Page 44 of Bride of Choice

“Looky, buddy, I’ll crawl if I have to, but I refuse to just sit here like an idiot while you, ya know, rumble at me and stuff,” I burst out irrationally.

“Where we go?” he rumbled out softly, sounding more down to business and formal. That’s right, bitch, Lo denaii only mate one. Remember that, asshole.

“You mean you don’t know?” I quipped sweetly.

With another snort, he was more careful of me this time as he picked up his pace. “Seriously… where are we going?” I asked finally.

When he garbled something out in his native tongue, I knew it was intentional.

“Don’t- Don’t take me somewhere everyone will be all up in my business. It’s no one’s but my own.” My arms crossed over my chest and I fiddled with the zipper of my jacket nervously.

“Dust,” he said simply as he walked us to the side of a very large hut, structure or something of some kind to carefully set me down. Rifling through his belt, he produced a small pouch of that coveted smelly stuff and handed it over.

“They’ll know… if I take a bath there, wherever we’re going,” I pointed out.

With a grunt, he scooped me back up and started off in a different direction.

“Where are we going now?” I muttered incredulously.

“Bathe,” he said simply.

With him? “By myself, otherwise fucking forget it,” I barked at him.

His laughter did nothing to assuage the jitters riding me.

“Bathe. No fuck,” he agreed on a laugh.

“Smartass,” I muttered. Maybe this was his way and he meant absolutely nothing by it? Maybe I was reading into things too much? Not everyone wants your honey hole, woman, I chastised myself. My cheeks heated at my ridiculous inner dialogue. “Your mate must be a very tolerant woman,” I said finally. I knew I wouldn’t be okay with a flirty husband, friendly and harmless with it or not. “You’re about as annoying as I am,” I huffed and puffed at him, even as my lips twitched. Why did I always admire the assholes? I’m seriously cursed with shit taste.

“Jes,” he said succinctly, and left it at that.

Yes, indeed.

“I’m bathing alone, just so it’s been said. You’re giving me mixed vibes and I don’t tangle with mated dudes,” I muttered primly.

“‘Lone. Jes.”

“Just me. No one else,” I stressed. “Not even you.”

“‘Lone,” he repeated.

Waffling on trusting him, I remained stiff in his arms, biting at my lip as I was forced to see what kooky plan he had in mind for me to bathe alone.

He was helping me, he claimed. If I took him at face value, then he really intended to help a gal out.

Whatever his deal was, hopefully it was on the up and up. It was far better than risking blowing the lid on my extracurricular activities, having it all dumped out there, fodder for flappin’ gums amongst the villagers. Lord, if this all got out… I didn’t even want to think about it.

Forced matings on either side were so not gonna happen.

Was I sad I was the resident fuck and dump? For reals, so hard, yes, without question, but it was a thousand times better than being stuck in an unhappy mating/marriage.

With those depressing thoughts dogging me, I sat in my feelings, stewing over the shit show that is my life, while I was toted off to bathe, if he was to be taken at face value.

Chapter 8

This is kinda genius, I had to admit, trying not to squirm at the memory of those thick hands holding onto my waist until I was sure I wasn’t going to drop down into the dark pool of water he’d taken me to. He was married, after all!

A quick glance over my shoulder assuring me those dark, blue-grey eyes with a hint of bright blue, so dark and deep it was startling, were still turned away from me, his back to me, and hopefully squeezed shut tight just like he’d promised, I rapidly scrubbed at my skin until it was pink.

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