Ghosts and Lovers Read online

  Julia stood in the middle of the room, clad in a peach-colored terrycloth bathrobe and trembling visibly. She looked from Martin to Claudia. “I…I think I’ve been fucked by a ghost.”

  Chapter 3

  Claudia poured Julia a glass of water from the bedside carafe. Julia sat on the edge of the bed and took the glass gratefully with both hands. She sipped, still trembling. Claudia became aware the musky scents of their lovemaking still lingered in the air, but Julia didn’t appear to notice.

  “What happened?” Claudia laid a comforting hand on the other woman’s arm.

  Julia sighed. “You probably heard the row I had with Paul.” She looked sheepish. “I didn’t want to remain in the same room with him, so I decided to use Alex’s for the night.” She sipped more water. Her trembling subsided. “I went to bed, got comfortable then fell asleep quite quickly. What happened next…” She frowned and shook her head. “It felt like the most detailed, complete, and intensely erotic dream I’ve ever had!”

  Martin glanced at Claudia with raised eyebrows. Drawing up a chair he sat in front of Julia and leaned forward, his hands clasped on his lap. “Yet you don’t think it was a dream?”

  “I don’t.” Julia’s face burned with apparent embarrassment, but she continued. “Believe me, I didn’t feel in the mood for anything sexual. This dream, or experience, seemed so very intense, tactile even. I felt as if I’d been touched in the most intimate way possible. And yes,” she added, glancing at Claudia with a wry smile, “that includes penetration.”

  “Wow!” Claudia whispered softly, glancing at Martin.

  “You don’t believe it was the Groping Ghost who, ah, visited you?” Martin asked.

  Julia shook her head. “No. This seemed like a totally different person. More like a lover, not an attacker.”

  “I think you’d better tell us everything.” Martin stood to fetch his tablet. “May I record your account?”

  “Sure. I trust you to keep it confidential.”

  “Thanks. Go ahead.”

  Julia took a deep breath and composed herself. “As I said, I fell asleep quite quickly, given how annoyed I am. In my dream, I found myself lying in bed, in the same bedroom, yet it seemed different. The decor had changed, had become older-looking. Victorian, perhaps? There was lots of that heavy brown furniture they liked back then, you know? I knew I was asleep, yet I felt awake and alert, as if waiting for something to happen. Then I heard pebbles clattering on the window.”

  Claudia and Martin glanced at each other. That’s familiar. She knew Martin thought the same. “Go on,” he said.

  “I drew back the curtains.” Julia shook her head slowly. “I had such a sense of pleasant anticipation. I knew someone I loved waited for me to appear. The whole countryside was flooded with moonlight, and my lover stood below my room. I opened the window and he came to me.”

  “How did he do that?” Claudia asked.

  “He climbed up the ivy.” Julia looked at them. “There’s no ivy there now. I had to have it cut down, as it was ruining the walls.”

  “So he came up to the window?” Martin asked.

  “Yes, and I let him inside.”

  “Can you describe him?”

  Julia nodded. “Tall, slim, yet really fit. Late twenties, or early thirties. He had dark wavy hair with a kind of brushed forward cut, dark eyes, and a triangular face that looked both strong yet sensual.”

  Claudia smiled. “He sounds dreamy, pardon the pun.”

  Julia shot her a glance then gave a soft chuckle. “Yes, for a dream lover, he seemed solid and memorable enough.”

  “What about his clothing?” Claudia asked.

  “Late Regency or early Victorian, I’d say. A navy-blue tailcoat over a paler waistcoat. He wore gold epaulettes and trousers rather than breeches. I think he had a pocket watch. I remember a silver chain.”

  Martin rubbed his jaw. “From your description we’re dealing with the spirit of a Royal Navy officer. If he was still in uniform, it’s quite possible he came straight from a ship berthed at Kings Lynn.”

  “So what happened next?” Claudia asked.

