Page 25 of Gentle Giant

Brutus smiled. “I knew you liked my butt.” He nuzzled his nose in my hair again. “I like yours as well, though I am eager to see what it looks like when you aren’t wearing clothes.”

My face heated as I glared at Candy, who was silently giggling as she clasped a hand over her mouth. “I hope you’re having fun,” I said to her. “If it’s not too much trouble, maybe you can do me a favor and…” My voice trailed off. I’d planned to ask her to contact the authorities or perhaps my parents, the latter of whom could probably afford a professional rescue team… if they could find someone willing. But I hesitated. “Never mind,” I added quickly, hoping I wasn’t the biggest fool in the universe.

“Can Montikaans impregnate humans?” Candy blurted.

Brutus frowned. “I am not certain as I have never heard of it happening before, however, the Great Spirit led me to Hailey, and I don’t think I would crave the use of her mating hole if we weren’t able to produce offspring together.”

“Could you please stop saying ‘mating hole’ in front of my friend?” I whispered, hoping Candy wouldn’t hear.

“Pussy,” he corrected in much too loud a voice. “I ache to mate with you, Hailey, and it is my hope that we will indeed have children one day. I long to see your stomach swelling with our first child.”

“Awwww,” Candy said again. “You guys are seriously the cutest couple ever.” She emitted a dreamy sigh. “Isn’t this perfect? I’m happily mated to a Vaxxlian warrior, and you’ll soon be mating with a Montikaan.”

“I-I can’t just disappear from society and live in the middle of nowhere, Candy,” I said. “If I mate with Brutus, I’ll never get to visit my parents again, or my cousins and friends. And I would never get to visit you on New Vaxx.” It felt strange telling her this with Brutus crouched next to me.

“Hailey, my sweet human,” he said, tipping my face toward him with a finger beneath my chin, “I do not like the thoughtof you leaving the mountainside, and I do not want outsiders visiting our blessed cavern, even if they are your family and friends. The risk of them revealing our location to others is too great. However, I believe we might reach a compromise.”

“What kind of a compromise?” Was I actually negotiating with Brutus? Was I considering mating with him? It felt like I was, and my pulse quickened as my heart swelled with affection for the sexy muscular Sasquatch at my side. I thought of the dreams again, the dreams I still hadn’t told him or Candy about. Was it possible we were truly meant to be together?

“I’ve seen a device like this one in the abandoned cabin near the cavern,” he said with a gesture at the video comm. “You could use it to speak with your family and friends, and when you wish to visit with them in person, you could invite them to meet you in the nearest human town. I could escort you there and remain hidden during your visit.”

Huh. That actually might work.

“Well, sounds like you two lovebirds have a plan,” Candy said with a triumphant grin.

I gulped past the dryness in my throat as I looked at Brutus. Temptation swept through me, and the aching between my thighs pulsed hotter, because I was entertaining deliciously graphic mental images of our first mating session.

“Hailey?” Brutus placed a finger beneath my chin, forcing me to hold his gaze.

“I will consider your proposal,” I found myself saying, and my heart skipped a beat, “but I would like to get to know you better first. I can’t mate with you just a week after we first met.”

His eyes gleamed with unrestrained joy, and he lifted me into his arms and cradled me to his chest. A growl of pleasure rumbled from him as he rubbed his nose against the crown of my head.

“Well, my work here is done,” Candy said. “Y’all need to get a room. Love you, bestie boo! Call me soon!”

Chapter 17

BRUTUS

A chance.The sweet human had agreed to give me a chance. She’d promised to consider my proposal and wished for us to become better acquainted. My spirits lifted with hope, and I resolved that I would spend every moment of every day with her until she agreed to become mine forever.

I carried her into a small room that contained several places to sit, though none were large enough to accommodate me. So, I settled on a rug, still holding my future mate in my arms. As I embraced her, a heavy rain began to hammer the roof.

“Brutus, I would like to apologize,” she said, meeting my eyes, “for how I’ve treated you the last few days. I was distant and rude to you, while you were nothing but patient and sweet to me. I-I’m sorry.” Her gaze brimmed with sincerity.

I hugged her closer. “I appreciate your apology, Hailey,” I said, “but I am curious—did I do something to upset you? I would like to know what I did that made you unhappy, so I do not repeat the action.”

“There you go,” she said with a small smile, “being the sweetest guy ever again.” She sighed and placed a hand on my chest, drawing her fingers through my fur. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I-I thought it would be easier on both of us if we… remained distant. If we didn’t become too fond of one another. Easier when the time for us to part finally came, I mean. I hope that makes sense.”

“I believe I understand.” I stroked a hand through her hair. “But we will not be parting, sweet human. I still have no intention of letting you go. We are meant to be lifemates. I am certain of it.”

She lifted her eyebrows but didn’t disagree with my statement for once, and she soon settled deeper in my arms, and I basked in the peace that now reigned between us.

“We will spend the night here,” I announced as the rain fell harder.

Her face beautifully flushed, she nodded. “Thank you, Brutus. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to spend the rest of the day trudging through the rain.”

“How would you like to spend the day, sweet human?”

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