Page 10
Erik
The utter bliss of Inessa’s mouth on me makes my mind go blank for half a minute. She keeps slowly pumping my cock until the last drop of cum has been milked from me and my brain feels like it’s pooling on the floor at her feet.
Oh, but that wasn’t how our first time was supposed to go.
I was supposed to kiss her softly. To hold her in my arms and tell her how beautiful she is. I was supposed to worship every part of her body until I couldn’t think of another way to bring her pleasure.
Her beautiful body.
God, she’s beautiful.
I hope she doesn’t think too badly of me. I’ll last longer next time.
She wipes a drop of me from the corner of her mouth, and I reach down quickly to help her up .
She ignores my hand and gets to her feet without assistance. Oh, I have disappointed her. “Let me return the favor. I would love to taste you.”
“Is not necessary.” She stoops to pick up her robe and my heart flops around in my chest.
My cock stirs at the sight of her rounded ass when she bends, but I ignore that. Now it’s her turn.
“Please, Inessa. I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”
Her gaze snaps to mine and her brows draw together. “You? Disappoint me?”
“I was too fast. I couldn’t hold on.”
Her expression softens, but seconds later she looks away. “I worry that I am disappointing.”
I’m already reaching for her when I remember how she reacted to my touch in the cab. I just manage to stop myself before it’s too late. I can’t believe it’s only just occurring to me now. Has something happened to her to make her distrust males? To make her distrust me in particular?
The thought of someone hurting or scaring her makes me sick, but I have to ask. “Did someone hurt you?”
Her eyes widen and I catch a look of panic on her face before she skirts around me and dashes for the bedroom. “Inessa, wait!”
I resist the urge to chase her. That won’t make this better. So I have to let her run and slam the door between us, balling my hands into fists at my sides so I don’t punch something. I’m pretty sure that’s a clear answer to my question. The kind I wish she didn’t have to give.
No wonder she’s so jumpy every time we’re close. No wonder she was prepared to be an orc’s bride .
I pull up my pants and retreat to the kitchen, scrubbing a hand over my face and thinking hard. She needs to know she can trust me. That I’ll never force her to do anything she doesn’t want. I think she needs to know I’m not angry with her.
Fifteen minutes later, I set the tray down outside the door and tap lightly. “I’ve made a tray for you, if you’re hungry. You don’t have to come out yet, but I wanted you to know I would never do anything you don’t want. I don’t ever have to touch you if you don’t want that.”
I’m turning away when a soft noise makes me spin. The door opens and she peeps out.
“Never?”
I give her my most serious, solemn expression. “Never.”
“But you don’t want that?”
I swallow and shift uncomfortably. I’m sure a lie would be what she wants to hear and I don’t want to scare her, but I can’t bear being dishonest with her. “Well...”
There’s a horrible silence and I think she’s going to go back into hiding, but she surprises me. Opening the door all the way, she ducks and picks up the tray. “Thank you. You are a good husband. I am terrible wife.”
My heart nearly melts inside my chest. “You’re not terrible at all! You made me feel amazing.”
She holds my gaze for a long beat, searching my face. Then she sighs. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.” Wanting her to be comfortable, I lead her to the sofa and sit on the floor beside it so she has enough room. She sits with the tray on her lap and it makes me relieved when she picks up a piece of toast and nibbles on it .
“Back home. Before I left, I was engaged to someone. A man.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure how I feel. On the one hand I’m glad she’s opening up a little, but what if she’s about to tell me she was in love with him and that’s why she doesn’t want me to touch her?
“I do not love him.”
Thank the stars.
Inessa toys with the toast on her plate, not lifting it to her mouth but not making eye contact with me either. The pause makes a knot tighten in my belly.
“He touches me. Touched me. Forced me. My brother was in the next room. He must have heard. He did nothing.”
I stare. She was raped?
Well no wonder she doesn’t want anyone touching her. I feel awful for having reminded her of that experience. “Inessa, I’m sorry.”
“What for? You did not do this.”
I sigh. I’d love to hold her, but that’s the last thing she wants right now.
“Is OK. I am OK. But I do not want it to be like that with us.”
I nod slowly. “Me neither.”
She’s quiet for a while. Eventually she lifts the cup of tea to her lips and takes a sip.
“Already is better. With you. You are very different from him.” She looks up and her expression softens. “I like how different you are.”
There’s a pause.
“I like how different you look and feel. ”
“You do?”
She lifts a hand to my face and I hold my breath, afraid to move while she softly touches my cheek and the place on my lip where my tusks jut from my mouth. “It is good.”
The way I look is good to her? My heart is doing backflips in my chest and I probably have a stupid grin on my face. “Well, you just tell me what you need. I’d do anything to make you happy, Inessa. Anything. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
She’s thoughtful for a moment. Then she nods. “This will work.”
What will? Us?
I’m overjoyed. She sits with me while I make a grilled steak and salad for my own dinner. When I offer some to her, she even takes a small slice from my plate and tells me my cooking is good.
After dinner we sit together on the tiny sofa and she doesn’t pull away when our legs touch.
When Snickers comes sniffing around, Inessa strokes her long ears until she curls herself into a ball at Inessa’s feet.
My heart feels full to bursting and I sneak looks at the two of them all through the show we’re watching about the history of the United States. I’m not really following it anyway, but Inessa says she needs to learn.
She’s so smart, my mate. Beautiful and smart.
I know I can make this work somehow.