Falling For Trance

by Rena Marks

  A small giggle burst out of her. She loved this place; treasured her marriage to Trance, her life in Xenia, the ever-present, bubbling happiness that existed here. “It might be. Let’s get it all out of our systems now?”

  “Okay, wife,” he growled. “Now, make love to your husband.”

  And that erased any memories of the horrid place where she’d just been. The place where they were strangers tolerating each other.

  Trance:

  Leah got the break she wanted from him today. As much as she protested, she looked disappointed when he didn’t show up to walk her from her morning in the mess hall to her scheduled cooking lesson. Instead, he scheduled a visit with Robyn and Amanda, the doctors in charge of Xenia. Amanda leaned more toward the medicinal side while Robyn dealt with problems in Xenia. She also had a dual role as their residential computer hacker and had access to the court systems.

  Neither female had telepathic abilities, being human. So he headed to the main hall as soon as Leah was well into her appointment. Robyn flagged him as soon as she saw him and he followed her into her office to see Amanda already waiting.

  “What’s going on?” Amanda asked.

  He shook his head. “It’s not looking good. She’s starting to blur the lines. She’s so tired she can’t keep track of which life is normal, reality or her dreams.”

  “You’ve tried explaining to her about your ability?”

  “Yes. She panics and refuses to discuss it. It’s like she senses that the dream world isn’t real, but doesn’t quite want to know for sure.”

  “As her sponsor, you can force her to have a medical exam,” Amanda said.

  “She already hates me. She moved out, remember?”

  “If it’s affecting her health, I may have to prescribe sedatives to help her sleep. We thought being human would protect her from your reach, but it’s not working out that way. We need to find another option.”

  Robyn was on her laptop. “The alternative would be to lose her independence,” she said. “We’ll be hard-ass about it when we say her job is being compromised by lack of sleep. If she can’t get a handle on it, she’ll lose her housing and be forced to move back in with her sponsor.”

  Trance smiled grimly. “I imagine she’ll be in soon for those meds.”

  “In other news, she’ll be needed for the trial on Iota Nine soon. Are you sure you’re comfortable with going to the outside?”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ve already been briefed on behavior outside the city limits. I’ve been fitted for contact lenses and sunglasses.”

  “Perfect. Get her in and I’ll get the sleeping meds prescribed,” Amanda said.

  He waited another hour and then walked the short trek to where her lesson should be ending. Beast and Lily’s cabin.

  She left their house and started slightly when she saw him waiting outside.

  “What’s up?” she asked warily.

  “It’s time for us to go testify at your ex-husband’s trial.”

  She sucked in an audible breath. “Oh, God. I’m not sure if I’m ready.”

  “You will be,” he said gently. “You can do this. You’re amazing, Leah.”

  She fell into step with him. “But?” she prodded. “I can feel there’s a but in there.”

  “There is,” he said. “I’ve scheduled you an appointment with Dr. Becker. You have to get some sleep. You moved out because your nightmares were waking me. But obviously they haven’t gotten better.”

  Oh, they were better all right. They were so much better she hated to leave them and come back to real life. He knew that for a fact.

  Her cheeks blushed. “I don’t need—”

  He cut her off. “No choice. I’m your sponsor.”

  She bit her lip and they walked in silence for a bit, but he didn’t want to leave it that way. “Leah, you need sleep. You slept fine in my arms that last day before you moved out. That was the last time.”

  He knew what scared her off that last day. He’d been right there with her in the dreams. Lying in his arms changed them from those of her ex to those of the possibility of life together. It scared her so much she moved and tried to avoid him. If it wasn’t for the fact he was her sponsor, she’d have cut off all contact.

  “I didn’t sleep fine,” she protested. “You did. You needed that.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “The best ever. But so did you. It’s why you were rested enough to sneak out and talk Robyn into a new apartment.”

  “I didn’t sneak out,” she protested. “I’m free to come and go as I please.”

