Page 31 of Enchanted with the Orc (The Kingverse Orcs #4)

Enka

“ I ’m going to see him,” our Gruk-ir announced with a dramatic huff as she grabbed two toys and marched to the door. I looked from her tiny form marching away to Tasia, and I quirked an eyebrow.

She shook her head at me and pointed toward me, mouthing, Don’t fall for it .

I gestured wildly toward where our daughter had dropped her toys and was climbing onto them to reach the handle for the door. She shook her head, still adamant, her arms folded under her luscious breasts and a stern look on her face.

Gods, this female is too sexy.

I had to mentally slap myself from thinking of everything we’d done on her bed earlier. The image of her lying there under me would haunt me until I could do it again.

Tonight. She said we could try again tonight.

I had no idea what she would let me do to her, but the fantasies crossing my mind were filthier than usual.

I had to admit that when it came to her, my mind could get creative.

And now that she’d agreed to more? It was an artist, putting her in poses and situations that would make even the most experienced being blush.

Reining myself in was difficult, but I stepped behind the sofa to hide the way that my cock was now tenting my pants.

Embarrassment rushed through me, but I pretended that everything was normal when Darak looked between us, his gaze narrowed.

He was standing with his arms folded near the door, not assisting our daughter in her bid to escape.

When she floundered for another long moment with the handle, she turned, her face scrunched with exertion as she pointed toward it. “Abu, open it.” The demand was clear in her sweet voice and I caught myself as I automatically moved toward her. I froze as Tasia glared at me, looking away in shame.

Damn it, I’m not good at this parenting thing.

“No, Gruk-ir,” I told her instead. “You can’t go today. We can visit him tomorrow.”

“Today,” she demanded, and I could see that she was working herself up to a full-out tantrum. I’d never seen one before, I’d only ever read about them. And I definitely hadn’t expected one from my tiny Gruk-ir .

Just as she opened her little, pouted mouth to scream, Tasia said in a stern voice, “If you scream, you will go directly to time out and you will not be going to Jael’s birthday party this weekend.”

Gruk-ir’s lower lip immediately began trembling and my knees shook with the need to go to her. When tears overflowed her cheeks, I watched as Tasia moved toward her before looking back at me and tilting her head toward me.

I followed her lead, going to our daughter. She kneeled next to her and I did the same.

“I know you want to see him and be friends with him, my sweet girl,” Tasia whispered, wrapping our little one up in her arms. “But his family is busy right now. They’re moving back to his house. We promise you that you’ll be able to see him this weekend for his party, okay?”

Gruk-ir’s eyes came up to meet mine, as if seeking reassurance, and I nodded. “We promise,” I whispered, putting my big hand over her mother’s on her back.

She sniffled hard, wracking sobs leaving her chest and I gathered them both to me, wishing I could take her hurt away. “H-he’s my b-best friend,” she wailed. “It’s n-not fair! I already c-can’t see the c-coven.” She was barely coherent, but I was able to make out her high-pitched words.

“I know, Gabbi-girl,” Tasia whispered, pressing kisses to the top of her head. “It’s not fair. But I promise I’ll make it better as soon as possible. Then you’ll be able to see your friend any time you want. He lives in Grebath. Did you know that?”

Gabbi’s sobs slowed at her words, and she pulled away, swiping her forearm over her nose before calmly wiping it on my arm. I’d never been more honored in my life. “R-really?” she asked, her sweet little voice back to normal.

Tasia nodded, swiping her fingers under our daughter’s eyes with gentle wipes. “We’ll find out his address and once we’re back home, we’re going to make weekly playdates, okay? This will only be for a little while longer.”

Gabbi searched her face, suspicion bright in her eyes, but what she saw there cleared it right up. With a cheer, she threw herself at her mother and then at me, squeezing us tight before running toward Darak and looking up at him.

She held her arms out to him, and he blinked at her for a long moment.

Our Gruk-ir didn’t move, staying very still until he finally released a sigh of defeat and lowered himself to crouch next to her.

She tackled him with a hug then, not pushing him back even an inch.

His hard eyes softened for only a moment before he released her.

“Thank you for taking me to play,” she told him, before moving to the door, grabbing her two toys and heading toward her play corner. And just like that, her pique was over and done with.

Meanwhile, I was trying to deal with the whiplash. I turned to peer at Tasia who looked exhausted as well.

“Parenting is hard,” she said with a grin, running her hand up and down my arm. I wanted to melt there, but since Darak was looking between us, I didn’t.

“Thanks for taking care of her,” I told him and Tasia nodded with enthusiasm, agreeing wholeheartedly.

“She’s such a handful and I know you have so many other things to do—” she started, but he shook his head, cutting her off.

“It’s fine. She’s a good youngling. I’m more than willing to help,” he told us, looking between us. “You have your hands full here, so I’ll head out. Let me know if you need me.”

