Page 56 of Bride of Choice

“It’s pee?” Well, now didn’t I feel stupid.

“Pee,” he repeated, grunting and pointing.

“Toddlers do that too, ya know,” I pointed out, to a hand gently pressing to my face to urge me all the way into the bathroom.

When he’d cleared me for the door, he began to scoot back. That blue-grey gaze never left mind as I glared at him through the peeks in his fingers.

When his hand finally lifted, I just stood there and stared, ready to let loose on him and his manhandling shenanigans, I’ll pee when I damn well please, thank you very much. I took one step towards him, mouth opening, ready to let loose on him, but he reached in, ignoring my screech as he moved fast, nudging me hard enough to make me plop down onto that clay red looking throne, clothes and all, to shut the bathroom door behind him.

“Bossy... pushy ass! I’m not afraid of you, mister!” I shouted after him as I struggled to dethrone. Smooth, Joans. Super smooth. Good god, I’m lame sometimes. In my defense, my brain was pudding. The sharp bark of laughter that proceeded my stupidity from the other side of the door was like the icing on the embarrass the fuck out of me cake.

Getting situated on the commode for real this time, I muttered as I cupped my chin in my hands, “Fuck my life.”

Chapter 10

Hiding out in Dorothy’s guest room was not a viable option, not for as long as I’d like. It had worked well enough to chill in the bathroom until Kooky had quit the room but that was about it.

Ugh. Argh. That male. He had this weirdly calming presence. I wanted to be annoyed with him when he did stupid beast man, pushy things, and yet I somehow ended up amused or laughing, each and every time. What was wrong with me?!!

Rek has SO broken my brain. I’ve decided to put it all on him, because he deserves no less. Ha! ALL his fault.

“Thought I’d bring supper to you.” Dorothy popped in with a plate for me and the promise of tea.

“I’m sorry, you know, for showing my ass at the table.” Gesturing vaguely out the door, I grimaced. She was going above and beyond in ways most of my family, Rosie not included, never would have. And I’d opened my mouth and let it fly.

Dorothy blinked as she set my plate down on the nightstand. “Do you mean Dougie, or the trouble with your fella?”

She smiled and came to sit beside me when I froze, stiffening, and stared down at my hand where it was smoothing over my Mystery Mate’s pelt. “If he even is my fella.”

“He’s your fella.” A soft laugh left her. “Never seen him so keyed up like that, to tell you the truth. Normally such a calm, cool beast. You have that boy in knots!”

My lips tipped up a little to hear that, but then fell just as quickly. “I’d like to believe that the knots he’s tied up in are the good kind.” My shoulders lifted in a half shrug and I sighed tiredly. “I don’t know anymore…”

“You came in with that.” Her hand lifted to point at the fur under my hand. “Never seen one quite like it, pinkish orange hues in the right lighting. It’s rare. This is merely a patch from the belly of the beast it comes from, to hear the boys gabbing it up about it. Is it from him? Never heard of him felling one but it could have been on a large hunt far out with his fathers.” She didn’t reach out to touch it, which was nice because I was feeling a mite possessive and touchy, even more so after the pain tea and paste wore off.

“It’s from a him, but I don’t, uh- He’s like-” Trying to choose my words carefully, praying she wasn’t about to repeat any of this to anyone, I got one look at the twinkling in her eyes like she had some kind of insight she wasn’t going to share with me today, and I bit the inside of my cheek and clammed up. “No. Not from him. From someone else,” I settled on, hoping she left it at that.

“Does Rek know?” she asked bluntly.

“Excuse me?” Yep, that was my voice all tight and squeaky high. My head whipped up to gape at her.

The half smile, forced back grimace on her face was more understanding than the rocks-in-my-gut-tumbling feeling in response would like to think.

Her hand lifted and she looked like she was about to place hers over mine, aborting the idea at the last moment at the look on my face. “Sweetie, he’s your tail. Folks around here are pretty quick to pick up on things like that.”

“No one’s said anything,” I blurted, frowning her way.

Her smile slipped into a grin. “Don’t see a reason to. Why ruin a male’s hunt?”

“He wishes he was hunting me,” I replied with a sniff. “He’s a busybody, bossy pain in my ass, is what he is.”

Dorothy burst out laughing, slap your knee, throw your head back kind of fun. Going for it and cupping her hand over mine in a comforting gesture, she held it for a minute before letting go. “And don’t you let him forget it.”

“Was it like this for you?” I asked her, watching her as she made her way to the door.

“Like what?” Leaning against the door jamb, she crossed her arms over her chest in a casual pose.

“Impossible. Ridiculous. Complicated.” With a groan, I scrubbed at my face.

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