  “Yes, you are,” he agreed. “But are you happier in your quarters alone?”

  Fact was, he knew she wasn’t. Their relationship might have progressed by now if she’d remained with him in one apartment and explored her dreams. Instead, she’d run.

  “I’m just tired from the nightmares, Trance,” she said.

  “I know.” His voice was gentle. “So if you need some help sleeping, a visit to medbay might help with that. Get a check-up. Make sure everything is okay. It could take a while to sort your body out, so be patient. In the meantime, we’ll call a truce and visit outside the city.”

  “We don’t need a truce, Trance. I don’t have any issues with you. You’re my sponsor—”

  “I should be more than that.”

  Her voice was strangled. “How so?”

  “We should be friends. We got along for a while. When we first met and when we first moved in together.”

  “We are friends,” she said. “That didn’t stop. I’m sorry if it hasn’t seemed like it. I’ve been so ungrateful when you’ve done everything for me. I miss talking to you. I miss our cooking sessions. I miss eating dinners with you. I miss movie nights.”

  It took a lot for her to admit that. She battled her fear of entrapment to tell him her true feelings and in fact, admitted such to herself.

  “I miss you, too,” he said. “I don’t have real friends and you and I had clicked immediately.”

  “You have friends,” she said, stopping to put a hand on his forearm. “Tempest speaks highly of you. I know Shawn likes you, though he’s a bit more standoffish because he’s the leader of the team. Envy and Impatience tease you like they would a friend.”

  “It’s you that I’m most comfortable with.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I’ll go to medbay. I’ll see if there’s a physical problem keeping me from sleeping. Hopefully when I get rested, I can stop being so prickly and we can get back to normal?”

  As if surprised that she’d just become aware of her hand on his arm, she removed it. But it was slowly, not the usual jerky way she’d move. Maybe the sleeping pills would be the way to go. If she calmed down enough, he could tell her before she had a chance to shut him down.

  Their friendship would have to withstand the fact that he was her supporter. He was right there in her dreams. And she didn’t dream of being married because she had a secret fantasy or crush on him. She dreamed of what could be—because that was where they were heading. She just couldn’t see it. He needed to proceed carefully because he didn’t want to come across stalkerish like her ex. Naturally, she was highly sensitive to it.

  “It’s all right to touch me. I won’t take it the wrong way.” There. It was out in the open. “You don’t have to worry about me coming on to you. I can simply love you from afar.” He gripped his heart, bouncing his fist on his chest like it was throbbing.

  “Oh, stop!” She laughed. “Trance. You’re such a wonderful, gorgeous, sexy man. It’s not fair to give me your love. I’m too broken. You deserve someone to worship you.” She laid the back of her hand across her forehead like a medieval maiden.

  “Tell my heart to turn off.” He grinned at her, showing her he still teased. Because once she sensed they were getting too serious, she’d be off like a shot. “Enough of this girly talk. You got things to confess, call Tempest, not me.”

  She made
a small choking sound like smothered laughter.

  “I just want to be friends again while we visit the outside world. It’s my first time, you know. So many new sights to take in.”

  “It is?” Her eyes were huge. “I’m gonna show you the sights.”

  “Yes. I’ve been watching videos while I work at the gate. I can navigate around fully. Unfortunately, I’ve been told I have to pretend I’m human while protecting you. That means contacts and sunglasses.”

  “We’ll dress you as a bodyguard,” she said. “The uniform will explain your bigger bulk compared to the rest of the population. Lots of times, bodyguard muscles aren’t real. The uniforms are designed to give them that appearance. It differentiates their class, but works in our favor.”

  “This will be fun,” he said. “We’ll be like super spies on a mission or something.”

  She looped her arm through his. “Yep. A whole weekend of role-playing.”

  Trance bit his lip. Gad, she was too tired to even realize what she was saying.

