Page 11 of The Orc’s Sweetheart (Creatures & Cottages)
Chapter 11
Tilly
B odin’s carrying me home on his back.
Bodin.
Is.
Carrying.
Me.
I’ve not been carried anywhere by anyone since I was a child. And now this orc, who I was sure held only disdain for me—but maybe not—is carrying me along the starlit path to my cottage.
What even is my life?!
Bodin smells incredible and I kind of want to bury my face in his neck and take a big whiff, but I’m not going to scare him off. No, I shall tell the horny beast inside of me to calm her pussy down and not get any sexy thoughts before she starts advertising just how much I’m enjoying the way his large hands wrap around my thighs.
In an effort to divert my thoughts, I say lamely, “The stars are really bright tonight.”
“They are,” Bodin agrees politely. “That’s how the island got its name. Arran, the vampire who founded our town, said when he first moved here almost four hundred years ago that he didn’t feel so alone because the stars kept him company when he would sit on the hill and look out over the ocean. One drunken night he told me he wished he named it something more sophisticated, but Starry Hill kind of stuck.”
I think on that for a second, and have to concur with Arran. “I like it. I can’t imagine a different name for the island now that I’ve been here. It’s like the stars join me when I go on my early runs. They stick around even after first light.”
Bodin looks to the east, like he’s imagining the sunrise. “Morning twilight, when the light forms a colorful gradient and you can see the stars slowly disappearing as the sun rises, is my favorite time of the day. It’s something I missed when I lived in Cape Easton.”
I perk up at this new information Bodin volunteered. “Wow! You lived there? When?”
His tone doesn’t match my excitement, as he hesitates to reply, “Uhm… a while ago.” I take the hint and don’t push any further. After the really nice evening we had, I’m not about to spoil it with my curiosity.
Needing to show Bodin that he has my understanding and support—or perhaps it’s an excuse to snuggle into him—I wrap my arms more securely around him, and rest my head on his shoulder. Bodin’s grip on the backs of my thighs tightens and he pulls me a little closer.
I can do this. This silent communication with our bodies when we don’t quite know what words to use. Until now, we seem to say things that set the other off, and maybe that’s been our biggest obstacle in getting to know each other. Bodin is clearly a treasure in Starry Hill and it’s bothered me every day that I’m the only person he seems to be on the outs with.
Tonight, however, feels like a turning point in our relationship.
We almost kissed! How the fuck did that happen? But I’m also not really against it either. The way he held me in his arms, but mostly, the way he looked at me—like he was really seeing me for the first time…
I blink the thoughts away and clear my throat. “Almost there. Your back must be killing you.”
Bodin takes a long, calming breath in through his nose. “I thought I told you not to insult my strength. You do it again and I might have to take you over my knee.”
I lean forward and, feeling brave, whisper into his ear. “That just makes me want to say it more.”
“Sweetheart…” The rumble in Bodin’s tone has my pussy weeping for him. If he’s not careful, I’m going to leave a wet spot on the back of his shirt.
Think of rainbows. Rocks. Bandages. Injections. Anything else, Tilly. If he smells the effect he has on you…
The final stretch home passes in tense silence, but this one is not like any other I have experienced before with him. There’s a heaviness in the air, one that feels like possibility. Like we could be fucking the moment we’re alone in the cottage.
Bodin opens the front door and shoots directly for the bedroom. I can’t help the excited heartbeat drumming through my body and the anticipation soaking my pussy. My breathing is shallow and my nipples hard as he sits down on the edge of the bed to lower me from his back.
Neither of us let go.
Bodin’s hands curve up from the backs of my thighs and trail down my legs, slowly, until they rest on my ankles. He breathes deeply once, twice, then cracks his neck before gently removing my sandals.
I finally let go of his shoulders and prop myself up on my arms as he wordlessly gets up and adjusts his pants. Then, he leaves the room.
I almost want to call out and ask him where he’s going, but I quickly close my legs and rearrange my dress so the slit isn’t looking like the obvious invitation my pussy wants it to be.
A minute or so later, Bodin returns with a dish towel balled in his hand. He stops in front of me and I concentrate really hard not to look at the giant bulge outlined in his pants. The way his eyes are eating me up makes me feel like the most beautiful person on the island, even without him saying anything.
Instincts within me scream to part my legs, grab him by the collar, and haul him down to feel his tusks map the areas his eyes wandered. But I stay absolutely still, waiting for him to make the first move .
In the recesses of my brain I recall reading about orcs’ sexual preferences. If I remember correctly, they have dominant sexual natures, and challenging Bodin right now will most likely put him off. I try not to think about the diagrams I studied of orc cocks, nor about what happens after they’ve claimed a lifelong partner.
Finally, after what feels like hours of staring at each other and tension building to a near crescendo, Bodin leans forward and I sit up straighter. I subtly wet my lips, preparing myself for the kiss we’re about to have, only for him to reach one arm under my knees and one behind my back, so he can reposition me against the headboard.
I try not to pout in disappointment. I try really, really hard.
Bodin grabs the extra pillows off the bed and props my ankle up, then takes a seat next to me while my brain tries to catch up with what’s happening—actually, more about what’s not happening.
“I’m sorry, this is going to be cold.” He places the ice-filled dish cloth on my ankle and I resist the urge to yank my foot away.
Thank fuck for the pedicure Audrey insisted I get before moving here. I’ll have to tell her all about this. She’ll help me figure out what’s going on.
“Thank you,” I grit out, trying to look alluring while refraining from pulling a weird face from the cold around my sore ankle.
“Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?” Bodin asks neutrally.
Eat my pussy and fuck me silly. Or at the very least kiss me, I mentally scream at him .
“I… uhm… you…” is all I manage to get out though, my horny brain clearly overpowering my nurse brain. Logic? I don’t know her.
“You’re pretty cute when you’re flustered,” Bodin says with the sweetest smile. “And before you dissect that statement to find some negative meaning in it, please know there is none meant with it. I don’t know if it’s polite to call someone cute these days, but you are. Just as much as you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I whisper and reach for the hand resting on his thigh. Bodin turns his hand over and wraps his rough fingers around my whole hand. He tenderly rubs his thumb across the back of my hand and I can’t help my mouth from curling into a pleased grin.
Bodin looks up from our joint hands and meets my smile with twinkling eyes. “Rest well, Tilly. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Not to be dramatic, but I just about perish on the spot.
He gets up and places the softest kiss on my forehead, taking care not to scrape his tusks against my skin. I keep holding his hand for as long as I can before he gently lets go and walks backward out of the room with a soft curve to his lips like he has some kind of secret.
“See you tomorrow,” I whisper longingly to his back as the cottage door snicks shut.