Double Time (Crossing The Line Book 1)

by M. D. Stewart

  “This is the dream you were talking about seeing me?” He almost smiled as Marc’s face tinged pink.

  “I’d wake up every morning just as I getting ready to come.” Marc chuckled quietly and stared at the other man.

  Dave made a sympathetic face. “That sucks.”

  “Damn frustrating.” Dave and Marc smiled at each other. A moment of male understanding passed between them.

  Sadie shook her head. “I couldn’t understand why I was dreaming about Dave, when in this timeline I’d never met him. You were dreaming it too?” She looked at him, feeling her face heat at her admission. “I guess you didn’t tell me for the same reason I didn’t tell you.”

  “Well, not exactly, baby.” He sat up and moved to sit beside Dave on the bed. “I didn’t want you thinking I wasn’t satisfied with us, and I didn’t want you to think I was harboring, you know, homoerotic tendencies.”

  Dave barked out in laughter and covered his eyes with his hand. “I thought you said I was fucking Sadie’s ass, not yours.” Dave was still chuckling when Marc suddenly grinned.

  “Well yeah, but you got to understand how real it was. I could feel your dick against mine, your balls, you know, rubbing mine. She was so fucking tight and then you reached around to rub her clit and the next thing I know, I’m getting woken up by the alarm clock, ready to bust. Double teaming a woman isn’t something I’m used to.”

  Sadie was looking at these men, who had been almost at each other’s throats earlier and were now bonding over a sex dream.

  “I take it you took care of your problem, though.” Dave grinned.

  “I had to. Damn, it was painful. It didn’t take long either.” Dave laughed again at Marc’s admission but shifted his gaze to her.

  “What about you?” Dave’s voice drew her attention.

  “What about me what?” She was genuinely confused. What was he talking about? Men had their own language.

  Dave grinned before reaching out and tweaking one of her nipples. He leaned forward, licking his lips. “When you woke up from the dream, did you make yourself come too?”

  Understanding dawned. Marc had admitted to jacking off to the dream. She looked at Marc—she had wasted so much energy hiding things from her husband. “You did?”

  “He already said he did. What we want to know is, did you?” Both Marc and Dave were staring her, and her face began to feel hot as their expressions changed to amusement.

  Marc grinned as he straightened up in the bed, his eyes not leaving hers. “Why are you so shy? Don’t you remember all the times you seduced me by spreading your legs and rubbing your clit? I had to watch and not touch you. Granted, it’s been a while, but still.”

  Dave’s smile broadened. “Yeah, that’s always been my favorite.” She wanted to be mad or at least more embarrassed but just an hour or two ago she was hoping they could work out a three-way relationship. Dave threw back his head and laughed. “You did.” Marc joined in the laughter.

  “Okay, I’m going to change the subject for a second.” She smiled as she moved to sit between the men, facing them. “I know this is crazy but I am so curious about what the other,” she moved her hand to indicate the three of them, “what are they going through? Are they happy, fighting, working things out between them? I’m just hoping they are as happy as I feel right now.” She looked up to see both men staring at her.

  “I’m going to guess that they are. I know that the Dave over there and I are of the same mind. Over there, Sadie is my wife first and I know if she showed interest in Marc, he would be willing to do anything to make her happy.” He smiled at her. “Now Marc, I don’t know how he handled it all.” He glanced to the other man.

  Marc blew out a breath and furrowed his brow. “I’m trying to imagine being the second man to join an established relationship. Honestly, I know he’d be desperate to convince her she was his but I’m not sure how the memory thing works since it was Dave that had the memories on both sides. Marc didn’t.” He started to absently rub his chest. “Maybe Marc didn’t find his Sadie in the other timeline.”

  Sadie looked at Dave and returned her attention to her husband. She crawled up to Marc’s lap and cupped his face. Dave moved his hand to clap Marc on the shoulder. “Marc, stop thinking like that. I’m sure they all have somehow connected.”

