Page 340 of Bride of Choice

It’s going to be fine, I told myself. It will all be fine. Everything is going to all work out.

Chapter 43

Things were… I had no idea how to gauge things, to be honest. Buu was the best platonic boyfriend in the world. He was caring, attentive, kind, sweet as can be. It was like fate had mated me to Gopher’s cosmic twinsy. I had no other way to describe it.

However, at night we slept in the same cave room but different sleeping pelts. He never made a move on me, not one. It was forehead nuzzles and cuddles galore when we talked, in abundance, but bed time was a quick nuzzle good night and he was toodaloo-ing to his sleeping pelts.

Had I been friendzoned by my new mate and I was too stupid to realize it?

If I smiled, he took it for what it was if a human made the gesture, no more slip ups like before. I was almost sorry he so easily remembered himself.

Trying to broach the subject with him made me feel queasy and uneasy, like I was being a totally unreasonable asshole about all of this. I couldn’t blame him if he was feeling a mite put out about this whole thing. My alienness to him was probably as intimidating as his alienness to me was feeling.

What else could I do or not do to incite something?

Afraid to hurt his feelings, understanding just how sensitive he could be, I held my tongue and hoped for some sort of magical, mystical intervention that had yet to come. I had to question how healthy tip toeing around like this with him was.

Weeks had passed and the entrance was not only snowed in, it was now iced over. As iced over as things felt with Buu in the pelt sack.

We were heading into months territory with this shit from the looks of it. My heart ached to think of the villagers looking for me, or god forbid assuming I just fucking up and ditched them like an asshole, my gut gnawed at me with worry over it all. My mates. I missed them all so damn much. Did they miss me? Were they as freaked out about all of this and out of their skulls worried? How the hell was I going to get back to them?!

And, bonus, morning sickness had hit me full force with no sign of letting up.

Hm. Maybe that was it? No sexy times because I’m a nasty, puking mess and he can smell it times a thousand?

Damn. I wouldn’t want a piece of me either. Barf.

“Joalee?” Buu called out.

By the time I’d set down the fruit I was peeling for next meal and stood, he’d already hunted me down.

“Sick?” His eyes darted about my person worriedly. “Foods come up? Needs water? Make eeuck sound.”

My eyes widened. We could add super hearing to his list of crazy shit he could do. “I was thinking to myself and made an ugh sound. Sorry.”

“Joalee ‘kay?” he grunted out, moving in closer to examine me.

“I’m okay. So is bump,” I assured him. My hands smoothed over my belly. I couldn’t wait for a little bump to start showing. With no baby name in mind yet, Bump became a sort of stand in name.

Moving in for a hug, he nuzzled the top of my head and his arms wrapped around me. One of his hands slid to my belly and his fingers spread out, fanning over it. Ugh. Best snuggler ever.

Lifting my head, I smiled up at him as he pulled back to meet my gaze. “I want to try something,” I told him.

Studying my face closely, curiosity piquing, he nodded.

“You have to bring your mouth closer to mine,” I murmured. I’d never been so glad for the foul tasting stuff he uses for mouth wash than I was right now.

“What do?” he asked. His throat began to work as he bent and dipped down closer.

“I want to press my mouth to yours, to kiss.”

“Kiss,” he whispered. He moved in so close our noses bumped and I had to urge him to back up a smidge to angle my face better for this.

Cupping his face, I steered his face back down to meet mine, smiling happily when he complied. Bumping his nose with mine in an Eskimo kiss, an action that had his clicking purr rattling to life, I leaned in then and placed my lips over his.

His clicking purr gurgled to a stop, stuttered, then revved up so loud it had me smiling against his mouth.

When I pulled back, I grinned up at him.

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