Page 22 of Enchanted with the Orc (The Kingverse Orcs #4)

Tasia

“ Y ou’ve been an amazing friend,” I whispered, and that smile that I was becoming obsessed with curled his lips as he wrapped his big fingers around mine.

“I’d love to be your friend,” he murmured, and everything inside of me softened at that.

Good. He isn’t asking for more. I can deal with friends.

“You can trust me, Tasia,” he told me, and that emotion that I was avoiding swirled in my chest again as I nodded.

I looked away, not sure what to say, but keeping my fingers twined with his.

“Can I ask you something?” he murmured in his deep voice, and a shiver ran down my spine at the deep tone.

“Of course,” I said, trying to send a careless smile in his direction, but I wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Are you running from her father?” The words were a whisper, but I heard every one and it was like I’d been dunked in freezing water.

I tried to pull my fingers free, but he didn’t let me, keeping his warm palm around mine, running a dulled claw against the back of my hand in a gentle caress that made me melt.

“I’m sorry if I’m being pushy,” he added. “I just wanted to make sure I was protecting you both properly.”

I looked up at him, and didn’t see the judgement I’d expected. I couldn’t read what I saw there, but it was soft and accepting. I looked over at where Gabbi was giggling madly while rolling around in the ball pit with a dozen little children, the centaur at her side.

“Yes,” I admitted, the word forced out of my throat, but I found words leaving after that. “He… hurt me.”

His expression grew thunderous but where I would usually find that as a red flag in a male, his expression made me feel… comforted. He was angry on my behalf.

“ How did he hurt you?” he asked, and while his brow was low with anger, his words were gentle.

I took a deep breath, digging deep for a story that wouldn’t traumatize him. But also, I wanted him to know what he’d been like. How I’d had to live when I was with David .

“When I was seven months pregnant,” I told him in a low flow of words that I’d never said before, “my neighbor, Mrs. Davidia invited me over for an herbal tea that she said helped with her pregnancy.”

I clutched at his fingers with mine, needing some of his strength to keep going.

“I was just getting the mail. That was when she saw me.” I swallowed hard.

“It was still early and I knew David—” I paused on the name, not having said it out loud for so long it felt like a curse that would call him upon us.

I glanced around, but of course, he didn’t appear out of nowhere the way I expected him to. I focused on Enka’s hand instead. Big, steady and warm. “I knew he would still be asleep. So I went over and we had breakfast.” The memories were pouring into me and it was as if I was back there again.

“When I got back, he was so angry,” I whispered, my voice low and hoarse, tears clogging my throat, but I refused to let them fall. “He slapped me across my face and called me a whore,” I gasped, struggling to keep myself together.

“He said I was hiding someone from him,” I played with the lines on his fingers, struggling to stay present. To stay here instead of there. “That I was carrying his child and I was still sleeping with men on the side, eating with them instead of him.”

I lifted my gaze to Enka’s not able to see him beyond the tears in my gaze. “I wish I’d left then. I wish I’d told Mrs. D. She would have helped me leave. I think she wanted me to. That was why she invited me over all the time. She knew he was hurting me,” I admitted for the first time ever.

His fingers tightened on mine for a moment and I felt a shudder run through his big body, but I still wasn’t able to see his expression. Still, he didn’t say anything, just stroking my fingers with his own and keeping me with him.

“I don’t know why I told you that,” I choked out a laugh, blinking past my tears. “That wasn’t what you asked. But yes, we’re running from him. He’s… not a nice male.”

He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to my knuckles and the tears were threatening again when he said, “That’s his fault. Not yours. You didn’t ask for any of that, Tasia. None of it was your fault.”

“I stayed,” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut, shame smothering me until I couldn’t breathe. “I stayed when I should have left.”

I was in his arms before I knew what was happening, snuggled against a solid chest, my face pressed to the steady beat of his heart. I shook against him, but with a few harsh breaths, I was able to control myself.

“You did your best,” he whispered against my hair, his lips pressed to the top of my head. “You did what you had to do. But it wasn’t your fault.”

The words were like a balm to an open wound. It was still festering, but not as bad as before. I’d never explained what happened to me to anyone—not even my coven. I was sure they’d come to their own conclusions, but I hadn’t said a word.

Talking to him was a relief that I’d never thought I would be able to get.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, shaking my head and pulling away from him.

He released me, but he kept our fingers twined.

“I didn’t mean to say all of that. This is a happy day and—” I was cut off by his fingers on my chin, tilting my head up.

Heat suffused the space he was touching. He was just so… warm. And it made me feel so safe. So different from when I’d been touched before.

“Don’t ever apologize for talking to me about something that matters to you, Tasia,” he murmured, his brow furrowed as he met my gaze. “I’m here for you however you need me.”

I gave him a tremulous smile, looking away as heat flooded my face.

However I need him?

Illicit images filled my brain before I could stop them.

No! Get it together! You’re just friends !

I nodded, looking away from him and tugging my chin from his fingers to hide what I was feeling. I shouldn’t have tried, though, because in the next moment, his face was pressed to the side of my neck, his nose and blunted tusks nudging my skin.