  “What if he’s alone over there? He didn’t have anything to do with yours and Sadie’s life over there. I’m the intruder in this relationship. Without me, you might have met here at another time and got married. I shouldn’t be here.” He paled as he looked at Sadie.

  “Stop it, Marc! Stop. I love you. You are as much a part of me as Dave is. Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t do this to me. You had that dream about Dave too, remember that.” She felt pain in her chest. It felt like he was trying to cut himself off. Dave touched his chest and looked at her.

  “Marc, stop. You’re supposed to be here. We all are.” Dave’s voice was strong, trying to get through to him.

  Suddenly her pain lessened. Sadie blew out a breath, dropping her head to Marc’s shoulder. The fear of him leaving felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest.

  “I felt like you were trying to sever a tie between us, Marc. You’re not an intruder. We are tied in this timeline and the other. Please,” her voice broke, “please don’t leave me. Look.” She held up her left hand where two bands sat next to each other. She grabbed her gold band that Marc hand given her and pulled off both bands and handed them to him. They were fused together.

  He handed the rings back to Sadie and blew out a breath. “Thank you, Sadie. For loving me. You didn’t have to and you didn’t have to pick me when Dave brought out those memories. You didn’t have to pick me when those wedding rings appeared. I know I’ve neglected us recently because of my work. I should never have done that. I know it would be easy to choose Dave over me.”

  “Bullshit, Marc.” Dave pointed to the wedding rings. “That’s just proof she’s married to both of us. We are supposed to be together. All of us.”

  “And I would be incomplete without both of you. I need you both to be totally happy.”

  Chapter 6

  The next morning over breakfast, Marc extended an invitation to Dave to move into their home. It was a spacious house with a large bed in the master bedroom, big enough for three. The next issue was deciding if they should inform the government of the situation with Dave’s cross-over memories. In the end it was decided Marc and Dave would go to the head scientist, Telly Anne. It would answer her questions of why he uttered Sadie’s name immediately after returning from the fly-over. Dave wasn’t looking forward to it since, technically, his relationship with Sadie would be considered adultery. In the military, it was a court martial offense. Marc thought that both men being in the meeting would smooth things over if it got out about their odd situation. Dave wasn’t sure. He was be prepared to resign his commission and leave the military if needed. He wouldn’t give up Sadie.

  Dave and Marc sat talking with their heads close together when Tel walked into her office. She was brought up short by the sight. She had known Dave for years but only knew of Marc through his work with the military. His lab was footing the bill for her research into the time rips. “Dave, Dr. Kensington, what can I do for you?”

  Dave stood up and hugged the scientist before smiling at the her. “Tel, we have a situation that has occurred. It relates to the time rip that I flew over. It concerns Marc, Dr. Kensington as well.”

  She masked her emotions well, but did raise an eyebrow. She moved to sit behind her desk and looked at both men. “I wasn’t aware that you knew one another.” The men looked at each other, neither saying anything for a long moment. Dave inhaled then leaned forward clasping his hands together on the desk. He looked down before glancing up to her.

  “Tel, you’re a scientist and very observant so I’m going to ask if you notice anything different about me.” She stared at him, noting his short dark hair, clean uniform, his aviator wa
tch, and his hands. When she got to the plain silver band on his left ring finger, her gaze shot back to his. He turned his right arm over to show her the tattoo with numbers on his inner wrist. She stood up quickly and came around the desk to study the new tattoo. She ran her fingers lightly over the subdermal ink.

  “This isn’t a new tattoo. It appears to be several years old.” She grabbed his left hand and studied the ring. “Also shows lots of wear, although you can purchase older rings from pawn shops.” He pulled the ring off, showing lighter skin beneath and calluses on either side of the ring, something that hadn’t been there on his last examination. She sat heavily on the edge of the desk. Dave looked to Marc as he pushed the ring back in place, so Tel glanced at the man too. He was studying her but remained silent.

  “I’m not sure I understand. These weren’t present when you finished your flight, yet they are both indicative of years of wear. Fascinating.” She turned to pace the room, lost in her thoughts until she looked to Marc.

