Page 8 of A Troll in the Hay
Ogram stops, takes my other hand, and holds both while looking into my eyes. “I am sorry for your loss.”
I’ve been so angry at my parents all this time, cutting off contact with them was like a weight being lifted. I never expected or intended to reconnect with them, but the permanence of that hadn’t sunk in until this moment, until Ogram’s words of condolence. Inside me, on a level deeper than rational thought, deeper than anger and disappointment, something cracks. A single gut-deep sob bubbles out of that fissure before I can suppress it.
In a blink, he pulls me against him, enveloping me in his big arms so completely, it’s like being held by a giant teddy bear and an impenetrable force at the same time. An embrace filled with compassion, support, security.
I slide my arms around his waist and press my cheek to his chest. I barely know him, but I know he won’t let go until I do. Not because he’s polite or feels obligated to comfort me. Because he’s good and kind and genuinely cares.
“I’ve never told anyone about that,” I say, resting my chin on his beefy body and looking up at him. “I’m sorry for unloading on you and being a downer on our date.”
“Sharing your life stories and feelings with me is a gift I’m honored to receive.”
“How is it that somebody as good and kind and sexy as you hasn’t been taken off the market yet?” I giggle when his eyebrows shoot up high enough that the top portion disappears beneath his thick, longish auburn hair. “Yes, I said sexy. That’s how I feel, and you said sharing my feelings with you is a gift, so consider yourself gifted with the knowledge that I find you incredibly andirresistibly sexy. Oh, and there are no returns or exchanges on this gift.”
A blush rises on his cheeks. Again, the muted red with soft edges against his green skin resembles apples, and I can’t resist reaching up to brush my fingers over them, accidentally grazing his tusks in the process.
“Sorry—” Before I can pull away, his big hand circles my wrist and guides my fingertips back to the gleaming surface.
“You are always welcome to touch me, Hope. Any part. Anytime.”
“If that’s your gift to me, there are no returns on it, either.”
“No returns,” he repeats, his quiet laughter vibrating through me deliciously.
I bite my bottom lip, my heart pounding as if it’s trying to break free of my chest, then I slide the pad of my index finger along the long, thick tusk. Despite being permanently outside of his mouth, it’s as warm to the touch as an inside tooth would be, and just as smooth. I’ve never been the run-my tongue-along-your-teeth-while-making-out type, but the urge to do it to Ogram’s tusks has my mouth watering.
He still has one arm around me, and it tightens, tugging my lower body tighter to his. The thick bulge of his cock along his thigh presses against me, his nostrils flaring when I scissor my thighs in an attempt to get a hint of friction on my clit. “We should continue on our walk.”
“Okay,” is what comes out of my mouth, but not what’s really on the tip of my tongue. If he can wait, so can I. Maybe.
Chapter Four
OGRAM
The desire roaring inside me is unlike any I have experienced. Not because I have been celibate for the past several years, but because every cell of my being knows without a doubt that Hope is the only person I will sink my cock into for the rest of my days. And if that does not happen, my bed will always be half empty, and my hand will be my cock’s only partner. That is the nature of things once a troll meets their mate.
She feels it too. The intense attraction, the undeniable pull, the instant connection.
I won’t pressure her to remain in Harmony Glen at the end of her vacation, but I will use every minute she gives me during that time to show her I want her here with me always. Then, perhaps she will stay and make me the happiest monster walking the earth. If that day comes, I will spend the rest of my life making sure sheknows the extent of my love and devotion. That I treasure her in every way.
Releasing her from my arms, I once again take her small hand in mine as we resume our walk. Twilight is upon us, bathing our surroundings in a warm glow that wraps around her like a golden hug.
“I didn’t tell you how beautiful you are when I arrived at your cabin earlier, and I should have. It was certainly going through my mind.”
“Thank you.” The beaming smile she gives me is bright enough to make the sun at high noon feel second-rate. “On the subject of not saying things in the moment, you didn’t answer my question earlier—how is it possible you’re still single? And don’t say it’s because you don’t go out much, because I already know this is a small, tight-knit community, and I’m sure all the singles in town are plenty aware you’re a catch.” Head turned toward me, her gaze travels down my body, her green eyes twinkling when she meets my eyes again. “A very big catch.”
Again, amusement rumbles through me. “I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve smiled and laughed this evening. More than I have in a long stretch. I know that’s due to my tendency to avoid social settings, limiting my opportunities to enjoy humor with others, but I never felt like it was something missing from my life.”
“You’re enjoying it tonight, though? The smiling and laughing?”
“Very much.” So much, in fact, that I’ve barely registered the people we’ve passed, even when I felt the weight of their stares.
“I’m glad,” she says, squeezing my hand. “But don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re still avoiding my question. If it was too personal, you can tell me.Shouldtell me. Otherwise, you can count on me coming back to it because I’m invested in the answer.”
And I am invested in her reaction to it. “The beach looks quite private this evening,” I say as we reach a narrow, convenient spot to cross to the shoreline. “How do you feel about sand between your toes while I answer?”
“I would love that.” She briefly tilts her head downward. “Though I might not want to put these shoes back on afterward.”
“I’m sure I can find something to clean and dry your feet with.”