Twice Upon a Time

by Olivia Cunning

  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 into and to the man she loved? She hadn’t had this problem in their previous two leaps.

  She’d been able to see Reece almost immediately. She had no idea why she couldn’t see him this time.

  “This guy you’re possessing is very young,” she said as she examined Reece’s temporary body. “Pretty even. Black hair, black eyes. Smooth, deeply tanned skin.” Her eyes raked down his lean body. “Lithe in an athletic way and practical y hairless. What are you, twelve?” She caught sight of the thing she’d been trying to forget she saw when they’d first arrived, and sure didn’t want to see a second time. “I guess that makes sense considering your, um, little problem.”

  “Little problem? I don’t think any man would think this guy suffers from a little problem.”

  Lara winced. “Okay, I don’t want to think about it. What does the woman I leapt into look like?”

  He reached forward and tugged the veil covering the lower half of her face aside.

  “You're sharing a body with a gorgeous, dark-haired woman in a flowing red sari.”

  “I guess we aren’t put into the bodies of certain people for a reason. We really aren’t here to help troubled couples of the past find love, are we? Who we leap into is totally random and I was just wishful thinking that it might have a purpose.” Reece glanced down at himself, but just as she could only see her real self, he would only see his own body, not his host’s body. “It’s not that bad is it?” She winced. “Yeah, it’s pretty bad.”

  He grabbed his crotch to assess the damage. “They’re completely gone?” She swallowed and nodded morosely.

  He checked his nether region carefully and she averted her gaze so she didn’t have to watch him inspect things she couldn’t see.

  “Everything feels normal,” Reece said.

  “Well, this guy is missing two very important parts.”

  “It’s just wrong.” He scowled, biting his lip. After a moment of staring at her, mortified, he said, “He’s a eunuch? Are you sure?”

  “I'm afraid so.”

  “This is a first,” he said, hand returning to check for missing parts. “Did they take everything or just the testicles?”

  “Well,” she said, her face flaming. She coughed. “He still has his weeble, but the wobbles are gone.”

  “Not the woobles,” he said, his voice cracking with distress. “I can’t live in a guy without the woobles. Not even for three days.”

  She caught the smile he was trying to hide. Reece hadn’t lost his testicles, but his host’s body was seriously low on testosterone. Poor guy. “I think maybe you should take a closer look,” Reece said. “Maybe his woobles are just in hiding. Perhpas he’s severely dehydrated and they’ve shriveled to the size of raisins.” She rol ed her eyes, but bent for a closer inspection.

  “Careful,” he said, “don't poke your eye out on the—what did you call it—the weeble.”

  She looked up at him, trying not to laugh. If he had a sense of humor about the situation, it was hard for her to stay out of sorts about it. She still had al of her girl bits.

  At least, she thought she did. “They're definitely gone, Reece. No danglies at all.”

  “Lovely,” he murmured. “And just when were to the part of our relationship that I might actually need them on a regular basis.”

  She nodded morosely. “I guess we’ll just have to cuddle.”

  “Just to be clear, the rocket ship is intact, but the boosters are missing?” She lifted an eyebrow at him. “Right.”

  “I’ve got a piston, but no sparkplugs. A frank, but no beans. A stick, but no berries.

  A noodle, but no meatbal s. A bat, but no—,”

  “Reece. I think we’ve established that. Why are you fixating on this?”

  “Because you’re fixating on it, sweetheart, which means you can’t see the real me.

  You’re hung up on pretty boy and his lack of what’s hangin’.”

  “I’m not hung up on pretty boy or things that hang,” she assured him, but he was right. She couldn’t see Reece. She could only see pretty boy. This wasn’t the way this was supposed to work. She should be able to see through the illusion and see the real Reece. She could hear him. Why couldn’t she see him?

  “Do you think I might borrow one of those layers of cloth you're sporting? I think this guy would prefer you weren’t staring at his lack of woobles. He totally has a crush on you. Wel , the sexy woman you’re occupying at the moment.”

  “He likes her? Romantically?” She gaped at him. Was it possible?

  “Oh yeah. She makes him feel al tingly inside.”

  Maybe they were here to help this couple find love. There was more to love than the physical, though the physical was exceptional with Reece. Nervous jitters fluttered through Lara’s belly. She hoped they could help this unlikely match. She’d felt good about helping Eirick and Helga become lovers during their first leap. It had felt even better to help Reg and Eleanor become man and wife in their second. Certain people were fated to be together. She believed that more and more with each leap through time. The instant Lara stopped worrying so much about the eunuch's equipment—or lack thereof—Reece materialized before her eyes. She grinned appreciatively. Much better. She'd have broken into a sweat at the sight of him, if she hadn't already been swimming in perspiration from the blazing heat.

  She unwrapped her outer shawl and handed it to him reluctantly. It was easily over a hundred degrees on the baking sand, but it seemed a shame to cover up Reece’s body, which had all the appropriate parts. Being naked suited him. And it definitely suited her. Reece wrapped the cloth around his torso twice and then up between his legs before tucking the end into the waistband he'd fashioned.