  Jules took a deep breath. “I let him into my bedroom. He took me in his arms and kissed me tenderly. I knew I loved him as deeply as he did me. We…undressed and went to bed. He made love with a real passion, and I matched him.” Julia paused and looked distant for a few moments. “I feel as if my dream-self was somewhat younger than I am. I had the sense of normally being closely watched in my daily life, yet on this occasion I knew we could cut loose, so to speak.”

  “It sounds like an instance of reincarnation,” Martin said. “Or you might have channeled a woman who lived here in the past.”

  Claudia gasped. “Alex said when she stayed in that room, she felt as if someone had visited her in the night, yet seemed puzzled by her presence.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Julia frowned. Martin shot Claudia an exasperated look.

  “Oh crap!” Claudia sighed. “Sorry, that was a real face-palm moment. Alex told us that in confidence.”

  Julia waved away her apology. “It’s okay, I won’t hold it against her, especially not after I had such an experience.”

  Martin looked thoughtful. “Since Alex wasn’t staying over tonight, I set up some recording equipment in that room.”

  Julia looked pained. “I noticed some stuff of yours in there, Martin, but I didn’t really pay it any attention. I felt too upset. Video too?”

  Martin looked embarrassed. “Yes. Don’t worry, it all went to my laptop. You can watch everything, and it’ll be deleted as soon as you say.”

  Julia gave a soft chuckle. “Well, I changed into my nightie in the bathroom, so you won’t see anything naughty!”

  Martin smiled and stood. “That’s something, I suppose. I’d better go check on the gear and see if anything registered. Back in a moment.”

  As Martin went on his errand, Claudia thought Julia seemed more relaxed now she’d related her tale. Julia touched Claudia’s hand and looked at her. “I appreciate you listening to me, especially given the circumstances. You believe me?”

  Claudia nodded. “Yes, I do.”

  Julia smiled. “I’m so glad! It’s been quite a strain, one way and another.”

  Claudia reached out and they hugged. “I’m glad we can help. You know what Marty’s like. He’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  “He’s a decent man,” Julia agreed. “You found a keeper in him.”

  Claudia felt a small twinge of complacency. “I know it.” And I’m glad you do too, now.

  “I wish I knew it, at the time.”

  “Well,” Claudia began and then found herself lost for words.

  “He loves you, I can tell,” Julia said, “for your mind, your personality, and…” her gaze flickered downward, “other things.”

  “Oh!” Claudia realized the covers had dropped down, exposing her upper half. She drew back and tugged the covers back up. “Sorry, I got carried away listening to your experience.”

  “It’s all right. I wish I was more like you in that department, but there we are.”

  “You have more than my sister Caroline. She’s a member of the itty-bitty-titty-committee.”

  Julia chuckled. “I’ve not heard that one before.” She opened her robe and looked down at her bust. “They’re not bad, I suppose.”

  “No,” Claudia managed to say, eyeing her. “They’re nice.”

  Julia pulled her robe closed just as Martin returned. “I think we might have something.” His expression practically overflowed with excitement. “Electromagnetic readouts spiked over a fifteen minute period half an hour ago. I’ll have to check everything else on the laptop.”

  He’d left the machine running on the bedroom table. Drawing the chair over, he sat at the table and opened up the desktop. Julia stood by his shoulder. Claudia took the opportunity to slip out of bed and put on her robe.

  She joined the others and they watched as Martin brought up the rea
douts from around the house. He closed out the other rooms and passageways, concentrating on the bedroom Julia had used. Pointing at a graph, he looked up. “Electromagnetic spikes all through here. Now, let’s see what we have on audio-visual…”

  Another window opened showing the bedroom. Martin ran the time forward to the moment when Julia entered the room. She slammed the door, shook her fist in the general direction of her own room, then flung herself on the bed. Her sobs came over the speakers loud and clear. “I feel such a fool,” Julia muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead.

  Claudia rubbed her back. “Don’t sweat it. You had cause to be upset.”

  “Thanks.”

  Martin worked the mouse pad. “We’ll run it forward.”

  The footage turned to silent movie speed. Julia hurled herself about the room, getting ready for bed. For a couple of seconds she disappeared into the bathroom, emerging clad in her nightie. They watched her get into bed and turn off the light. “Now we’ll go to normal speed.” Martin adjusted the footage.

