Page 21 of The Orc’s Sweetheart (Creatures & Cottages)

Chapter 21

Tilly

T he Bandaged Heart’s door clicks shut behind me and I quickly scan the empty clinic to make sure no one is around before I allow my mortified self to lean against a wall and bury my face in my hands.

If any of my friends were caught by the guy they were seeing’s family the way Bodin and I were, I would laugh with them. It would be cute.

But not with me. My luck doesn’t quite reach that far.

I just had to go and say the most explicit thing I’ve ever thought, then be so turned on that a succubus could sense the sexual energy from down the street.

I can never show my face in public again.

Why did I have to be so detailed? Each ridge? Each piercing? Dripping pussy? That’s what I actually said, isn’t it? It doesn’t make it any less true, though. But did I have to say it there? Couldn’t I have waited until Bodin and I were alone together ?

Calixta is going to tease me mercilessly and I totally deserve it.

I have to call Audrey. She’ll help me figure out how to recover from this.

Walking into the office I share with Doc Calla, I round the desk and sink into the larger chair. Ren’s file is still in the same place I left it on the desk, but on top of it is a note—actually more of a letter—written in elaborate cursive. This can only be from Katie.

Nurse Tilly,

Doc Calla popped out for an emergency house call, or should I say boat call? Two creatures are stuck in a boat just past Kraken Cove. They thought they were using lube but it must’ve been some kind of glue. The poor female had been knotted for hours before Viggo found them and came to get Doc.

Beck took Doc out on his boat to help separate them. If they need hospital treatment, Doc and Beck will take them directly to Cape Easton University Hospital.

Doc told me to tell you not to work too late and please prepare Arran’s blood bags for him. I would’ve done it, but I had an idea I want to share with you.

Earlier today, I dropped by The Sparkling Cauldron and Samara gave me the vampire sunscreen you ordered for Arran. I thought you can maybe put the sunscreen with the blood bags and write him a little note when he collects them later? That seems the easiest and quickest way to get it to him since he likes to keep to himself.

I couldn’t stay here to wait for you and explain it all because Caoimhín (that’s my husband in case you forgot) has an event at the school tonight that I need to attend with him (did I mention he’s the sports teacher there?)

Anyways, I left Ren’s file on your desk and added some sticky notes about things you should know but aren’t officially in there.

See you tomorrow,

Katie x

P.S. I’ll tell you who got stuck tomorrow, but don’t want to write names down in case it can be used as evidence of “gossiping.”

P.P.S. The sunscreen is on my desk with some stationery you can use for your note to Arran.

If I had any doubt that Katie was the author of the letter before, that postscript note proved it null and void. She has the uncanny ability to make even the most mundane information sound titillating. Also, I wonder who got stuck.

I move the letter to the side and look at all the tiny notes sticking out of Ren’s file. This might be a long night if I have to work through all those before visiting Ren. At least Bodin let him know that I’m coming with him when he delivers the generator tomorrow. I don’t want the shy male to be surprised by a female suddenly showing up at his house if he’s not used to having many creatures in his space.

But first, I need to call Audrey. I can’t work when my mind is such a mess.

I open the cupboard where I keep all my extra clothes, and reach for my phone that I don’t even bother to carry around anymore. A quick glance at my notifications shows nothing needs my immediate attention, so I scroll down my call list and press on Audrey’s name. She answers after one ring.

“What happened?” Audrey’s brusque tone brings a smile to my face and I lean back against the chair.

“Why do you think something happened?” My words are slow because now I’m questioning how much I want to tell her. If anyone is going to be brutally honest with me, it’ll be Audrey. But do I really want to face reality when I’ve been in such a bubble of happiness with Bodin?

“You don’t call easily.” Suspicion is rife in her voice and I can almost hear Audrey narrow her eyes at me.

I pause for a second, thinking about where to start, but in Audrey’s books that hesitation is a second too long.

“Who do I have to kill?” she asks, completely serious.

“Me,” I sigh out, propping my elbows on the desk and resting my forehead in my free hand.

“You’re gonna have to explain better than that, dear cousin. Am I getting on the next boat out or are you just venting?”

“Venting,” I admit.

“Great. I’m at home. Switch to video so I can see that pretty face of yours and we can deliberate if I’m planning an extraction mission or someone’s demise,” Audrey deadpans. When it comes to my cousin, I’m not exactly sure if that threat is a joke or not. But I sure am happy to have her on my side.

I click the video icon and Audrey’s serious face fills the screen. Her brows dip low and she moves the camera closer to her until I can only see her smooth forehead.

“Matilda darling, did you get in a fight with something or have you had an exceedingly good time with a lover recently?” Audrey drawls.

“What?!” I hold the phone closer and inspect my neck in the mirrored frame. “Oh, shit. I didn’t know it looked this bad.” My entire neck is covered in light hickeys and scratch marks.

“Tilly!” Audrey gasps with excitement. “Do you have a loverrr? Tell me everything.”

I open and close my mouth a couple of times, still a little flustered and not sure where I should start with the story.

