Page 201 of Bride of Choice

In fact, truth be told, I was a lil worried about walking around with residual arousal from this hounding me. The lady blue balls— blue lips?— whatever— it was so a thing.

Swinging our hands between us, I waggled my eyebrows at him. “I believe you have somewhere to be and a lady to drop off in the village.”

“No want go.” He blinked at his admission, a myriad of emotions projecting.

Surprise, confusion, wonder at the very idea Mr. Hunter did not in fact want to go play wild woodsman, frustration because he so still had to go, elation every time he stole a peek down at me, amusement that I was still swinging our hands back and forth and grinning up at him like a fool, all giving way to worry, until his brow was creased into a scowl.

“You’ll go hunt and do hunting things, and I’ll hang at the village and keep my bullshit to a minimum, and then when you get back we’ll snuggle the fuck out of each other in bed, back home, comfy cozy.” Swinging our hands a little higher, I broke my hold. Glancing over my shoulder at him as I sashayed my round little ass away, I tossed him an overdone wink. “They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“No,” he grunted out, adjusting his erection as he quietly stalked after me, all the up to the sled to help me inside.

I laughed at the vehemence in his tone, the certainty in his voice. Staring at the sled questioningly, I noticed the seat was more of a bench now, and higher. Was it always that shiny looking? He’d upgraded it.

Kooky followed me right in, quickly slipping in, all slick and Mr. Smooth, plopping down to spin me around and jerk me down next to him, half on, half off his lap.

A happy rumble mixed with a purr left him as he wrapped an arm around me and picked up Baby’s reins.

“This is nice,” I complimented, snuggling down a little deeper into him, until my ass was flat to the bench beside him. Half on, half off, was not a very comfortable way to travel, even if it did put me that much closer to fully sitting in his lap.

Slow. He needs to go slow.

My gaze darted around as Kooky gave the signal to Baby and she took off.

“So… when do I get to learn to drive?” The hopeful look in my eyes died when he laughed.

Ugh. Males. Spoilsport.

Wrapping his arms around me tighter, curling me in closer, he held the reins out to me.

My smile said it all, making him once more laugh.

“Instructions!” I called over the wind. “That’s my Baby pulling this sleigh! I have zero desire to put us in a ditch!”

“Follow path. Tell Baby go like this,” he explained, taking the time to show me exactly what to do, and then what not to do, holding me in his arms all the while.

Too worried about not crashing this thing to even dare, I resisted the temptation to steal peeks at him, but I could hear the smile in his voice all the same.

By the time we’d reached Dorothy’s, I jokingly bragged about my expert sleigh guiding skills. Honestly, I was bummed despite the ride, knowing that when it ended that meant Kooky would be running off to catch up to the others.

Not liking the idea of him rushing off all by his lonesome to a big-party hunt far enough out there as it was, I did my best not to keep him.

“No more lollygaggin’, monster bait. Let’s get this show on the road,” I insisted, taking his hand again in mine and swinging it between us as he walked me to my hut.

Dorothy stood on her porch watching us go, grinning from ear to ear, hushing Lukar as he popped out along with her, leaning over the railing making silly comments about the loves, teasing his brother.

“You’ll be safe,” I muttered as we walked. He was content to walk along with me, listening to my endless stream of jibber jabber about everything and nothing. Stealing my millionth peek at him, I cleared my throat and mumbled, “You’ll look after Gopher for me, huh?”

Kooky glanced down at me, a small smile tipping his lips. “No want you Kooky watch Odix? Rek…?”

“Odix can look after himself.” I knew that for a fact. “He’s the griz of Yetidom. You two could probably team up and take down a herd of those stink monster things if you wanted to.”

Kooky grinned at that.

His gentle nudge-bump with his arm to mine told me I hadn’t completely answered his inquiry to his satisfaction.

“Rek’s a big boy,” I muttered under my breath.

“‘Kay,” he said with a shrug, like that was that.

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