Page 25 of First Comes Orc, Second Comes Baby
“Well, I was planning on arranging something for the end of the week,” Charlotte said. “Work is hectic right now, you know. We just began rehearsals for a new ballet.”
Snowkiss yipped. Charlotte loosened her vice like grip.
“Of course, you and Mr. Stonefist share similar work ethics. But don't forget to take time out for your personal lives.”
“No, of course not. I mean, of course I agree.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line and Charlotte wondered if Matchmaker saw through her.
Her unreasonable attraction.
Her sense of overwhelm.
Her panic that,“Oh what the hell have I done?”was colliding with“Shit, what the hell am I doing?”But the reasons she'd given Brahnt for leaving abruptly yesterday morning were still true. Charlotte didn't trust herself. She needed time to make sure this was a good decision.
“Is there anything else you'd like to share? Remember, our aim is to make MillionOrc Matchmakers a safe space and to be known as the agency which successfully pairs the most Orc/Human couples in healthy committed relationships.”
“No, that’s everything. I’ll stay in touch.”
“So will I.”
Why did that sound like a threat?
“Tell me again what the real problem is?” her twin asked once Charlotte disconnected the interrogation.
Charlotte hemmed and hawed.
Why had Brahnt had to mention marriage and babies and all of that right away?
She really needed to protect herself this time.
Boundaries.
“It was just all going too fast.”
This was the sign of growth, wasn't it? That she wasn't jumping headfirst into a lake of hot mess, heavy on the hot?
Caro took some time to think, nodding slowly. “I mean, I'm glad you've developed an internal braking system. Finally. But I don't think you were meant to do a complete three sixty. If he treated you well, he's offering monogamy, and you like him, why are you running away? He hasn’t even had a chance to love bomb you yet. He can’t future fake when the whole premise of the agency is for them to marry.”
It didn't feel like progress. So far Brahnt had ticked all the right boxes, said all the right things. He hadn't been too aggressive—in fact, oddly enough, it had felt like Brahnt had been holding back all evening.
Two years ago, before Charlotte had begun therapy, she would have been all over him like orange on chicken. Now she couldn't wait to get out the door, and she recognized there was no legitimate reason why.
She was self-sabotaging.
The perfect guy wanted a commitment, and Charlotte couldn't handle it.
Snowkiss seemed to agree, because she stretched, standing up to place her paws on Charlotte's shoulders, and licked her cheek, then settled back down after turning a half circle in her lap. She was an adorable little lapdog, but nonetheless, Charlotte wiped the puppy kiss off with the back of her hand.
She knew exactly where Snowkiss's tongue had been just an hour ago.
Which kind of made her a hypocrite, because she’d accepted kisses from Brahnt after knowing wherehistongue had been.
But Charlotte wasn't trying to think about that right now.
“I'm not going to do the clichéd thing and push away the perfect guy for me,” Charlotte said. “But I am going to take time to think and make sure this is the right situation to get into. I wasn't expecting to go on a first date and come home with a proposal to move in.”
Or, shit, a baby, but she wasn’t about to tell Caro about the whole“Oopsies, look Ma, no condom”thing. Or that she’d finally gotten so sick of the side effects from her hormonal birth control that she’d just stopped taking it—she’d been celibate for two years. Why torture her body when she was celibate?
