Page 43 of The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
“David!” The voice flew on the wind. “Donna!”
“Flora.” Alex and King spoke at exactly the same time.
She watched him pull on his mask—become David Dixon from Denver right before her eyes.
“Hello, Flora,” he called with a wave.
“Now isn’t this a sight?” Flora looked them over with a grin. “How are the two most beautiful lovelies I have ever seen?”
Alex was careful on the stairs. Careful on the tarmac. She was careful... always. All the time. She’d been careful her whole, entirelife, and she was suddenly tired, far too tired to fight when King slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“We’re well, Flora. How are you?” he asked the woman who was looking between the two of them and bouncing—like at any moment she was going to vibrate right out of her skin.
“Oh, I’m ecstatic! I literally screamed when I got David’s call. I had a feeling that this moon tide would be especially fruitful. I just didn’t know that my two favorite lovelies would be back—to allow our healing waters to bless you at this most important time. Donna? Are you excited?”
“Uh... yes?”
“I always tell my lovelies, this is the greatest mission of their lives—the ultimate challenge.”
“The ultimate...”
“I am just so happy that the two of you are back—and for Fertility Week!”
Alex was torn; should she die of mortification now or kill King first? Who was she kidding? She could multitask. But first—
“Oh. No! You see—”
“This is our most special time, when lovers and lovelies unite for the purpose of recreationandprocreation,” Flora went on. Then she lowered her voice. “There are certain... advantages... to being a private island. No police. No silly indecency ordinances. This week, our island will become a cornucopia of bounty—”
“Oh boy,” King muttered.
“You should feel the wind in your hair, the salt water on your skin. The moon on your ripe and fertile bodies.”
“Ripe and...” Alex muttered.
“Fertile,” King blurted. “She said fertile.”
“Let the island guide you through this, the most natural thing in the world. Let nature take its course. Of course, respect others, but... if no one is around... I’m just saying, do you see that big rock over there? Triplets.”
“How nice.” Was Alex staring daggers? She felt like her eyes might have turned into literal knives.
“Now...” Flora clapped her hands together. “I didn’t get to ask on the phone, would you like the optional Blessing of the Womb?”
“No!” Alex blurted. “I mean no. Thank you. No.”
“We’re all good. Womb-wise.” King winked at Flora and, damn the man, let his hand drift down to rest on Alex’s abdomen. She wanted to push it away—break his thumb. Maybe toss him into the sea, but all she could do was turn and look up at the man who was staring down at her, saying, “She’s perfect just the way she is.”
“Oh.” Flora gave a whole-body shiver, then giggled. “Such a beautiful couple. But I’m not going to lie. When I think of where you started...”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Eight Years Ago
The Island
King
After twenty minutes of walking, King was certain of one thing: Cupid’s Arrow was a very stupid name for a very beautiful island. Merritt might have even been right to call it “paradise” but he was never going to tell her that.
