Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“Tell Devin I said hello,” Rektar says with a nod, and leaves me be.
Before I leave the office, I send a comm to Liesje’s farm.
She answers immediately, her tone tart. “Make this fast, Sin. I’ve got cookies in the oven and I don’t want them to burn.”
“And a warm greeting to you, too, Liesje,” I tease. “Are those cookies for me? Or Devin?”
“Nope. I’m bringing them to the docks. One of the men said he liked my cooking and another offered to pay me if I’d bake them something. This place needs a bakery. I can’t believe the dock boys get nothing but dry ration bars and whatever swill they’re serving in that cantina.” Liesje grumbles to herself. “Just trying to make those poor fools spend all their credits on beer and gambling.”
“You’re a good female, Liesje. You’re going to make some male an excellent mate.”
“Mate shmate. Those men need a mother, not a spouse.” But she sounds pleased at my words. Liesje won’t admit it, but I know she’s been going up to the dock apartments—where all the port employees that run the shipyards live—several times a week for the last few months.
I don’t know if it’s because she just needs someone to take care of and look after, or if she really does have a love interest, but I’m glad she seems happy and busy.
“My cookies are about to burn, so spit it out.”
“We’re celebrating our Christmas tonight since it’s going to snow. I’m picking up a new tree for Devin and I thought I’d ask if you want to come by. You’re welcome to stay the night, too. It can be just like last year.”
“Christmas, hmm?” She thinks for a moment. “No, I’m busy tonight, but that gives me an excellent idea. Someone needs to introduce those boys to a proper holiday. I bet I have the ingredients for a lovely stollen…”
“All right then, Devin will come by your farm with your present later this week. Should I spoil it for you?”
“No! That’s terrible!” Liesje laughs. “Why would you do that?” Then she pauses. “Is it a scarf?”
“You asked me not to tell—”
“It’s a scarf. I saw her working on it the other day.”
Kef. Devin’s going to think I told her. I’m not great at keeping secrets, and it exasperates my mate sometimes. “I didn’t say anything!”
“I will pretend to be properly surprised,” Liesje reassures me. “Tell Dev I said Vrolijk Kerstfeest!”
I laugh, knowing I’m not going to be able to mimic her tongue-tangling human words. “I’ll tell her.”
When I get to Devin’s farm with the tree I ordered (still potted so we can plant it next to our tiny fruit tree from last year), Devin already has the living room decorated. The house smells like baking, and there’s a bundle of herbs hanging over the entrance to the front door.
Jerry has another bundle in his little hands, nibbling away. He’s wearing another one of the ridiculous sweaters that Devin knitted for him, this one a bright red that my mate swears is festive for the holiday.
Devin herself is nowhere to be seen.
“Dev?” I call out, settling the tree in the place of honor near the window. “Are you here, love?”
“Not fair,” she cries, her voice coming from her bedroom. “You’re home early!”
“Is that a bad thing?” I move towards the door, but before I can get there, she flings it open. Devin is naked, wearing nothing but a festive red bow around her waist. I blink in surprise at the sight. “Well now, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
Her hands go to her hips, and her breasts jiggle delightfully as she gives me a mock-exasperated look. “I was supposed to surprise you and pick up a tree. I wanted to put myself under it for you.”
“You are?” I take her hand in mine, turning around her and admiring her pretty backside. “I’m pretty happy with this if it’s my gift.”
Devin shakes her head. “That’s not the gift. Well, that’s part of the gift.” She moves toward me, putting a hand on the front of my tunic and activating the auto-fastener. “The other part is me asking you to marry me.”
I stare at her in shock. “You…want to marry me? In a human ceremony?”
She nods shyly, her hand brushing over my chest. “I know we’ve been more or less official since last Christmas, but I remember I told you I wasn’t sure if I could give you forever just yet. You said you were content to wait, and you’ve never brought it up again.”
I haven’t. I meant it when I said I wanted to wait until she was ready. I know how I feel and it changes nothing. And Devin has told me several times that she loves me. I figured if she wanted to drag her feet on claiming me as her mate, I didn’t mind. I’m still in her bed every night, and I’ve more or less moved in on her farm. “Nothing’s changed for me. I meant it then, and I mean it now. You’re my mate, but I don’t mind waiting for you.”