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CHAPTER THREE

Vartok

I wasn’t completely convinced that this wasn’t a dream.

Was I really standing here in my cottage with Myra’s tits cupped in my palms? Was that really her arse my cock was pressed against? Was I imagining the way her breathing had gone all shallow and the sweet scent of her arousal wafted through my home?

Nay .

Nay, I’d been with enough females to know the signs.

This was my Myra. She’d come to me for pleasure and she was already aroused.

When I squeezed lightly, she moaned, arching into my hold, and I had to bite back the possessive growl my Kteer almost released. I couldn’t afford to scare her .

She was wearing a simple gown, the same dark red one she’d worn earlier when she’d come to my shop, the wool well-worn and soft. How did I know? Because I could feel her nipples pebbling beneath it when I gently rolled them between my thumb and forefinger.

Gods below, I’d always loved this gown, the way it hugged her curves…

“Myra,” I breathed against her hair, still trying to convince myself this was real. She was here .

She hummed in surrender, her head tipping back to rest against my shoulder.

So trusting.

So submissive.

So unlike my Myra.

Thoughtfully, I moved my hands away from her breasts to skim down her sides. I knew her well enough to know that in order to give her what she wanted, she needed me to be in charge, hence my demands.

My rules .

If she started to overthink things, she’d never get the pleasure, the letting go , she needed. I was humbled that she’d come to me with such a request, and eager to start, but…

My hands lowered to cup her hips.

“Myra, lass, how much ale have ye had tonight?”

She swayed against me, and I glanced down to see her eyes closed, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Enough,” she murmured. “I needed… ”

Needed the courage, as I’d teased her? Or needed to lose all her inhibitions? I frowned. And here I’d just demanded she give control over to me. Well, I had to ensure her trust wasn’t misplaced.

Using my hold on her hips, I gently turned her in my hold until she was facing me. Until my cock rested against her belly, until my Kteer urged me to lift her and place her on the table and spread her legs and lick her.

Instead, I used one finger to tip her chin back to meet my eyes.

“Are ye certain ye want this, lass?”

Surprise caused her eyes to widen, and I almost kicked myself for giving her an out. But I should have known my Myra wouldn’t back down from a challenge. She set her jaw and lifted her chin.

“I want this, Vartok. Everyone says you are the one to give pleasure. I want to learn.”

“From me.”

It wasn’t a question. I couldn’t afford it to be a question. I knew how she felt about me, how she treated me. How could I not?

She only hesitated a moment before dropping her chin in a small nod, her gaze locking on my mouth.

“From you,” she whispered, her little tongue darting out across her lips. “I-I agree to your terms, Vartok. For tonight.”

My hold on her tightened. “Pleasure cannae be taught in a night, my pretty little human. When I say ye need a lesson, ye’ll agree. Aye? ”

That’s what I’d demanded earlier. I needed her to know the breathless anticipation of desire.

This time her hesitation was more than a moment, but eventually her dark gaze rose to mine.

“ Aye ,” she whispered.

I couldn’t help the way my lips curled in victory as I bent lower.

“And next time, ye’ll no’ be drunk.” I didn’t want a drunk lover.

“I am not drunk now,” she countered, her hands resting on my arms. “I know what I want.”

Mayhap the ale had just lowered her defenses? Still, I wasn’t going to take advantage of her.

But I couldn’t help the way my grin grew.

“And what is it that ye want, my pretty little human?”

“For you to stop calling me that. Like I am…” Her scowl was as adorable as the rest of her. “Like I am some kind of pet.”

“Och, ye are,” I purred, lowering my lips to her cheek and nuzzling her ear as I whispered, “ My pet. I’ll train ye to come on my tongue, Myra.”

She whimpered and swayed closer, her fingers digging into my skin. I brushed my tongue over her earlobe.

“I’ll give ye all the attention such a wee treasure deserves, and soon ye’ll be an expert on what kind of pleasure ye crave. ”

No further complaints about my name for her, but her eyes were closed, her lips parted, and the scent of her arousal wrapped around my cock and stroked.

Well, she might have had too much ale for me to trust this is what she wanted, but I could still give it to her.

Gods knew I wanted to taste her—her lips, her cunny, her skin…but not tonight. Not yet . If she still agreed to our bargain tomorrow, then… aye .

Still, I wasn’t going to miss out on this perfect scent of her. But forcing myself to set her away from me? ‘Twas the hardest thing I’d done. Harder than working steel. Harder than my cock.

The way she blinked in confusion told me she didn’t understand, either. Still, with my hold on her hips, I guided her toward the chair in which I’d been sitting earlier and nudged her into it.