  “Are you married to him?” Both Dave and Marc started laughing, causing her to grin.

  “Things have changed Tel, but not that much. I’m still straight and Marc isn’t my type anyway. I have a thing for women with dark hair.” The men shared a grin before looking back to her. “Do me a favor and play the audio of the night I returned from my mission. It’s important.”

  Tel walked to her computer and punched up the sound files. The room filled with static before the voices of Dave and Tel replaced it.

  ~~~~~

  "Well, Captain, it seems you've had quite the day."

  "Yes, ma'am, you could say it was a once-in–a-lifetime experience."

  "Okay, Captain, could you tell me if you feel any different than normal? Any dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea?"

  "I need you to verbalize Captain, this is only an audio recording."

  "No, Tel, I don't feel different at all. Perhaps I was a little hyper from excitement but other than that, no different than I normally do after a mission." The sound of Dave yawning drew a smile from him.

  " I think I'm a little tired now, but the adrenaline has worn off. Time to head home to Sadie."

  "What?" Tel’s voice sounded confused.

  "Captain. Let me just run a few more tests." The sound of a pen scratching filled in a few seconds of time.

  "Just for a moment, give me your history."

  "Humor me, Captain Amsted. History of service, and etcetera. I'm checking for neurological differences and so on. Now go on, fill me in."

  On the recording, Dave blew out a breath. "Okay, I joined the Army at eighteen, spent three years fighting in the Middle East. I got out of the Army after my four years and joined the Air Force and took pilot training. I've been a chopper pilot for about six or seven years now." More pen scratches and her making those classic doctor noises of "mm hmm".

  "Who are your parents?"

  "Henry and Leigh Blythe, they lived in Kansas. Mom died of breast cancer. Anything else? Perhaps you'd like to know the name of my favorite stuffed animal as a child?" Tel’s amused chuckle sounded next.

  "I didn't know you had a stuffed animal as a kid. It's not in your medical records." Amusement in her voice was evident.

  "So, tell me who is Sadie?"

  "I have no idea. Where did you come up with that name?"

  "Dave, a moment ago, you told me you wanted to go home to Sadie. I was curious since there is no mention of her in your notes. Do you have a pet perhaps?"

  "No. No pets or…”

  "Captain, are you all right?"

  "Captain Amsted. Captain Amsted, Dave, your heart rate is climbing at an alarming rate!" Tel's voice was higher, laced with anxiety. The sound of booted feet running into the room almost cut off the rest of the noises. Voices and orders were being shouted as well as the sounds of beeps from medical equipment.

  "What the hell happened?" Colonel Barker’s voice boomed.

  "It appears Captain Amsted had a mild seizure. I don't see any damage on the EEG. I'm going out on a limb here assuming the seizure was a result of the high electromagnetic current he was exposed to over an extended period of time." Tel spoke in distracted tones.

  "His heart wasn't affected according to these tests. Clark, keep an eye on the rest of the chopper crew. I want to know if any of them show similar signs. No one of the chopper crew is to be left unattended for the next twenty-four hours. Make that forty-eight hours to be safe."

  ~~~~~

  The recording ended as she looked up to the men who were looking at each other before glancing back to her. Marc was sitting with his fingers steepled under his chin. He had listened to the recording very carefully, his expressions changing as it progressed. At the mention of Sadie’s name, he turned to Dave, his expression showing sympathy.

  “Do you remember what happened before you seized Dave?” Marc’s voice was quiet.

  “I remember seeing Sadie in a white and purple sundress, and her sandals. I felt her and I longed to be with her.” Tel raised an eyebrow as Marc reached over and laid his hand on Dave’s shoulder.

  “She was a mystery to be solved at the time. Do you know who this Sadie woman is?” She looked from man to man, the confusion and interest on her face easy to read.

  Marc held up his left hand showing off his ring. “She’s my wife.” Tel’s eyes grew wide.

  “And mine too, apparently.” Dave held up his left hand.

  Tel’s face showed her absolute shock. “Shit.”

