Only In My Dreams: A Time Travel Anthology Read online

  The interest he’d displayed in her situation had been alluring, his honesty refreshing. Could he help her? He said he didn’t know but he’d like to find out. She discovered she would as well, since the final step would have been to participate in a sleep-lab study. Spending a couple of weeks wired for sound while she tried to sleep wasn’t her idea of fun.

  In fact it was her idea of hell. Because if she did sleep…

  “Renny?”

  His gentle voice recalled her to the present. “Sorry. Just trying to assemble my thoughts.” She settled more comfortably. “As you know I have difficultly sleeping. I think I qualify as an insomniac but oddly enough I can still function just fine in my everyday environment. I’m tired, but not as tired as somebody who hasn’t slept in ages ought to be.” She turned her head. “Does that make any sense whatsoever?”

  He smiled. “Yes. It tells me right off the bat that regardless of what you may think, you are getting some sleep.” He steepled his fingers together in a scholarly gesture. “When did this all begin?”

  “That’s an easy one. It began on the one and only dig I ever went on.” She paused. “I did mention that I’m an archaeologist, didn’t I?”

  He nodded. His silence was an encouragement for her to continue.

  “I went to England two summers ago. They’d got a small dig going just outside of Avebury. It’s in Wiltshire, not far from Stonehenge, and there’s always somebody digging up something from around there. A very active site, many layers, many settlements, going back to Druid and pre-Druid times I believe.”

  “And?”

  Renny’s thoughts turned inwards, recalling the scene.

  That scent. Overwhelming, heady—tropically erotic… Renny had grasped the small piece of pottery and been swamped by it. She’d almost fainted, the air had shimmered around her and she’d glimpsed—well, she still wasn’t sure what she’d seen.

  “Can you describe it? Just give me a few words—your thoughts—it doesn’t have to be precise.”

  She frowned. “Is this necessary?”

  “Renny, this is where it all began. Yes, it’s necessary. Start from the beginning for me. Paint a picture of what’s happening in your mind and perhaps I’ll be able to sort out the colors for you.”

  She sighed. “Okay. It’s…it’s rather…um…personal…”

  Grey inclined his head. “I understand. There’s a strong sexual component here, isn’t there?”

  Grateful he’d brought it out into the open, she nodded. “Yes. Another of the things that puzzles me.”

  “So tell me. You had the piece of pottery in your hand…”

  She closed her eyes. “It was smooth and oddly warm, just lying there in the trench I’d been working that morning. I was hot, figuring that was strange because I’d always imagined England to be cool and rainy. It wasn’t. That day the heat was quite savage. Anyway…” She shook off the memory of the hot sun on her shoulders, turning once more to the events that followed.

  “Anyway, I saw it, white and shiny against the dark earth. It was clearly shaped by a human hand, soft at the edges, decorated with some odd type of markings. I was excited and I picked it up…”

  “What happened then?” Grey’s voice kept her centered, focused. To her surprise, Renny found herself more relaxed in the telling of this event than she’d ever imagined she could be.

  “The world around me changed. The scent first—instead of hot earth there was sweet perfume, kind of like a really strong tropical flower. Like gardenias or jasmine only sweeter. Then I saw…”

  “What did you see, Renny?”

  “I saw—him.”

  “Describe him for me.” It was a command, surprising Renny a little with its urgency, but keeping her on track with her recital.

  “He was—he was—” What was he? How could she put his appearance into words? “Tall. Very bronzed—as if he’d lived an outdoors life. His body was muscled—not bulky, but solid—the shape of a man who is active, builds things perhaps or hunts. I don’t know.”

  “Go on, you’re doing great.”

  “His eyes were dark, darker than I ever remember seeing on anybody ever. And he was staring at me as he brushed his hair away from his face. Long hair, silky to his shoulders and past them a little I think—it was hard to tell. I couldn’t look away from his eyes.”

  She paused and looked around for the glass of water. Just thinking about him made her throat dry.

