Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Not good enough, evidently, because he turned to Nicholas and frowned. “We must find a Dominant partner who will keep our human friend Theo healthy.”
Because I couldn’t be trusted to breathe on my own.
Great.
“I agree.” Nicholas took one of Larry’s smaller limbs in his hand and smiled at his Dom. “Let’s start mingling and find someone he likes.”
“Yes.” Nodding, Larry studied the room. “We have attracted attention and appreciative reactions to our human, but I do not sense any potential mate bonds forming yet.”
Huh?
I really should’ve asked more questions.
Oh, more tentacles.
“Let us walk.” Keeping a tight hold on Nicholas and a light touch on my back, Larry moved us toward the back of the restaurant where more people were mingling.
When they’d said they’d rented out the restaurant, I’d assumed they’d been talking about renting out a back room or something. No. They’d taken over the place and that was probably a good idea because there had to be at least a hundred people of both species milling around.
A lot of them were clearly mates based on the amount of touching and hand-holding going on, but there were a startling number of single people. Thankfully, the wide-eyed humans and the clearly curious aliens were easy to spot and made it obvious who was unattached.
It wasn’t until I had a second to think that I realized knowing who was single and who was taken made the whole situation a lot less stressful than I was expecting. I wouldn’t have to guess who was single. I wouldn’t have to guess what someone thought of me because everyone like Larry would just flat out tell me.
“Our human friend Theo is highly…confused?” Larry was obviously addressing Nicholas like I was their kid and he needed his mate to explain what their confused teenager was up to.
Hmm.
It might’ve been how he saw me.
Great.
“I think he’s just going to need a moment to take it all in.” Nicholas looked like he squeezed his mate’s limb. “There are a lot of Doms here and a lot of people that are his type. So, yeah, he’s slightly overwhelmed and thinking about a lot of different topics at the moment.”
Understatement of the year…on all counts.
“I don’t just like tentacles. I want to know the person they’re attached to as well.” I knew the moment the words came out they’d been too loud because about a quarter of the room smiled and waved a tentacle in my direction.
As I hoped to just die right there, several subs around me giggled and moved to hide behind who’d ever brought them…probably to prevent them from saying something equally as stupid.
Nicholas gave a wicked grin. “At least now we know we don’t have to explain that tentacles won’t be a turn-off.”
Someone just needed to shoot me and put me out of my misery.
I was too impulsive to be in a restaurant full of Doms.
Shit.
Nicholas was my ride.
Clamping my lips shut, I tried to take a subtle deep breath and stop radiating so much ridiculousness.
I was calm.
I was relaxed.
I was peaceful.
I could be a functional human in public.
I just had to focus and not say whatever came to my mind. It would be hard but I could do it because I did it at work on an almost daily basis. I’d be polite and professional and then I’d go home and take a nap.
Repeating the words over and over…especially about being polite and professional…I followed Nicholas and Larry through the restaurant, smiling when they pointed out people that they knew.
I was polite.
I was relaxed.
I was quiet and didn’t say anything stupid.
Somehow that was a challenge to the universe, though, and it decided to test me.
A younger-looking alien came up and gave a polite nod toward Nicholas and Larry before turning his gaze to me. “I must ask if you are above the legal age for physical pleasures.”
Shit.
I didn’t have enough self-restraint for this.
Chapter 2
I stood there dumbfoundedly for just a bit too long, so Larry decided to step in. “That is not a conventional greeting.”
Damn right.
“Stature and even facial hair do not designate age.” The alien gave a liquidy shrug and his features pulled into what I knew was a confused and slightly frustrated expression. “I have been approached by several for the purposes of mating who are not of legal age.”
Oh.
Horny teens.
Got it.
“It is understandable, but you must research more appropriate ways to gain that information from potential human partners before you are ready to be a caretaker.” Larry gestured toward the door in an I don’t make the rules kind of way. “Please come back when you have practiced more social interactions.”
The new guy didn’t seem to find it offensive because he sighed. “I must agree. I shall look for ways to interact with more humans.”
As the guy walked off, Nicholas rolled his eyes. “He clearly doesn’t work with enough humans.”