Page 33 of When the Merchant Met the Orc
Inhaling and rubbing her plump stomach, she flies around my head and to the door and back again. She’s moving so fast that she makes me dizzy.
“Won’t you invite the orc into your room?” she asks. “I promise to be discreet. You know my presence is a blessing on your bond?”
“Fiorella, I do, but…” I exhale, tired and wishing I didn’t have to explain. “I don’t want romance. We have no bond. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you’ll have to find others to feed on tonight.”
She laughs, but I can only tell because of her scrunched-up eyes and the way her body jiggles. “Don’t want romance. Great joke! That must be one of the reasons he loves you so much.”
“No one loves anyone here. It was a moment of lust. That’s all. Please, be on your way. I need to get at least an hour of sleep before sunrise. I have an important meeting tomorrow.”
And she’s laughing again. I cross my arms and glare.
“Look, faerie. I’m serious.”
She falls to the floor, and for a moment, I’m alarmed. But then she’s flying again and laughing in silence. I’m starting to hate her.
“Listen, Fi. What can I do to get you out of here so I can sleep?”
“You gave me a nickname! I’m loooooooved. I’ll be quiet! You rest. I’ll sleep up there,” she says, pointing at the rafters. “We can talk after sunrise.”
“I don’t want to talk, I…”
But Fi is gone, disappearing into the dim of the ceiling beams. I flop back onto the bed and roll to my side.
Damn cherub faerie. What does she know? She probably assumes every female near an orc like Halvard would be swooning and couldn’t possibly say no to him. Well, she’ll find out how wrong she is. He may be a handsome fellow with a lovely heart, but that doesn’t mean I have to fall for him. I will stick to my plan, and I will protect Nate from any type of romantic fallout. Because that’s what would happen. We would have an affair, and then one of us would grow disinterested and leave. Or we would fight once real-world duties invaded the bubble of early romance. I’ve seen it a million times. I want no part of it. Not for me. Not for my son.
Sleep takes me, and I dream of nothing, which is just fine with me.
Chapter 18
Halvard
Damn it.
I hurry to the guest room Magnus and Aila made up for me, then into the room’s privy. The small, high window is cracked. Night insects whir, and the stars and moon dance with light. It would be lovely if I weren’t dealing with a relentless erection. Blessed Stones, the sounds Rychell made in her room…
I close the window, latch the door, and release my cock. Stroking myself with abandon, I growl as I erupt with the orgasm that’s been building since I heard her first gasp from my place outside her door—really, since we started on this trip. There’s something about every move she makes, each twist of her wrist, blink of her sea-blue eyes, and turn of her sweet head that undoes me completely.
When I return to her door to resume my position, I stop and stare. Deep scratches mar the carved oak, and I rub my hand over my face.
My desire for Rychell overcame every thought in my head, and I dragged my tusks over her door to mark it against other creatures entering. Like she’s my mate. I must have been completely mad with lust; I don’t even remember doing it.Damn it. Now I would have to pay my cousin to fix that door. Embarrassing. He will know exactly what that damage means.
Sitting at the base of the ruined door, I lay my head back and try to sleep. Thankfully, Rychell is quiet now, and I do my best to think of anything but her in that bed.
I wake to someone shaking my leg. I open my eyes to see the dawn streaming through the corridor’s windows and an orc lad with a tea tray.
“Master Swordsman, please forgive me. I’m Mistress Aila’s morning help. I have tea for Mistress Rychell. There should be a tray in your room already.”
I stand and smile at him. “Thank you for waking me.”
The lad nods, but then his mouth falls open as he takes in the tusk scrapes on the wood behind me. “The door.”
“I did that. Sorry. I’ll pay for repairs. Don’t worry.”
He swallows, and his gaze snags on my tusks. “Aye. All right. Aye.”
I step aside, and he knocks on Rychell’s door. Feeling like the biggest fool, I leave him to it and go to my room to clean up a bit.
Rychelland I leave a note of thanks to Aila and Magnus, then leave while they are washing up in their room. May the Blessed Stones forever grant Rychell luck because she never brings up last night. For a moment, I wonder if she wanted me to hear her pleasuring herself, but that’s madness. She doesn’t want romance. I might be able to tempt her into a relationship, but I doubt she’d tease me like that. My cock wakes up at the idea, and I have to think of snowdrifts to cool off.