Page 145 of Bride of Choice

Chocolate, he’d brought in every form from baking cocoa to actual candy bars.

Coffee, he had boxes of tea, instant coffee, coffee grounds, and a bag of potting soil. When asked why the soil, his response was, “All stink same. Blech. Dirt.”

Whatever.

“I was drunk when I wrote this,” I reminded him. It looked like someone suffering the same affliction had done the shopping for this list.

“Jojo swear with pinky,” he argued.

“Okay, but I was out of my damned mind.” Lifting the paper, I smacked it to his forehead and walked over to the chocolate to scope it out.

“That list was a mile long,” I muttered as I nabbed a box of cookies and a can of soda, and made myself comfortable on the bed.

As I popped the top and took a sip, then began nibbling on a cookie, I had to wonder if this was the bottom of the barrel. I should still want to smack him, slap him around. He’d straight up set me up for an embarrassing moment… and my demented ass had liked it.

With a groan, I grabbed another cookie and stuffed my face.

Rek looked about ready to blast me when he paused, eyeing me as I lamented my pathetic existence. Tossing the receipt like he’d decided it didn’t matter, he joined me on the bed.

With a sigh, I handed him a cookie.

Rek took it, scooting closer, and closer, until he was right up against me. As I started in on my third cookie, I mumbled around it, “I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing anymore, and right now I don’t fucking care.” Despite giving him a dirty look, he cuddled me into him and curled himself around me.

Nuzzling my shoulder, he purred into my back as he made himself right at home.

“If this is a setup, I’ll throw you under the bus like you did me.” My threat fell on deaf ears.

“Just want my Jojomine,” he muttered against my skin, nuzzling his way up my nape to bury his face in my hair.

I was another cookie down and wondering if I should polish off the box when I heard it.

A soft, whistle of a snore sent warm breath coasting over my neck. His hold on me remained but Rek had checked out.

Setting the cookies and drink down on my nightstand, I turned to face him, studying that furry mug I wanted to strangle as much as I longed to kiss him.

Dark purple circles surrounded his eyes and he looked thinner than the last time I’d given him a real good once more.

“My Jojo,” he growled softly in his sleep, reaching for me to mash his face into my breasts.

Throwing a leg over me, pinning me beneath him, his purr started up again, rattling me down to my psyche.

“Mine,” he muttered sleepily, before going completely lax.

Biting at my lip, I gave in to temptation and lifted my hand to run my fingers through his hair. I’d missed this. This whole fucking thing. Us time, alone, just me and him and a big eff you to the world.

“Until you had to go and screw it all up,” I muttered, giving his lustrous locks a sharp tug.

“Hmm? What? I here. Rek ‘wake,” he mumbled, lifting his head to eye me owlishly.

“What did you do, turn nocturnal?” My eyes narrowed as I studied him. The freak was dead on his feet.

“We can do this whole…” my hand lifted to wave between us, “whatever it is, later. You look like you’re about to drop.”

“No! Rek wake! Rek no’ sleepy!” he burst out, slapping at his face to fight his drooping eyelids, giving me pause.

Thinking of going back to my empty hut and sleeping alone didn’t sound so great to me either.

“Alright. I’ll stay,” I relented softly, allowing him to snuggle back up against me.

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