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“Absolutely.”

It’s so much fun I even get into the spirit and take a turn.

I barely knew what falconry was until a few days ago and now I want to see if we can do this at places with more birds.

We spend the entire afternoon at the sanctuary, exploring the grounds and learning all about the birds. It’s a lot more interesting than I thought it would be and I love seeing how much Maya has enjoyed herself.

Holly has other things to do but she mentioned a creek that runs through the property and said it’s nice to sit and relax for a while if we weren’t in a rush to get home.

So, we wander in that direction.

Maya slips her hand into mine and we walk in silence for a while.

“This was a wonderful surprise,” she says. “Thank you for planning it.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I’ll have to find a way to make it up to you,” she says in a sultry voice.

“Not necessary,” I reply, hugging her to my side.

“We’ll see—oh look! There’s the creek.” She breaks free and hurries to the small flowing body of water. Without hesitation, she kicks off her shoes and socks, rolls up her jeans, and steps into the water.

“It’s freezing!” she squeals, laughing. “Come see!”

Frigid water sounds horrible, but it appears that I can’t refuse her anything, so I obligingly take off my shoes and socks, roll up my jeans and step into the icy water.

“Fuck!” I groan, chuckling. “This is cold.”

“It’s invigorating!” She throws up her hands and spins in a circle. “Isn’t this awesome? I feel like I can do anything on a day like this.”

Her joie de vivre is contagious, and I reach for her, pulling her close. “Has anyone ever told you how special you are?”

“No.” Her eyes meet mine, and I dip my head, capturing her mouth in a kiss that I hope reflects how much she means to me. Her lips yield to mine so our tongues can do an already familiar dance. Kissing her is amazing and my body reacts accordingly. She must feel my growing erection because she runs her hand over it.

“I think I know how to make today up to you,” she breathes against my mouth.

“I don’t have a condom with me.”

“I’ve got the birth control implant. As long as you’re not sleeping with anyone else…” Her eyes briefly meet mine, a question lurking in them, and I quickly shake my head. “No, there hasn’t been anyone else since the night we met.”

“Then I’m good if you are.”

I never do this.

Ever.

The only woman I’ve been inside bare is my ex-wife.

But I’m going to do it with Maya.

Because I can’t say no.

I don’t want to say no.

I grab Maya’s hand, and we get out of the water, splashing as we go. Then I haul her against my chest and drop my mouth to hers. I haven’t quite figured out the logistics of how we’re going to do this, but it doesn’t matter. Kissing her is hot, touching her is all I need.

Maya, however, seems to have other ideas.