Trisha Telep - The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance

“I told you before, time travel is pretty expensive. And I’m just a journalist. We don’t get paid much, even in the future.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t afford to keep coming back to see you.”

Her heart plummeted into her stomach, and she was surprised to realize how much the loss of him would affect her. “What? So we can’t keep seeing each other any more? I thought that was the whole point of this, to find someone in the past.”

“It is and I did. I met you, Ella.” He took her hands in his. “Like I said before, I know we’re moving really fast and I know you barely know me, but I also know that there’s no other woman in all of time that I want to be with. Love at first sight might be a cliché, but I think in this case, it’s also true. I’m asking you to go to the future with me.”

“You said I couldn’t go to the future.”

“I said you couldn’t go to the future for a visit. But you could go to the future permanently.” He squeezed her hand. “With me. We wouldn’t have to get married right away; I wouldn’t ask you to do that. We can wait until you get acclimatized in the new time period.”

She was stunned at what he was asking. “I’d have to leave everything and everyone I know behind. For ever!”

“Not for ever, we could save up so you could come back for visits, like on holidays or something. And you could email them, as I said before; emails are easier to send back in time than people.”

“They’d just think I disappeared on them!”

“Tell them you’re joining the Peace Corps or something.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can give up everything I have and everyone I know for someone that I just met.” She met his eyes. “Herman, I think I am falling in love with you, but how do I know it will last?”

“How do you know with anyone?”

“And this is only the second time I’ve met you,” she said. “Shouldn’t you have at least three dates before you commit to something big like this?”

“Well, we’ve met three times actually.”

“No, we haven’t.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d agree to go on this date, so the other night I borrowed money off of my dad to do one last grand gesture. I went back to the night you signed up for the account on Future Date and met you in person.”

Her mouth fell open. “W-What?”

“I thought I’d do something romantic, like meet you with flowers after the bad date you were telling me about, the one with the guy who didn’t like kids. You never mentioned the name of the restaurant though; you only said you went to your friend Serena’s where she signed you up on the dating site. So I found her address online and met you outside of her apartment.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“You had a flat tyre.”

She gasped, staring at him in recognition. “Oh, my God! That was you!”

He nodded. “I was going to try to use that as proof of the time travel. I realized afterwards that didn’t really prove anything about time travel, only that I met you before. So—” he shrugged sheepishly “—we’ve met before.”

“I don’t think changing a tyre counts as a date,” she said with a wry smile.

“It should.” He looked at her, his eyes so hopeful. “So, will you go to the future with me?”

Ella couldn’t believe she was even considering this. She had never done a crazy thing in her life before signing on to that website. She had always been the good girland played it safe. Had anyone ever said that she’d be standing in the snow after having been on a date to see Duke Ellington in the 1930s, contemplating marrying a guy that she just met face to face a few days ago, she would have laughed.

Instead, she smiled.

“Yes,” she said. “I will.”

Madeline Baker

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Also writes as Amanda Ashley.

www.MadelineBaker.net

Sandy Blair

Award-winning author of Scotland-set historical romances. www.sandyblair.net

Gwyn Cready

RITA-award-winning author of Tumbling Through Time, Seducing Mr Darcy and, coming April 2010, Flirting With Forever. www.cready.com

Autumn Dawn

Author of No Words Alone and When Sparks Fly, both from Dorchester. autumndawnbooks.com

Colby Hodge

Award winning author of the Oasis series and Twist . Also known as Cindy Holby. www.cindyholby.com

Jean Johnson

New York Times best selling author of the Sons of Destiny series. www.JeanJohnson.net

Michele Lang

Author of the upcoming Lady Lazarus historical fantasy series. www.michelelang.com

Holly Lisle

Author of Talyn, Hawkspar and thirty other novels in the fantasy, SF, paranormal suspense and young-adult fantasy genres. www.hollylisle.com

Allie Mackay

National bestselling author of light, Scottish-set paranormals. Allie Mackay is the pseudonym for Sue-Ellen Welfonder, USA Today bestselling author of Scottish medievals, including her popular MacKenzies of Kintailseries. www.alliemackay.com

Sara Mackenzie

Writes paranormal romance for Avon, and also historical romance as Sara Bennett. www.saramackenzie.com

Michelle Maddox

Author of the futuristic romantic thriller, Countdown , as well as several paranormal romance and young adult fantasy novels (writing as Michelle Rowen). www.michellemaddox.com

Margo Maguire

The author of seventeen historical novels, including the Warrior time-travel series from Avon. Writing in both the medievaland Regency eras, her books have been translated into more than fifteen different languages.

Maureen McGowan

Debut author of sexy paranormal romance and women’s fiction. www.maureenmcgowan.com

A.J. Menden

She has never travelled in time, but does enjoy big band music.

Author of the Elite Hands of Justice series. The first in the series, PhenomenalGirl5 , was nominated for a Reviewers’ Choice award from Romantic Times magazine and the second, Tekgrrl , was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times magazine. www.ajmenden.com

Cindy Miles

Cindy Miles is the national bestselling author of the ghostly paranormal Knights series.

www.cindy-miles.com

Sandra Newgent

A debut author who thrives on romance and adventure, she’s even cycled around the USA in the name of love. She writes paranormal, time travel, romantic adventure and historical romance. Every love has its time.

Patti O’Shea

Nationally bestselling author and winner of numerous writing awards, her books have appeared on the Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks and Borders bestseller lists. Currently, she’s working on the Light Warrior series about a society of magic users that protects humans from demons and monsters. www.pattioshea.com

Patrice Sarath

Author of the popular Gordath Wood and the Red Gold Bridge fantasy series. www.patricesarath.com

Michelle Willingham

Internationally published author of the Irish medieval MacEgan Brothers series. www.michellewill ingham.com

But what is time travel if not paranormal? Hurtling through space and time at the speed of light to land in a world, in a time, not your own seems pretty paranormal to me …