  Nothing happened for several minutes. Julia’s humped form slept silently in the bed. A few minutes later, she began to turn and twist slowly. Faint sounds of muttering came over the speakers.

  “You’re beginning to dream,” Claudia said, watching.

  “It seems about right,” Julia agreed.

  Her screen-self stopped moving. “Ah!” Martin exclaimed, as a small globe of light seemed to emerge from her to hover just above her body. “We have an orb.”

  “Orb?” Julia asked.

  “It’s an indicator of a spirit’s presence.”

  The small light moved toward the window, and the curtains parted of their own volition. After a minute another orb appeared, drifting through the glass to hover alongside the first. Together they moved back to the bed, where the first orb sank back into Julia. She began to move again, writhing slowly. Her breathing became heavy and rapid.

  “I think this is when my erotic dream really began,” Julia said quietly. Claudia glanced at her, and saw Julia’s face turn a deep red. She put her arm about her waist. “We’ll delete this,” she reassured her. “It’s too embarrassing for you.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  They watched as over a period of several minutes Julia’s dream played out in her sleeping form. Eventually she cried out in orgasm, her body bucking and shuddering visibly on the screen. Claudia had watched porn before, but she preferred the real thing. The footage she watched now left her feeling hot and distinctly moist. She fanned her face, and Julia shot her a pained look. “Sorry,” Claudia apologized, “but that left me quite hot.”

  “It’s okay. At least you both can see the truth of what I told you. What were those orbs again?”

  “Manifestations of spirit activity,” Martin stopped and rewound the footage. He pointed to them as they drifted across to the bed once more. “A spirit might manifest itself as noises, touch, gusts of air, areas of cold or other sensations on the witnesses’ skin. The next stage is a glowing light, or orb, that floats in the air. They often show up on film or photographs where nobody saw anything at the time.”

  “So, they’re ghosts?” Julia asked.

  “As good as any,” Martin replied with a smile.

  Julia shuddered. “I believe you.”

  “You’re sure you didn’t feel anything hostile in the encounter?” Claudia asked.

  “None at all, but I still don’t feel like going back into that room again tonight,” she said firmly.

  “Paul must be missing you,” Martin said.

  “I doubt it.” Julia gave a dismissive wave.

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t come to see what the noise is about,” Claudia said. “We’ve not been that quiet.”

  “He sleeps like a log,” Julia told her. “You could fire a gun over his head and he wouldn’t even twitch.”

  Martin shot Claudia a rueful glance. “Sorry to hear it.”

  “I don’t want to go back in with him either,” Julia said. “He was all about some scheme he has of making money. I think he’s after getting a loan from me. When I refused to talk about it he got nasty. Well, he can live in hope if he thinks I’ll give him anything now.” Her anger melted away into an expression of trepidation. “May I stay here with you?” Martin and Claudia glanced at each other, and Julia added “I’d really feel safer with company.”

  “I’m okay with it if you are.” Claudia looked at her lover. Martin shrugged. “The bed’s big enough for three,” she went on, “and I’d hate for Julia to be alone tonight.”

  “I agree, and so be it.” He held up his hands. “I’d better go put my boxer shorts on.”

  Julia’s lips twitched. “You still sleep in the nude, Martin?”

  “Always,” he said with a wry smile. “I don’t even own a set of pajamas.”

  “And I don’t own a nightie,” Claudia said. “You might have gathered as much.”

  “I did.” Julia hesitated then undid her robe. Dropping it over the back of the chair, she tugged her nightie over her head and added it to the robe. “In this house, you’re my guests, but in this room, I’m yours. And when in Rome…” She pointed at them. “It’s not as if I haven’t seen you naked before, Martin, and I saw a good deal of you, Claudia. Let’s all be comfortable, for God’s sake.”

  Claudia swallowed, hardly daring to look at Julia. The other woman’s body looked trim and well toned. Her stomach was flat without an ounce of spare flesh, the product of hours of daily exercise. She had small, high set and pointed breasts tipped with nut-brown nipples. Like Claudia, Julia shaved her pussy bare, and her cleft showed as a neat W between her thighs. She turned, showing a tight butt, and climbed into bed, leaving Martin and Claudia staring at each other.

