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An Excerpt From: AGAIN

Copyright © ADRIENNE KAMA, 2007

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

She felt silly and more than a little ridiculous. Was she really about to tell this stranger about her affair with actor Christopher Grant, Hollywood’s Snake Reardon, in hopes of getting a chance to go back in time to fix what she’d done? This was the height of stupidity.

“It’s eleven forty-two. You’ve got eighteen minutes if you want to do this.”

“If I do it, and assuming you’re not full of crap, what will happen to my life after the point I go back to?”

“You’ll relive it. There are sure to be some differences this time around. Some minor, some major.”

“And my current work in progress?”

“If you were good enough to write it the first time around, I don’t see why you shouldn’t again.” He eyed his watch. “You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

She gazed at the fire, at the bright orange flames within, but she didn’t really see them. She saw herself nine months ago at her friend Cassie’s wedding, saw herself arching in pleasure as Chris thrust deep into her and milked orgasm after orgasm from her. “All right. Nine months ago I went to my friend’s wedding,” she exhaled. “I was single at the time, lonely, you know how it goes.”

“And there was a man,” Mr. Chimera prompted.

“Yeah. A beautiful man. Do I really have to go into details?”

For the first time since she’d met him, Mr. Chimera softened. Patting her knee, he smiled. “No. I think I can put it together for myself. You had an affair, thought it was more and found out the truth later.”

“Yeah. Now I’m engaged—I know this is stupid, but I never do things like that. I never have affairs. That one nine months ago was the only one. And I wish it never happened.”

“Well, Ms. Pendagrass, today is your lucky day. I’m about to make your wish a reality. Just say the words and ten minutes from now you’ll be waking up in New York on a crisp June morning. It will be the day you arrived in New York, two weeks before the wedding. That should give you enough time to make things right.”

She emitted a humorless laugh. “It’s that easy?”

“Basically.” He shifted on the sofa, clasped a small paperback in his hand and turned toward her. “I’ll come to you in three days to find out if you prefer your new life or this one. If you prefer this one, I’ll return you here to this day and this hour and it will be like nothing happened. All you have to do to start is hold this book open and say, with this wish, then continue on with your wish.

She listened carefully and at midnight held the book open and began to speak. “With this wish I want to return to my past so I can see Christopher Grant again and erase the mistake I made with him.” She waited a few seconds for something to happen. When nothing did, she eyed at Mr. Chimera expectantly and added, “That’s it. That’s my wish.”

She waited a few more seconds, then sighed. Well, what did you expect, Peyton? Did you really think you’d be transported back in time? What a sap. Shaking her head at her own stupidity, she shoved her glasses onto her crown and rubbed her eyes.

“I’m just too damn gullible for my own…”

The sound of squealing tires broke into Peyton’s thoughts.

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