Chapter Two

***************************************

Chapter Two

***************************************

William was awake at the first creak of the old floorboards. A light feminine scent drifted up to him, lilac and vanilla. He waited until the woman moved closer to him, then he turned towards her, grabbed her shoulders, and rolled her onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.

“Who are you?” he asked. The light was off, and the shadows shrouded her features. He could feel her heart racing in her chest where it pressed against him. Her breath came out in soft pants against his neck.

“Suzy Raymond. I’m a writer. I-”

“What are you doing in my bedroom? Who sent you?”

“No one sent me, and I have no idea what I’m doing here, or how I got here. I’m not even entirely sure where here is.”

Not removing his weight from the woman beneath him, William reached over to the nightstand and flicked on the light, then returned his gaze before his face.

What he saw robbed him of his next words. It was her. The woman he had been dreaming of for the past several months. Dark hair fanned out across his pillows. Her wide green eyes stared up at him, mirroring his surprise. As he watched, the surprise turned into fascination. She gaze moved from his face to his chest, and reached a small hand up, tracing his scar with a couple of gentle fingers. He caught her hand, and she looked up into his eyes.

“It is you,” she said in a soft voice. “But, how-”

William rolled off her, suddenly much too aware of her soft curves beneath him. He continued his roll off the bed, landing on his feet with surprising grace. After a deep breath, he began pacing, to the window and back again. He was wearing a pair of jeans, and nothing else. The tight fabric accented his slim waist and muscular body. He turned in his pacing, and she took the chance to admire the backside of the man she created.

Suzy had written scenes describing William. His hard chest, strong arms, and confident gait; his perpetually tousled hair and gentle brown eyes, the color of warm chocolate. The words she had used did not do him justice. Seeing him in real life was doing funny things to her stomach.

He stopped halfway to the window, and turned back to her. “You have no idea how you got here? Think. What were you doing right before you turned up in my bedroom?”

“I was writing, and then I went to make some coffee because I knew it would be a long night. Next thing I knew, the world was spinning around, and here I was.”

He paused. This was worse than he thought. Somehow, by dreaming of this woman, he had brought her here. And now he needed to figure out where she was from so he could send her back home. The traditional way. Bus, plane… Hell, he’d drive her himself, if it came to that. As long as she was out of his life. But not until had her to promise to keep quiet. He couldn’t afford the extra attention right now.

“What happened-” he began.

“I’ve officially lost it, that’s what’s happened. Too many late nights with you. And I’ve gone completely nuts. Or maybe I’m just dreaming. That could be it. But this is awfully real for a dream,” she finished, frowning. Suzy pinched herself, wincing. “Ow. No, not a dream. I’m just crazy. Great.” And now she was starting to babble. Double great.

“What do you mean, too many late nights with me?” he asked carefully, snapping her out of her panicked rambling. “I’ve never seen you before.” Not exactly true, but she didn’t need to know that.

“In my books, fictional books. The ones I wrote about you. So, logically, this can’t be happening.”

He stared at her. “You’re not making any sense.”

She shook her head, then stood and walked to him. Her hand found the mark on his chest again. He froze as she reached for him. Her soft hands were cool against his skin as she brushed her fingertips along the rough ridge of scar tissue. “The battle with Jack Scarlet and his men, after Izzie betrayed you to them.” Her hand moved to his arm, touching yet another scar. “The fire in the stables, in Westchester. You saved the stable boy, but you were burned when a beam fell beside you.”

William pulled away. “How do you know all of this?”

“I told you. I made you up. You’re a character in my books. This isn’t even really happening.” The idea seemed to appeal to her. She took another step toward him, and he backed up again.

“I assure you, this is happening. And you didn’t make me up. I’m as real as I think you are.” He paused. “Just where did you say you were from again?”

“Johnsonville, Indiana.”

“I’m sorry- where?” Exactly how far had she traveled?

“Indiana? The United States?” His face remained blank. No recognition. “I guess I’m farther from home than I thought.”

He sighed. This was not going the way it was supposed to go. “Look,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “I’m exhausted. I’ve had a long day, and I need rest. I’m willing to take the couch, but I need you to promise me you won’t go wandering around in the middle of the night.”

She nodded. “But I don’t mind the couch. Really. I don’t feel right taking your bed.”

“I don’t mind. First thing tomorrow, we’ll sort this out. Is there anything I can get you? You should find a shirt in the top drawer of the dresser to sleep in, if you’d like.” He waited a moment, as if considering something else to say, and then left. The latch clicked as he closed the door behind him. He made his way down the hall, grabbed a spare blanket from the closet, and stretched out on the couch.

This was a situation he had never been in before. The woman from his dreams was in his bed. He must have connected with her somehow while sleeping, and had brought her here. His powers had been going a little haywire lately, and it was causing problems. But this was the worst so far.

His fingers grazed his scar, remembering her touch on his chest. It had been a long time since someone had touched him that way, like he was a real man and not just a night of entertainment. Her eyes had been full of wonder as she had gazed up at him. He would like to believe that it hadn’t affected him, but it had.

It didn’t matter. Tomorrow he would find a way to send her back to where she belonged, as far away from him as she could get. For both their sakes.

Suzy opened the top drawer, and breathed in William’s scent. Sandalwood, leather, and a little bit of musk, exactly as she had written. He smelled much better in real life. She grabbed a t-shirt, stripped down, and pulled the soft cotton over her head, then sat on the edge of the bed. What was going on? How did she get into William’s world? For that matter, how was she going to get back? Not that she was in any rush. This was the perfect research opportunity. Her editor may have to wait a day or two for the final few pages, but the next book in the series would be amazing.

William Martin had been her constant companion for years, even before she began writing his story. He had been a part of her dreams, and the center of her fantasies. So many times, she had seen him meeting her gaze from over near her fireplace. She imagined he stood there sometimes, a glass of whiskey in his hands, musing over something only he knew about. His dark gaze so often troubled. He had always seemed so real to her; writing his story seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

All of that time spent with imaginary men must have taken its toll. How else could she explain her arrival in his home?

Suzy took a long look around the room. The single window, which she knew opened up over a dark alley, the dark cherry dresser and matching chest. No closet. The chest held a few old blankets and, below them, the majority of his supplies. The bed, which she now stretched out on, had been the sight of many of those fantasies. It was a huge four post bed, with well-worn sheets, and a dark green blanket. She curled under the blankets, finding the warm spot he had just vacated. The bed seemed huge from where she lay—how empty must it feel to him, laying here night after night by himself, in the bed he had once shared with Izzie. Her heart ached for him. Perhaps it was time for her to write another woman into the series.

Tonight, however, Suzy didn’t want to think of William with another woman. Stretched out in the bed of a man she imagined, surrounded by his scent, Suzy soon fell into a deep sleep. Tomorrow, she would explore.

**All material, characters, ideas and anything related belong to me. Please do not steal or borrow. Thanks.**

Tagged as: The Novel