Page 8 of My Orc Pen Pal (Mated to the Monster: Season 3)

Ro

That kiss ruined me.

I mean, I had principles . I’d meant it when I told Akhmim we were going to start over. That was the whole point of the whole “three date” thing. Was I only going to give him three dates? No, probably not, but I was giving him three dates to convince me he wasn’t a lunatic, going on about forever the first time I met him.

But…

But.

But that kiss.

Man, I’d been ready to drag him inside and let him go to town again. When he’d stroked my lips with his tongue, I’d thought of how freaking good it had felt inside me, and I’d wanted that. I’d wanted him .

I’m glad he was strong enough to remember my plan and leave…because one of us has to be strong, dammit, and it ain’t me.

Which was why I called him even before he got home, wanting to talk more about the party at my parents’ place. And the next day, I texted him throughout my grading extravaganza. And Monday afternoon I gave into the inevitable.

Hey, I know I said only three dates, but any interest in a movie and junk food tonight? I was thinking of making taco dip, we could make margaritas…

His reply took less than a minute.

Does this count as our last date? Because I had plans for next weekend for the two of us.

Nope, not a date. Just…watching a movie? As friends?

…I don’t want to be just friends with you, Rosemary. I thought I’d made that clear.

Okay.

OK, what if it’s not a date, but not just friends? It’s a…movie night between two people who want to date but are taking it slow.

I held my breath as he took his time answering. When he did, I exhaled on a laugh, because it wasn’t what I expected.

What movie?

My fingers flew across the phone’s screen.

Lord of the Rings? Margaritas and taco dip?

You had me at Frodo. I’ll bring enchiladas too. See you soon.

And that is how we ended up spending each night this week watching the extended edition of the most epic movie franchise in history. Since we’ve both seen it multiple times, we didn’t have to pause when we pointed out plot holes or behind-the-scenes facts or added our own snarky comments.

And he didn’t tease me when I cried at Boromir’s death.

In fact, we did a lot of snuggling. And a lot of kissing. I missed most of the battle of Helm’s Deep, and that’s saying a lot, because Legolas riding a shield is not something I usually skip.

Nothing more than kissing and a few fondles happened, though.

But by Friday night, I knew the truth: If Akhmim had pushed for it, I would have let him go all the way. Let him? Hell, I would’ve stripped down and climbed on his lap.

Because the sexual tension in here was at like an eleven.

And more than that, I was pretty sure I was falling for him. Hard. Which is weird as hell for someone who never really believed in love. Oh, I believed in hormones, and safety, and a million other things that could masquerade as love. But real love? I’d always been skeptical.

And then I met Akhmim.

Akhmim, who got me . Who could guess what I was thinking, who could make me laugh, who was kind and gentle and still strong and protective.

Yeah, I was falling for him.

Which was why I was looking forward to this last date.

On Saturday evening, he showed up on my porch with a blanket and a picnic basket. I was dressed in a little plaid skirt I’d made myself, and a cute vest I’d thrifted. “Where are we going?” I asked with excitement.

“Well, I asked Memnon where I could take you for a picnic on this island that was beautiful and private. He said the nature reserve was lovely, but in terms of privacy, your backyard was an oasis.”

Excited now, I tugged him inside. “Yes! Remember what I showed you from the porch? Maya designed this whole tea garden retreat, and Memnon helped landscape it! A backyard picnic was a great idea!”

And it would be very, very private.

“Wow,” Akhmim murmured as I presented the garden to him with a little ta-da dance. “I would have thought the fencing would be enough, but I’m really impressed by the trellising.”

“Me too!” I squealed, taking the blanket from him to spread it out on the grass in the middle of the tea garden. “The roses just took off this year, and in another few years, I won’t be able to see over the azaleas behind them.”

As he settled beside me, I could tell he was also considering the privacy. I hoped to make use of it later.

It turned out that when Akhmim packed a picnic, he went all out. There were panini sandwiches from Meli’s Bake Shoppe, and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a whole platter of cheeses, some crusty bread he’d pre-sliced, and a bottle of sweet wine. Did I mention the strawberries?

“Did you make these yourself?” I asked, holding up one after the first glass of wine and half the food was gone.

Was it my imagination, or did he flush? “Yeah. I thought you might like them.”

“I love chocolate-covered strawberries.”

His grin was shy. “Then I’ll make them for you again. Often.”

Feeling bold, I rolled to my knees and lifted the fruit to my lips, drawing it into my mouth in a way I hoped looked sexy and not like, you know, I was choking.