  Chapter Eleven

  “CALL FROM TRANCE Xeno Sapien.” The computer voice announced early the morning of their departure.

  “Answer.”

  “Hey.” His voice was warm. Somehow their relationship was manifesting back the way it used to be. That first beginning of easygoing friendship. Maybe it was the sleeping pills that had finally allowed her to sleep—and dream. She let go of her guilt of dreaming about marriage to Trance and mentally cut them into two different people. Her awake-Trance. And her dream-husband.

  And she longed for that second one.

  But a week into the sleeping pills proved her body was starting to get used to them. She had trouble sleeping completely through the night the last two. Or else, the stress of the impending trial was getting to her. Tonight she’d have to remember to increase to two of the pills. She hated to increase her dose around the time of the trial—in case there were any ramifications. But after the last two nights, there wasn’t much choice. She could feel her nervous tension stringing high again.

  “Good morning, Trance. Are you all ready?”

  “Oh, yeah. You?”

  “Yes.”

  “Meet you outside.”

  The call disconnected.

  As she walked to the front door of her apartment, her travel suit activated her suitcase, which hovered a few inches above the ground and followed her. She stepped outside of the apartment to see him waiting in the hallway.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  Trance in a bodyguard uniform was—breathtaking, to say the least. The dark silver jumpsuit hugged his form, showcasing his muscles. The bulk of his thighs. His broad chest. His suitcase also hovered slightly behind him, but his case was solid black. A color that marked the use of legalized weapons with which to protect her. His case would go into a different viewer screen to log everything he brought into the cities.

  The flare in his eyes showed he hadn’t been quite sure what to expect when he saw her in her light gray travel suit. The matching colors marked them as a pair—a traveling woman and her hot bodyguard. She was going to be the envy of every woman in Iota Nine where the trial was being held.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  “So do you.” His eyes flared again and she realized he wore brown contacts. He looked so…human without the brightness of his eyes.

  Maybe she was way too comfortable from her dreams. Maybe she was almost relieved to have some of her stress lifted while waiting for the trial. But for the first time, she wanted to step into his arms and kiss him. A shiver rolled through her.

  “Leah,” he said, and was his voice that tiniest bit raspy?

  She was too focused on the movement of his lips. His full kissable lips.

  “Hmm?”

  “I think we should pretend to be a couple. It won’t seem odd that we share a room and go everywhere together beyond the capacity of a bodyguard and his protected.”

  “Will it be odd when we get back and things return to normal?”

  “No.”

  She stepped closer and smiled up at him as she laced her fingers through his. “Okay.”

  His fingers clutched hers back and she felt a tingle where their hands joined.

  The sleeping pills worked like magic to relieve stress. She wouldn’t have been able to pretend a week ago. But already, doubt was beginning to prick at the edges of her mind. Definitely tonight she’d take two.

  They took a shuttle out of the city.

  “Where do we go next?” Trance asked.

  “The main hub. It’s what Robyn named the center building of Xenia after. It’s the largest part of a facility—in this case, the travelers’ center. When we arrive, we catch a hovercar that’s marked for the city of Iota Nine. That’ll be fun.” She grinned.

  “Why?”

  “I’m almost tempted not to tell you. I want to see your face.”

  “Please remember I’m your sponsor and might want to see your face when I introduce you to something new at Xenia,” he teased.

  “Good point,” she laughed. “It’s just kind of discomfiting. The hovers cars fly straight up. It feels like your tummy sinks to your toes the first time.”

  “Only the first time?”

  “Yes. Weird, huh? And then once it lets us off, we sit in the hosting building until our city comes around. The cities rotate very slowly, so slowly you can’t feel them move when you’re inside one. They all rotate around the hub and if we get there so late that our city gateway has already passed by? We take a sideways car to the opposite end of the host building to try and catch it. Or we can wait, whichever you prefer.”

  “I’ll definitely let you lead me,” he said. “Nothing as sexy as a female in charge.”

