Page 198 of Bride of Choice

I wanted to ask him more but his opinion of Celuk might be colored— they were brothers and from what I gathered had a strong bond. Kooky understood him better than most.

“What things?” he grunted out, brow beetling.

“He once killed some crazy sounding named ginorma-beast with his bare hands, all by himself.”

A chuff of a grunt left Kooky. “It attack first.”

“I’ve seen drawings of that thing,” I breathed. “They’re fucking massive.”

His face screwed up, nose crinkling in the process. “They stink.”

“I’m sure that was the worst part of it,” I drawled wryly.

A sharp bark of laughter left him. “Mouth bigger than boobs,” he shot back, grinning when a sharp bark of a laugh left me.

Standing, he walked over to me and held his hand out. Putting my hand in his, he helped me up. Before I knew what was what, he leaned in to impulsively peck a kiss to my lips. “Stinky beast try to eat me,” he rumbled, a mock shudder leaving him. “Stinks on outside but inside worse.”

Jerking away from his nibbling kisses, I gaped at him. “One of those things tried to eat you, and you were stuck inside it? It what, gobbled you up whole?”

“Grab up, toss into air first, then try to chomp. Curl in ball, save legs. Swallow instead.”

“Oh my god, stop talking! I already have nightmares about the shit creepy crawling around out there, I don’t need any more specific visuals!”

Kooky paused, headed towards my room. “No want hear ‘bout Celuk kill beast?”

“No!” I fairly howled. “I most certainly do not want to rehash you getting swallowed up by a monster and then cut out of it!”

His eyes twinkled even as his lips lay flat, unsmiling.

“All better now,” he assured me with a shrug.

“Well, I’d hope so!” My spluttering exasperation greatly amused him. Hugging him to me, I muttered as I pressed my ear to his chest, soaking in his warmth. “I’m glad I amuse you. Your straight face isn’t fooling anyone.” My finger poked his chest, making him chuckle. “You’re a beast.”

Entering the bedroom, he set me down on the bed and started in on the laces to my boots.

“I sleep here,” he grunted out.

“I hope so after that shit story you just terrorized me with,” I huffed and puffed, enjoying the twitch of his lips as smoky tinted peepers found mine. Slipping off my coat, I dumped it on his head, slipping my foot out of my boot as he unlaced the last one, to roll away from him.

Popping up, dumping my coat and boot, he caught me up in the bedding, curling me into him so he was spooning me from behind.

“Slow,” he reminded, nuzzling into my hair as we settled in.

“Slow,” I agreed. I remembered. I might smell like I was raring to go, I couldn’t help it when it came to him, but I had no intention of acting on it.

“It’s still kinda early to be calling it a day,” I pointed out, though I had no intention of getting out of this damn bed.

Kooky made a fake snoring sound. His arms tightened around me.

“Want hold, little bit longer, ‘fore leave, catch up others,” he rumbled out softly as my fingers settled over his and I ran them through the fur on the top of his hand.

“I’m going to miss you, monster bait.” My fingers went from gently brushing his fur to teasingly plucking at tufts of it.

Those thick arms holding me tightened and he tucked my arms in tight to roll us. Fingers crept up my sides, tickling them as he easily held me down. “Monster bait,” he mock growled. “Show Jo monster bait.”

“Ack! No! No tickling! Eek! Ack! Nooo!” I was breathless but giggling my ass off by the time he let me up for air.

With a happy rumble, he leaned in and nuzzled a very specific spot on my throat.