“Just stay on the pill.”
“Hey, I’m open-minded and stuff, but are you sure about all of this? I mean, how do you know what will happen if I’m not with you in the spring?”
“I’ve seen it happen. I had another uncle besides Ralph. He wound up mating with a woman who wasn’t so open-minded. She left him, disappeared, and couldn’t be found. The result wasn’t pretty.”
“What happened?”
“He killed himself, but not before going stark raving mad.”
Merry gasped. Could she live with herself if she did that to Jason? Was it her fault if she didn’t go with him and something horrible happened?
“Oh, my God! So, this is really a case of do or die.”
He nodded, then one corner of his mouth curled up. “Or, you could say we have todo itor I die.”
She laughed. At last, the worst of her worries had been relieved, and shecouldlaugh again.
“So, do you have any more questions?”
“Yeah. You said your Uncle Ralph is a shifter, too. What I can’t picture is Ralph choosing a woman like Dottie. I mean no disrespect, but, um… she isn’t the most open-minded person on the planet.”
Jason blew out a deep breath. “No, she isn’t. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know.”
“How the hell has he managed to keep a secret of that magnitude from his own wife?”
“Veeeery carefully.”
Merry elbowed him. “Very funny. That joke’s older than you are. Oh, wait. That brings up another question. Do you have a normal lifespan? Are you immortal or something?”
He laughed out loud. “No. Immortality doesn’t exist.”
Hmm… I know someone who says it does.Merry wondered again if she should tell him about Sly. Since they were speaking open-mindedly…
Jason continued to talk before she could think of how to tell him. “Falcons have a life span of about thirteen to sixteen years. That’s why we stay mostly in our human forms. We live longer.”
“Especially your Uncle Ralph!”
He chuckled and nodded. “Especially my Uncle Ralph.”
“How does he do it? I mean, Dottie is continuously stressed out. Why doesn’t that rub off on him and cause him to shift?”
“He’s one hundred percent shifter, so he has great control. And he tunes her out a lot.”
“Sheesh. Okay, I think I only have one more question.”
“Shoot. No,don’tshoot, but ask away.”
“If someday I get pregnant, will I lay eggs or have babies?”
He burst out laughing and didn’t stop until she hit him.
Somehow, Jason needed to seal the deal. He probably wouldn’t feel secure until she put his ring back on her finger, but the boat had stopped rocking. He had brought her muffins for breakfast and taken her out to lunch, a museum, and dinner, but they hadn’t spent the day together as he’d hoped—in bed.
They kissed in the elevator all the way up to his apartment. He hoped she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Heneededto make love to her. As much as he didn’t want to come off like a caveman, he was having trouble controlling the passion thatgrew within him all evening.
Without letting her pull away, he continued to kiss her and walk her backward at the same time, guiding her toward his bedroom. Fortunately, she must have known what he had in mind and began fumbling with his belt buckle. That’s all it took.
He wanted to rip her blouse off but forced his shaking fingers to undo the buttons one by one. By the time they reached the bed, she had managed to undo his pants and plunge her hand down his boxer briefs.