  Grey passed it to her silently and retrieved it after she’d taken a swallow. “Thank you. Well, he was just there, in front of me, but not really there. I think I knew that but at the time it was almost as if I’d stepped into another world. He stared at me for what seemed like hours, his eyes moving over my body. I could almost feel his gaze like a touch against my skin. Where he looked, I ached. I yearned. In those seconds I learned what it was like to desire somebody with every fiber of my being.”

  Renny interrupted herself with a snort. “This sounds so stupid, doesn’t it?”

  “Not at all. Please go on.”

  She risked a quick glance at Grey. His eyes were hooded, revealing little of what he might be thinking. But his relaxed pose was reassuring, one of scholarly interest. Renny took a breath. She was indeed going to “go on”.

  “I remember feeling dizzy, aware of nothing but his eyes, his body and the piece of pottery digging into my hand. Oh, then he swallowed.” She laughed. “How silly is that? To remember the way a man’s throat moved. But I do. Clear as day.”

  Uncomfortable, Renny moved a little, easing the cramp that had begun low in her calf. Without realizing it, the muscles of her body had tensed as she’d begun her recital. “Anyway, I have no idea how long I stood there. I was vaguely aware of being in some sort of village, or town perhaps. There was movement around us—and heat. Strong heat, like I was in some tropical place. As if—as if—” Renny struggled to give words to the unexplainable.

  “It was as if I had lifted a curtain and was looking out into another world. Another time, maybe, or even another planet. And he was there, waiting for me. Wanting me every bit as strongly as I wanted him.”

  “How do you know?”

  She snorted again. “I knew. It was in his face. It was in the way his body shifted a little, changed as he stared at me. And since he was wearing little more than a light loin cloth I could tell when his arousal began and…how hard he got.”

  “Okay.”

  Renny knew she was blushing but he’d asked, dammit. “Anyway, we were both—turned on, I guess—and when he reached for me I…I…” She bit her lip. “God, this is difficult.”

  “Almost done. Finish the story for me, Renny.”

  She gulped. “All right. He reached for me. He touched me, touched my breast. And when he did—I came. I climaxed. Right there on the spot. I orgasmed. And then I fainted.”

  “You passed out?”

  “Yep. Just like I did earlier today.” She frowned. “Honestly I don’t make a habit of fainting, you know. This is only the second time it’s happened.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I woke up in the dig first aid tent with a medic checking me out. They said it was heat exhaustion. I went along with it.”

  Glad to have the whole thing out in the open at last, Renny shifted on the couch and sat up more formally. “From that point on, my attempts to sleep have been haunted—and that’s the only word I can use to describe the phenomena—haunted, Grey, by this man.”

  “In what way?”

  On less controversial ground now, Renny willingly continued. “When I fall asleep, he’s there. It seems to take no time at all before he’s in my dreams. My understanding of a normal sleep-cycle is that I should have some down-time before entering the REM-state—the dreaming part of my night. I don’t seem to have that time. I doze off and wham. There he is. Looking at me, playing with me, touching me—arousing me to the point where I wake up in physical pain many times…or at least with an ache that dreams can’t fulfill.”

  “So he’s arousin
g you every time you see him in your sleep, yes?”

  “Yep. And the settings aren’t always the same. He’s stripped me naked on some sort of temple balcony. Then he touched me in the waters of a jungle pool. Once he covered me with flowers in a garden someplace and another time he laid me down on the warm furry covers of a tent that seemed to be smothered in cold darkness.”

  Renny sighed and looked at Grey. “He haunts my dreams with erotic fantasies that are never realized. Tantalizes my body with his hands and drives the woman in me crazy with desire. He tantalizes my brain and the archaeologist in me with the places he takes me to. Places I want to see, to live in—to be a part of.”