  “I dreamed of a three-way when I was a teen,” Martin said at last, “but I never expected anything like this.”

  “Your wife and ex-girlfriend, in bed together with you?” Claudia asked sweetly. Her face burned. “I’m not sure about this!”

  “Don’t worry, Claudia,” Julia said quickly, pulling the covers up to her chin. “I want to sleep. I’m tired enough.”

  Claudia breathed deeply then took off her robe. “I’ll get between you and Marty,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t trust either of you, but Julia, I think you’d both be embarrassed to wake up with Marty’s boner pressing into you.”

  “He still does that?” Julia asked. “That’s nice.”

  Martin rolled his eyes then shucked his robe, climbing into bed. Claudia wriggled to make room, and felt Julia’s warmth close beside her. “This is beyond my experience,” she said.

  “Mine too,” Julia said, feeling for and taking her hand. “We’ll make it up as we go along.”

  “What about Paul?” Martin asked as he switched off the light.

  “Fuck him!” Julia said in total dismissal.

  Chapter 4

  Julia woke up as the light of dawn began to peep around the drapes. Claudia slept alongside her, her breathing deep and regular. Martin’s faint snore sounded beyond her, and Julia smiled at how familiar it was. She’d smelled sex in the air as soon as she entered the room. It’s nice to know Martin found someone good for him. It makes me feel a little better about our parting. Well, almost. It feels weird, being attracted to Martin’s new wife. Maybe last night’s experience is doing something to me.

  She sat up, careful not to wake her bed partners. Claudia mumbled something and turned over. Julia smiled and teased one of Claudia’s locks, careful not to tug on it. She’s a sweetheart, but I’m sure she has a steely side. I think I’ve freaked them out enough. Oh well, time to exit gracefully…

  Julia slid out of bed and donned her robe. She left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Pausing, she looked at the closed door of the one she shared with Paul. I can’t face him right now. If I go back, it’ll be too much like an apology, and I don’t feel like apologizing after what he said last night. Fuck him.

  She went into Alex
’s room to dress in yesterday’s clothes, confident any supernatural entities would stay out of the way now daylight filled the sky. Her confidence lasted up to the point she noticed the silver coin on her pillow. A chill ran down Julia’s spine and her flesh prickled. Now, I know I didn’t leave anything there! Slowly, she reached out and picked it up. It felt solid and real in her fingers. Queen Victoria’s august profile graced the obverse. Looking closely, Julia saw the profile was of the young Queen. The date read 1847. “Oh crap!” she said quietly.

  * * * *

  Claudia woke to find the space beside her empty. She put her hand where Julia had lain and the sheet felt cold. The other woman’s perfume lingered, along with an undertone of muskiness. Claudia wondered at Julia’s behavior the previous night.

  She reached down beneath the covers on her right and, sure enough, felt Marty’s rigid cock. Claudia smiled. I kinda think Julia would find it hard to forget this! It’s weird to think of this lovely hard shaft sliding deep inside her, back in the day.

  “Good morning to you too!” Marty rolled carefully onto his side to face her.

  Claudia kissed him. “Good morning, lover.” She nestled in the crook of his arm and laid her head upon his shoulder.

  He craned his head for a moment to look beyond her. “Julia left discretely, I see.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “She can be flirty,” he said after a pause. “Even so, I’ve never known her to act like she did last night.”

  “I think the erotic dream, or whatever it was, really did a number on her. Was she scared, freaked out by her sexy dream, really flirting with us, or what?”

  “I know what you mean. Seriously, I thought she was going to suggest a threesome.” His brow furrowed in thought. “Actually, it might be a manifestation of the ghostly visit she had last night. It’s acting on her sub-consciousness, making her more sexually aware. We could be experiencing some kind of overspill effect.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “Could be. Sex magic’s pretty powerful stuff, and it might offer a way of dealing with this situation.”