“Vartok?” she asked, clearly wondering why I was setting her aside when we were both so desperate for this.

I asked myself the same thing, while cursing myself for a fool.

Moving away from her was even more difficult, but I did it.

“Yer first lesson in pleasure, Myra, is following my directions, admitting I’m an expert. Yer second is kenning what ye like.”

I settled into my favorite chair in front of the hearth, the one I’d patterned on my grandfather’s, the one with the pillows that allowed me to lean back. Now I planted my boots, spread my knees, and eased backward as she watched me, half-confused, half-wary.

“I want ye to show me, lass,” I murmured. “Show me what ye like.”

“I— what ?” There was that flash of ire I recognized. “I came to you for this sort of thing.”

I fought to keep my grin from my face. She wasn’t going to make this easy? Well, she’d already agreed to follow my demands…

“Cup yer tits, Myra.”

She sucked in a breath at the command, eyes going wide. I nodded and pretended to relax in my chair, as if naught was amiss.

“Lift yer hands, lass. Cup yer tits. Do ye remember how it felt when I touched them?”

The little jerk of her head seemed almost involuntary, and I could see her hands fluttering in her lap, as if she didn’t know if she should follow my instructions.

“Touch yerself. Squeeze them. Now , lass.”

She swallowed, then lifted her chin. Her hands rose, but not to her breasts, not yet. To my delight, she slid her gown off her shoulders, so her chemise—bright against her dark skin—covered her. Then, her gaze almost defiant, she pulled at the tie at the throat of her chemise…

And pulled the soft linen down.

I pretended nonchalance, but when Myra reached into her chemise and pulled out her small, pert breasts—first one, then the other—my claws dug into my thighs .

“Good,” I rasped, my mouth already salivating. “Good lass. Are ye cold?”

“Aye,” she murmured, but she cupped her tits as I’d instructed. She pinched her nipples as I watched, and I heard her breathing become ragged.

“Good,” I crooned. “Good lass. Now, roll them— gently .”

She did, and I saw her lips part with surprise as she squirmed on the seat. Gods below, why had I agreed to this torture? She was so fooking far away !

“Ye like that?” Gods, my voice didn’t usually crack like that. “Show me how ye like to be touched, pet.”

This time, the name didn’t bother her. Instead, my sweet, innocent little plaything tugged on her nipples, pulling them until her small breasts elongated, and I—unable to help myself—groaned out loud.

My Mate liked her tits handled aggressively? Gods willing, one day I would be able to make use of that realization.

Unbidden, my hand fell on my cock. Had it really only been hours ago I’d fooked my palm while thinking of Myra? Thinking of her in this exact scenario ? The way my cock throbbed, I wouldn’t have guessed it.

“Aye, like that, lass. Ye like it rough?”

Her eyes were glazed with desire, and as I began to stroke myself through my kilt, her gaze fell to the way the wool tented. I spread my legs slightly, so she could see my response to what she was doing.

“I want to taste ye,” I rasped, still stroking myself. “I want to capture those nipples between my teeth and pull on them, the way ye’re doing. ”

Her breath hissed between her teeth, but she squeezed and pulled on her nipples as if she was imagining me doing it.

Is that what she liked? Well, I could give that to her.

“I would get on my knees in front of ye, lass.” My hand tightened around my cock. “I would kiss yer throat. Yer shoulder.” I saw her sway to one side, as if imagining my caresses.

“I would lift both of yer tits—gods below—so reverently,” I breathed. “I would take one of them into my mouth. Yer so small, I could get most of that one between my lips. And my tongue, lass. Do ye ken about orcs’ tongues?”

Her questioning gaze snapped up to mine, and I made a show of sticking out my tongue, swiping it across my lower lip.

“’Tis ridged. Just like my cock. My teeth might play with yer nipples, lass, but my tongue? Imagine how that would feel against yer skin. Each ridge, playing with yer sensitive nipples. Each. Ridge.”

Myra gave a little whimper and swayed forward in her chair, her fingers still tugging on her nipples. I watched her squirm in her chair, smelled a fresh bloom of her arousal.

“Good lass,” I whispered, grinning in appreciation. “Such a good little plaything.”

“I am not—” She swallowed and straightened, her hands going back to cup her tits more gently. “I am not doing anything more than what I do?—”

When she bit off her words, my brow rose in amusement.

“What ye do at night? Alone in yer bed? When ye dream of a thick orc cock to ease yer torment. Do ye ken what we can do with our cocks, sweet little human? What I can do?”

I didn’t think she’d answer me. I was wrong.