Page 51 of The Broposal
The thought doused her arousal like ice water.
"Bridget needs to give you a physical before the ceremony," she said firmly. "Any health issues need to be resolved before youattempt transition. I would have scheduled it earlier, but I didn't expect you to do it so soon."
He pulled back, disappointment evident in his expression that she hadn't picked up on his sexual banter. "I don't have any health issues. I had a physical less than six months ago. Everything was fine."
Gertrude waved a dismissive hand. "I know all about those so-called physicals. At your age, you are assumed healthy because statistically men your age are, so they do the bare minimum. Bridget will be much more thorough." She reached for her phone, already composing a text in her head.
His hand covered hers, stilling her movement. "What are you doing?"
"Texting Bridget."
"Don't bother her. I'm in perfect health."
She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep, stabilizing breath. "Do it for me? Please?"
His head dropped in defeat. "Fine. I'll do it for you. But just so you know, I don't appreciate being manipulated like that."
Guilt seeped through her. After everything he'd been through with Lynda, she hated using his ex's tactics, but fear made her desperate, even though logically she knew she was probably overreacting.
Rob showed no signs of illness. His color was good, there was no puffiness in his face or extremities, and he managed twice-daily intense training sessions without experiencing excessive fatigue.
She was letting her fears run wild.
"I promise never to coerce you into doing anything again," she said softly. "But I had to do this. I'm having an anxiety attack just thinking about you in that ring with Arwel and... and not waking up from his bite."
The hardness in his eyes melted away. "Has that ever happened?"
She shook her head. "It hasn't, but we've had so few adult male Dormants transition. The sample size is too small to draw any real conclusions. Anything could happen."
He squeezed her hand. "Have a little faith. The Fates brought me here for a reason, and it wasn't to die on the sparring mat."
His confidence should have been reassuring, but Gertrude knew better than to rely on statistics or the Fates. Both meant very little when someone you loved was at risk.
Love.
The word echoed in her mind, and she realized she hadn't told him yet. She'd been waiting for the right moment, but maybe there was no perfect time. Maybe she should tell him now, before the ceremony, before everything changed.
But the words stuck in her throat. What if saying it now would feel like goodbye? What if he thought she was only saying it because she was afraid?
"Hey." His voice drew her from her spiraling thoughts. "Where did you go just now?"
"Thinking about Saturday." It wasn't entirely a lie. "I just hope that Bridget can make time for you. Julian is also a good physician, but I prefer her because I have worked with her for a long time, and I know that she doesn't miss anything."
Gertrude pulled out her phone and texted Bridget.
The reply came back a couple of minutes later.Five-thirty today.
She showed Rob the screen, and when he nodded, she typed back a thank you, then lifted her head and smiled. "That means no afternoon training session for you."
He shrugged. "Apparently, I have no need for it." He reached for her hand. "And it means more time with you."
50
JASMINE
Jasmine clutched her mother's jewelry box to her chest as she and Ell-rom headed to William's office through his sprawling laboratory complex. The wooden box wasn't valuable in monetary terms, but along with the tarot cards, two rings, and a simple gold chain, it represented everything she had left of her mother.
"I'll take excellent care of it," William promised, noticing her white-knuckled grip on the box. "We'll start with noninvasive scanning, and if we find anything unusual, I'll consult you on how you want to proceed."