun to play a very big part in her future. She hated to admit it, but she allowed herself the playful indulgence of imagining what their children would look like, where they’d travel; she even imagined that their sons would grow up to be pilots like their father.

“God, but I’m pathetic.” She didn’t realize that she had spoken out loud until Lachlan answered with a question of his own.

“Who’s pathetic?” He rolled off of her and leaned up on one elbow, smiling as she looked into his eyes.

“Oh, I am, but don’t worry. Did you have a nice nap?”

Lachlan yawned and made a growling noise. “I did, but now I’m hungry. What do you say we eat that wonderful dinner you prepared, and then we can come back in here and do it all over again, only slower this time?”

“I did kind of rush you, didn’t I?”

“Well, I wasn’t really protesting. But I’ll make it up to you.”

A few minutes later, Jessie was in the kitchen wearing nothing but Lachlan’s shirt as she put the spaghetti on to boil. Lachlan slipped out onto the balcony to have a much needed cigarette. He felt a little funny; there was this annoying buzzing sound in his ears and he felt a little sick to his stomach. It came on rather sudden, and he figured it was simply a combination of nerves and hunger but as he lit up and drew his first puff, something happened.

Jessie lived in a second floor apartment, and her balcony overlooked a canyon. But as he stood there, the canyon disappeared and something else came into view and his heart pounded with the realization of where he was. He would have known that place anywhere; the smell of fuel, the sound of airplanes replaced by the sound of clapping and many voices … he looked down to see that he was back in uniform, but not of the U.S. Marines, but the Royal Australian Air Force. Looking up again he sensed others around him and then his eyes came upon someone he knew … oh good Lord … it couldn’t be… Lil?

There was no mistaking her for anyone else. He had loved her as truly and deeply as he had never loved anyone, until now …  Her eyes held his and she was trying not to cry, knowing that they would never again see one another, knowing that the love they had shared had destroyed so much. They never meant to hurt anyone, he had never meant to hurt her …

As quickly as it came on, it was just as quickly over, and Lachlan grabbed onto the balcony railing for support. What the bloody hell had just happened? This hadn’t been a flight of imagination or even a dream. He had been fully awake, feeling the chill of the early evening air against his bare chest as he watched a blue jay chase another bird away from his territory, and then suddenly he was … back there in Manitoba, sixty-six years in the past?

A sudden panic gripped him; Jessie!

Darting back inside he rushed into the kitchen, his eyes wild with fear and dread, only to find Jessie wearing his shirt and standing with her back to him as she swept up the broken shards of glass.  She heard Lachlan come back in and sensed him standing behind her. “It’s too bad about the garlic bread, but we can use regular wheat bread instead …”

When he didn’t answer, Jessie turned around to find him staring at her as if he had seen a ghost.

“Babe, are you okay?”

He rushed forward and gathered her up in his arms, crushing her close. He lost Lil, then lost his entire life and family when he crossed over. He had survived and adapted, so why this, why now? What if it happened again? What if it took him back against his will just as it had sent him forward to this time? He couldn’t bear to lose the things he had fought so hard to regain. There had to be some other explanation for what had just happened.