Page 85 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

She gave him a curious look, the lipstick she was about to apply raised in her hand.

“No. He isn’t. Never was apparently. He has four children, but they’re all grown up now and no longer live with him.”

She knew an awful lot about a man she’d just met. But they did spend the entire day together. They must’ve talked a lot.

“So, he’s old then?” he asked with hope.

“Not really. He had children when he was young. So, I’d say he’s in his early forties now. Still very fit and active.”

“Is he now?” He winced.

Her eyes sparked with mischief.

“Laihar paints his horns in the colors of the flowers he works with that week. This week, he has purple stripes with yellow dots like the umpheads we planted.”

“You like his horns?”

“I believe I do.” She hiked a shoulder. “He does have nice horns.”

The wisp of jealousy in his chest burned hotter.

Damned that botanist and his purple horns. Purple, Maya’s favorite color...

Fuck.

“He also has a way with his tail,” she continued. “He uses it to poke just the right size holes in the dirt to plant the umpheads.”

Kear would love to show her all the things he wished to do to her with his tail if she just let him. Then, he’d use it to strangle that scoundrel botanist.

“So, you say his horns are longer than mine?”

She rolled her eyes. “I never said that. I didn’t measure his horns. Or yours, for that matter. But I would like to work with this man again. So, chances are you’ll meet him one day, and I won’t appreciate you having some kind of horn-measuring contest with him. Okay?”

“He must like you.”

Of course he did. Who in their own mind wouldn’t like Maya? The sweet, beautiful, gentle Maya, whom Kear loved so much, he could hardly breathe.

“He says he does,” she confirmed. “He offered to take me to the botanical exhibition tomorrow. It doesn’t open for three days yet, but Laihar has early access passes—”

“Fuck!” He speared his fingers through the fur on his head, spinning on his hooves.

“Kear?”

He pivoted back to her.

“It’s a date, Maya. He asked you out on a date. The asshole wants to date you.”

“Laihar isn’t an asshole,” she reprimanded.

Oh yes, he is. He wants to take you away from me.

“But yes, he wants to date me,” she admitted. “He was very clear on that.”

Kear froze, chills spreading along his skin under his fur.

This was exactly the situation he’d been avoiding all his life. He’d witnessed the turmoil and heartache that his brothers had gone through. And now he was facing all of that himself.

Maya exhaled a laugh. “The guy didn’t waste his time. He asked me out within the first hour we met.”

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