Page 17 of One Night with Her Untamed Orc (Toothsome Monster Romance #6)
Tarik
E mma is a unique creature in this world. Of this, I am positive. Watching her speak about her research and these ridiculous eels made me care. Care about the sea, the eels, even the intrusive little crab that clung to my foot and terrorized me on the beach.
Even more than making me, and everyone around, care, she radiates the same joy and confidence I saw at her camp, on the boat, and in bed. I am completely awestruck by her. And I want nothing more than to make her happy.
But I see that she is happy. She is doing what makes her happy.
At the end of her speech, I’m tempted to slink out without saying anything. But I am not a coward. It is a great honor to shake her hand and tell her, ‘Well done.’
I don’t see the moment she sees me; I’m too busy keeping my head down. But I hear her gasp. I smell her scent shift from the nervous excitement that it’s been, to something different—not straight up arousal, but a wanting in her.
I’m so tongue-tied and twisted in my emotions.
I want to carry her high above this crowd and demand that they all worship her, praise her for the genius she is.
At the same time, I want to scoop her up and run away, back to my quiet cabin away from prying eyes, and give her pleasure after pleasure until she can’t take it anymore.
What do I do? I awkwardly give her flowers and stand there like the bumbling orc that I am.
Remember, she’s happy here. This isn’t about making me happy or fulfilling the longing in my soul for my fated mate.
This is about her. If I plant myself in her life, am I taking away what she’s built?
Is there room for my pumpkins and me and her eels?
Emma leaps into my arms, strangling me in a hug, legs wrapped awkwardly around me, clinging on for dear life.
The action shakes me out of all the introspection I’ve buried myself in.
When I inhale, it’s of her and her hair—summer salt and lemon.
Two biting substances that together are the essence of summer and her. Joy bubbles up inside me.
“Hug me back,” she whispers into my neck. Right. I wrap my arms around her, supporting her, savoring the feeling of her soft body against mine.
After standing like that for who knows how long, she lifts her head to look at me with a beautiful smile on her face, all her freckles shining out. “I wasn’t sure you’d do public displays of affection, Tiger.”
“Tigers probably don’t. But I do, especially with you.”
Emma snorts and laughs. One of her professors looks over his glasses at us. I’m tempted to flip him off. Instead, I hug her tighter. “I love your humor,” she whispers.
“I’m proud of you,” I say, putting all my feelings into the four words, hoping she believes me.
“I know.” She smiles as she lets go, sliding down my front. I work to suppress a groan.
“Hey! Shall we get drinks to celebrate?” Poros interrupts our tender moment with his loud voice and gangly limbs. I knew it was a mistake for him to come.
Emma laughs at him as she lets go of me and envelops him in a hug.
Not nearly as intimate as ours, but still enough for me to growl my displeasure.
Emma turns to me, both eyebrows raised, and says, “Really? I can be happy he’s here, too.
Besides, I have a feeling he’s the reason you’re here.
” The look on her face says she knows me better than I thought. My only response is to growl again.
“Let’s get ice cream,” Emma says once she catches her breath at laughing at me.
Ice cream should be innocent enough.