He said the last words to me and I nodded, knowing that he was giving me the courtesy of communicating with me instead of Tasia since she was still unclaimed, but he’d probably already noticed the many ways I’d surreptitiously marked her with my scent—by touching her as much as I could get away with and running my tusk along her skin when we hugged.

“Thanks, Darak,” Tasia and I said at once and he raised his hand in acknowledgement before turning and exiting.

I turned to look at where Gruk-ir was playing on the floor and then I looked at Tasia, still befuddled. “Will she be okay?” I asked in a low voice so only she could hear.

“Oh yeah. She has meltdowns at least twice a day. She was distracted because we came to a new place, but I was just waiting for one to happen,” she explained, moving closer and biting her lip as she smiled up at me. “Welcome to parenthood.”

I huffed out a small laugh, taking my time and reaching out for her hand. She met me halfway, her fingers twining with mine—so much smaller than mine, but fitting so perfectly. “I think I’m going to love it,” I whispered. “I have a lot to learn, but you’ll be patient with me?”

She ducked her head, a shy smile spreading across her face, and she nodded. “Yeah. I can be patient. And so can Gabbi. She’s… needed a father. And I know it’s a lot to ask—”

“It’s not,” I murmured, reaching out to run my thumb over her chin until she tilted her hair back to look up at me.

“It’s nothing. From the moment she first called me Abu, she’s been a daughter to me.

I just don’t want to cross any boundaries with you that you don’t want me to. Tell me you’ll let me know.”

Her smile turned into a mischievous grin. “Are you bossing me around right now? After talking about boundaries?”

My eyebrows went up as I shrugged. “I’m a little more bossy with you than you’re probably used to,” I sighed, scrubbing my free palm over the back of my neck. “Sorry.”

She bit her lower lip, drawing my gaze there.

“I like it,” she whispered, moving closer, her luscious breasts pressing against my chest. But before I could lean down to kiss her the way I wanted to, she turned from me, already meeting the little rocket that was our daughter, lifting her into her arms.

“Are you guys kissing?” Gruk-ir asked, looking between us, her face expressionless.

Tasia gave me a worried look, that cute furrow between her eyebrows and I felt panic rising inside of me.

What the hell were we supposed to say to our daughter?

“I was thinking about it,” Tasia explained. “But I wasn’t sure that was okay. Can I kiss Abu?”

That word out of her mouth started an ache in my chest—one that was so sweet, I didn’t know if I could call it pain—and an inconvenient rush of blood to my cock. I prayed to every God that I could that Gruk-ir didn’t look down.

“Yes,” our daughter said with a firm nod. “Because friends can kiss.”

It was my turn for my brow to furrow. “Wait, what the hell does that mean? Have you kissed that little centaur?” I demanded and she giggled hard, launching herself from her mother’s arms into mine.

I caught her, holding her up and giving her a stern look, but it was as if she knew mine was meaningless.

“Yes,” she announced. “When he told me it was his birthday. I kissed him.” She nodded, and then smacked a kiss on my cheek. “Like that.”

Relief swept through me, and the breath that I’d been holding left my body in a slow hiss. “Okay, that’s fine. I still don’t like it,” I told her with what I hoped was the expression of a firm disciplinarian—although based on the way she was laughing, I doubted it. “But cheeks are fine. No lips .”

“Lips means more than friends, right?” she asked in a sweet voice.

I nodded, wondering where she was going with that. “You haven’t kissed anyone on the lips have you?” I asked, worry tearing through me. She was too little. Too innocent. And I couldn’t handle the thought .

“Mommy,” she said with a nod. The relief almost took me to my knees again.

“Good,” I nodded. “It’s okay to kiss Mommy, but no one else , okay?” I questioned her, hoping she would agree.

“Okay,” she answered with a flippant shrug that did nothing to cure me of the stress that I was certain was going to plague me for the rest of my days.

“Not until you get married,” I told her.

“I’m going to marry Jael,” she said with another shrug.

I looked at Tasia with what I was certain was pure horror on my face and saw her doubled over with laughter. Betrayal was quick and true.

“You’re not marrying that little centaur,” I told her, ready to start the lecture I had planned on why all males couldn’t be trusted except me and her uncles.

“Is kissing on the lips okay if you’re going to get married?” she asked me, her curiosity souring some of my plan.

“Yes, but you can’t get married until you’re older,” I told her, starting up again, taking a deep breath.

“Then you and Mommy can kiss on the lips, since you’re going to get married,” she told me with a firm nod and it deflated me, the breath leaving me in a hiss that ended in a wheeze.

A punch to the gut would have been less shocking.

I looked over at Tasia who wasn’t laughing anymore.

Her jaw was dropped and her eyes were huge in her face as it was now her turn to stare—with obvious horror—at our daughter.