Pandora's Box (23 page)

So Jackson was willing to see the light. That should please him. Riordan didn’t pause, didn’t waver in his stride, but his
thoughts grew increasingly erratic despite himself. Could he really do this? This was so far beyond what he’d ever had to
do. Even the stone. This was worse. “Can you take care of her like she deserves? Will you stay with her and be faithful to
her?”

“You mean forever—like
marry
—” The man yelped, cutting off his own question. “I—yes! Yes. I was getting to that point. Eventually. I just think—” He shrieked
again.

It would be a long,
long
damned night. Riordan grimly plowed ahead. “So tell me, Jackson. Ever see the city of Richmond from the rooftops?”

Should she do it? Mina continued pacing, wearing down a path she’d walked for nearly two hours now: around the kitchen, figure-eight
into the living room and around the coffee table, back into the kitchen and . . .

Should she? She hadn’t pulled that trick on Riordan in a very long time. It seemed so disrespectful now. Sure, in his BobGoblin
mode, she’d had no trouble invoking the devil by speaking of him, but now . . .

Granted, part of her didn’t want to see him right now. She was too angry. He wasn’t even willing to give them a chance. All
they had to do was break the curse, right? Then Riordan would be free to be with whomever he wanted.

Mina paused. Surely it wasn’t because he didn’t want her. He’d sounded so heartfelt . . . but he was a shape-shifter, so maybe
. . .

Where the hell was he? Riordan?
Riordan
? He still wouldn’t answer. He was purposely tuning her out. “Ugh. It’s not enough that real men tune me out, but now even
the horsey ones do. This could really give a girl a complex—”

Knock, knock, knock.

The door. Why would Riordan . . . ? What if he was hurt? Dear God, if he’d—Mina hurried to throw it open. “Jackson.” She breathed
again. Annoyed. She focused on the darkness behind him, but though she felt eyes watching her, she could see nothing. Then
she focused again on the—sweating?—man in front of her. “Why are you here? I distinctly said goodnight to you earlier.”

“Mina, please. Hear me out. Can I come in?”

“Look, this really isn’t a good time.”

“Please. We were together for years. Surely you can spare me a few minutes. Let me speak my piece and I won’t bother you again
unless you want me to.”

Distracted from her worries by his urgency, Mina focused more intently on Jackson. “Something’s wrong.”

“No. Surprisingly enough, I think something’s finally right. Please, can I come in?”

“Oh, fine. It’s like Grand Central Station around here.” Remembering her earlier encounters with men today, Mina frowned and
grouched back at him. “Just don’t bother to declare your undying lo—”

“Mina, I love you.”

“Oh, good god. You, too? What, is Cupid taking pot shots at men in my living room? Suddenly Mina’s wonderful and loveable
and everybody wants her except—”

“Please.” Jackson snagged her hand and turned her to face him. “You know me.”

“Correction: I
thought
I knew you.”

“I know. And . . . look, when I saw that offer from you to buy my half of this house . . . well, it was something of a shock
for me. Essentially, it was a formal dissolution of everything you and I had built together. It made me realize exactly what
I’d destroyed. I really screwed up.”

“No, actually, I was the one who screwed up. You know, when I decided I was in love with you. Major,
major
screw-up.” She smiled tightly. “I’m done with that.”

“I know. But I can be different now.” He ducked his head to stare intently into her eyes. “I swear it. I’m ready to be the
man you thought I was. I am that man. I can be that man. Just give me a chance.”

“What the . . . ?” This was just plain eerie. Freaky.

He dropped to one knee, his gaze relentlessly holding hers. “I know this is sudden, but I also know you need proof. I’m a
different man, and I want so much more now. More of us.”

“Oh. My. God.” She stared down into his eyes. They were clear, intent, utterly determined and open. “You’re not going to—”

“Yes. I am.” He held her hand tightly in his, his expression almost fervent now. “Mina. Pandemina Dorothy Avery. Will you—”

“Stop. Now.” She yanked at his hand but couldn’t seem to budge him.

“I don’t want to. Unless you need time. I can give you as much time as you need to be ready. I have to work to earn your trust.
I know that. I have to deserve you—”

His phrasing was so much like—and the dogged, single minded persistence—Mina closed her eyes, feeling her cheeks heat with
fury and utter humiliation. Without opening them, she muttered low, “By any chance . . . have you been horseback riding this
evening?”

