Chapter 36
Rayna
The fucking asshole had meant it.
Dominic refused to have sex with Rayna the two times she’d tried to initiate anything.
He’d asked, “Do you want me to stay?”
She’d grumbled she still didn’t know.
He’d kissed her and said, “Decide first, my love.”
It’d pissed her off the second time, and she’d snapped that he was basically trying to force her decision.
But he’d held her arms and shaken his head, assuring her, “No. Never, darling. I only wish to be sure sex is not all you want from me.”
And then she’d felt guilty, and she hadn’t tried again.
Instead, every moment they weren’t at the museum, she’d gone in circles of confusion, denial, and a clawing ache as she’d tried to work out her feelings.
It was beyond frustrating being so uncertain, but Dominic didn’t pressure her for an answer when she climbed into bed beside him at night. Nor when he kissed her and hugged her like nothing between them had changed.
Yet it was entirely too obvious everything would change depending on her answer.
Despite it taking up most of her thoughts, the first draft of Dominic’s research report was due, so Rayna spent the evenings and weekend editing and adding to it while Dominic kept her company, before she emailed it to Monty and River to check over.
It made her wonder if that was what life would be like with him if he stayed. Their working on different reports together between discussions and comfortable silence, before laughter and grumbles over Dominic’s slow arse typing turned into kisses and lingering touches.
It wasn’t a bad thought. But when she’d spent so many years picturing herself enjoying life alone, it wasn’t easy to then create an entirely new vision with someone else in it with her.
Not easy. Uncomfortable. Foreign.
But not impossible. She would have had a definite answer if it had felt so.
It became very evident, though, how little time Rayna had left to find that answer when she was with Dominic and Monty at the POTeM lab one evening during the week.
“I just finished reading your report before I left my office,” Monty said cheerfully, with a brown leather satchel over his shoulder, “so I’m glad I bumped into you two in the corridor.”
Rayna smiled, walking between the two men. “I take it you’re happy with what we sent you?”
“Oh, of course.” The man waved one hand around.
“The report was very thorough as always, and you ticked every box of the brief. There were a few intriguing details, such as that bit on the eagerness and necessity to conform within the upper class, that I would like you to discuss further, but I’ll send over the few comments I had for you tomorrow morning. ”
Rayna nodded. “Sure thing.”
To Dominic, Monty said, “I’m sure it was a bit intrusive having Rayna ask you to talk about all aspects of your life, but thank you for cooperating with her. You have both, along with River, created an excellent case study.”
“Not at all,” Dominic said with a gentlemanly nod.
“Though it was not as intrusive as it was odd being asked such simple questions, but it very quickly became clear how they fit into the wider picture Rayna, and River, were urging me to create.” He glanced at her with a smile.
“I rather enjoyed taking the time to think about society in a way I did not normally bother imagining it.”
Deep satisfaction swelled within her chest as she returned his grin. She’d really enjoyed working with Dominic too.
He was a product of his time, but he wasn’t willingly ignorant or blindly stubborn.
He was intelligent, and his curiosity made him open to new ideas, which had nearly always made their discussions enjoyable as they worked on his case study.
Of course, they had inevitably clashed a few times, but even then, their debates had been invigorating.
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Monty as they turned left at the end of a corridor.
“When would you like the final draft by?” Rayna then asked.
“Not before the Harvest Holiday this weekend,” the older historian assured her.
“By the end of next week, perhaps? That way it’ll be out of the way, allowing you two to focus solely on the letters down at the Fronis Museum.
But there’s no real rush on my end nor from the Evidence team, so if you’d like more time, that’s fine too. ”
“I’ll read over the comments and let you know, but by the end of next week should be fine,” Rayna said as the three of them stopped in front of a door labelled “Medical Suite.”
“Excellent.”
Rayna tapped her lab pass, dangling from her front trouser pocket, against the small black sensor by the door until it switched from red to green with a little ping.
As Monty shouldered open the door, he said, “I suppose you’ll be happy to know, Dominic, that this also means we should be able to send you back to your time earlier than planned.”
Monty’s words were light and sunny. But they hurtled down hard and dark and ice-cold through Rayna.
They knocked her heart to a depth she didn’t know existed within her before slinging it back up. Her blood drained from under her skin through the damage that was left behind.