  She squared her shoulders. “I thought perhaps I was going insane. Suffering some sort of post-traumatic disorder, maybe. Or succumbing to a fantasy world of history and far off places as a method of avoiding reality.” She lifted her chin as she stared at Grey. “But my reality was quite nice. Certainly nothing I’d want to escape. I was granted my doctorate, accepted a Research Professor position, and have been happily teaching ever since. I like what I do, Grey…” She leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees as she fixed him with a firm gaze. “I like teaching, I like archeology. I have a nice life, thank you. Except for…”

  Grey finished the sentence for her. “Except for your dream man.”

  “Yes. Except for…Raven.”

  Chapter Three

  Grey’s body jerked—once.

  “Why do you call him that?” How he kept his voice level, he had no idea.

  Thankfully, Renny hadn’t noticed his reaction. “I’m not sure. Sometime during this whole experience, the name came to me. He’s never spoken directly—we don’t communicate like that. It’s more the impressions I receive. This one came in what I’d describe as an early Middle Ages environment. Lush forests, tall trees, quiet glades—I just picked up the word Raven as he touched me.” She closed her eyes. “He’s been Raven to me ever since. I had to call him something, didn’t I? Somehow calling him Chuck didn’t seem to fit.”

  As she opened her eyes once more, the expression in them was almost pitiful despite the bravado of her words. She was beseeching him, asking him for permission to surrender to her fantasies. He willingly provided it.

  “Yes, you did need a name for him. And Raven is as good as any.” He paused. This would be—difficult. “Renny, I have to ask you one question. Clearly this…this Raven…has aroused you, caressed you erotically. His entire presence in your dreams seems linked to enhanced sexual awareness.”

  She nodded. “That’s correct.”

  “And yet he hasn’t…”

  Color filtered into her pale cheeks. “No. To be blunt about it, he hasn’t fucked me. Not in my dreams. We get so near, so close and then…poof. I wake up. Alone.”

  “Forgive my impertinence, my dear, but there are a few ancillary points we should clear up. You’re not a virgin, are you?”

  Renny blinked. “Is anybody any more?”

  He choked down a laugh. “Okay. Next question…you wake from these dreams, and I would have to assume you’re in an advanced state of arousal yourself.”

  She nodded, not meeting his gaze.

  “It would be natural of you to bring yourself some relief. May I hazard a guess that you do so?”

  “Yes.” It was a whisper, but one that went straight to Grey’s gut. He fought the vision of Renny pleasuring herself. Too much distraction for right now.

  “Good. At least you are physically releasing the tensions.”

  “But not mentally. I sleep—he’s there.”

  “Always?”

  “Almost always. There have been a few nights when he’s not around. But not many. Not enough to guarantee me the rest I need.”

  “Are you…involved with anybody right now, Renny? I would imagine a relationship under these circumstances might be a challenge…”

  She shook her head. “No. There’s nobody. To be honest, I haven’t been interested in dating or relationships since this whole nightmare started. How can I? No matter who I see, or who I sleep with, how the hell are they going to match the experiences I have with Raven?”

  She sighed, a deep and morose sound. “Even though we haven’t done the deed, Grey, he has become more my lover than anybody I’ve ever actually slept with. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just an…intimacy, if you will…a closeness that we’ve developed over the past couple of years.” She curled her lip wryly. “So it’s not real, but damn, he knows me very well. Very well indeed.”

  She moved once more, a firmer shifting of her hips. She was getting her thoughts back together, Grey could see, finding her feet once more. “So. Do you think there’s hope for me? Anything you can recommend?”

  Grey-green eyes lifted to his, the heat in them acting like a punch to his gut. He sucked in a breath. “Oh yes. I have some ideas of things we might try.”

  Oh do I ever! There was a squawk from down the hallway which Grey ignored. “To begin with, I will extend the hospitality of my house.” He nodded around. “The storm shows no signs of easing at all, in fact they’re predicting white-out conditions for this evening. So if you’d accept an offer from an old man, please stay here for a day or so? Let me begin a program of treatment with you. Try a few ideas…”

  Renny looked uncertain. “I didn’t expect…”

  “I know. And it is a rather unconventional approach, too. But you will be quite safe…”

  She smiled at him. “I know that. I trust my instincts more often than not and right now my instincts are telling me that I can trust you.”