  She grinned. “Nice MC Hammer look you've got going on there.” He did an obscene gyrating dance, which drew a laugh from her. One of the things she loved most about the man was how quickly he could put her at ease and make her laugh. Even in bizarre circumstances such as these. She’d have suffered a mental breakdown by now if it weren’t for him. Of course, he had a lot more experience with leaps through time than she did.

&nbs
p; “Okay,” Reece said, glancing around with a sudden seriousness. “Let's assess the situation here. Your clothing would lead me to believe that you're very rich.” He took her hands and eased her to her feet. Dozens of golden bangles jingled together. “I mean, you're a walking jewelry store. Look at you. Mmm. Look at you.” He stole a kiss.

  “Which me are you looking at?”

  “The good lookin' one.”

  She gave him a reproachful look.

  He chuckled. “Don't tell me you're jealous of the foxy harem girl who hangs out with eunuchs.”

  She lowered her eyes. It was foolish, but she was jealous of the harem girl. Reece took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and urged her to look up at him.

  When their eyes locked, he said, “I'm not looking at the harem girl. I’m looking at Lara Kensington and I find her body delectable, her face beautiful, her wit delightful, and her jealousy charming, though completely unnecessary.” He kissed her lips again, very gently and then nibbled on the lower one before soothing it with his tongue.

  “You think I'd be safe from this kind of assault when in the company of a eunuch,” she said, ducking her chin to hide a grin.

  He groaned. “Low blow, sweetheart.”

  “Can eunuchs get...” She glanced down at his crotch, now hidden behind a gauzy red cloth. “Can you get...”

  “Get what?”

  “Hard?” She glanced pointedly at his crotch.

  “So you do want to have hot monkey sex in the sand. I was starting to worry that I’d lost more than my woobles.”

  She laughed. “Stop it. I’m serious. Can you?”

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you see what you can do?” She took a step closer to him. Damn, he was hot. It was hot. The sun reflecting off the sand. Hot. Yeah. That’s why she was on fire. Sure. Lara ran a hand down the muscled ridges of Reece’s abdomen. Something in his improvised pants twitched.

  “Is that a camel in your pants or are you happy to see me?” He laughed. “I don’t think it’s a camel. Might be a cobra.”

  “So you can get excited. Can you come?”

  “Lord, I hope so.”

  “Me, too.” She stepped away. They’d have to test out the equipment later. She was too feckin’ hot to actual y consider sex. “So where and when are we? Any ideas?” He glanced around and then appraised Lara more closely. “Rich, gorgeous, young woman in the company of a eunuch out in the middle of the desert with no travel provisions. I think we’re somewhere in the Middle East or northern Africa. There were eunuchs that served and guarded harem women during the Ottoman empire. Fifteenth through the nineteenth century.”

  “There were also eunuchs in India who served royal women.” Being a history major finally had a useful purpose.

  “You look royal, but not Indian. Maybe we’re in Ancient Greece.”

  “In the desert? What are we doing out here in this wasteland with no provisions?”

  “I might say we were out on a walk, but more likely we're running from something.”

  “Such as?”

  “I have no idea, but at least we didn't land in the middle of a battlefield this time. It’s a nice change of pace. It might be hot, but at least it’s non-violent.” A low rumble could be heard off in the distance. Lara glanced up at the sky, expecting thunderheads, but the only thing in the clear, blue sky was the blazing sun.

  The sound grew louder. She checked the broken amulet around her neck, which hummed when it was activated, but it was silent. She tucked it inside her garments.

  Reece pointed over her shoulder and she turned. A cloud of dust was heading in their direction. In front of the cloud was cavalry of Ottoman soldiers, recognizable by their distinctive tufted helmets.

  “I spoke too soon,” Reece muttered.

  The cavalry drew to a halt several yards from Lara and Reece. One of the soldiers, likely the leader, urged his horse forward.

  “You are lucky we found you, Princess Farima,” the soldier said in Turkish.

  Lara gaped at him. Even though she understood his words, because the body she shared ( Farima) understood the words, Lara couldn't think of a single thing to say. She was too busy staring at the broom-thing attached to his helmet. Did he just cal her a princess? Not as a sentiment or an insult but because she actually was a princess?

  Whoa. Surely that had some perks. The knight moved his gaze to Reece. “What are you doing here, Nasir? I thought you accompanied Governor Ashar to Mecca.”

  “I was charged to protect the princess in his absence,” Reece said in heavily accented Turkish. It apparently wasn’t his native language.

  The soldier didn't look convinced. “In the desert?”

  “Wherever she happens to be at the moment.”

