Page 42 of When the Merchant Met the Orc
He tugs at my skirts gently. “May I?”
I nod. He lifts my dress’s thick skirts, and his hand moves up my thigh. Shivers crash over my skin in the wake of his touch. He keeps his eyes on me as his fingers find the tie of my lacy undershorts. I nod again. The tie is quickly undone, and his hand is slipping into my shorts. I swallow, feeling so hot and weak, like I’m sick, but for some reason, it feels amazing. His finger grazes the tender skin below my navel and shifts farther down until his thumb is notched low and his fingers are curving slowly right where I want them. I’m biting my lip to bleeding and rolling my hips to meet the pressure of his hand. A climax is building in me. It’s not like the ones I have on my own. This is far more intense. Heated. Powerful. I feel drunk.
My head always defeats the desires of my heart and body. But not now. No, my body and heart are teaming up on my head and driving out worries and plans and contracts.
“I want you,” I say quietly.
He kisses me, his hand moving against me still. “First, you need to finish. That way, you’ll be prepared for my body.”
I don’t have the room in my head to think about what he means exactly. All I am is a whirlwind of pleasure, making the most foolish sounds, I’m sure. His next kiss is deep and not as gentle, like he is having a difficult time going slowly and not simply taking me. My blood sparks within me. I fall over the edge of sensation and cry out. He cradles me and strokes my neck and down over one breast while I try to catch my breath.
“You’re the most lovely creature, Rychell. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. I will never stop thanking the Blessed Stones for allowing me even this one moment with you.”
The sweep of his strong hand over my chest is stoking the flame of my desire again. My core aches with need.
“Halvard, I want you.”
“And I, you.”
He moves down to slip my undershorts off, and he rucks up my skirts fully. With a grace that I would have thought impossible for someone so bulky and big, he shifts his weight so a good bit is pressed into me. His proud erection weighs on my thigh, hot and far larger than I had even guessed. He sets himself at my entrance and locks his gaze on me. An intense wave of desire crashes over me. I want him to fill me up, to join with me in every way possible. I feel so safe here with him. I know he’d never let anyone or anything disturb us. His presence is a gift.
Chapter 22
Halvard
Rychell’s slim, strong fingers wander beyond my ears and sift through my hair. A purr-like growl escapes me, and I kiss her deeply. My cock throbs; stones, I want her more than I have ever wanted anything. Those jewel blue eyes of hers and the gently erotic shape of her lips…
I take her nipple into my mouth and tease it to a tight bud with my teeth and tongue. She lifts her chin and her eyes flutter shut. The most intriguing and perfect sounds fall from her mouth, cooing and humming. Pausing, I draw up to breathe. It’s nearly impossible. Every thud of my pulse hurts with how very hard I am for this female.
“Do you want to stop?” I ask. “It will be very difficult to do so if we keep on. Of course, I will, but I’d rather halt now?—”
She rises and kisses me roughly in answer, her sweet mouth turning me into a great green puddle of lust. Her little tongue flicks out and over my tusks, and I pull in a rough breath. I can’t feel much in my tusks, but the way she claims them with her lips and tongue feels like true mating. I can’t stop hope from swelling as powerfully as my cock.
I ease my thumb into the folds between her thighs, and I caress the warm area above her clit. She moans into myshoulder and grips my biceps, her nails digging into my skin. I could throw her back and drive into her right now and have us both satisfied in a moment. But I must hold out. She needs to experience the best lovemaking I can manage, not just a tumble in a cave. I want her to remember this, to think about today over and over until she’s begging me to join her in bed forever.
I ease my cock against her again and look her in the eyes. “You are sure about this?”
She’s leaning so that she can peer downward, and her gaze widens. “You have ridges.”
“Aye. Orcs do. It will only feel all the better.”
Her teeth bite into her lip, and I’m dying to claim her hard and fast. My heart is hammering in time with the rest of my body, and it’s all I can do to remain still as she examines me.
“What other things are different about orcs and sex?”
“The chase.”
“Chase?”
“You've never heard of orc chases?”
“Aila mentioned it, but I don’t know anything really.”
“If you ran into the forest right now, I’d switch into my more feral mindset, chase you down, and mate with you among the roots of the trees. The chase signals a permanent mating, though so…”
“And it’s storming.”
Does she mean she might not be bothered about something permanent between us? No, she’s been clear. This is just a stolen experience for us, and it won’t happen again unless I can win her over.