  ****

  Tel jumped from her desk and walked to stand between the two men. She glanced from one to the other, her excitement creeping into her features. Dave grinned at her expression before looking to Marc.

  “She seems awfully happy.”

  “Probably because she gets to dissect your brain now, idiot.” Marc was grinning, which made Tel even more happy and confused if her face was any indication.

  “Oh, I do need to run some tests. I want to run a check on your EEG and compare it to one from before and immediately after the anomaly. I also need to run some cognitive tests. Oh! And I’d love to interview you on how you came to realize you knew Sadie. And your ring and tattoo! When did you get those and how did it happen?” She looked years younger by just her excitement.

  “And Dr. Kensington, how are you handling this? And your wife, does she know about this? If so, how is she handling it?” She stopped talking when the men just sat there smiling at her. Dave expected her to start clapping her hands in glee. She moved back to her chair and pulled out a pen and paper, taking notes.

  “There is a problem though, Tel.” Dave became serious. “I don’t know if we should take this further up the chain yet. I know you needed to be informed. Both Marc and I agreed it’s very important since it is a direct result of my flying over the time rip. But there is the entire adultery issue with the military.”

  “Well that would only apply if you’ve actively participated in sex with her.” When no one spoke, Tel looked up from the notes she was jotting down. “I assume since she’s married to Dr. Kensington, you’ve not had sex with her.” Their silence was telling. “Okay. So, you have.” Her gaze shifted to Marc and her eyebrows rose in question.

  “She is his wife. Look, Dr. Lackney, we aren’t here to get approval or censure for our decisions as a family. What’s important to note is they both have memories of events that happened to their other selves in another timeline.” She sat up straighter in her chair.

  “What?” If she was salivating before, she was positively drooling now. “This is the most amazing thing I’ve encountered in all my studies.” She stood and paced again. Marc told her what he’d learned from Avery.

  Tel looked down, her eyes moving side to side as she considered the new information. She sounded distracted when she finally spoke. “It all makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I see this before? I’ll not bring this up to Barker yet. I need unrestricted access to the three of you for study. Also, I need to put feelers out to the other members of your crew to
see if they have any differences in their lives. I can’t get honest answers if they are afraid of the military’s reaction. Part of me is analyzing this and hoping another rip occurs to send others to see if it happens again, but afraid it will happen again as well. I don’t know the ramifications of such a cross-over.” She took a quick breath and continued, “How is your wife handling this? Is she frightened? Did she remember things the same as you? I just have so many questions.”

  Marc smiled. “How would you feel, Dr. Lackney, if you found out you had two husbands who were deeply in love with you and committed to your total happiness?” Marc sat back, waiting for the answer.

  “If they both men looked like you two? I’d feel like the luckiest woman on the planet.” She winked before returning her attention to her notes.

  ****

  Sadie kept her shop closed with a note containing her website or to contact her directly if anyone was interesting in buying her artwork. But as a result, she paced the floors at home instead of the shop. She knew Dave was worried about his military career but this discovery was more important for science. Marc, on the other hand, thought as long as he made clear this was an equal tri-relationship, the military could do nothing. Sadie wasn’t sure what to think but knew she’d not give up either man, no matter what the military decided.

  Marc seemed resigned to the relationship’s turn and after spending so much time with Dave, genuinely liked him. Dave it seemed was easy going and made his adjustment to this strange new relationship easier for Marc. Sadie couldn’t get the other-Sadie, as she thought of her, out of her mind. She had a feeling her transition to a three-way relationship was much easier. Dave was much more open, so Marc coming in as a second man would’ve been a much different situation. Although, Sadie was thankful that things got worked out so quickly between the men in her own timeline.

  Just remembering that night in the hotel had Sadie’s skin humming with desire. Her body had been sizzling with energy that she had never felt before but she wasn’t complaining. She knew when the men got home from their meeting with Dr. Lackney, she was in for another decadent night of love. Having Dave with them had reenergized her and Marc’s relationship. When they both focused on her, she was surrounded in love. She shivered at the thought.