Page 46 of Santa Has Tentacles

Laughing might not have been the right response but it was all I had.

Saint shook his head and went back to pretending to be a frustrated human as he slipped on what were thankfully brand-new boxer briefs. “Thorough online research and conversations with people calledworking girlshelped establish factual information about human sexuality, however.”

Still wasn’t a laughing matter but he wasn’t helping the situation.

“Research has allowed several of our people to become established in the human pornographic entertainment industry.” He seemed really proud about that which had me back to smiling, but I managed not to laugh that time.

“I’m glad they found a career that they like.” There was no way it was just to pay for law school. When they picked a job, it was because they were passionate about it. “And it’s been very helpful too. Very educational.”

I knew that firsthand.

“It is a career to have pride in.” Sliding the pants over my legs, he lifted me up to finish getting me dressed. “You are right.”

I was also fully clothed.

And I could see why they liked littles so much.

Saint had gone into full caretaker mode and washed and dressed me without wondering if I should be doing it myself. The strength difference might’ve been part of it, but from what I’d read, it was more of a species thing.

As he put my shoes on and used his nubs to comb my hair, I couldn’t help going back to a conversation I’d read in a book a few months ago. I couldn’t remember which one it’d been in…I’d been reading way too much for that…but the alien Dom had said that in their society, if one of them submitted to another it was completely.

Like full-on total dependence.

Yep, dressing me was not something he was ever going to second-guess.

And I was probably really lucky he understood he couldn’t carry me around in public.

Yeah, the first human sub they’d met had probably explained it fairly quickly, but I had a feeling romance novels had been really good at helping them see some of the more reasonable limits on human relationships. Like not carrying us around everywhere, penises needing downtime, and that we needed to be walked and fed on a regular basis.

Thank goodness for dirty books.

Chapter 14

Colby

“Improper asset management must be addressed.” Saint’s frown made it clear he was frustrated but it took me a few seconds and a sigh to figure out he didn’t like their selection of books.

“I don’t think we’re in the right section.” The regular contemporary romance section was not where they were shelving the books we wanted to read.

And I was very certain about that because we’d been looking through it for almost ten minutes. We’d managed to find a few romances with his people as best friends and sidekicks for silly adventures but nothing like what we wanted to read. “Maybe we need to go to sci-fi?”

Saint scoffed and waved several tentacles at the row of books we’d been browsing. “I am a here and now alien. Not an away alien.”

Was that the defining factor?

“The last time I was in here I wasn’t looking for romance novels, so I’m not sure if this is a change or not.” I’d actually gone in for coffee and a boardgame that was my work Secret Santa gift. I’d gotten a box of cookies…and still couldn’t decide if I was upset by that or not. “I usually buy them online, even the physical copies, since they have a wider selection.”

That made Saint’s entire body twitch and I had to look away so I wouldn’t smile. “Books are to be caressed.”

The way he was running one of his smaller tentacles along all the spines he could reach said he meant that just as literally as it’d come out.

Part of it seemed to be his way of dragging his feet…well, wasting time because he was offended at the possibility of being a far and away alien. He’d been walking much faster toward the romance section when we’d been aiming for contemporary romance where most of the kinky fun stuff was mixed in.

I thought we were making progress when we finally turned the corner down the next aisle and walked past the paranormal books, but that went fucked up even faster.

“I am not ashifter, my Colby.” Huffing, he picked up a book that had a clear picture of someone like him on the cover but he seemed to be mid-shift into a human. It was actually a really well-done cover, but to say Saint was shocked would’ve been a massive understatement.

“I am notthat.” Pulling his drama back as well as his tentacles, he shook his head and sighed. “Human imaginations.”

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