  “I guess it is up to the governor to straighten this out. You better hope your claims are true. If you kidnapped her—”

  “He didn't,” Lara insisted. “He was trying to convince me to return home.” She knew it was a lie. She could feel Farima's upset, and her need to protect Nasir. While she couldn’t read her host’s thoughts, she could sense her feelings. Lara was certain the princess and the eunuch had been running away together. The guy must be a great listener or something, because there was no way he was any good in the sack. Seeing as he was completely lacking in the sac department.

  “Let's go,” the soldier said, and reached for Lara. “Your husband will return soon and will be upset to find you missing.”

  Husband? The princess had a husband?

  But, but, but… what about Nasir?

  She tried to catch Reece’s eye, but he had his attention elsewhere. Mostly on the long spear aimed at his chest. When she was seated safely in front of the lead knight, Reece mounted up with another of the soldiers. The company turned and headed back the way they'd come. Within a mile of travel, a palace seemed to appear at the edge of the sand. Apparently, Farima and Nasir weren’t very good at plotting escapes.

  Chapter Two

  Lara knelt on a cushion at the feet of an elegant, middle-aged woman. She peered down her nose at Farima for a long moment and then released a weary sigh. “Farima, are you not happy here?” she asked.

  Lara tried to analyze the feelings of the young woman she was sharing a body with.

  No unhappiness. Mistrust. Fear. Lara had no idea who or what Farima feared—maybe the imposing woman staring down at her—so Lara merely shook her head. She’d learned in her last few leaps not to say things that might get her host into trouble. Or committed to an asylum.

  The woman gnawed on her lower lip and stared at the tiled ceiling as if it held all the answers. “The caravan to Mecca is once again under attack and your husband must tend to that situation. He will deal with you when he returns. I do not have the energy for this foolishness, Farima. You are to be isolated in his chambers until his return. His other wives are demanding your death for betraying him. You will be safer away from the harem.”

  You don’t say.

  Lara bowed her head at the woman. The last thing she wanted was to be isolated from Reece. Wel , second to last. Being dumped in a harem with a bunch of wives who wanted her dead didn’t sound appealing either. “My guard…”

  “He will continue to protect you, so long as you do as you are told. Even though I am suspicious of Nasir, Ashar continues to defend you both and seems to think you are without guilt. My son does have a blind eye when it comes to you, Farima. He’s so proud to have the sultan’s favorite daughter as his wife that he can’t see the dissention right under his nose.”

  Lara was having a hard time grasping the dynamics here. The palace belonged to her husband, who was a governor. She was a princess, not because she married him, but because she was the sultan’s daughter. This woman was apparently her mother-in-law. She had no idea how Nasir, the eunuch, fit into this. He was her guard, yet he had some connection with her husband. She wondered how long Farima had known Nasir.

  Was this a new love or one that had begun before she’d wed? And why did the
harem women want her dead? Farima obviously wasn’t happy here. Maybe she’d been trying to return home to her father and Nasir had agreed to help her. She had romantic feelings for Nasir. She felt that clearly. Farima loved Nasir. She also seemed to be worried about her husband, but was it because she cared about him, or because she was afraid of what he’d do upon his return? Lara couldn’t tell.

  This being dumped into a body without understanding the situation was more than a challenge. Staying quiet and being obedient seemed her best course of action until she had more information.

  Lara squirmed upon the cushion before the imposing figure of her mother-in-law trying to come up with a safe thing to say. “I am sorry for running away. I was frightened.” That felt right. She was frightened. And so was Farima. “I will do as you ask so long as Nasir is there to protect me.”

  “You should be honored that my son keeps you as his favorite wife. He has not visited the harem since you arrived.”

  That might explain why the rest of the harem women thought she deserved to die.

  Lara nodded, keeping her head bowed and her eyes downcast.

  “We are happy to have you here. This union forges a strong political connection between this state and the capital in Istanbul. A child will solidify that connection. I’m sure you understand why my son keeps you in his bed.” So that’s why she was married to this Governor guy. It was a political union, not one forged out of love. Lara felt a keen sadness for Farima. She had been used as a tool.

  And at some point had fallen for Nasir, though she was married to another.

  “Now return to my son’s quarters. You are to stay there until you are directed elsewhere.”

  She nodded. The woman clapped her hands and a large, African man appeared at her elbow.

  “Escort the princess to her husband's apartments,” the woman said. “Be sure she does not get lost on the way there this time.” She pinned the man with an icy glare.

  “Yes, madam.”

  The man stood inches from Lara's elbow and guided her from the chamber and through the opulent palace without actual y touching her. He used his personal space to direct her through the maze of corridors. Lara gawked at the intricate tile work and the carved arches that supported the tall ceilings. Blue and green and white tiles formed beautiful, geometric patterns on every surface. They entered a set of pavilions and passed many beautiful women—most wearing near-transparent garments undoubtedly due to the oppressive heat, all sending hateful looks in Lara's direction. The fear she felt was not feigned. Her concern was real. These women wanted her dead. She could sense it. The governor was doing Farima no favor by picking her as his favorite.