“Then the dream is over,” Lauren said softly.
Olivia reached over and patted her twin’s shoulder. “We understand, Sophie. Take the test when you’re ready. Just be sure you keep taking those prenatal vitamins I gave you just in case.”
“Don’t worry, I am,” Sophie promised. “And you know you’ll be the first to know the minute I ‘screw my courage to the sticking point’ and take the darn thing, wombmate.”
“I know.” Liv smiled back and then sighed. “Well girls, it’s been real, but I need to be getting back to my own suite. It’s Baird’s turn to cook tonight and he needs to know what I want.”
“What do you want?” Sophie gave the half-eaten watermelon-broccoli-cheese quiche a doubtful look.
“She means besides something disgusting,” Kat added.
“Kat has a point, cuz,” Lauren put in. “You do have some weird cravings, even for a pregnant lady.”
“Unlike you, of course.” Liv sniffed.
Lauren put up her hands. “Hey, all I crave are chocolate and lima beans. And of course, raw meat.”
“Yeah, so normal. Who doesn’t want the occasional chunk of raw meat?” Kat snickered and Lauren elbowed her good-naturedly.
“Just for that, you’re invited over for dinner the next time I make steak tartar.”
“Only if I get to stay after and watch your whipping technique for dessert,” Kat shot back. “And I don’t mean I want to watch you whipping cream, doll.”
“Ha-ha,” Lauren retorted.
Elise couldn’t help smiling at the good-natured banter as her new friends rose and gathered their things. But inside she wondered what Merrick would say when she told him she’d eaten some of the bonding fruit. Would he be angry…or would he be willing to at least try making love? Elise was hoping for the latter outcome—after all, if what Kat said was true, she was going to be gambling a lot on his decision.
Chapter Forty-five
“No, absolutely not.” Merrick frowned at her, shaking his head firmly. “We’ve been over this, baby—I’m not going to risk hurting you. Not when you’ve already been hurt so much.”
“Merrick, please. At least consider it.” Elise sat on the side of the vast Kindred sized bed they shared and looked at him longingly. He was ready for bed and wearing his usual sleep attire—a pair of black silk sleep-pants and nothing else. His broad, scarred chest was muscular and firm, and she wanted to touch it…wanted to touch him all over. Just the thought of running her hands all over his hard body made her feel wet and achy between her legs. In fact, her whole body was one big throbbing mass of desire—she’d never felt so horny in her life, not even when the hunger was making her crazy with need. God, what was wrong with her?
Oh yeah, the bonding fruit I ate. Kat had given it to her after their get-together, just as she’d promised. Despite all of Olivia’s jokes about her redheaded friend being a “bonding fruit pusher,” Kat had actually warned Elise to be careful with the fruit.
“Just a few bites at a time,” she’d told Elise, giving her several of the fruits. “After you eat it, you will need help getting over the effects.” She winked. “And by that I mean you’re going to need a serious boink-fest with your man. So don’t eat it if you don’t think Merrick is willing to give it up.”
“I’ll be fine,” Elise had said confidently as she cupped the fragrant triangular fruits in her hand. They smelled so good they made her mouth water. Merrick wasn’t due back for several hours—he was working in the docking bay to duplicate more of the wormhole ships for the Kindred. Elise knew she ought to put the bonding fruits away and leave them alone until later. But she hadn’t been able to resist taking just one tiny nibble…
As it turned out, that had been a mistake. It was like opening a big box of chocolates and promising herself she would only try one. Five minutes later, all the bonding fruit was gone and Elise’s chin and hands were dripping with juice.
She’d had a moment of deep trepidation, but when she didn’t immediately fall into some kind of lust-crazed seizure, she decided that she would probably be okay. The entire time as she cooked supper—she and Merrick usually took turns and she loved playing with her new Kindred kitchen appliances—she waited for the fruit to kick in. But…nothing.
By the time they were getting ready for bed, Elise had pretty much decided she was immune to the effects of the bonding fruit. It was disappointing, but…and that was when she’d begun to feel it. First as a tingle in her nipples and between her legs, and then as the full-fledged throbbing ache that filled her body with desire.