Really Unusual Bad Boys by MaryJanice Davidson

training. It had been one class out of many: What to Do If You Are Captured. Preceding it had been: How to Break Down an Army Carbine. “Women’s Army Corps, zero three three six two four eight nine one two.”
    â€œThat is very nice,” he told her. “I am Maltese, second in line to the throne of the SandLands, Prince of the Exalted Ranges of the OnHigh Mountains, Lord of the Snowy Islands—”
    â€œAre we in England?” she asked. It was one of the few places she knew of that had princes and lords. “How’d you do that? What am I doing here?”
    â€œI wished for you,” he told her, which was terrifying to the extreme, “and you came. You are here for me.”

Chapter 5
    â€œD amon! Lois!”
    â€œDoors,” Lois told her prince. “That’s what this place needs. Fewer curtains. More doors.”
    She had just pulled the coverlet over herself when Maltese galloped in, wet and nude, pulling a young woman in an olive green uniform (also wet) behind him. She was frantically trying to free herself from his grasp, but since she came up to the middle of his chest, and his arms were as big around as her thighs, she was having no luck.
    â€œLook! Look what is here!” Maltese thrust the wet woman at the startled couple on the bed.
    â€œLieutenant Anne Sanger,” the wet woman told them. “Women’s Army Corps, zero three three six two four eight nine one two.”
    â€œNice to meet you,” Lois said automatically. Damon jumped out of the bed (also nude) and bowed. The woman blushed harder, if that was possible.
    â€œYou’re all in a lot of trouble,” Lieutenant Anne Sanger continued. “Kidnapping a member of the Armed Forces—during wartime!—is punishable by—”
    â€œHow’d you do it?” Lois interrupted.
    â€œPardon, ma’am?”
    â€œKill yourself. How’d you do it? Welcome to the SandLands, by the way. You’ll love it here.”
    â€œI doubt it,” Lieutenant Sanger said. Her light blue eyes appeared to frost over as she continued, “I did not kill myself. I was getting ready to go on shift when all of a sudden I was wet. And here.”
    â€œI told you,” Maltese said proudly, reaching for and attempting to hug her, and getting slapped back for his trouble. “I wished for you, and you came.”
    Lois was studying the woman. Really very cute, if you liked them small and dark-haired and fine-featured and blue-eyed. Which Maltese clearly did. The poor lug could hardly keep his eyes off her. Meanwhile, the lieutenant looked like she was ready to whip out a pistol and start busting kneecaps.
    â€œWhat’s with the uniform?” Lois finally asked. Then, “Damon, for God’s sake, here’s a sheet. Cover up. I know, don’t give me that look, but the lieutenant is new here.”
    The woman mulled over the question, and just as Lois was getting ready to repeat it, louder, she replied, “I’m a WAC.”
    â€œA whack?” Maltese repeated.
    Lois was so startled she dropped the sheet, then snatched it back up. “WAC? As in, World War Two babes in the Army?”
    â€œI’m not a baby,” the lieutenant said hotly.
    â€œWhat—what year is it? For you, I mean.”
    Another odd look, followed by, “Nineteen forty-five. And I really, really have to get back to work. My country needs me. Please let me go.”
    â€œOh, fuck,” Lois said, and flopped back down on the bed.

Chapter 6
    â€œB ut you can’t keep her, Maltese,” Lois protested. “She’s not a stray dog, for the love of Christ.”
    â€œBut she came here. Like you.”
    â€œNot like me. She’s got a life she wants to get back to. She says she didn’t kill herself. I think—I think maybe she stumbled across a—a thin space between our universes. Or something. And I guess those spots run through time as well as