Page 43 of My Monster, My Choice

“That one could go either way,” I deadpan.

He gives a snort. “Lie. That kid loves me.” He takes Telilah, sitting her up so her jaw rests on his thumb and forefinger facing me. It gives me time to coo, and laugh with her as her hands jerk out, trying to clasp my fingers.

“Okay, we’re back,” Tera says, Relion’s arm around her. “We’ll take her so you two can go dance.”

“Careful with my grandkish, son,” Elex says grandly to Relion as he scoops her up to hand her to her father.

Relion scowls. He hates when Elex refers to himself as his stepfather, considering they’re the same age. Or Elex might even be a year or two younger. It never fails to set me and Tera into a flurry of giggles when they argue over it.

“Quit calling my daughter your grandkish.”

“She is my grandkish.”

“Then quit calling me your son.”

“Stepson is such a mouthful to say.”

“Come on,” I say to Elex, grabbing his arm to pull him to the dance area.

“Does this mean you won’t call me dad?” Elex calls over his shoulder, ignoring Relion’s outstretched middle finger.

I hide my giggle because I don’t think the Adroki even use the term dad. They know the human termwho’s your daddy, though. I still remember the look on Relion’s face when Elex had uttered it to him, breaking the news of our relationship.

“Stop teasing him,” I chastise.

“Why, beautiful? I get teased too.” His lower lips juts out as the tip of a front tentacle runs across my clavicle and slides down to the neckline of my dress, telling me this time he meansteasein a different way. I could slap it away, the way I normally do, but I don’t. Instead, I look him in the eye as if daring him and feel it slip farther down my cleavage.

His breathing hitches and his pupils dilate as he stares into my eyes. “I want to make you feel good tonight. No strings attached. Let me love you.”

Then it’s my turn for my breathing to hitch.

Did he use the “L” word? Does he know what that means? Did he mean it like it’s supposed to mean? No, English isn’t his first language. They all had translators in the beginning, and like a text-to-speech function, it slowly taught them the conversion. Many, including Elex, have their devices removed now.

He simply means it as making love. Not that he loves me.

Who could love a broken woman?

He must see something in my face. “You are all I have thought about since meeting you one year ago. I crave your touch, your laughter, your kiss.”

I am a broken woman because I can’t hear any more. I seal my lips to his…willingly. Just to quiet the words.

“No strings,” I murmur when I pull back. “Or it remains just once.”

Used to be, we’d have to explain the human phrase. Now the Adroki have been cultured to our human slang and he’ll know what it means.

“Give me the night and tomorrow we can go on as previously scheduled? A pretense for the son we both love? The daughter? The grandkish?” he whispers.

Put that way, it makes me sound so selfish. But a pretense is all I have to offer.

“It’s all I can give you.”

“Then I will take it, Christina.” His lips hungrily seek mine and I’m so glad he won’t push me for the reason of why I refuse more.

ChapterSixteen

CHRISTINA

We bring Kenny and two of his friends home to spend the night. We listen to their excited plans to stay up all night, settle them on the living room floor with blankets and pillows and play a vid, the images strolling across the ceiling.

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