Page 7

Beryl

B y Zephyr!

I swooned so hard in the break room I embarrassed myself.

“I want to see you again.” I could hear how much it cost Kjartan to say these words to me.

I rested my head against the window and bit my lip hard to make the big, fat grin on my face less audible. “When? Where?” I asked him in a voice I hoped sounded calmer than I felt.

“You tell me, and I will be there.”

“Well, how about this: I could do with a little trip to the countryside,” I told him lightly.

“Yes. I don’t understand the question, but my answer is yes.”

Kjartan and I agreed I would come to see him on Saturday.

Good thing I wasn’t nervous at all about seeing him again. Not much happened between us except some over the clothes touching like a pair of teenage school boys on their first ever make-out session.

And an embarrassing amount of precum wetting your boxers.

So why did my heart rate speed up every time I thought about how it would feel to see him again?

If we were going to spend the day together, would we at least go to second base? I saw myself begging him to let me suck his dick as a parting gift.

He explained how to get to Kincardie and said that he would come pick me up and that we’d walk back because he lived fairly close to the station.

A tiny voice in my head wondered if I should be nervous about being alone with him, but he’d been an absolute gentleman. If he tried something, I also had some tricks up my sleeve. I might be way shorter and more lithe than him, but that didn’t mean I was helpless.

***

I spent way too long getting myself clean—all orifices—for someone who might get to touch an Orc dick. Then I dressed carefully in a tank top with a knit jumper on top that was more holes than actual yarn, and my favourite tight jeans. To top it off I painted my fingernails black.

I took the bus to the station and hopped on the train to Kincardie at one thirty.

The connection between the two places was great with one direct train leaving every hour. So if he wanted this thing between us to be something more , at least the logistics of getting me to Kincardie and vice versa wouldn’t be a hassle.

I spotted Kjartan in the crowd immediately. He leaned against a wall by the ticket barrier and scanned the crowd with slightly frantic eyes.

“Hi,” I greeted him breathlessly when I’d pushed through to where he stood. He was even more attractive than I remembered, and so tall I had to tilt my head back to look at him.

“Hello, Vindur.” He hugged me in greeting. “It’s good to see you again, Bee. You look great.” His eyes hung on my nails for a moment.

That’s a good sign, right?

“How about we go back to my place first so you don’t have to carry your things around? Then we can decide what you want to do.”

I’d brought the least conspicuous bag I owned with a spare set of the thinnest clothes I could find hidden under my scarf.

Just in case.

“Good idea. Lead the way.”

Kjartan pointed across the road and took my hand in his.

Oh, by the gods! He’s holding my hand.

As we walked, the charming little town of Kincardie distracted me from freaking out like a crushing teenager.

“Wow. I’ve never been here before. It’s gorgeous!”

I turned and found my Orc hunk watching me.

“It is,” he admitted. “And so are you.”

Okay. Keep cool, Bee.

I didn’t know what to say, so I followed him—my face glowing like the setting sun—to a small two-storey building near the station.

“This is it. Let’s go in?”

Gods, yes, Kjartan, let’s go all in.

“Yes. I like it.” It looked cosy and well maintained.

“It’s one of Struan’s properties,” he explained as we trudged through the small entry hall and up two flights of stairs. “He offered me the flat when I started working for him.”

I followed him through a door, into an even smaller hallway that opened into a studio apartment.

“Make yourself at home.”

I turned on the spot, taking in the space. He had a small kitchen nook, a table with two chairs, a metal shelf, a couch, and a wardrobe. One door led to the bathroom.

If I wanted to sit, I’d either have to sit on a chair, or the couch he obviously slept on.

“Kjartan, can I ask why you don’t own a bed?” I enquired. “Is…is money an issue? Because it’s got to be money, you’re a carpenter .”

“No, the couch is okay. I just don’t know where to get a bed that would fit me. And I’m busy most of the week, and…”

“I suppose it’s like the chef that goes home and lives off beans on toast. I had other plans for the day, but do you want to go shopping with me?” I proposed. His dark eyes met mine. He looked baffled.

“You want to go furniture shopping ? I assumed this was…”

“A date?” I finished his sentence with a wink. Kjartan drank me in as I sauntered across the room over to where he stood. “Let’s go shopping. I’ll buy us pop, and we can grope each other in the showroom.”

At my words, Kjartan choked on his spit and coughed to clear his airways.

“Sounds like you’re on board with the plan. I mean it,” I added in a more serious voice. “You deserve a home, not just a soulless place to exist in…without at least a proper bed, any cushions, or a single plant. Or a place for your date to curl up next to you, hoping for another kiss.”

His eyes had followed my hand as I waved it around his flat. They snapped around at my words, and he leaned in to peck me on the cheek.

Zephyr, you’re cute when you are embarrassed.

“You would do that? And go with me? But you came all the way to…” He cringed violently and went silent.

“I didn’t come here to fuck, if that’s what you mean.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “I wanted to see you, and I can see you at N?kken and help you pick a bed.”

Kjartan gasped when I briefly palmed his ass. “I wouldn’t say no to breaking in the new bed later, though.”

This enormous man’s cheeks turning this dusky shade of brown was a beautiful sight.

Oh, babe.

“Let’s go?”

“Yeah, okay. Just let me grab my wallet.” I followed Kjartan back down the stairs, my eyes glued to his ass. It had felt abso-fucking-lutely great, so firm and round.

I hope he lets me grope him some more.

We got in his truck and pulled up in front of the massive N?kken branch halfway between Kincardie and Port Cillean about fifteen minutes later.

“Are you sure this shop has what I need? It looks big and…overwhelming.”

“Yep. One hundred percent sure. Just stick close to me and you’ll be fine.”

The big guy stood so close to me on the escalator that I couldn’t help but fling my arm around his shoulders.

Need to make use of that one time when I’m taller than him.

“I suggest we look at all the furniture they have first, and then pick up what you like from the warehouse.”

“Okay,” he muttered, his gaze leaving my eyes and landing on my lips. I gave him a flirty smirk, but before either of us could move in, we’d arrived on the top floor.

“Come on, big guy.” I took him to the restaurant that served a variety of Norwegian specialties. “What would you like to drink?” I asked him, turning back from the counter. He pointed at a bottle of pop.

“Hi, can we get one of the elderflower sodas and the blackcurrant for me?” The nice young woman at the checkout put both bottles on the counter. I swiped my card and handed Kjartan his drink.

“Thank you, Vindur, for taking me here. I didn’t know this place existed.”

“You’re welcome. This is actually doing me a favour.

I love N?kken, perhaps a little too much.

“ Inching my head back towards the show floor, I fell into step next to my Orc. If people found us an odd pairing, they didn’t let it on.

Perhaps thanks to the nice weather, it was fairly empty, anyway.

Only a few pregnant people hurried past couches and beds to find the chests of drawers and nursery stuff.

“Let’s check this out,” I told him, stopping at one of the fake rooms they’d set up.