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Asher spun me and I yelped in surprise We both landed on the bed—all white linens, with mountainous amounts of white pillows—and Asher pulled ine it Teeks, no patients, no MRSA, no vampires—just you, me, and the sun ”
I propped myself up, put my chin on his chest, and squinted at him “No norovirus?”
He laughed “I uarantees ”
His warm sht about telling hi out that I was late—but what if it was nothing? Or—what if by saying so, I jinxed it? Would that be a relief? I didn’t even really know yet if I wanted to be pregnant, or even if I was I was sort of happy, sort of scared, and everything was still sort of iinary But ere on board this ship for teeks—I’d know by the end of our trip My uterus would have to declare itself one way or the other by then
He reached out and soing to be perfect ”
Yeah It would be Either way I had him, and he had me I tilted my head to kiss the inside of his palm “I completely believe you ”
The boat, or ship, whatever it was supposed to be properly called, left the dock with a lurch and began to rock beneath our feet We gained speed as we left the harbor and I heard the sound of waves slapping against itswind
Asher rolled out of bed and started to industriously unpack
“Can’t we go look around first?” Our luggage wasn’t going anywhere, and Asher was right, I had packed a lot of stuff It wasn’t hts on board For
“Hang on,” he said, while pulling out a stack of jeans, shorts, and swi up that we have to go to ” He started putting his clothes away into the drawers beneath the desk diagonally across from our bed
“How do you—” I was asking when a five-note chime crackled overhead fro Captain Ames introduced himself and welcomed us aboard at incredible voluers to report to their designated safety zones began
“I just know,” Asher said, answering my unfinished question when our instructions were over “But after this, we can take a tour I promise ”
I just knoas Asher’s polite way of telling ed shapeshifter
Despite us dating for seven s I didn’t kno about Asher Things I ht never even have the time to find out As a shapeshifter, he wasn’t just the summation of his own mee and form of everyone he’d ever touched Anyone he’d ever had skin-to-skin contact with before this past summer was inside him, and he couldthey knew Up to and including me
/>Back in July he’d alone insane because of it, like all shapeshifters approaching their mid-thirties He’d been saved fro at the time; she’d stopped his descent into madness Afterward, Asher could access old forms and memories, but not take on any new ones Which was nice because itanye when he just knew things for no good reason
And it was one of the reasons why I’d sort of assumed we couldn’t have kids, h science to know about interspecies dating Maybe Asher and I would have a liger together I snorted
“What?” Asher asked fro up his suit jackets
“Nothing! Hey, can you hang up my dresses for me?”
“Sure ”
I watched him from my position sprawled across the arctic-white bedspread When he was done he caown that I’d bought specifically for this trip hanging down in the open closet behind him
“Hey,” he said quietly “What’s wrong? Are you sick or so?”
His question was maybe a little too close to the truth I stood up quickly “Just jet-lagged Sorry ” I so ”
And my heart melted when he smiled back at me
He led us down the hallithout stopping to look at any signs, and I wondered if he or one of his other personalities had been on this same ship before I held his hand but trailed behind him, as the halleren’t very wide
I concentrated on the warmth of his hand as he held mine He had a normal body temperature, which I liked I’d dated zombies before, and they were cool, while olves could be too hot If I were Goldilocks, Asher-the-shapeshifter was just right Apparently reed
We reached the entrance to a grand banquet rooht outside its doors
“Look, it’s like we never left hoo of his hand to cup mine beneath the automatic foam Asher snorted but followed s off; he never seerinning back