Free TemptressofTime by Dee Brice Page A

in this time,
let alone conveniently at hand.
    “Thanks to Kronos!” Walker, heaving a heavy sigh, let his
gaze drift from the computer to Adrian then back. Taking the not-so-subtle
hint, Adrian sat at his desk then checked the guest list for Adventures in
Time — Belleange . His and Walker’s solution to maintaining their
ancestral estates had resulted in their becoming hoteliers.
    “Not registered at any of our properties,” he reported,
noting Walker’s somewhat distressed look. “Doesn’t mean she isn’t somewhere
else.” He keyed her name into an internet search engine, leaning back as the
search wheel went ‘round and ‘round. Walker alternately hovered at his shoulder
or stared out the window.
    Unwilling to believe her dead—Kronos would not have sent
them back to meet her if they would never meet her again…would he? Adrian said,
“What do you remember about her?”
    “Aside from wanting to fuck her?” Walker flashed a brief
grin. “She wasn’t as horrible as I remembered. Once I remembered her at
all—which happened just as we arrived here. Once more, thanks to Kronos!” He
went on as if driven by forces outside himself. “I…almost liked her. I
had neither love nor respect for Arnaud. Given time, I would have persuaded
Diane to cuckold him and not regretted that betrayal for a moment. But you?
Without a blatant invitation from your wife…” He looked away, clearly
embarrassed by his confession. “Until now, even while living in the past, I
could remember this life.”
    Needing to ease Walker’s embarrassment, Adrian offered his
own impressions. “Now that I can also remember her…she seemed more
compassionate. I never expected her to allow the Days to remain on Belleange
land. Bringing them and the children into the castle…” He shrugged.
    “Surprised me too. I wish we could remember what happened
after we were all together.” With an uncharacteristic display of anxiety,
Walker raked one hand through his hair as he slumped against the window frame.
    “Something else seemed different. That haughtiness I now
remember from our first time with her…this time it seemed as if she wanted to
hide her emotions. Whatever they were. I’d have expected her to…well, show more
jubilation at putting one over on us.” He looked at Walker for confirmation.
“Especially since that’s what we intended to do to her—take her down a peg or
two. Teach her humility.” This time, however, that hadn’t been part of their
plan. In truth, he couldn’t remember having a plan. Other than keeping
her dowry and taking her to bed.
    “Yes. Almost as if she were afraid of us. Almost. Why would
she fear us?”
    As if the repetition had reached into the computer and
demanded her presence, her name appeared on the screen. “Look at this,” Adrian
demanded, grateful he needn’t answer and tilting the screen so Walker could
see. “Diane de Bourgh, fifteenth century, eighteenth century and twenty-first
century.”
    Walker stared at the screen. Adrian stared at the flashing
cursor and thought about tempting fate. A simple double click might reveal his
and Walker’s past lives with her—if they’d had any others than what they’d just
lived through. Or those other women might be someone else. He selected
twenty-first century and held his breath.
    There she was—their Diane. Glasses perched on the end of her
nose, short curls rioting around her face, her smile almost reluctant, as if
the photographer had caught her off guard.
    “Alive,” Walker muttered, somehow making the word sound
aggrieved.
    “Real.” Adrian clicked on the link to her website. There
they were, he and Walker, on the cover of her upcoming historical romance Noble
Warriors .
    Ever practical Walker said, “Did we get paid for this,” he
waved his hand at the computer, “photo? Sign releases?”
    “Yes and yes. Surely you recall volunteering to donate to
cancer research. So why ask now?”
    “Our faces. We’ll be the