“What?” Claire asked warily.

“I was just thinking that you were two-timing me tonight with my own sister.”

Claire grimaced. “It was more like a double date where I was both Brad and Claire.”

“This night would have gone much easier if you’d just told me what was going on,” Kyle pointed out.

“I know.” Claire bowed her head.

“But you didn’t trust me not to immediately rush you back to the lab and treat you like Thumper,” he said quietly.

“No,” Claire said quickly. “I mean, not really. I was just afraid you’d think I was a freak, or that you’d…”

“See you as an experimental subject rather than as yourself,” he finished quietly.

Claire sighed, unable to deny it.

“That would never happen, Claire,” Kyle said solemnly. “We’ve known each other too long for me to think of you as anything but the beautiful, intelligent young woman you are.”

Claire felt tears well in her eyes, but forced them away, and quickly changed the subject to one she’d been wondering about all night. “You said you’d tell me why you didn’t ask me out when we were in high school,” she reminded him.

Kyle grimaced, then admitted, “Actually, it’s because your father had a talk with me and asked me not to.”

“My father?” Claire asked with surprise.

Kyle nodded. “He said it was obvious the two of us liked each other and that we were very compatible and would probably make a good team, but he cautioned me that I might want to wait until we were both out of school to start up anything with you. That we already knew we liked each other, so if we found we had passion together, we might do something unfortunate and become pregnant, or marry impulsively and destroy the possibility of two promising careers. He also wanted you to gain some independence and learn you could stand on your own two feet rather than move from living with your parents to living with a husband.”

“Daddy said that?” she asked with outrage. Claire couldn’t believe her own father had interfered in her love life that way. She was definitely going to have a chat with the man.

“He was right, Claire,” Kyle said quietly. “It was better this way. You’ll have your master’s soon and I my doctorate. You experienced independence and know that if you aren’t happy, you can leave and take care of yourself. You’ve also dated other men and I’ve dated other women, so we’ll never wonder what we were missing out on.”

Claire blinked. “That sounds rather long-term, Kyle.”

“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” He smiled wryly, then took her hands and said, “Look, Claire, I’ve known you since you were a skinny little twelve-year-old brat with braces. More than long enough to know I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

“You love me?” Claire asked with pleased surprise.

“Yes.”

“I love you, too,” she said happily.

Kyle leaned forward and kissed her and Claire felt her heart thrill at the passion that again exploded between them. They definitely had some chemistry going on there, which was good to know, she thought, and then felt Kyle’s hand slide beneath the jacket to find and cup one breast. Claire moaned and arched against him as his lips began to travel down her neck.

“Oh Kyle,” she breathed, clutching at his shoulder with one hand as the other started doing a little traveling of its own.

“Oh Claire,” he gasped, shifting around and trying to find a better position for them both without the stick shift and steering wheel to get in the way. They were both panting, half with excitement, half with frustration, when he reached past her and pulled the lever to let the upper part of her seat down.

Claire gasped as she suddenly slammed backward in the front seat and then simply began to crawl backward, leading him into the backseat where the steering wheel and stick shift wouldn’t be a problem. Kyle growled and followed, tugging the sides of his jacket aside to leave her exposed to him as he joined her on the backseat. Then he paused, and glanced around, blinking at the sight of the already fogged window. He frowned and reluctantly offered, “We could go back to the house.”

“Too far,” Claire muttered, reaching for him. She then paused and smiled wryly as she realized they were so eager for each other that they were about to make love in the back of a car like a pair of teenagers. Shaking her head, she said, “Daddy was right.”

“Oh yeah,” Kyle admitted wryly, stretching himself so he lay half on her and half on the seat and then he kissed her again.

Shuddering and moaning, she arched against him again, then gasped with excitement as his hand found and cupped the center of him. Moaning into his mouth, she shifted her hips upward into the touch, then reached to find him as well, smiling against his mouth as he groaned in response to her own hand covering him.

He was already hard, but his erection was still growing and she blinked her eyes open in surprise as his more than healthy erection continued to grow under her hand. And grow. And grow.

Dear God, she thought faintly, she’d hit the jackpot. The man was really well endowed.

Kyle broke their kiss and moved his mouth to her ear to murmur, “Did I mention the destabilizer ray was still on when I ran into the experiment chamber to drag you out? I discovered the effect it’d had and my new abilities in the parking lot of the grocery store this afternoon when I went to get groceries.”

Claire’s eyes widened at this news. “You mean you’re doing this? You’re shifting to make it bigger?”

He nodded, then caught the lobe of her ear in his teeth and sucked lightly. “Anything for my lady’s pleasure.”

“But Kyle,” she cried. “You shouldn’t be shifting. What about the possibility of destabilizing the cells further, to the point of breakdown?”

Kyle straightened with a sigh. “I don’t really think that’s likely. Mostly I just didn’t want to have to share you with Jill anymore tonight,” he said, then added with a wry smile, “Getting you naked was also a consideration.”

Claire narrowed her eyes on him. “Kyle, you may be able to fool Jill with that, but I’m as savvy on the experiment as you are. I know there is some worry that—”

“Some small worry,” he acknowledged. “But very small, and you’re worth the risk.”

“Oh, Kyle,” Claire breathed, pulling him back down toward her. “That’s just the sweetest thing ever.”

Five years later

“I can’t believe Kyle agreed to babysit,” Jill said as they got out of the car.

Claire laughed as she led the way around to the trunk to unload the goods they’d bought. “He knew I wanted a special dress for the graduation next week. I have to look good when I become Dr. Claire Lockhart.”

Jill smiled faintly at her obvious pride in finally achieving her doctorate, but shook her head. “Still…”

“Oh, come on,” Claire chided. “Kyle’s a great dad. He loves little Beth.”

Jill snorted. “He loses little Beth every time he babysits and it drives him wild.”

Claire laughed again, the laugh of a wife and mother who was happy and satisfied. It was five years since their high school reunion and her first date with Kyle Lockhart. Four years since she’d become Mrs. Claire Lockhart, and two years since they’d had their first child. Claire was now three months pregnant with their second child and already couldn’t wait for Beth’s little brother or sister to be born. She was hoping for a boy. Nothing would make her happier than giving Kyle a son to go with his daughter.

“Kyle!” Claire yelled as she led Jill into the house. “We’re back!”

A childish giggle answered her from the end of the hall and Claire started slowly forward, carefully scanning the floor as she moved toward the kitchen. She was nearly at the kitchen door when she stopped abruptly and shook her head.