Page 10 of Grumpy Pucking Orc (Orcs on Ice #1)

“Okay. Just so we’re clear, I carry pepper spray in my purse,” I informed him, thinking that might not be that much of a deterrent to an orc. Maybe I needed to find a reputable magic shop and invest in a protective amulet. Or just buy a gun.

Ozar solemnly nodded. “Understood. I will give you no reason to use seasoning to defend yourself.”

I snort laughed at that, because the cultural barrier helped to make him seem less threatening, and more of an earnest, seven-foot-tall, musclebound, Boy Scout.

“So, what sort of English words and phrases did your friend Gax teach you?” I asked.

He grinned again, and a little zing went through me. “I will tell you those another time, because they are not words a male should say in the company of an oranwgiel .”

Yeah, a total Boy Scout. It was so incongruous compared to his appearance that my attraction to him flared hotter. I scooted my chair closer, taking the beer that Abby had bought for us and clinking it against Ozar’s pint of dark brew.

He frowned.

“It’s a ritual,” I explained. “Touching our glasses together signifies friendship and trust.”

Ozar grunted, picked up his pint, then rapped it against mine with a bit more force than I had done. “I trust you, Jordan.”

I smiled. “And now we drink.”

The orc took that to mean he should down his entire pint, then wave at the waitress for another round. I’d intended to just sip mine but didn’t want to insult the guy so I quickly gulped the pint down, knowing I’d regret all these beers in the morning.

“What made you decide to play hockey if you didn’t have the sport back home?” I asked as the waitress distributed another round of brim-full pints to each of us at the table.

“Angels,” Ozar informed me. “We were not allowed to remain here unless we had what they call ‘gainful employment.’”

My mouth dropped open. “So, all the bouncer jobs were taken? Overnight convenience store clerk positions? Wrestling coach openings? Why hockey?”

He consulted his phone again. “We were offered none of those jobs. The only employment opportunity was to play hockey for this team, and we accepted.”

Sweet Jesus. My anger flared, totally pissed at the demon owner of the Tusks.

He’d taken advantage of these orcs who’d thought they were getting a regular job instead of becoming the equivalent of freaks in a circus sideshow.

There wasn’t much payback I could do to a demon, but if that guy ever found himself in my chair, he was getting an unnecessary root canal without Novocain, professional ethics be damned.

Ozar took a long pull at his beer, then stared at the dark brew with a moody expression.

“We were arrogant. Comparing our size and strength to the humans, we assumed we would easily win at any game. But we did not win, and we were laughed at. I think that is why we were asked to do this job, so we could play the fools and humans could pay their coin to watch the big powerful orcs be beaten by humans.”

I put a hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles under his T-shirt jump at my touch. “ I wasn’t laughing. You scored a point—that’s no small thing in hockey, especially since you all aren’t experienced in skating or in the game. You also kicked some serious ass in the fight.”

He looked a few things up on his phone, then smiled sheepishly. “It was a lucky shot. And of course we kicked asses in the fight. We’re orcs.”

Now there was the arrogance I’d expected. Surprisingly, it didn’t turn me off like it did with other guys.

“Lucky shot or not, you nailed it right into the net. I’ll bet with some practice and good coaching, you all will be more than a laughingstock by the end of this season.”

“We all hope to be gone by the end of the season,” he confessed.

My heart sank at that. “What do you mean?”

He looked embarrassed, as if he’d spoken without thinking. “None of us are good at hockey. It’s best for us to get other jobs. I hope to stay in Baltimore, though.”

There was a meaningful glance that accompanied his last words, as if he was planning to stay in Baltimore because of me. I’d been fed a lot of lines in my life, but I got the feeling this orc Boy Scout wasn’t delivering empty promises to help him get laid.

“I’d like it if you stayed in Baltimore,” I confessed, feeling a little uneasy at expressing my interest so clearly.

“Then I will.” That intensity was back in his eyes. “And I will continue to play hockey if you wish.”

I winced. “You need to do what you want in terms of employment. I’m just saying that I think you all could be contenders. You’re physically…well, damned buff. All you need is coaching on the game and loads of practice on the ice. I get the impression none of you are averse to a challenge.”

He typed again on his phone, then nodded. “I accept the challenge.”

Sucking in a breath, I held up my hands. “No! I don’t want you to do this for me or for anyone else. If you’re going to continue with the Tusks, it has to be for you .”

“Or for the team?” He looked at the other orcs, and I got the impression they were about to be whipped into shape, whether they liked it or not.

“Ozar, you need to do what you want.” I put my hand back on his arm.

