When the room went dark, there was a loud bang at the front door and someone ran into the Reverend von Klingensmith's living room. A pair of strong arms scooped Luis up and carried him outside so fast Luis didn't have a chance to question what was happening. Luis wrapped his arms around a set of broad shoulders. The snow continued to fall and the wind blew but Luis didn't feel cold or wet. Though he was only wearing a sheer silver robe and silver stiletto boots, he felt warm and safe.
When Luis was outside and he realized he was in Jase's arms, he smacked Jase in the back of the head and said, “What are you doing? They were trying to help me and you've ruined everything. Now I'll never get back home.”
Jase carried him to his Grand National and opened the passenger door. He shoved Luis into the front seat and said, “I had to find you. I couldn't let you leave that way. I was going out of my mind. I want to be with you. I can't live without you.” Then he slammed the door and jogged to the other side of the car.
When Jase got in, he was soaked with wet snow. His sandy hair dripped all over the black leather seats and it looked as if he hadn't shaved in days.
“How did you find me?” Luis asked. “You ruined everything now. I'll never get back to my life.”
“I kept looking for you,” Jase said. “I remembered the name of the small town you said you came from in Tennessee. He moved closer. He put his hand up under the thin silver robe and rested it on Luis's ass. “Your life is with me, not here or anywhere else.”
None of this made sense to Luis. It seemed impossible Jase would be able to locate him this way. But then nothing at all seemed to make sense and Luis was tired to trying to figure things out. At this point, he seriously started to believe he was dead. “You have to leave.”
“I want you with me,” Jase said. “I know I don't have any money right now, but I'll make plenty of money soon. I promise I will.”
“I don't care about money,” Luis said. “I've never cared about how much money you have. If you never made a dime in your entire life, I'd still love you just as much.”
“That's why you have to come home with me,” Jase said. “You've changed the world for me, Luis.”
Luis pushed him back, and then he jumped out of the car and started running toward the cottage. It wasn't easy running with high heels in the snow. He had to concentrate hard so he wouldn't fall. But he had to get back there: he was hoping his uncle and the Reverend would still be there to help him. But when Luis reached the gate, Jase grabbed him by the waist and lifted him up again. The robe opened and it exposed Luis's naked body. Jase was too strong; Luis couldn't fight him no matter how hard he kicked and pushed. Jase carried him to a large white gazebo on the other side of the cottage and set him down on a pale blue blanket trimmed in silver brocade. Then Jase went down and climbed on top of him.
When Jase mounted him, the silver robe went up and exposed most of Luis's naked body. No matter how hard Luis tried, he couldn't get Jase off him. Jase kissed him everywhere, from his elbows to his earlobes. He squeezed Luis's ass and bit his neck. At one point, when Jase slid his hand up the back of Luis's leg and pressed his fingertips to Luis's anus, Luis stopped fighting and kissed Jase on the mouth. But when Luis grasped the magnitude of all this, he gave Jase one quick shove and climbed out from under him.
Luis stood up and ran to the other side of the gazebo, balancing himself on the high heels the best he could. “You have to leave Jase.” His eyes began to sting.
Jase stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. His expression was desperate and there were tears rolling down his cheeks. “I can't. I love you too much to let you go. I came all this way and I'm not leaving without you.”
Tears rolled down Luis's face. He clenched his fists and turned to face Jase. “I love you, too. But I have to leave. I'm trapped and there's nothing you can do to help me. I can't do anything to change the future or the past. I've never felt so helpless and without control. And I'm terrified I'm going to ruin everything in your future, Jase ... in our future.” Luis pressed his fists to his stomach and leaned forward. He couldn't stop thinking about his son, Hunter. If Jase and Luis got together now, it would mean Jase would never get that other woman pregnant and there would be no Hunter in the future. Luis didn't want this to happen. His body started to tremble and the tears grew heavier. “Please leave me alone. Go back to Alaska and forget all about me. It's the best thing you can do right now. You have to trust me on this.”
No matter how much Luis pleaded, Jase didn't seem to care. He was as stubborn and headstrong as he'd always been. When Jase Nicholas wanted something, he made sure he got it, without thinking about the consequences. He crossed to where Luis stood and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He handed the box to Luis and said, “I got this present for you. I hope you like it.”
Luis stopped crying. He took the box with one hand and wiped his eyes with the other. When he opened the box, he glanced down at a large gold ring in the most unusual design he'd ever seen. It was exactly like a ring Jase would give him one day in the future. The top of the ring opened and there was a place to insert a small photo. “Where did you get this?”
“I had it made,” Jase said. “I thought you'd like it.”
Luis removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto his ring finger. It was the perfect fit. Then he tugged at the top of the ring and opened a small gold lid. When he looked down and saw the photo, he gasped and said, “It's Hunter.”
Jase blinked. “Who the fuck is Hunter?”
“Our son, you idiot.” Luis couldn't take his eyes off the photo. He couldn't stop smiling.
“I don't know what you're talking about, Luis,” Jase said. “It's a photo of me when I was a kid. I got it from my gram before I left Alaska.”
Luis smiled. “I should have known.” In the future, Luis would see photos of Jase as a child and he would always marvel at how identical Hunter and Jase were as children.
Jase placed his hands gently on Luis's waist and slowly turned him around. He unfastened a few hooks on the thin silver robe and carefully eased it back over Luis's shoulders. The robe slid from Luis's body and fell to the gazebo floor. Jase kissed Luis's shoulders one at a time and said, “You have the softest skin I've ever kissed. And those silver high heels are very sexy.”
Luis smiled. “You always were a little kinky about things like that.” In the future, Jase loved it when Luis put on kinky boots and black leather accessories.