In Her Dreams

smell of his booze breath as he holds me close. I struggle slightly, but it’s no use, and he tries to bring his lips over mine.
“Don’t touch the merchandise,” another voice calls out.
I gasp as I look up at the familiar voice, craning my head around to see who spoke.
Another man walks into the carriage, tipping his white hat at me. His face is handsome, striking, and there’s a lock of teal hair falling out of the low ponytail he’s wearing.
His teal eyes meet mine, a hint of something spicy there.
I can’t tell if Reve is pissed off or amused.
“You made me a villain?” He looks down at his outlaw outfit complete with vest and bandana around his neck. “Why?”
I blink. “I didn’t do anything. This is just a—”
A gloved hand shoves over my mouth, and the guy who was going to kiss me hauls me in against him as he turns to face Reve.
Reve’s eyes light with fire, and he’s immediately there, putting a fist through the guy’s face. The guy lets me go as he falls back into a nearby chair, and Reve’s hand shoots out to catch mine.
Then he pulls me in against him. Thank heaven he smells better. Like sugar cookies and… home.
“Hm, since I’m a villain, what should I do with you?” Reve asks.
“She’s ours to share,” his cohorts say, coming up behind him in the train car. “Let’s ride.”
Reve slants me a look, then shrugs. “All right?”
“What?” I ask, yanking on his hand, trying to free myself. “You aren’t seriously going to agree to this.”
Reve sighs. “It’s your dream. I’m just here to enact it.” He puts his hands up. “Nothing I can do about it.”
I try to run because he momentarily releases me, but his hand shoots out to grab mine again.
“Does the hero really do this in the book you read?”
I blink. “No.”
“Hm, so I really am a villain?” Reve grins. “Interesting. I’ll play the role.”
We walk out to where the horses are waiting, and Reve swings onto his, then pulls me up easily with one hand into his lap in front of him.
He grabs the reins and expertly moves the horse forward into a trot, then a gallop, and I hang on to the horse’s mane for dear life as the world begins to speed by.
It’s bumpier than I would have imagined, and his hard chest and abs slamming into my back are definitely bruising.
But it’s him.
He’s Reve.
And I’m here with him. I’m in this world, and I love it. The trees, the mountains, the fresh air.
The adventure.
Everything else just slips away as I ride with my cowboy.
Then the horses veer away from the train’s path, up into the mountains. We make our way over craggy switchbacks and finally stop at a little camp where the men stop and tie their horses to a pole.
The camp is small and dirty-looking with just a few tents.
“We should have just robbed the train.”
“Nah, the ransom will be enough.” The man Reve punched for me seems to have recovered, other than the occasional glare Reve’s way. “Plus, we can share her.”
Reve, who has stopped but is still atop his horse with me, tightens his arm around my waist. “I thought I already showed you how I felt about that.”
The man puts up both hands. “That was for me going out of line. I get that. You first. Then we share. Everyone gets a turn.”
One of the men pulls off his bandana. “We’re all hot and sweaty. Let’s take her to the stream, and we can all cool off.” He grins lecherously. “Have a bath. Bring her too.”
Reve looks from me to them, thinking. “I suppose.”
I gasp, looking up at him as he hands me down from the horse to the other man.
“Just a dream, right?” Reve asks. “Besides, you didn’t want me to intervene. You didn’t want me in your dreams or in your life. So I guess I should just play the role you want me to in your dreams?”
I stare at Reve as the other guy grabs at my elbow. I bat him away. “What role is that?”
Reve cocks his head, his hat looking rakish. “Villain. I’m supposed to just sit here and watch… whatever they do.”
“Because of my subconscious?”
“I suppose,” Reve says. “If I was a betting man, as these outlaws would say, I would think it’s because, in real life, you know things are bad, but you don’t want me to save you. Therefore, here I am, not saving you.”
“But—”
The guy grabs me by the sleeve of my dress and this time manages to pull me a few steps with him.
“Reve! Dammit! Do something.”
Reve jumps down off his horse, but I don’t know if it’s to help me or to just come along for the ride because the guy with the death grip on my sleeve is already dragging me down a ravine toward a stream where the others are already undressing.
I hear a muttered, unfamiliar curse, and then a crack sounds, and the guy dragging me goes flying, driven by the sudden appearance of Reve’s fist.
“Dammit,” Reve says, stepping in front of me to face the rest of the men who are now running over to attack. “I’m sorry, I can’t go with your dream flow. I can’t be a villain when you’re in trouble, dream mate. I’m sorry.”
Another man runs forward, and Reve throws a punch, breaking the man’s jaw as he flies back.
Reve gets the next man in the nose, and he arcs back with blood flying out of him.
Reve runs to me, picks me up in his arms, and sprints for his horse.
He mounts it, ignoring the angry yells of his compatriots as we ride, literally, toward the sunset.
The sky is streaked with dazzling oranges and reds across the deepening blue.
I’m safe in Reve’s lap, and it just feels so good to be looking up at him.
I’d taken for granted that I would always have him in my dreams.
If I refuse to go with him, if