Page 257 of Bride of Choice

“What about Khri?” My shoulder lifted in a half shrug.

The small, teasing lilt of Celuk’s mouth spread into a wide smile. “No one go for leetle Khri-topher?”

“Leetle Khri-topher is a big butthead now. Just like his uncle.” Sticking my tongue out at him, I then turned with an expert hair flip. “You’re so worried about him, you go and see to him.”

“‘Kay.”

Before I knew what was what, Celuk was right up on me, curling me into his side, his hand automatically going to the small of my back like it was the most natural thing in the world, to gently place pressure on the spot, urging me on.

Rek barked something at him in Lo denaii that had Kirch and Veck dying laughing. Veck’s sparring match with Bum-bum had come to a complete halt.

“Wait just a minute here! I didn’t mean- That isn’t-” I sputtered as the pushy pants beside me led me down the path leading back to Dorothy’s.

“Come. We go,” Celuk bossed. “For leetle Khri, you Mal, Boog, and babies.”

“When did you get to be such a dictator?” I grumbled at him.

“Since Jo say leetle Khri need him’s Uncle Celuk,” he grunted out while I tried to ignore the feel of the warmth of his hand at my back and the way he made me feel.

“I didn’t agree to this,” I argued.

Leaning in near my ear, he rumbled out in a silky soft whisper, “Jo slow down, have to walk with you Kooky, Rek, Gopher, and Jo’s Odix. That what Jo wants?”

The look on his face said he knew I didn’t.

“You’re not my Kooky,” I muttered petulantly, with a sniff.

“No?” The hand at the small of my back slid to my hip and would have tightened if I didn’t quickly slip free first with a glare aimed in his direction.

“What other yarns you got to spin for me?” I sniped waspishly.

Face perfectly impassive, he let out a soft grunt, nothing more, as he pulled his hand back for it to fall to his side as we walked. I didn’t miss the way he kept flexing his fingers, like he was fighting the urge to either grab me up and shut me up about that nonsense, or straight up strangle me.

Odix’s loud grumbles pricked my ears, alerting me I needed to pick up the pace.

For someone who didn’t like the current status of my sitch, I sure was being a big ol’ chicken shit about confronting it all head on.

Avoidance for two hundred, please and thank you!

Chapter 31

It was in fact, false labor pains, those Braxton thingies, and possibly gas as well, to top it all off, to Mal’s total embarrassment.

Rosa and I hung around with her until she started to yawn like crazy, Boog and Khri hovering by her side. Noyel tagged along with Rosa once the kids were settled with Zhuii and Tokre back at their place.

Boog and Khri were adorable with Mal.

It has been a ridiculously long day and I was one hundred percent feeling it.

As we stepped out and Noyel closed the door, Rosa turned to me at the last moment to say something when a dark figure emerged from the shadows beside Noyel.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, mouth opening to warn him, but Noyel already saw it coming.

“Too old to scare.” Noyel’s voice was just shy of a singsong.

“No try scare Noyel,” Gopher rumbled from the shadows.

“What the hell is that for?!” I burst out, pointing to the fat axe in Gopher’s hands.

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