Since Akhmim growled, and his eyes flashed green, I think it worked. “Rosemary,” he rumbled in warning.

Smiling wickedly, I placed one hand on his shoulder and leaned closer, popping the half-bitten strawberry from my mouth and rubbing it along his lips. “So good,” I whispered.

His eyes fluttered shut in surrender, and he opened his mouth to take the full thing between his teeth with a groan of pleasure. I allowed my fingers to linger on his lips, tracing the contours until I moved along his jaw toward his ears. I swirled my fingertip along the inside of the pointed part and smiled when he shuddered.

Since his eyes were still closed, I felt safe glancing down at the huge bulge in his jeans.

It wasn’t new; I’d caught him with an erection a few times this week during our movie nights, although he’d always tried to hide it.

Now though? Flattering as hell.

I shuffled closer so I could lean against him and press my mouth to the tip of his ear.

Akhmim jerked, his eyes flying open. “If you continue that, I can’t promise what I’ll do.”

“Oh?” I asked innocently. “Are your ears erogenous zones?” I could tell by the heat in his eyes they most definitely were.

“Rosemary,” he growled, “you were the one who said we were starting over, taking it slow. I’m trying to do what you want.”

And now I want to do you ! But I didn’t say it; I didn’t say anything. Instead, I lifted my skirt and shimmied out of my panties, lifting up first one knee, then the other, to kick them off. Those glowing green eyes watched me hungrily, and I loved that he understood what I was doing.

I shifted close enough to throw one leg over his thighs until I was straddling him. I knew I was wet, leaving residue on his jeans again. “Akhmim, we’ve spent two weeks and three official dates taking it slow. We fired our clay pots, we watched movies. You charmed my family, and you made me chocolate-covered strawberries. I think we’re done playing it slow.”

Something very much like joy flared in his eyes. “You mean?—”

I grabbed his face and pulled his mouth down to mine. The time for speaking, for thinking was past.

As always, Akhmim understood me.

We undressed each other slowly, taking our time with kisses and caresses and encouraging murmurs. I loved the way his chest felt under my palms, and how reverently he addressed my breasts, as if he could worship them.

I didn’t mind the worshipping one bit.

“Gods below, Rosemary,” he groaned, stroking that ridged tongue along my nipple and making me shudder. “I’ve missed you.”

I like to think I said something coherent, but it’s unlikely.

When he rolled me off him and laid me down on the blanket, I reached for him, fully expecting him to be ready for the whole penis-in-vagina thing. I mean, I could see just how ready his cock was.

But to my surprise, Akhmim dragged his hands down my sides to my hips. I was still wearing that little plaid skirt—and nothing else—so I expected him to remove it.

He didn’t.

He grasped my hips, settled back on his heels, and lifted .

I squeaked in surprise as he lifted my hips and ass straight up toward his face, then hooked my knees over his shoulder. My shoulders and upper back rested on the blanket, but the rest was just hanging there?—

And then he put his mouth on me, and I stopped caring about the awkward angle.

Because dear God in Heaven , I’d missed this.

I almost came then and there, the first time his tongue swiped through my wetness, and I think I moaned his name. From this angle, I had no ability to grind against him, to control the movement.

I just had to hold on to his thighs and trust him to love me properly.

He remembered what I liked. He slid inside, stroking me the way I loved, then teased my lips and my clit, humming in approval at my little whimpers. It was delicious, delicious torture.

“Please, Akhmim,” I whimpered, doing my best to rock my hips against him.

I felt his lips curl, then he shifted. One tusk scraped my sensitive inner thigh at the same time he closed his lips around my clitoris, and I exploded.

He continued to lap at me, and when I was finally able to focus on something besides my own quivering, I caught him staring down along my body, pinning me with his possessive green gaze.

It took a few tries to get my voice to work, but I lifted my arms as if I could reach for him. “Akhmim,” I rasped .

Slowly, gently, he lowered my hips to the blanket. I could tell from the tightness in his muscles that he wasn’t ready to relax, yet he laid beside me and gathered me in his arms. I allowed myself to soak in his protection and comfort for only a few minutes as my heart rate returned to normal, then I nudged him to roll over.

When he did, I rolled on top of him, plastering myself against his naked chest. “Your turn,” I announced with a smile.

Although the need was clear on his expression, something shuttered in his eyes. “Rosemary, I don’t want to rush you.”

“You’re not,” I assured him, pulling myself up to straddle his hips, so his cock jutted up in front of my pelvis. While I spoke, I reached down and began to stroke him, pressing his ridges against my curls and my wetness. “I’m a big girl, and I know when I’m ready. I want you, Akhmim. I want…”

How had he said it before?