He frowned, his grip slackening. “Why, do I smell?”

She groaned, trying to rein in the fury. Rein in. Get it? The whole damned joke was on her. “You need to leave. Now.” She
jerked her hand away, marched toward the door and yanked it open. Stepping outside, she peered angrily into the darkness.
She saw slight movement. Someone was out there, damn it. “Riordan! You just come back here so I can kick your shape-shifting
ass. This is outrageous.”

“Mina?” A concerned voice from behind. “You said it was a long day, but . . . are you okay?”

She cast her ex a dismissive glance. “You’re still here? You need to go. Don’t worry. I think the effects will wear off. Mostly.
Just avoid dark horses from now on.”

Stepping out onto the porch, Jackson moved closer and spoke low. “You know about him? He told me no one would believe me if
I said anything.”

Mina stumbled, mentally. What was she doing? Declaring to all and sundry that she had a shape-shifter living with her? Ease
back, idiot. “It was just a metaphor. Writing teacher, remember? I was trying to sound mysterious. Why don’t you go home and
ponder it?”

Whirling, she stepped past him and went inside, letting the door slam shut behind her. Long moments later, she heard slow
footsteps descending her porch steps. Jackson had left.

Coast clear.

Mina scanned her living room grimly. “Riordan?” No response. She strode through the kitchen, then rounded into her bedroom.
He wasn’t there either. “Fine, don’t answer me. You asked for it. Speak of the devil.”

“Hey!” Riordan, in manly form, stared up at her from the floor in front of her dresser. “I thought you weren’t going to do
that anymore.”

“That’s when I thought you respected me. That I could trust you.” She bent toward him, hands fisted at her sides.

“But I do.”

“So explain Jackson, then. Unless you’re going to tell me you didn’t pull the puca ride stunt on him?”

Silence.

“God.” He might as well have slapped her across the face. “Isn’t it enough that you’re breaking my heart yourself? Do you
have to try to set me up for another fall? Do you
hate
me?”

“I could never hate you. And I didn’t brainwash Jackson. He really does love you. He just had some maturity and commitment
issues that needed working out.”

“So, what, you beat them out of him?”

“No, I just showed him the light. He went toward it willingly, too, by the way. He just needed clarity to envision what kind
of future he wants and sufficient motivation to make his life changes now.” Riordan paused, his voice lowering. “The future
he wants is with you. He really does want you back. I can’t make him feel that. That’s all him. I swear it.”

Mina opened her mouth, wanting to respond but not sure how. Gesturing helplessly for a moment and blinking back tears, she
finally dropped her hands with a slap against her thighs.

Riordan rolled to his feet and stood tall before her. “Jackson’s yours if you want him. Things can be like you always wanted
them. Before I came into the picture, even before Tiffany came into the picture. Better yet, the guy knows what he wants now,
so he’s not going to repeat his mistakes. He wants you. All you have to do is call him and you can have your life back.”

Mina stared up at him, wanting so badly to see his face. Why had he done this? What was he hoping to achieve? Did he just
want to be rid of her?

“No, I don’t want to be rid of you.”

Mina growled.

“I’m sorry. Your thoughts are at my disposal and I can’t help it right now. What I want is simple. It’s to
not
destroy your life or make more trouble for you than I already have.”

“You—Oh, shut up. I mean it. Just shut up right now. You honestly think I want Jackson back? That I can just pick up my emotions
and plop them all over him instead of you? Just because you said I could and told him he wants this?”

“You used to love him, and like I told you, he does want—”

“Yeah? Well it just so happens I don’t care what he wants. I care what
I
want.” She paused, staring up at him. “Aren’t you going to say anything? I know you can read my mind.
You’re
what I want.
You
. Somehow. All we have to do is break the curse.”

“Mina.” He sighed. “Look. I’m so grateful for your help. I am. But the reality is we may never break this curse. You could
be saddled with me indefinitely.”

