”“Making her the sole girl who would even begin to think about allowing us to have a baby together after marriage.”“Yes.”“Mike,” Clariss...a said softly, “is THAT why she’s your primary candidate? If that’s true, please don’t do that for me. That could turn out very badly.”“As best I can discern my own motives, I don’t think so,” I said. “But it certainly checks a box which no other girl I’ve met, or think I would meet, would accept. Sharing is not an option!”Clarissa laughed softly, “Which has. Then fight for all your worth to keep it. Some nights are special and it feels like caramel or melted chocolate, something delicious like that. It's just fucking magic! And for me that's what last night was and I intended to fight like hell.I could hear the girls moving things around down stairs so I knew it was time to get up. I emptied my bladder, showered, shaved and then dressed in jeans, my comfortable sneakers, a tee-shirt with the words "I'm with dummy" and an arrow pointing upward. He’d rather run away than admit that he was pulling up roots and leaving for a man that he met ?on-line? just a few weeks ago. Nope?he’d kill him and he’d deserve it.Maybe Sir wouldn’t come back and maybe he’d just die here in this basement. That would do it. That would solve everything. He wouldn’t have to fret over what to do about Donny in LA or his business partner David or his canary Spike or his gold fish Flow. How pathetic?.his canary Spike and his gold fish Flow?.now get a grip,. “I’ll happily help you chop wood.”“Oh no,” said Upik. “There is no reason to chop wood today.”“We have very few visitors up here since the castle sank beneath the lake,” said Rayna. “We would much rather listen to you. Please tell us about your hat.”Steven had tossed restlessly all night trying to think of a good story to tell the two, and had come up with no ideas. The truth was that he had suddenly been overwhelmed with loneliness when he saw the man and wife acting as though they were one.