Page 30 of First Comes Orc, Second Comes Baby
“So you're low maintenance?”
He said it with such bland irony Charlotte laughed. “I am the opposite of low maintenance. But I'll let you find out the hard way.”
“I'm looking forward to it.” Brahnt took the duffel bag from Charlotte. “Can I carry this for you? I don't want to violate your boundaries.”
Charlotte ignored the sarcasm. Don’t feed the hot troll. Orc. Whatever.
“That's fine.” She took a deep breath, let it out and lifted her chin in the Orc’s direction. Then lowered it, as soon as she realized what she’d done. “There's something else we need to discuss.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Brahnt’s jaw tensed. “Go on.”
“Snowkiss.”
“Oh.” He relaxed, then shrugged. “I have no objections to a dog in the house, if there's no other way to avoid it. But not in the bed, that's my firm rule. You'll have to interview a pet sitter, because taking care of a dog is beyond the scope of duties for my housekeeper.”
“Does she not like dogs? If she does like pets, it makes more sense to offer her a bump in pay or something.” Charlotte dragged the second duffel bag out of her tiny closet and began stuffing it with Snowkiss’s things. “Snowkiss!”
The dog yipped, toenails clicking on the laminate floors as she darted from the small living room into Charlotte’s bedroom.
Charlotte crouched. “We're going to go stay with Brahnt for a few days—”
Brahnt snorted.
“—because he's having an Orc meltdown and we have to be understanding. We’re deciding to choose our battles.”
“Wise,” the Orc murmured. “Though I hesitate to kill your garden of delusions with the weedkiller Reality.”
Charlotte stood, ignored Brahnt, and stuffed Snowkiss into her carry bag and slung it over her chest.
“I hope you’re not allergic,” she said in the tone of a woman who hoped the exact opposite.
“Oh, no worries,” Brahnt said. “I like having cute little pouty creatures around. Especially after we’ve established who’s dominant, and who’s not.”
“You’d never get away saying something like that to an Orc female.”
His eyes widened. He cleared his throat. She watched in interest as he made himself not beg her to keep his behavior to herself. She patted his shoulder and left the room, letting him trail behind her.
Charlotte locked up, and they made a short trip out of the building to Brahnt's car, double parked on the street. But she supposed the Orc wasn't worried about tickets. To him, a ticket would be a parking fee.
Brahnt opened the door of his little black sports car, and Charlotte slid into the front seat. “This isn’t what you would dub family friendly.”
“You can select something else. I’ll have my admin research the latest vehicle safety reports and compile a list of options.” Brahnt put the duffel bags in the trunk, then got in the driver side. “There's a car seat for Snowkiss in the back. I guessed her size, but I'm certain it's correct.”
Twisting, Charlotte eyed the small dog car seat already set up in the back. It wasn't like the Orc had an Amazon fairy in his pocket and had ordered one while they were in Charlotte’s apartment. Which meant Brahnt had been planning this all along.
It was diabolical.
Fuming, because it meant Brahnt had been sure of her this entire time, Charlotte fastened Snowkiss into the car seat, then turned back around and settled into her own, pushing Brahnt's hands away when the Orc tried to fasten the seat belt for her.
“I’m not a child,” Charlotte snapped. “I can buckle my own seat belt.”
“Maybe I like riling you up.” Brahnt's fingers trailed along Charlotte’s thigh, but the Orc settled back into his own seat and started the car. “Have you been to your first doctor appointment?”
Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest, staring out the window as the car pulled out of the parking lot.
“Of course not,” Charlotte said. “Don't worry, you won't miss it. We'll go together.” Brahnt thought she was dumb. It was clearly a trick question.
“I'm glad you're thinking in a “we” mindset, but I'm also a little concerned you're six weeks pregnant and you haven't been to a doctor yet.”
