Out of Time by Monique Martin Read Free Book Online Page A

little diner twice, he finally relented. With vague directions to head down Market Street, they set off again. The uncomfortable silence joined them.
    Clearly, Elizabeth had some sort of allergy to silence and broke it quickly.
    “Well, this is quite the adventure, isn’t it?”
    He glanced sideways at her. “Which part?”
    She shrugged. “All of it, I guess. I mean…” She glanced up at him. “We’ve had a big day.”
    “Quite,” he agreed. “Traveling through time, being rooked at a pawnshop, getting married…. Not sure how we’ll ever manage to top it.”
    His sniping shut her down for nearly an entire minute.
    “Sorry about springing the whole just married thing on you back there,” Elizabeth apologized.
    Simon looked at her, waiting for more of an explanation.
    To her credit, she did look uncomfortable.
    “It sort of came out. But it’s probably a good cover. We can’t exactly rent a room together if we aren’t. I mean we could, but there are only so many times in one day a girl can be called a…you know before it starts to affect your self-esteem a little.”
    He smiled sympathetically and nearly touched her arm in comfort before he could stop himself.
    “I guess we could get two rooms,” she continued. “Be most of our money, but if you’d rather—”
    “No,” he said quickly. One room was the best idea and not just monetarily. He had no intention of letting her out of his sight while they were here. And if the few reactions she’d gotten from men so far were any indication, she was going to need some looking after. “One room will do, Miss West.”
    She pinned him with an adorable expression of admonishment. “We’re married now, remember? People will think we’re into something kinky if you keep calling me Miss West.”
    Her candor was a sucker punch to the gut. “Dear Lord.”
    “I know it’s awkward, but…”
    “We don’t have any choice, do we?” he asked too sharply. He rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension. It wasn’t her fault he couldn’t get a grip on himself. He was used to having a place for everything and everything in its place. This sudden turn into the unknown left him off-balance and he didn’t like the feeling one bit. Not to mention being here with her. He’d managed quite well to control himself around her before. But then, he’d been able to hold academia between them. He could step back and regain himself, rebuild the wall she unwittingly felled. But now, they were forced together and he wasn’t sure what to do. For the first time, he wasn’t sure of anything. And they’d only been here three hours.
    He turned his head away from her and kept his eyes on the opposite side of the street. Dilapidated tenements and brownstones nearly black at the base with soot told them they were in the right area. This area they could afford at least. Simon watched the people gathered on the stoops warily and gripped the handle of their suitcase that much tighter. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he saw signs for rooms to rent.
    They settled on the Manchester Arms. It was an average sized residence hotel—three stories, no elevator, but the lobby was clean and the price was right. Seven dollars for the week, paid up front. Simon took the key from the desk clerk, and they started up the stairs.
    “He was nice. I was beginning to wonder if everyone here was just nasty,” Elizabeth said. “Gives me faith in humanity again.”
    “You’re easily persuaded,” he said, squinting to read the door numbers in the poorly lit hallway.
    “You’re such a cynic. I thought he was nice.”
    “A bit too nice, I think.”
    “Come on, newlyweds always get special treatment,” she said. “Ah. Here we are. Room thirty-four.”
    Simon set the suitcase down and unlocked the door. He pushed it open and gestured for Elizabeth to go first.
    “Aren’t you going to carry the bride over the threshold?” she teased.
    She was impudent and absolutely charming.