I gasped, releasing his hand to brace myself against his hard chest and shoulders. “E-Enka?” I stuttered, heat flooding low in my stomach as his scent and heat surrounded me. A low growl left his throat, making me tremble against him.

Oh dear Goddess Mother, I’m so wet I can slide across this seat.

“ Whatever you need from me, Tasia,” he groaned, nudging my throat with his nose again. “However many times you need it. I can give it to you.”

My entire body ignited, and I was just saying “fuck it” to the part of my brain that was telling me it was a terrible idea when a loud screech sounded on the other side of the room.

I pulled away, my head turning in the direction of the sound.

Enka’s did the same, but his giant hand moved to my lower back, keeping me close to him.

A little harpy was laughing so hard, her wings fluttering and her head thrown back, that she had screeched. My daughter, ever the entertainer, was in the middle of the group, regaling them with a story as they jumped in the bouncy house in the far corner.

“I’m glad she’s having a good time,” I told him, struggling to breathe, ignoring the push of my fingers into his chest, feeling his muscles, and praying that he would ignore it too.

“Me too,” he murmured, smiling that sweet smile before he turned back to face me. “But as I was saying, Tasia,” he started and I cringed inside.

He didn’t spontaneously forget that I was trying to jump him?

“I’m here for whatever you need,” he whispered, tucking my hair behind my ear. The tickle of his fingers on my skin sent a zing of heat straight to my nipples—which had nothing to do with where he was touching. “Anytime you need it.”

“Thank you,” I told him, ducking my head and avoiding his probing stare. “That’s really sweet of you, but you’ve done enough for us.”

“You know what I mean,” he said in that low voice that did things to my insides and definitely moistened my already sopping panties. “You know what I’m saying to you.”

Dammit Tasia, be brave.

Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him, and his lip curled in a seductive grin in response.

Fuck. Me.

“I know what you mean,” I gasped, unable to catch my breath. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“Good,” he murmured, leaning down. I held my breath, hoping and dreading the press of his lips, but he only put them against my forehead. “I want you to feel safe and comfortable around me. To know that I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

My fingers were still clinging to his shirt, caressing his muscles in a way that was entirely inappropriate when surrounded by a group of children. I forced my hands away, tucking them under my ass so they would behave and then I nodded. “Yep.”

His smile was feral now, and he leaned in to run one of his tusks against the skin of my neck. My moan was dragged out of me. I didn’t want to feel pleasure, but I lit up like a wick when he touched me.

It was dizzying. I’d never experienced anything like it. Being with this orc was unlike anything I had ever felt before. The tingle under my skin and the heat that was rising inside me was something I’d never encountered.

The laughing squeal from the area of the bouncy castle had me turning to look at my daughter. She was surrounded by a group of new friends and she looked so happy I grinned.

“I have to thank Darak,” I said, turning to look at Enka. “This is perfect for her birthday. I never thought I’d be able to give her anything like this. Especially after we ran.” I ducked my head, embarrassed.

“I thought we’d be on the run for a while. I was so scared that she would ask me about her birthday. Thank you for this as well,” I said looking up at him, sure that my gratitude would be going in my eyes.

“There’s never any need to thank me for anything,” Enka said, his brow furrowed.

“Anything I do, I want to do.” He looked as though he wanted to say more, but his eyes slid away.

His gaze snagged on my daughter. “I’d do anything I can for her,” he admitted, sending me an embarrassed smile. “She’s the daughter I always wanted.”

I bit my lip, struggling to keep my thoughts to myself, but his head tilted as he kept looking at me.

“You don’t know me yet,” he said in a low voice. “But you can tell me anything and I’ll never react like he would.”

The words were like a blow to the chest. I hadn’t realized that was what I was doing until he pointed it out. Going for honesty, I sent him an apologetic smile as the words spilled from my lips.

“But she’s not your daughter,” I bit my lip, knowing he wasn’t David, but also knowing that he was a huge male with muscles the likes of which I’d never seen before in my life.

He nodded, shrugging. “One day maybe.” His voice was earnest and it caught at my heart like nothing ever had.

“What are you saying, Enka?” I asked him and his expression grew serious just as a little rocket launched itself at his legs.

“Abu, come play ,” Gabbi insisted, tugging on his pants, her voice at a pitch that I’d never experienced before.

Dear Goddess Mother, is this what happens when she’s with other children?

When he smiled down at her, his lips curling in that way that made my heart a squishy mess, I was startled to realize how handsome he was.

Damn him and his good looks.

“Of course, Gruk-ir,” he said, lifting her into his arms. She screeched with joy so loud I cringed, and I watched his sensitive ears twitch, but his smile never left his face. “It’s your day.”

He carried her to where the other children were gathered and she sat in his arms, imperious as a queen, pointing to where he needed to go and bossing everyone around. He allowed it, leading the entire group to where she wanted to play.

I melted as he laughed with the children, my ovaries quivering in a way that was alarming.

You do not want babies with this male, Tasia. Snap out of it. You don’t want any more children.

The last was a blatant lie, but I was becoming used to lying to myself. Especially when it came to males.