Page 227 of Bride of Choice

“That not Rek name,” he interrupted, zipping it quickly when I gave him a stern look.

“Don’t interrupt me, Rektal- I’m being crazy impulsive and there’s no one smarter than me to stop me here.”

“Joanie already mated Rek. Rek bite Joanie, give Joanie pelt-”

“Oi. You want a fucking proposal or not, asshole? Work with me here.” Hands slapping to my hips, tapping my foot hastily, I gave him a look.

“Yes.” Rek grabbed me up, his lips crashing down on mine as he crushed me to him.

“Well, quit kissing me then so I can ask you properly,” I got out between hungry smooches.

Pausing briefly, frowning, he pulled back, plopped me onto my feet, and muttered, “Rek says, yes. Now it Rek’s turn.”

Taking the necklace from me, he shoved it down over his head, then grabbed something from his pouch and thrust it at me in much the same manner as he had that pink flower a few weeks ago.

Grabbing my hand, he shoved something on my middle finger. Holding my hand up to the moonlight, I made out a small, dark stone and several shiny small green and yellow ones.

“Now Jo mine for the evers,” he rumbled happily as he released my hand. Grinning down at me, shoving his fingers into the back of my hair, clutching me to him tight, he took my lips in a hard, too short for my liking, panty wetting kiss.

“We’re engaged-” I breathed.

“Mated,” he cut in quickly.

“I fail to see how,” I tutted, holding his hand after he set me down and guided me along the path.

“Jo say, Rek mine. Rek says, yes. Rek say, Joanie mine. Joanie wears Rek ring. Rek’s pelt. Rek Joanie’s. Joanie Rek’s.”

“So it’s that easy, huh?” It was Vegas wedding style impulsive, and probably the dumbest thing I’ve done to date, all things considered, but when everything felt like it was coming crashing down around me, he was there, a solid, mindful presence when I needed him.

“Yes. That easy.”

“Alright. Let’s say I go along with all of this. I’m not exactly ready to go shouting it from the roof tops. We’ve dug ourselves a little hole with our combined bullshit and I honestly can’t handle even a pinch more right now. Now what?”

“Rek take Joanie home,” he purred, his voice deepening as he spoke.

“Mmhm. And then?” I prompted.

Bringing our joined hands to his lips, he kissed my knuckles. “Then Joanie takes bath in Jojomine’s tub.”

Not expecting that one, my lips parted and I started to respond, to stop, then start and stop again. “Why?” I settled on finally.

“Rek make tub room for Jojomine. Want Joanie happy. Rek make house bigger so Joanie want stay. Baths make my Jojo happy. My Jojo takes lots of baths at home.”

My eyes widened. “I just said that shit to piss you off because you were being an asshole.”

“Rek is assed hole,” he corrected. A spark of humor lit his eyes and his purr cranked up. “Rek Joanie assed hole.”

Say what?

“You sure you haven’t been eating any weird mushrooms or anything lately?” I blurted, leaning away from him to gesture at his person.

Rek sighed, tired of my incessant line of questioning at this point. Bending, he tossed me over his shoulder, then slapped a hand to my ass. “Rek same Rek now?” he purred, adjusting my basket over his arm, then rubbing his hand up and down the inside of my thigh.

“Rek!” I squawked, slapping at his back. “What the hell?!”

The fool turned his face to press a kiss to my snow pants covered hip, reached up to squeeze my ass as I pummeled his back, and kept walking.

We didn’t get around to much once we got to Rek’s and he left me be for two minutes with the promise of warm tea while I slipped into Rek’s oversized tub. In fact, I fell asleep in the giant metal tub almost instantly, waking when Rek jargled my shoulder to wake me, helped me out to wrap a towel around me, helped me dry my hair, and carted me off to his bed, where he snuggled me to death and, according to him, I snored like a lumberjack.

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