Page 60 of How to Rescue Your Surprise Baby

“I know that now.”

Mav wet his lips; Telos couldn’t help looking at his mouth, the way his lips glistened. Then he glanced up, wincing when he realized Mav had caught him staring.

Hesitantly, in a way Telos had never heard from him before, Mav asked, “You’ve felt the same way about me for almost three hundred years?”

Telos gave a half-shrug.

“What does that mean?” Mav asked.

“It means that’s not information you’re privy to right now.”

“Okay. Okay,” Mav breathed, taking a step back. “I’m sorry about everything.”

“I don’t want you to do anything with me, just because you feelsorry,” Telos hissed.

Mav shook his head. He swept his gaze down Telos’ body and back up, slow and appreciative, finally meeting Telos’ eyes. “None of what we did last night was because I felt sorry.”

Telos’ breath hitched. “Well, okay.”

“Let me—” Mav licked his lips, stepping closer. “Let me get to know you. Properly.”

Before Telos could ask how, Mav caught his hips, pressing him up against the wall. Telos’ reality narrowed down to the two of them, Mav’s mouth on his neck, Telos’ heart thundering in his chest.

“You’re not stupid,” Mav murmured.

“You don’t have to try to make me feel better.”

“No. You’re really not stupid. You got us all the intel we need on the hideout. You’ve always made good points when there’s a rescue we need to stage. You know when to shut up.”

Telos felt a little mollified. “Does that mean you secretly like my pterodactyl form?”

Mav pulled back, eyebrows drawn low. “No.”

“C’mon, you’re a big, scaly reptile with wings. What’s the difference between that and a pterodactyl?”

“Well, I’m not ancient history.”

“You onlychooseto make dinosaurs ancient history. I’m very much alive in my dino forms!” Telos puffed out his chest.

Mav’s mouth twitched. “Yes, but there are no actual dinosaurs alive right now.”

“Technicalities. Dinosaurs ruled the world millions of years ago.”

“And are completely irrelevant today.”

“Says you,” Telos muttered, shoving at Mav’s warm, solid chest. “Docgave me a dino bag. It’s covered in all kinds of dinosaurs, and it has a huge pterodactyl face on the front of it.”

At that, Mav narrowed his eyes. “Why didDocget you a bag?”

“Why can’t he? He said it reminded him of me.” Telos sniffed. “I put it in the middle of my mantle; it’s perfect. No one else gives me dino things just because they remind them of me.”

Mav growled. Something came through their connection, something sour and...

“Are you jealous?” Telos blurted, surprised.

Mav looked away and shrugged. But he was frowning, and... maybe he actually wanted a chance with Telos. “I’ll get you something.”

Telos’ heart skipped. He pretended to be indifferent. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

---