“Kith,” I announce, even though I know the word for this lip-stretching.
“What?” Dakotah’s voice raises high and she turns to stare at me and her daughter, horror on her face.
“No, silly,” Ribbit giggles, delighted at my response. “SMILE.”
“Smiiih,” I try, glancing over at her mother. “No kith.”
Ribbit just gives me a sly look. “Murr kith Dakota cheek.”
Good, she wants to know more about why I put my lips on her mother, too. This is a topic I wish to discuss as well.
Dakotah calls out sharply, storming over to her daughter’s side. “Rabbit!”
“Yes kith,” I agree and pat my jaw. “Kith face.”
“Mouth kiss better,” she continues. “Murr should kiss Mom on the mouth. Big happy.”
I put my hands on my hips, trying to decipher what Ribbit’s goal is. Dakotah is watching us, her expression one of mortification, not excitement. She does not want my mouth kith.There is something I am missing here. I lean in so only Ribbit can hear me. “Mouth kith…bad?”
Ribbit puts her hands in the air. “Immalet Mom hannel dis un.”
Dakotah just crosses her arms and scowls at the two of us.
CHAPTER 31
DAKOTA
My sweet daughteris selling me out. Here I am, trying to help Aggie and Dottie move their gear to our home, and she’s trying to distract me. All day I’ve been watching the two women, looking for clues that they might be misleading us, or telling half-truths to hide something. I haven’t been paying much attention to Murr because I’m fuzzy with lack of sleep and getting a headache from Aggie’s voice. She has two volumes—loud and really damn loud.
How am I supposed to focus on those two women when Rabbit is bringing up kissing? Now everyone’s staring at me, expectation in their eyes, as if I should fling my arms around Murr’s neck and just plant my mouth to his to satisfy their curiosity.
The worst thing about it? Now I’m imagining what would happen if I did. How would he react? Does he know what kisses lead to, or is he just the most intimidating clueless virgin left on the planet? He’s naked more often than he’s not, and while he’s not been walking around with his cock erect, what if kisses lead to that?
What if I’m in the process of scarring my poor daughter for life?
“Kissing is no one’s business,” I say sharply. “Let’s just pack this stuff and go.”
Rabbit ignores my tone. She skips over to me. “He kissed you on the cheek earlier, Mom. We all saw it. I think he thinks you guys are together.” Judging by the eagerness on her face, she loves this idea, probably because it involves a belly full of red meat and all the cats she can cuddle for the rest of her days.
She doesn’t see how verythornythe situation can be.
“I think this is a fantastic love story,” says Aggie. Dottie says nothing, but she looks as unsure as I feel.
I shake my head. “He’s just learning the language from me. Nothing else.”
“Uh huh,” says Aggie. I glance at Dottie and Rabbit, and it doesn’t seem as if anyone believes my answer.
“We’re packing,” I say determinedly, “not grilling me about my private life.”
“So you admit there’s a private life?” Dottie chimes in.
There’s a pillow in my hands, and right now I want to put it over someone’s face and smother them with it. “Stop it already.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Rabbit says. “We all know Murr likes you. It’s sweet.”
“It’s sweet right now, but I can’t forget that he’s a dragon. I’m not sure if it’s safe for him to be around all the time.”
This elicits a response from Aggie and Dottie both. Dottie gestures at him. “He’s a dragon! This is the safest place to be.”
