Page 68 of His Theo

“Yeah, I do.” I probably had a list a mile long, but I started with the one I’d been forgetting to ask. “How did you come up with your name?”

I knew their names were meaningful to them, and Larry proved that definition could be flexible, but I wasn’t sure what Jerker had been thinking.

He was really nice.

“When I was picking out my Earth name, I was isolated and a human being the same situation would be called lonely.” Jerker made it sound like he hadn’t been lonely but a human in the same situation would, but before I could figure out what kind of question to ask, he continued. “I chose a name based on a language called Old Norse whose people were very mobile in the ocean. It means ever ruling or island ruling.”

Oh wow.

Always ruling.

Always alone.

The seafaring reference made sense too in a way.

“I think that’s a very good name for how you must’ve been feeling at the time.” I wasn’t going to debate the alien feelings versus human thing, so I just skipped over it. “I’ve never heard the name before but I think it’s perfect.”

He wasn’t going to be alone anymore, but he could rule our tiny kingdom.

I definitely didn’t want to be in charge.

Chapter 20

“No.” Laughing as he picked me up and carried me into the apartment, I wrapped my arms around him and shook my head. “I don’t need to go to Paris. You’re romantic enough right here.”

We were going to have to work on his internet habits.

“I have read that it is a very romantic city, my Theo.” Stroking his limbs over me, he gave me a good hint about what he meant by romantic. “You would like romance and I will walk you around the large tower where I will tell you about our human marriage plans.”

Tell me about them, huh?

Not sure if I wanted to shake my head or laugh, I couldn’t hold back a grin. “How about you just hold me tight here and tell me about them now? We’re already mates after all.”

I really should’ve taken Nicholas more seriously when he said what that word meant to them.

Making one of his cute thinking sounds, Jerker cocked his head and looked adorably thoughtful and slightly skeptical. “Humans do things differently.”

I had a feeling he’d practiced his expression in front of the mirror but I wasn’t going to point that out. “But you’re not human and I know that.”

Instead of agreeing with me, he made another soft thinking hum and stroked one tentacle over my head as he walked us into the bedroom. “What do you know, my Theo?”

I had a feeling that wasn’t just a simple question to him, so I cuddled into him and took it very seriously. “I’m going to think for a moment, Master.”

He liked that answer, making a pleased sound as he settled us onto the bed, with me straddling several of his limbs as he snuggled me against his torso. “I will be patient, my Theo. Thank you for explaining your silence.”

Being patient seemed to mean not pushing for words, but it didn’t mean keeping his limbs to himself because they kept caressing over me. It was wonderfully distracting, but I did my best to think about what he’d meant and not what I wanted him to do to me.

What did I know?

Letting the ideas and images float around in my head, I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath as his tentacles massaged and loved on me.

He was good at taking care of me like that.

He was good at taking care of me in a lot of different ways.

“I know that you show me how special I am by doing things for me and giving me lots of hugs and physical affection.” Sure, he was fabulous at giving me orgasms, but it was more than that. “You always know when I want hugs and to be carried, and you’re amazing when you carry me around when you’re making dinner.”

That might not have been the most human place to start, but his limbs tightened around me and he made a quiet, happy sound.