“And you think that’s a bad thing?” she asked him softly. “Before you, my life was a wreck. Get it?
Before
you, not after you. And I don’t just mean the way you arranged it so I could keep my house and get my job back.” She paused
and shrugged. “Although I have to admit those were some pretty neat tricks.”

She couldn’t see it, but she knew that was a smile on his face. She reached out and took his hand. “You’ve opened my world.
Cracked it wide open.”

He winced. “What a guy. I busted your world for you.”

“You know what I mean. I used to see only limitations. Now I see a whole world of possibilities and variation. I used to be
so worried about what people thought of me. As if the world were so small that such a thing could be important.”

“It did cost you your job.”

“And possibly gave me back my job. And more.”

“So you’re in love with me because I showed you the world was bigger than you knew it was. Is that all you’ve got?”

She moved closer, letting her fingers trail up his forearms. “You know it’s not. And what’s more, you love me, too. I know
you do. You confessed you had feelings for me—and meant it—when you thought I’d never remember it. You gained nothing from
that, other than the chance to share what was in your heart. And that love—and it is love, so don’t even try to play semantics
with me by saying you never said the word—that
love
was so big you were willing to let me go to another man because you thought he was better for me. Shoot, I could have run
to Jackson and forgotten all about you. And you would have let me. November first could have come and gone and you’d be back
in your cornerstone. How would you get free then?”

He shrugged. “Another day, another guardian.”

“But you can’t . . . How could . . . ?” She spluttered. “You are absolutely impossible. I can’t say anything right now that
you won’t deny. Can I?”

No response.

“Ah. I stand corrected. But maybe there’s something else you can’t deny.” Eyeing him with challenge and every wicked promise
she could project, Mina slid her hands up his arms to his shoulders and then snaked them around his neck.

“Mina—”

She closed in on him, locking her hand around her other wrist, just in case he tried to pull away. “What? Is this not a good
idea? Unwise maybe? I can’t believe the puca’s preaching caution. Just where did you hide my horny little BobGoblin anyway?”
She paused, mildly taken aback. “I didn’t really say that, did I?”

“Yeah, actually—”

But she had her lips on his and her tongue in his mouth before he could finish. He held back at first, and Mina could feel
his will in conflict, torn between two necessities, until he caved and wrapped his arms around her. When he tightened them
convulsively, as though surrendering to a primal need denied too long, she raised a knee and climbed up, up, up that body
as she’d longed to do since she first met him.

Shame? Screw shame. She was riding her puca tonight even if she had to force the issue.

Given the hard length she currently cuddled so brazenly as to be considered unfair, she was pretty damn sure force would be
unnecessary. Just some truly manipulative coaxing. Who would have guessed a puca would have a freaking honor code, anyway?

“I can still read your thoughts.” He breathed the words against her mouth.

“Good. I wanted you to.” Smiling against his lips, she let her mouth trail to his chin and neck while grinding her pelvis
slowly against his. She could feel him twitching through the material of his breeches. Growing harder, hotter, longer, if
that were possible. “Don’t you have someplace we need to be? Like on that bed, maybe?”

“Mina mine.” He groaned when she tightened her legs around him for a particularly intimate grind. “You don’t play fair.”

“Park it on the bed, puca, or I won’t be responsible for resulting injuries. You’re not getting away from me.”

So, one reluctant step after another, he finally toppled them onto Mina’s bed, with Mina on top and in the mood to be utterly
ruthless. “So. Let me go to another man, will you?” She yanked at his tunic and found a cord in her way, securing the garment
at his waist. She unwound the cord until she could slide the material free.

“I didn’t want to. I still don’t want to.” He groaned. “But what could I do? I want you to be happy with the house and husband
and children you want.” Riordan obligingly pulled his arms out of the tunic and wrapped them around Mina again, while she
went to work on his pants.

Tugging them free of his waist, she looked into his face, sensing the golden glow of eyes, full of magic, full of love. Only
for her. She knew this. “Do you think I want some cookie-cutter, generic husband and family? I don’t. I’m in love with
you
, you jerk, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Now lift your butt so I can get you naked.” When he shifted, giving
her access, she glared at him. “You know, it would be nice if I didn’t have to wrestle a man into bed. This is a little hard
on the feminine ego—” She broke off on a squeak as he lunged to the side, reversing their positions.