“Who?” Audrey demands, voice thick with humor. “Spill already.”

“Uhm… it’s Bodin.” I instinctively grab my neck, the memory of his tusks dragging up the thin skin, marking me, almost a palpable sensation. Is it weird that I like it so much when he marks me like this? If my neck can look like this from just this afternoon, imagine what my entire body could look like after a whole night together in the bedroom.

Audrey’s head rears back. “The mean orc?”

“What? He’s not mean. He’s really thoughtful and sweet.” And sexy, and tall, and kind, and considerate, and—

“Girl.” Audrey starts with a warning tone. Placing her phone in the stand in the living room, she moves back and crosses her arms over her chest. “How good is the dick if you can overlook how he treated you when you first got there? Because if it’s that good, then I’m calling dragon boy and demanding a trip over. The dicks are dull as fuck here.”

I smile at that, because it’s true. Cape Easton might have a much larger population, but the dating market isn’t anything special. Audrey and I had to rescue each other from dull dates on more than one occasion. But getting Audrey to Starry Hill will be like unlocking Pandora’s box. She’ll be a lot of fun and spice things up for sure, but I don’t know if I’ve met anyone yet who would be able to match her energy.

My nose scrunches up as I admit quietly, “Well, Bodin and I haven’t had sex yet. Not full penetrative sex anyway.”

Audrey accepts that easily and nods. “Not penetrative? That’s cool. There’s a bunch of other things that might even better than that.”

I’m unable to hide my smirk as I recall what we’ve done so far. “Don’t I know it.”

Holding up a hand, Audrey says, “Before we get sidetracked, let’s get back to the real issue. You’re going to need to start right at the beginning, because I’m not following exactly. So you’re not getting literally dicked down, and that’s fine. More than. But has he apologized and explained himself with a proper reason for acting like a douchebag? And I mean a proper apology, not some silly excuse for how he treated you?”

“We talk a lot, but we haven’t talked about that. Yet. I’ll bring it up next time I see him.”

“Which is when?”

“Tomorrow morning. ”

Audrey’s mouth pulls down at the corners like she’s smelled something foul. “Breakfast dates? Ew. But good for you since you’re one of those happy morning weirdos.”

“We both like mornings,” I state brightly. My thoughts momentarily flash to the garden and watching the sunrise together while enjoying food… and each other.

Audrey moves forward until her face fills the screen again. “I need more info, Tilly. What prompted the call today? We both prefer texting, so if you picked up the phone to call me then something drastic must have happened.”

I try to stall for time as I prop my phone up against some books. Covering my face with both hands, my words come out muffled. “I propositioned him. Explicitly so. Then his sister and her wife found us because of our sexual energy. He’d just gotten me off in the alley behind a shop, so I was feeling all kinds of… Audrey, I’m mortified. I can never show my face in public again.”

Audrey gives me a slow clap. “Matilda Williams, you little minx. In an alley. I’m so proud of you. You get yours, girl.”

Lowering my hands until they just cover my irrepressible smile, I blurt, “It was so hot. I had to be quiet the entire time.”

“Love that for you. Now. Start at the how you went from mortal enemies to breakfast dates and orgasms in alleys.”

So I do. I tell Audrey everything that’s happened—the karaoke night, carrying me home, fixing my cupboards, bringing me furniture, pulling me around on the cart, the hours of conversation and all the sweet ways he takes care of me.

“You’re in love,” Audrey states in a soft voice after I finish my entire spiel.

I whisper, “I think I might be.”

Audrey gives herself a visible shake, like all the love is clouding her brain and she needs to switch back to her normal mode. Pointing a stern finger at me, she says, “Don’t give him those magic words until he’s explained himself. Based on the way he treats you now, plus how close he is to his family—which is a major green flag—I think Bodin might just be a legit nice guy. But you, my dear cousin, deserve a proper apology and a fucking good reason for such a big one-eighty.”

“I promise I’ll ask him the next time I see him.”

“Good,” Audrey says plainly before switching to a very upbeat tone. “Now, tell me about other singles. Anyone who’d be up for a good time when I visit?”

“I’m not sure, but there’s this grumpy gargoyle who you might find… enticing.”

“Say less. No wait, tell me more. How grumpy are we talking? Will he pull my hair?”

“Not that level of grumpy. He runs the grocery store and when I sprained my ankle he flew my groceries home for me. I walked. Does that make him grump adjacent?”

“He can go on the list. Who else is there?”

“There’s a mysterious four-hundred-and-something-year-old vampire.”

“Oh, I love an age gap. Sold. I’ll take that one.”

Audrey and I talk for another hour. I go through the list of creatures I’ve met, the food I’ve had, I tell her about my job, the scenery, and talk way too much about Bodin.

We only hang up when my battery is about to die, but not before Audrey makes me swear I’ll keep my promise to talk to Bodin.

Now that I’m settled after talking it out, I quickly prep Arran’s blood, add his sunscreen and write his note on how to use it. Then finally, I sit back down at my desk with Ren’s file and start reading through all the notes Katie left.