Page 19

I lifted my hands to my breasts, cover his, squeezing, and his chest rumbled.

“Nay, no’ yer tits. Those are mine . Lift yer skirts, my little fookable human, and touch yerself. Tell me how wet ye are.”

Oh God. ‘Twas humiliating. ‘Twas obscene, to consider doing this atop of a horse.

Of course I scrambled to obey.

Despite the cold air prickling my skin—or maybe because of it—I was shivering with desire by the time I got my skirts up and out of the way. My cloak fell over both of our legs, but I could feel Vartok’s cock throbbing against my arse, and the anticipation made me moan again .

“Pet,” he warned sternly, “I told ye to touch yerself. Stroke yer cunny for me.”

I did, and shuddered at the sensation.

“How wet are ye?” he growled in my ear, his tone brooking no argument.

“ So wet,” I murmured. “So wet for you.”

“For me?”

“All for you. Always for you,” I moaned, sliding two fingers into my core and cupping myself, the way he’d taught me. I could feel him watching me, his gaze tipped down between my breasts to where my hand disappeared under my skirts. I decided to give him a show by sliding my fingers in and out.

“So ready for your cock.”

With a sudden snarl, he released my breast and dropped his hand to my cunny.

I thought he might have claimed it with one of his thick fingers, but instead, he wrapped them around my wrist and yanked my hand from my core.

My breath caught at the abrupt savagery, and when he pulled my hand over my head so he could suck my fingers into his mouth, I whimpered with need.

“Good girl,” he rasped, between thrusting his tongue over my fingers. “Ye taste like ye’re ready for me.”

I was, but…we still rode. Swallowing, I shifted again, causing his cock to slide under my bunched skirts. ‘Twas all the encouragement he needed. Vartok dropped my hand and reached between us.

When I realized what he intended, I sucked in a worried breath and grabbed the horse’s mane to steady myself. Did he really think…?

Oh God, he did.

His ridges slid along my wetness, making me moan. I braced my boots against his feet and lifted my weight so my core could squeeze him.

“Such a perfect little pet,” he crooned as he positioned his cock at my entrance. “Are ye ready to come for me?”

I wanted this, I wanted him. but…atop a horse? A moving horse?

As if he could sense my concerns, Vartok clucked at the animal. Not to make it halt, but to increase its speed. The horse began to trot, and the harsh motion threw me backward, into Vartok.

Onto Vartok’s cock.

I slammed backward, and he caught me. My squeak of surprise turned into a moan of bliss as I climaxed immediately. This little trick of orc bodies was normally a blessing, but today I was too concerned about our safety to fully enjoy it.

As my cunny spasmed around him and I struggled to breathe through my orgasm, the horse continued to trot, its jolting motions slamming me up and down in Vartok’s lap.

He wrapped one arm around me and shifted me into a better position to take his cock. I was almost kneeling now—my fingers gripping the horse’s mane so tightly the animal was surely confused by the mixed signals—whimpering with confusion and pleasure and concern .

And through it all, the animal’s movements, combined with Vartok’s thrusts, had his cock slamming into me harder and deeper than he’d ever taken me before.

‘Twas almost alarming.

Nay, not almost .

My climax had faded and the rough thrusts meant I couldn’t appreciate his ridges, couldn’t find pleasure in the movements.

I…I didn’t like this.

“Stop!” I gasped, finally able to find my voice. “Vartok, please! Stop!”

His response was immediate.

Vartok yanked hard on the reins, pulling me backward until I was fully seated atop his cock, his arm holding me steady.

“What is it?”

I struggled to breathe, to find words to explain. I was speared, pinned by him, my body invaded. But I didn’t want to disappoint him…

“Lass, tell me.” He wrapped the reins around his wrist and lifted his fingers to smooth my curls away from my face. “Are ye crying?”

Was I? My body still thrummed from my climax, but the pleasure had turned to a confusion of pain and invasion, and I wasn’t sure what I was feeling.

“I—I am sorry,” I whispered, my voice catching on a sob.

And in a flash, his cock slid free of my sore cunny and he was swinging from the saddle, lifting me down as well.

Vartok didn’t set me on my feet, but instead cradled me against his chest, striding toward a pile of boulders left by some long-ago disaster. I pressed my face against his fur cloak, trying to understand what had happened to my body.

He dropped the reins and turned to settle against one of the boulders, his kilt covering him once more as he settled me in his lap.

“Now, Myra, talk to me,” he murmured, using his fingers to wipe tears from my cheeks. “Did I hurt ye?”

“You—” He could never hurt me. “I am sorry. I wanted to make you proud.”

He was watching me, and I saw the moment his expression crumbled, when the look of concern in his eyes turned to regret.

“Fook me with an ax,” he murmured, crushing me against him once more, rocking us both atop that boulder. “I am sorry, lass. Whatever happened, whatever pain I caused, ‘twas my fault. Never yers. Ye have made me proud from the verra first moment I met ye, Myra, and I will never no’ be proud of ye.”

The very first moment? But that was last summer .

I thought of how he’d confessed that he’d dreamed of my taste for months.

But…

But he’d treated me so differently, treated me like he hadn’t wanted anything to do with me …

I sniffled against his cloak, knowing there was no one else in this world or my old one who could get me to show this much emotion so readily.

“Please say something, Myra. I’m sorry I hurt ye. Please ken that I would cut off my own arm afore hurting ye. I would never do aught to hurt ye?—”

His panic was obvious, and I pushed myself upright.

“Vartok, you did not hurt me.”

Green eyes darted across my face, looking for the truth.

“That cannae be true. Ye wouldnae cry if?—”

“Mayhap ‘twould be better if I allowed myself to cry a bit more often.”

Slowly, his shoulders relaxed. “I am sorry, love. I didnae mean to hurt ye.”

“You did not.” Sighing, I pressed my cheek to his shoulder so I could still see him. “’Twas just…overwhelming. The motion of the horse…”

“Aye, I see it now.” His lips curled ruefully as he glanced at the animal, who was nosing at the lichen in the cracks of the boulder fall. “I likely traumatized the puir thing, too.”

I had to snort at that, but I lifted my hand to cup his cheek.

“I am fine now, I swear. Thank you for stopping when I asked.”

Looking surprised, Vartok pressed his hand against mine, pinning it in place.

“I told ye, I will always stop if ye feel uncomfortable. And I will never, ever hurt ye.”

And I realized…

‘Twas true.

In the time we’d spent together, Vartok had always focused on my pleasure. His pleasure had always taken second place. He denied himself release until I had climaxed multiple times. He was an attentive and gentle lover, no matter the circumstances. He cared .

I caught my breath as realization crashed over me.

Vartok had never hurt me, he never would, and he cared for me.

Was there any way— any way—that this…whatever this was between us…could come to mean more to him? Could I one day come to mean as much to him as he’d come to mean to me?

“Thank you,” I murmured, tears coming to my eyes again, this time for an entirely different reason.

“Thank ye for trusting me, for entrusting me with yer body,” he responded.

And my heart . I almost blurted it but instead offered a small smile. “And thank you for being trustworthy. I have never known a male who could care about a woman so selflessly.”

The rueful twist of his mouth told me he knew I was thinking of my childhood among humans. Still, he blew out a sigh and bent down to brush a kiss on my forehead.

“Only for ye, love,” he murmured. “Now, let’s get ye tucked back in—did ye ken yer tits were hanging out where anyone could see, lass?—and go find us some sea holly.”