  Did that seriously just come out of his mouth? Apparently it was said with just enough teasing that she didn’t bristle or change the subject.

  Instead, she turned on the seat to face him. “You’re just saying that because you’ve never seen me in a travel suit.” She tried to tease back, but the tone didn’t quite manifest. The statement was true, so true.

  “It’s a sight I’ll remember for the rest of my life.” He let his gaze fall along the front of her suit, aware when her nipples puckered. She didn’t flinch or turn away.

  “Ditto. I’ve never seen a specimen as perfect as my bodyguard.”

  She allowed herself an appreciative gaze down his body and he felt his groin harden and form in response. “Leah,” he said thickly.

  Her pupils dilated and he stared into her eyes, fascinated. “Trance,” she breathed. “I’m sorry but I—I just can’t not look away.”

  “Our pretense at being a couple is easier to pull off than we imagined.”

  “We’ve always clicked, haven’t we? I think we have an itch to scratch.”

  “You tell me what you need, Leah,” he said, his voice steady. “And I’ll give it to you. Always. Never be shy.”

  Without speaking, she slipped her fingers into his. Her hand was warm and soft. When she laid her head onto his shoulder, he leaned his cheek on the top of her head. Perhaps with her husband’s trial so near, he was finally making leeway.

  Praise be.

  When the shuttle finally arrived and they descended from the vehicle, their suitcases hovering in place behind them, he had his first view of humanity. Hundreds of humans all condensed into one place. Remarkably similar but it didn’t stop female attention from landing on him.

  “You’ll notice where we’re going, the gateway for Iota Nine, the people don’t touch. It’s considered faux pas. In fact, the very elite women wear delicate face masks as adornment. Sometimes lace. Sometimes another fabric. Men are usually gloved.”

  “I don’t want to stop touching.”

  “Is it wrong that I don’t want you to stop touching me?”

  He stopped her, right there in the middle of all the bustle. He reached out to cup the back of her head, his thumb caressing her jaw. “Will you tell me when you
want me to stop?”

  He leaned down close to her, giving her a chance to pull away.

  “No,” she whispered, freezing him. “Because it would be a lie.”

  His lips took hers, capturing the small moan she hissed. The world faded away as he lost himself in the sweetness of her kiss, the press of her nipples against his chest, the feel of her fingers clutching his biceps as if she’d never let him go.

  When he finally pulled away, it was to stare at her intently. Not once did she squirm uncomfortably, but met his gaze. “Probably not the best place to kiss you,” he said ruefully. “I have a feeling I know why the Iota Nine residents are standoffish.” He gave a quick glance downward toward his groin.

  Her eyes widened as her mouth curved. “You think the upper crust don’t touch and remain elite because they’ve got sex on their minds?”

  “All day, every day.” He winked at her.

  “Well, now I’ll be looking at them in a whole new light,” she said. Their sexual tension eased a bit, she looped her fingers through his again and led him through the hub.

  The day sped by on the newness of travel and awareness of sexual tension. She was right about the city of Iota Nine. He could almost swear there was a small bubble or force field around each person that no one invaded.

  Everyone conformed. Even those just visiting the city. Couples took an unconscious step away from each other as they all gathered in the waiting area waiting for the shuttle she’d spoken of.

  Until he had enough and he pulled Leah across his lap to sit on his in the sideways shuttle. He could feel every inch of the back of her legs with his upper thighs, as if there was no barrier of fabric between them. Gods blessing for the creators of the travel suit.

  “You know what’s going to happen,” she whispered, letting her eyes fall down to his crotch. Sure enough, a tingle of awareness sparked in his groin.

  “It’s worth it.”

  Someone cleared their throat and then literally raised their nose into the air as they looked away from his and Leah’s compromising position. Leah giggled and scooted closer to him, her arms wrapping around him and her mouth near his ear. “Did I mention porn was illegal here?”