Twice Upon a Time Read Free

breaths, the desert heat searing her lungs and drawing moisture from her already dehydrated body. Maybe she was overreacting. It wasn’t Reece’s fault that the ancient Egyptian amulet had chosen a particular man as his host. Their leaps through time were random. Reece didn’t get to choose whose body he shared and neither did she. It wasn’t Reece’s fault that they’d left the cool, moist lands of medieval England to arrive in this brain-baking desert. It wasn’t Reece’s fault that someone had murdered her in the future, so they were forced to find refuge in the past. It wasn’t Reece’s fault that he was so sexy the thought of being unable to make love to him for three short (or more likely exceedingly long) days was unbearable. Actually, that was his fault. He should try to be less irresistible.
    “Lara?” Reece’s shadow blocked the glaring sun from the back of her neck. “Are you okay?”
    “Oh yeah,” Lara said. “Just fine. Give me a moment to adjust to this new body. I think this woman has the flu or something. I feel kind of queasy.” This was no flu. Lara felt queasy because her lover would be doing no loving no matter how much she wanted him. This blew.
    Lara stared at their half of the broken amulet dangling from the worn leather cord around her neck. It swayed gently in hypnotic circles. She lifted a hand and fingered the hieroglyphics carved into the artifact’s stone surface. Maybe if she repeated the words represented by those strange little symbols, the freakin’ thing would take them out of this place. Not in three days, like it usual y did, but now. Right now, damn it! There was nothing but hot sand in every direction. She had no idea where they were or when they were. She wasn’t typically a complainer, especial y when it concerned things she couldn’t control, but she had just admitted to Reece that she loved him moments before they leapt here and this had to happen. The amulet had forced Reece’s consciousness to share the worst possible body. It simply wasn’t fair.
    Reece squatted in front of her. He took her by both shoulders and held her at arm’s length until she looked up at him. Except she couldn’t see him. Not Reece. She saw the even features of the young man Reece had leapt into when they left medieval England behind and landed themselves in the middle of the desert with no previsions and in Reece’s case no, well...

    Ugh! She shouldn’t get hung up on something so dangly, but she wanted to love a real man, not a... a…
    Lara squeezed her eyes shut hoping to make reality—this very bizarre reality that existed sometime in the past—disappear.
    “It’s just for three days, sweetheart,” Reece reminded her. “You look like your world is coming to an end.”
    There would be no coming for her. Not when the man she loved shared a body with this guy.
    “I’m sorry. I think it’s the heat.” She couldn’t tel him the real reason she was freaking out. Jeez, he had more reason to freak out about it than she did. He was the one missing certain parts of his anatomy, not her.
    “So, what do I look like?” Reece asked.
    She forced herself to open her eyes and look him over. Not Reece. Well the soul was Reece’s—the soul was always Reece’s—but the body he was currently sharing was definitely not his. She had to admit, this new body was much better looking than the Viking of a week ago, not as easy on the eyes as the knight he’d just left behind, but still, no comparison to the real Reece. Reece Jericho treasure hunter with his broad shoulders, muscular chest and narrow hips. Hazel-green eyes. Firm, kissable lips.
    Gorgeous face with a strong jaw, straight nose, masculine brow. That’s who she wanted to see. The real Reece. The man she loved. Not this pretty, bronze-skinned guy who lacked certain important man-parts. Why couldn’t she see past the il usion this time?
    Why couldn’t she see beyond the real-time physical body of the man Reece had leapt