Page 101 of Star Season

“Table, definitely table. Upright esophagus means less heartburn. Help me up.” She held up both of her hands.

I took her hands and pulled her to her feet, and she collapsed into me again.

And somehow, she was in my arms, and somehow, we were kissing again.

When we stopped, we both just looked at each other with chagrined looks on our faces, and neither of us said anything about it.

At dinner, she moaned sexual noises about all of the food, and my pleasure cock liked it, and I sat there, watching her, glad of the table in the way to hide my obvious arousal. She ate everything in sight, voracious, and then declared there was definitely heartburn in her future, and I got up to go to the kitchen and get some willn root, which I thought she could chew and it might soothe her stomach.

I was telling her about it, and I realized her eyes were really wide, and that was when I remembered that my pleasure cock was…

I felt heat rush to my face. I wrangled it back into my fur and went to the kitchen. I came back with the root and handed it over to her.

She popped it into her mouth and chewed.

It was quiet.

“This is like… really soothing and kind of… cold?” she said. “I mean, it’s not temperature cold, but it feels cold?”

“Yeah, it’s been used medicinally on Ohhk for generations,” I said. “It’s good stuff.”

“You don’t find me attractive like this,” she said. “Not like sexually attractive.”

“Uh…”

“I mean, why was your pleasure cock…?”

“I’m really sorry about that,” I said, not looking at her. “You made it very clear to me, and I… no excuses. Not proud of that.”

“I’m huge,” she said.

“Uh, you’re… not.” I shifted uncomfortably on my chair. “I mean you’reyou, and you look really good and I mean,Idid that to you, so it makes me…”Shut up, Holston.

“It makes you what?” She leaned across the table, a slow smile stealing across her face.

I shook my head at her. My mouth was dry.

Her voice went low and lilting. “You want to pretend again, Holston?”

I think that’s a terrible idea.“Pretend what?” My voice was hoarse.

“Pretend it’s not hopeless. Pretend I could stay here and I’d actually be happy. Pretend we could make this work. Pretend we’re together. That we’re in love.”

I let out a breath. “Oh, shei.”

“We could say it,” she said, reaching across the table for me. “I love you.”

I shut my eyes.

Her fingers brushed mine. “Now, you,” she breathed.

“I love you, Cypra,” I murmured.

“Take me to bed, Holston.”

“But you made me promise—”

“It’s just pretend.”

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