Page 100 of Bride of Choice

Instead of strangling me to murder me he was smothering me in a big bear hug.

I had to wriggle his arms looser to make out what he was mumbling as he cuddled me close and pressed almost frantic kisses to my head.

“My Joanie. My Jojo,” he murmured as he clung to me like a barnacle.

“I feel faint. I need to eat,” I reminded, trying to recall when I’d wrapped my arms around him and proceeded to dig my nails into his wide back.

Pulling back, he nodded, his eyes pink rimmed and oddly shiny. His nose wriggled with what sounded like forced back, quiet sniffles. Releasing his hold on me, he guided me towards his eating area to not only seat me but immediately produce a loaf of the crusty brown bread he knows I like, that yummy wax dipped cheese, and the yellowy orange dried meat that tasted like chicken with the texture of beef.

“Rek make tummies tea,” he rumbled out softly, doing absolutely nothing to hide the purr in his chest, rattling away.

“Not necessary. I’m just tired and hungry.” Yawning, I glanced towards his bed. No. I couldn’t. Then he’d want to cuddle, and I’d give in, then I might give in more, then we’d be right back where we were, even worse off, and I’d hate myself for staying as he tried to manipulate me time and time again.

“Jojoknee sleepy,” he rumbled out softly, his voice lulling me, just like it always did when he got all throaty and sexy crooning.

“Maybe a little,” I conceded, resting my head on my forearms on the table.

Stomach pleasantly full, in a place that despite Rek’s stupid stunts I knew was safe, I closed my eyes for a moment… Just one damn moment.

Chapter 15

The sounds of fighting had me snuffling awake. Laid out across the top of Rek’s bed, I blinked, eyes widening, my feet wriggling in my socks, my jacket laid out over me. I was alone, Rek’s hut toasty warm.

Disoriented, I mumbled Rek’s name as I sat up.

“See! Wakes her up!” The muffled shouting outside had me sliding off the bed, stretching as I went. With a groan, I grabbed and slipped my boots and coat back on. Big bad banana bag was at my feet, bulging more than usual.

Nabbing my bag up to peek inside it, I found not only the scarf I’d been eyeballing, but one of the baubles I’d picked up to admire and put back. It was one of the pretty lily looking flowers that grow near pond edges made of glass.

I can never remember the name of the flower, much as I’ve tried.

A small slip of paper falling out had me frowning. In very child-like block letters, Rek Loves Joanie was scrawled across it.

Stuffing everything back inside my bag as the shouting drew near, I was just wiping my eyes when Rek’s door was flung wide open.

“See? She falls sleep! Rek let Jojoknee sleep! Stupid Goober wakes her up! Tattles tales! Happy now?!!” Rek snarled.

Gopher got one look at my face and the snarl on his faltered. “Jo?”

Rek smacked Gopher hard enough across the head, catching the male unaware, Gopher wobbled where he stood. Recovering quickly, it turned into an odd slap fight I wasn’t fully awake enough for.

“Oh my god, would you two girls stop?! I’m not mated to either one of you!” I bellowed, jerking my purse over my shoulder to storm out of Rek’s hut.

Their slap ya upside the head fight turned into a wrestling match of a tussle.

As the bright light from outside hit me as I stepped out, threatening to blind me, I got a good look around, noting the crowd of large males gathered, and several things registered at once, Rek’s words chief amongst them. “How long was I out?” Gaping at the madness around me as Booger tried to rip Gopher away from Rek before he killed him and Rek and Gopher both snapped and snarled at Booger until the Boogster backed off, I knew there was only one way to break this shit up and it might not be pretty.

Letting out a loud whistle, I made to rush into the fray as they swapped back and forth from English to Lo denaii to insult each other, and Gopher went so far as to throw in a third language I was struggling to make out, thick arms banded around me, lifting me clean up and out into the air, a barked, “No!” rumbling my back.

I didn’t recognize that deep, gravelly voice, not of anyone I’d allow to manhandle me in such a fashion.

A panicked scream left me as I found myself relocated, held up and out of the way, just outside the circle of males closing in to try and break Gopher and Rek up.

“I don’t fucking know you! Put me the fuck down! Get your grubby paws off of me! That’s my purse!” I howled, kicking, slapping, and punching blindly at the beast at my back, pinning me to an unrepentant wall of hot steel.

When the idiot pinning me growled, the sound deep and low, vibrating my back, and dared to lean in and get a quick sniff of me, I swear to Bob, because God had no place in the devil’s work, I lost my everloving mind.

Knowing better than to bite down by now, I went wild, clawing wildly, screaming, kicking up a fuss. My shirt had ridden up, pants slipping and twisting, jacket sliding off my back. If I could unpin my purse, I’d dig out my good nail file and get stab happy.

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