“Will you want to sex them up too?”
Duke growled. “No. Just you.”
Nat’s heart fluttered.
“I told you, you’ll need some pickup lines to convince Hell Consort,” Hubrie’s voice floated into the bedroom.
“Hell Consort?!” Nat spluttered.
Duke shot the door a venomous look. “Shut up and stop butting in.”
“I’m abutt-ler, Hell Master,” Hubrie said dryly. “Butting in is in the job description.”
Duke dragged his hand down his face.
“Wait,” Nat said when some of Duke’s earlier words sank in. “What did you mean by ‘however many nests’?”
“I’ll set up a nest for you at the office,” Duke said. “And a proper one for the backyard too. Maybe one in the living room?”
“At the office?” Nat squawked. “Why? That’s a lot of nests! I don’t actually need a nest!”
“Did you not have one when you were pregnant with Wanda?”
Nat thought back carefully, shaking his head. “I was living with Ivo, Killian, Pinks, and Walren. We didn’thaveanything to make a nest with; we were so broke. Well, Pinks and Ivo have rich alphas now, so they’re no longer broke. I still am though.”
Duke growled. “I’ll get you a credit card. Use it to buy whatever you need.”
Nat gaped. “That’s crazy.”
“I’ve put a baby in your belly. It’s my responsibility to take care of you.” Duke pulled Nat closer so they were lying side by side, his chest so warm that Nat couldn’t help but snuggle into him.
“I’m not looking this gift horse in the mouth,” Nat said. Then he rapidly backtracked. “Not that you’re a horse. I mean, you have horns. A gift goat? Fuck, I shouldn’t call you a goat. That’s politically incorrect.” He stopped and stared, the words slowly filtering through his mind. “Oh, fuck!I just called my CEO a gift goat.”
Duke gave another snort of laughter. He hauled Nat onto his broad, solid body, then kept laughing, his chest shaking. “Only you, sweetheart. I don’t think I’ve laughed this much in years.”
Nat couldn’t swallow his horror.I called him a GIFT GOAT.
“Gift goat,” he said incredulously. Then he clapped his hands over his mouth. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud!”
“Are you still calling me that in your mind?” Duke wiped his eyes, still laughing.
“Oh, gods.” Nat smushed himself against Duke’s chest and tried to rub his mouth off his face. It didn’t work that way. “You’re going to fire me.”
“I’m not,” Duke said dryly. “If anything, I’m extremely tempted to write you a contract for life.”
“For calling you a gift goat?” Nat blurted. Then he groaned and thumped his forehead against Duke’s chest. “You need to stuff my mouth with something so I can’t say crap like that!”
“Oh, I intend to stuff your mouth, but not right now. This is too good.” Duke grinned.
“Maybe Nat is the one who needs to learn the pickup lines,” came Hubrie’s disembodied voice.
“I’m going to fire you,” Duke said.
“No, you’re not!” But Hubrie didn’t bother them again after that.
Nat hid his face against Duke, trying to breathe through his humiliation. Duke rubbed his back for a long while. Then he moved Nat off his chest. “I should get ready for bed. Be right back.”
He disappeared into the bathroom. Nat told himself to stay still; he needed to prove to Duke that hecouldbe a good employee.