  “I’m glad.” He smiled back, pouring every ounce of his you-can-feel-relaxed-with-this-elderly-gentleman skills into his grin. “There’s actually quite a nice guest room adjoining this one—my niece stayed there a few weeks ago and left some things. Please feel free to use them. I know she won’t mind in the least.”

  Renny stood. “You’re sure? She wouldn’t mind?”

  “Of course not. She’s probably forgotten they’re here anyway.” He turned. “Make yourself comfortable, Renny. Grab a robe or whatever Milly left in the wardrobe. You need to be totally relaxed for our first session. And I’m thinking I’ll medicate you too.”

  He smiled as she automatically opened her mouth, holding up one hand to stop the flood of words he knew trembled on her lips. “I’m planning on administering a rather nice Cabernet Sauvignon.”

  She laughed. “Ouch. That was a gotcha.”

  “Yep. I know.” He felt smug. “Come downstairs when you’re settled. Jakob and I will toss something together for food. Probably sandwiches for us and birdseed for him. All very informal.” He paused at the door. “You’ve presented me with an interesting challenge, Renny. But I think that together we might be able to find some answers that will suit us both.”

  “I hope so, Grey. I do hope so.”

  *~~*~~*

  Hope remained within Renny as the door closed behind Grey. He was kind, she thought. Understanding too, seeing more with those dark eyes of his than people probably realized.

  He was older than she’d expected, perhaps sixty or even more. It was hard to tell. His face wore age well, though, like one of those male movie stars who only gained appeal with age, not wrinkles. Life could be bloody unfair to women sometimes.

  She darted a quick look into the tall mirror. Nope. No wrinkles for her yet. She hoped when they did arrive that she could wear them as gracefully as did Grey. He’d suggested she use this room—a lovely guest room with subtly elegant furnishings. There was a small bathroom through one of the doors, and a large closet through another. Whoever his niece was, she had good taste. Renny looked at the small selection of creams, lotions and a perfume or two. All pricey, all looked new and all—she thought as she indulged herself with a quick swipe of moisturizer—the sort of thing any woman would want in her bathroom.

  She wandered over to the closet and peeked inside, finding a couple of lightweight dresses that wouldn’t do for a sno
wy winter night, one pair of extremely expensive shoes—not her size—and a robe.

  Obedient to Grey’s instructions, Renny undressed, folded her clothes neatly and put on the garment.

  It smelled of flowers, oddly familiar flowers. But it was just a quick whiff, not enough for Renny to identify the bloom. The fit was good, too. She tied the belt around her waist and walked once more to the mirror.

  The robe was purple, the deep rich color of royal jewels. The outside was silk, embroidered here and there with a smattering of paler purple and white petals twining within a small green vine. Next to Renny’s skin was a soft and warm lining—if it was wool, then it was the softest wool she’d ever felt. Cashmere perhaps or something even softer? Renny didn’t know.

  All she knew was that it snagged on the rough cotton of her simple underwear. Without thinking much more about it, Renny untied the robe, took off her panties and her bra and retied the robe around her naked body.

  There. That was so much better. The sensual caress of the softness against her body was a delight, a snuggle of warmth that cocooned her in luxury. The sleeves were the perfect length, the color brought out the different shades in her eyes—Renny smiled at herself in the mirror. Finally her mass of curls looked—right.

  Her stomach gurgled, reminding her that she was hungry. Something she hadn’t really paid much attention to lately as her issues with this whole sleep thing had gotten out of hand. Somehow, coming here to visit Grey and telling him her story had lifted a weight from her shoulders. She could breathe once more, believe that there might be hope ahead—and feel hungry. Little things to most folks, but big things to her.

  She also felt—excited. Feminine. A little aroused. Womanly at least.

  Her hands skimmed over her silk-covered thighs. She was warm now, warm and relaxed and caressed by softness. Her breasts were kissed everywhere by soft fabric lips, her buttocks stroked by the fall of the robe over her bare skin as she moved.