“There are things I want. And if being a fool on a hockey team gets me those, then I will play this game.”

I shivered a little at his tone, that non-practical, romantic piece of my heart thrilling at the intimation that he wanted me —that he’d do anything to win me .

“How about you not be a fool on a hockey team,” I said, a daring tone in my voice. “How about you be a winner on a hockey team? How about you score goals and play in a way that the other team is scared to death of you?”

Ozar grinned at that, his gaze focusing on some distant point, visualizing his success. “I like that idea, Doctor Jordan Schooner of Schooner Dental Reconstruction. I like that.”

“Jordan,” I reminded him. “Please just call me Jordan.”

“Jordan.” He took another drink from his beer. “I have told you many things about me, and now I want to hear everything about you.”

By last call, I hadn’t told him everything about me.

As usual, I’d gone on at length about my more challenging reconstructive dentistry cases.

I’d even pulled out my phone and showed him pictures.

I wanted to blame the number of beers I’d had this evening, but honestly, I was always like this—a total tooth nerd who lived for her profession.

Ozar was either incredibly polite, or he was determined to suffer though anything for a chance to take me to bed.

Except at the end of the night when the staff was shooing our drunk butts out the door, Ozar didn’t insist on taking me back to his place.

Instead, he expressed concern about my ability to drive my vehicle and offered to walk me home.

I laughed at the idea of stumbling several miles through the city to my house.

I was wearing comfortable shoes, but I was also extremely tipsy and knew I’d end up having to pee in a couple of people’s landscaping on the way if I walked home.

It was a better plan to order an Uber and pick up my car sometime tomorrow.

Abby had left before us, as had Willa. The other orcs had also left, leaving Ozar and I drinking another round and talking until closing.

Ozar was intrigued by the Uber app, saying he wanted to download that for himself as he didn’t have a vehicle or know how to drive one. I finished, then asked him how orcs and others in his world got around.

“We walk. We can also run at a fast pace for very long distances. And if we need to haul lumber or something else, we hitch pzacki to a cart. They are like…” He jutted out his lower lip in thought. “Horse and moose. And shark, although they do not need to live in the water.”

What the hell kind of monster was that? “Do you ride them? Or do they just pull carts?”

“Both, although they tend to bond to one orc and will only allow them to ride or approach. They are dangerous creatures and can be vicious to those they do not like. ”

My Uber pulled up to the curb.

“Thank you for an enjoyable evening,” I told him, really meaning it.

I’d had a great conversation with him, and the initial attraction had strengthened, winding its silky strands tightly around me as we’d gotten to know each other.

Without thinking, I reached up and pulled his head down to mine, kissing him firmly.

He was taken by surprise, but quickly got with the program, gathering my body against his.

His arms scooped me up off my feet, nestling my hips to the firm hardness between his legs.

He was so tall he still needed to arch his back to continue kissing me, but the awkward position didn’t seem to bother him, and it certainly didn’t bother me.

Neither did his tusks, which pressed firmly but not painfully against the sides of my mouth.

All the while, my Uber driver waited patiently. I doubted this was the first time he’d seen two people at closing time locking lips, waiting for their drunk-drive home.

When we finally pulled apart, Ozar opened the back door for me, ushering me into the seat and gently closing the door. The driver pulled from the curb, smirking at me in the rearview. I twisted to look back at the giant orc who watched until we rounded a corner.

It had been so easy to offer Ozar my business card in that parking lot under the guise of having him come in as a patient.

That excuse for seeing him meant my heart would be safe.

If he showed up Monday morning, fine. If not, then it wouldn’t be a personal rejection or a slight on my abilities as a dentist. But we’d gone to McHenry’s, and I’d gotten to know him better, and now there was so much more at stake.

What would happen Monday morning when he walked into my practice? If he walked into my practice ?

And what would happen if he didn’t? My heart ached at the thought. Was this just a drunken flirtation that the orc would regret in the morning? He was a sports figure, losing team or not. And there was a reason I didn’t date athletes.

But if he did show up at my office, and he acted totally professional, then I’d have to do the same. If he flirted, then maybe I’d work up the nerve to ask him out.

Maybe.

How the hell was I supposed to ask out a patient? Or even flirt with a patient? Ugh. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him to come to my office after all. Playing it safe meant that I was now going to face an ethical dilemma.

And there would be a dilemma, because I wanted more from Ozar than just a chance to take care of his teeth. But it was too late for that now. If he arrived Monday morning for his appointment, I’d just need to be brave, throw professionalism out the window… and possibly ask him out to dinner.