Page 27 of When the Merchant Met the Orc

She wrinkles her nose as she thinks. It’s adorable. “I think so. We should request it at Nocturne at home. I haven’t heard them play it at our festival in years.”

I push away from the table and stand. “Would you like to join me?”

In the area cleared for the reel, we line up across from one another. The drummer hits his bodhrán three times, and the lines come together. Rychell’s body is only an inch from mine, and I long to cup her face in my hands and kiss her right there. I’d love to get her riled up so much that she can’t pay attention to the steps. I’d lift her right up and take her to a back room.

I won’t do any of that, though. It’s her choice. She knows I’m willing.

We spin, our bodies brushing lightly, and I have to think about frozen ponds and my Aunt Harriet to keep from showing the entire pub, as well as Rychell exactly how excited I am that she is dancing with me. I take her hand and delight in the soft touch of her fingers. As the reel requires, I lift her hand above her head and kiss it. Her eyes, locked on mine, widen slightly, and lightning strikes its way through my body. She always has this effect on me, this pull. I can’t keep my gaze off of her, and when she touches me, I feel alive in a way I never have before.

Still holding my hand, she turns a circle. We break apart and join hands with two other dancers, kicking our feet in a two right, two left pattern. Coming together again, stomach to chest, and I set my palms against hers. My hands slide to the small of her back, to that curve that I long to nip and caress. I let my fingers drift down an inch. Blessed Stones, that arse of hers…

I clear my throat, and she stares at my shoulder like she can’t bear to look at my face. I start to move my hands up, but the scent of her arousal reaches my nose. I lightly draw my fingertips over the lowest part of her back, and my lips tuck into a naughty grin before I can stop them. Her gaze cuts to my face at last, and she frowns, turning away to join another dancer as the reel demands.

What can I do to persuade her to give a relationship a try without being too pushy? Am I already being too pushy?

Like a fish out of water, I’m flip-flopping. One minute, I know the best choice is to support her wishes to wed Osric, to be a good friend. The next minute, I’m plotting how to lure her into my arms. This female has me all tied up.

Chapter 15

Rychell

Why can’t I switch off the way my body responds to Halvard? It’s so annoying. The way his fingers felt on my body just now… A pleasant shiver spreads down my legs. I can’t deny that a part of me longs to jump into bed, any bed, with the orc right this very instant and find out what Aila meant about chasing instincts, size, and stamina. I swallow hard and try to keep from swooning like a fool.

With the reel concluded, we return to our table to finish our drinks and food. Halvard’s apple-green cheeks are as flushed as I’m sure mine are, and I need to think of something innocuous to say before this gets awkward.

“You won’t do anything outright to ruin my setup with Osric, will you?” I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment. Why did I ask that? I’m definitely making this awkward.

Shrugging, he says, “I am trying very hard not to. That’s my honest answer.” He waves to the server to ask for another drink. Leaning his elbows on the table, he comes close. His eyes shine and his eyebrows lift as he sets his hot gaze on me. “I can’thelp that I’m attracted to you, Rychell. Powerfully attracted. So attracted, in fact, that I can hardly think of anything other than your scent, your skin, your eyes, and your heart. Being your bodyguard and your friend is anything but easy because I want to be your everything.”

My lips part as I take in his words. Pulse leaping, I work hard to breathe evenly. I can’t give in, no matter how lovely he talks. Muscles and tendons lace his powerful forearms. The dusting of coppery hair on his arms has me imagining what his torso would look like without a tunic covering him up. My mouth is as dry as a summer drought. Ergh! I have to get control of myself.

I clear my throat and lace my fingers together on the table top. “Well, once we get back to Leafshire Cove, you won’t have to deal with it anymore.”

He glances to the side of me, where a couple of young shifters are daring one another to take bubbling shots of something bright orange.

“But it’s a small town,” he says. “And I don’t want to give up our friendship.”

“Then you will have to stop firing those looks at me!” I clamp my mouth shut. I didn’t mean to say that either. The damned drinks loosened my tongue.

He wipes a hand over his mouth, covering what I’m fairly sure is a proud smirk. “I didn’t realize my fire was catching. I’ll be sure to keep it in check from now on.”

“You won’t. Stop lying.”

He laughs in full then, his head falling back and his throat moving. He is so stones-damned handsome.

“I’m not Cyrus,” he says when he finally stops guffawing. His friend and boss at the pub is, or was, the biggest playboy in the region. “And,” he continues, “I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want. You know that.”

“Pushing and tempting overlap a good bit when it comes to romance, wouldn’t you say?”

His eyebrow flicks upward, and his gaze slides from my face down to my chest and then back up again. My blood rushes through my veins like I have had a cup of very strong coffee.

“I would say. That’s why I mentioned that I was having a difficult time. But you let me know when I’m annoying or frustrating you, and I’ll stop, all right? I mean it. I won’t seduce you unless you ask very, very nicely.”

Heat pools low in my body, and my knees feel like pudding. I can barely take a full breath. I swallow and look into my empty cup.

“Sounds good,” I whisper, my throat too tight to speak properly.

Halvard’s chair creaks as he leans back. “One last thing. Do you believe Kaya and Cyrus will end up like your parents?”