“What, dkaar ?” he rasped, his attention shifting between my face and my hands’ ministrations. “What do you want?”

“I want you to claim me .”

He groaned, his head dropping back to the blanket, but he held my gaze as I planted one hand on his shoulders, leaned back to grasp his cock, and positioned it at my weeping entrance.

“Do you remember what I said about this?” he rumbled .

“That as soon as your thick cock is deep inside of me, I’m going to come?” As the pulse at the base of his throat jumped, I winked. “I remember.”

It had kept me up at night dreaming about it, honestly.

But when I lowered myself on him, each ridge sliding inside of me in the most amazing way, it was like nothing I’d dreamed of. I was stretched, stimulated, every inch wrenching a gasp from me...

Until I was fully seated, and my second orgasm caused me to scream wordlessly and arch backward.

Had I thought the first one was good? This one, with his cock actually in me, giving my inner muscles something to grasp, was even better. And the way he touched me, his hands roaming over my skin as he murmured words of praise? Even better.

“So beautiful. Gods below, you’re perfect, dkaar . Just look at you, coming on your Mate’s cock, taking what you deserve from it. Fuck , Rosemary, you’re magnificent. I need to move, love. I want to move…”

“Move,” I gasped in command, rocking my hips to show him what I thought would feel good. Good? Pretty sure sparks hit the back of my eyeballs, and I gasped again.

Akhmim held my hips and thrust up into me, each motion slow and deliberate. I loved the way his glowing eyes pierced mine, as if he could pin me there. I didn’t want to blink; our connection felt as if it was wired directly through my nipples and down to my clitoris.

I leaned forward, planting my hands on his shoulders and lifting myself on my knees, which allowed him a greater range of movement. I felt him plant his feet so he could thrust upward, each plunge dragging those delicious ridges along the most sensitive parts of me.

My body was still humming from my orgasm, so it took me a while to realize the pressure—the pleasure—was growing again. Or maybe it had never left. I curled my fingers around Akhmim’s shoulders and tried to pull myself closer while simultaneously pushing myself down on his cock.

He understood, because of course he did. With a low growl, he lifted his head and shoulders off the blanket, leaned upward…and caught my nipple in his mouth.

Holy crap .

I mean, my nips were sensitive, yeah. But seeing them dangling like this, where he could grab them with his mouth? Hot . And his wicked tongue was teasing the nipple in a way perfectly reminiscent of what his cock was doing to me, and I felt… I felt like I was getting it from both ends.

Overwhelmed, my eyes fluttered closed on a moan.

His hand caught my breast so he could hold it in place as he murmured to me in between kisses and licks. “That’s it, dkaar .” He grunted as his thrusts turned frantic. “So good. Gods below, so good. Staam’fallak m’keena, dkaar . So perfect!”

I didn’t know what he was saying, but it was perfect. Damn perfect. I loved how close he sounded to losing control. That, more than anything, sent me closer to the edge. I wriggled against him, and his hand dropped from my breast to my curls .

“Come for me, love,” he commanded, gently rubbing my clit with his knuckles. “Come on your Mate’s cock.”

With a wail, I obeyed.

Mate .

I came again, squeezing, milking his cock, gasping as he slid in and out of me, torturing me with those ridges. This orgasm stretched, building even higher with each plunge, which shouldn’t be possible, until I thought I was going to pass out.

Akhmim froze, buried deep inside me, as I finally wrung out the last stages of pleasure. My eyes slowly opened, dazed…

And he growled, reached around behind me, and pulled his cock from me. I felt a moment of confusion, but then he was pressing it against the cleft of my ass, thrusting once…

When he came, he roared . A wordless roar that seemed to shake the rose garden, and made me laugh, because his cum hit my shoulder blades. Another thrust, another spurt, and another, and I knew my back was covered in his seed.

It should have been gross.

Instead, as I curled up on his chest, comforted by the cinnamon scent of his cum, I felt…protected. Safe. Sated.

Claimed .

Despite the stickiness on my back, Akhmim wrapped his arms around me and crushed me to his chest. “Beautiful,” he murmured .

“Yeah...”

My eyes were heavy, despite the sun not having full set yet. I wanted to remain wrapped here in his arms forever, but I knew we would likely have to go inside and shower, and maybe finish the rest of the picnic before trying this again. For now, though, I was content right where I was.

I blew out a breath and patted his chest as I closed my eyes and breathed out, “ Yeah . Definitely boyfriend material.”