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Color rose in her face, and she peeked up at me through her very long eyelashes. “Thank you. It’s chilly. But I shouldn’t take it. That leaves you…almost naked.”

“I’m still wearing pants. Orcs are naturally warmer blooded. Keep the vest.” I’d collect it later and try not to see if I could pick up her scent from the fabric. “I should’ve bought you warmer clothing.”

“I’ll be fine. Truly.” Her attention fell on the tent again. “It’s just sleeping, Ruugar. I don’t mind if you’re inside the tent with me.”

Did she not realize how much I minded? My hands twitched at my sides, and I was unsure what to do with the feelings pounding through me. She could've agreed to take the tent for herself, and I would have given it. She could've complained about the rough ground, the simple bathing and cooking facilities, the bugs she keptbrushing away. Instead, all she did was offer to share. She didn’t seem to understand why that was a problem.

“I won’t take up much space.” Her frown joined mine. “Truly. It's not a big deal. I’ll stay on my side of the tent.”

That was the issue. She had a side. I had a side. But I wanted no sides between us.

Fool. She wasn’t mine. Not ever.

Realizing I was standing in front of her like a rock instead of making myself useful, I cleared my throat. “It won’t be comfortable.”

“It’ll be better than sleeping outside with the bugs.”

That was true. Her soft skin would welt from the bites. She wasn’t made for this kind of life. A gold bracelet still circled her wrist, a small reminder of the fancy life she’d left behind.

The thought of her regretting this, regretting coming this close to my world, made my stomach twist.

But I couldn’t resist. Damn me, but I could not insist I’d sleep by the fire.

I hefted the tent and the sleeping bag. “Alright. I'll set it up.”

“I'll help.” She skipped along beside me as I strode toward a smooth area near the woods.

“You don't need to. You can sit in the cooking gazebo. Rest. Get away from the bugs.”

“I want to learn.” She sent me a smile that made my tusks ache. “That's my role here.” She deepened her voice. “I'm Ben, the helper. Nice to meetcha.”

I adored her so much.

I carried everything over to a smooth, shady spot beneath a broad tree that would keep much of the rain away if the sky opened up and poured. Such an odd thing, rain. We didn't have anything like it in the orc kingdom and needed to irrigate our crops. Dew only went so far.

I was too aware of how quietly she moved and the intent way she studied everything—even me. It made me fumble, nearly dropping the tent bag and tripping over a rock I would've seen on any other day. After dumping the tent out of the bag, I located the smaller sack of stakes and set them aside.

“Have you put a tent up before?” I asked, desperate to say anything, not just kneel in front of her like I was ready to claim her in the ancient orc way. Her hands were so close. I could easily conduct the orc mating ritual, the initial claiming. Tell her what she’d one day mean to me.

Except I didn't dare do anything like that. I was into this and her too much already. My heart would break if I claimed her even in this simple way and she left me. Which she would. Once we were sure she'd be safe, she wouldn't want to stay in Lonesome Creek, let alone near me.

“I haven't,” she said with a slow grin. “I love that I'm learning all sorts of new skills.”

She almost sounded excited, and that stunned me. She should be making the best of a difficult situation, not joining in like this was fun. Yet she was.

“Let me show you.” I laid the tent out flat on the smooth ground and handed her thebag of stakes. “We need to hook one through each loop.” I showed her how to find them along the edges of the tent. “And secure them to the ground. We'll feed the poles through the sleeves after and use them to lift the structure.” I pointed to those running along the upper part of the tent.

“Cool.”

Beth remained beside me as I hammered the stakes into the earth. The air was cooler beneath the shade of the stand of trees, and the rustling leaves filtered light over her face.

She took the hammer from me and secured some of the stakes herself. By then, dirt smudged one of her cheeks where she’d swiped at it, her skin was flushed from the activity, and I’d never seen anyone more perfect in my life.

She still wore my vest. It was comically huge on her, reminding me of how much bigger than her I was. I’d crush her if I laid on top of her. Impale her if I shoved my cock…

I needed tonotthink about doing anything to Beth with my cock.

I forced my focus back to the task, ensuring the canvas was tight and securing the last of the ties. There. It wasn’t much, just a simple tent, barely more than a shelter, but it would keep her dry. Keep her warm. Keep her close.