She remained frozen just outside the threshold as Monty entered the blinding white medical suite. Slowly and stiltedly, she lifted her gaze to Dominic and found him staring at her with the same horrified shock crystallising over his features.
Her entire rib cage seemed to squeeze as a panic clogged her lungs and throat.
Dominic was standing right next to her, but it suddenly felt like there were a million miles between them. Miles she thought she had more time to decide whether she could, would, and wanted to cross to reach him. But what Monty was suggesting would compress that period even further.
How was she supposed to make a decision that could impact her entire life in such a short amount of time?
I can’t…I can’t. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t do this—
Rayna tore her gaze away as pressure knotted around her belly. She forced herself to breathe, to relax her muscles, and headed into the room. Her movements felt unnatural, her pulse fluctuating hot and cold, but she had no choice but to pretend it was nothing.
Nothing between her and Dominic. Nothing to panic about. Nothing to divulge to anyone.
Especially if time was what she wanted.
It wasn’t like Monty’s suggestion was an inflexible decision either. So it was fine.
Everything was fine.
She dully felt Dominic walk up beside her as she glanced around the room in search of Ash.
A few white doors leading to private rooms lined one side of the medical suite, while a set of six computer desks, back-to-back in two rows, was on the other side. Small machines, a wide sink basin, countertops, and cabinets lined the walls around the desks.
With most of the lab staff having gone home already, there was only a single man and woman working around the room, who they greeted. Then Ash, in his blue scrubs, came down the corridor right opposite them that led to other rooms with more medical equipment inside.
“Let me just grab my tablet,” Ash said once they said their hellos. “Then I’ll take you through, Dominic, to one of the rooms.”
He walked away to the row of desks facing the entrance. That was when Dominic rotated to face Monty with a thin-lipped expression.
“What did you mean I could return earlier than planned?” he asked quietly.
Monty smiled and rocked forward on his feet.
“Well, with the report nearly complete and the opening of the new Tregency exhibit at the end of August, there’s no need for you to stay for the full four months anymore.
We can send you back some time after the gala, once you’ve tied up any loose ends at the museum. ”
Dominic’s jaw rolled once, twice as he stared at Monty. Alarm pricked across Rayna’s skin.
Don’t give anything away, Dominic. Don’t make that face, please.
No, don’t bloody look at me like that, dammit.
Thankfully, Ash came back with a tablet in one hand.
“We’ll start with a blood test like last time,” he explained to Dominic, flipping open the thin case and waking up the device’s screen. “But because your last checkup was at the farmhouse, there are a few extra checks we’ll have to do today. Is that okay?”
Dominic nodded. “Yes, that is fine.”
“Great.” Ash turned to her. “It shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
“Cool. I’ll be in my office.”
“I’ll bring him there once we’re done.” Ash shifted back and jerked his head to the side. “If you’ll follow me…”
Dominic’s eyes lingered on Rayna a second too long before he followed Ash. Once they disappeared through the last door in the corner, Rayna left the medical suite with Monty.
“I don’t think Dominic was too excited about my suggestion of leaving earlier than planned,” the older man speculated.
Her heart rattled at hearing the truth spoken aloud, but she played it off with a jokey grin. “He was probably wondering if he had enough time to try everything he wanted to do before going back. Currently, that’s learning about space travel and trying to type as fast as me.”
“Ah.” Monty chuckled. “Well, he might not remember it, but he’s allowed to enjoy himself to the fullest while he’s here. So if there are things he yet wants to try, he can stay for his full length of time. As long as you’re okay with that too.”
“Yeah, that’s fine with me. He’s cool. And he gets on with Uncle Declan and River really well, so he ends up doing a lot with them too.”
“That’s a relief. Though…” The older man tipped his head. “He is aware that he has to return no matter what, right? As in, you have reminded him, haven’t you?”
For a split second, it seemed like Monty was testing her, and a flustered rush of fearful noise and colour clouded her senses.
Did he know? He couldn’t know. How would he know?
But the head historian’s question wasn’t accusing, and nothing about his eyes still crinkled with a smile suggested he knew, so she quickly wrestled with her panic.
“Yeah, he knows. I’ve reminded him multiple times.”