Page 38 of The Orc and the Innkeeper

When we finally break apart, both of us breathless and flushed, Mariah’s eyes are hooded with want, her lips swollen from my kisses. She takes my hand, her touch sending sparks of electricity dancing across my skin, and leads me towards the back hallway.

“Come with me,” she murmurs, her voice low and husky.

18

MARIAH

Ilead Thorak down the hall to my quarters, anticipation coiling hot and tight in my belly with each step. It makes me feel alive in a way I haven’t in years.

This morning, fear held me back from embracing this potential with Thorak. But now, in the glow of Ecco’s magical performance and with the warmth of Thorak’s touch still lingering on my skin, I’m done fighting what my body so desperately wants.

When we reach my door, I pause, looking up at Thorak through my lashes. His amber eyes smolder with barely restrained hunger as his gaze roams over my body, setting my skin on fire. I fumble with the key, my hands shaking, before finally getting the door open.

The moment we step inside, Thorak spins me to face him, claiming my mouth in a searing kiss. I moan into it, melting against his massive, hard body as he kicks the door shut behind us. His large hands skim over my curves possessively, igniting sparks of pleasure in their wake.

I arch into his touch, aching for more contact. The rough pads of his fingers catch on the delicate fabric of my dress as he maps my body, learning every slope and valley.

Thorak tears his mouth from mine, his breathing ragged.

“Mariah,” he rumbles, his deep voice sending shivers through me. “Tell me to stop and I will. We don’t have to do this.”

I shake my head vehemently, my fingers digging into his muscular shoulders.

“Don’t you dare stop,” I pant. “I want this. I want you.”

A low, approving growl vibrates through his chest and then his mouth is on my neck, his tusks pressing into me as he licks and nips a fiery path to my collarbone. I gasp and tilt my head back, giving him better access as I tangle my fingers in his thick black hair.

Thorak’s hands find the zipper of my dress and he pauses, pulling back to look at me with a question in his eyes. I nod breathlessly and he slowly draws the zipper down, his knuckles brushing against my spine and making me shiver. The dress slips from my shoulders and pools at my feet, leaving me in just my simple white bra and cotton panties.

Thorak’s heated gaze rakes over my body appreciatively, his eyes taking on a feral edge. “You’re so beautiful, Mariah,” he rasps, his voice rough with desire.

Emboldened, I reach out and start unbuttoning his shirt with trembling fingers, revealing more and more of his chiseled green chest.

Thorak shrugs out of his shirt impatiently and pulls me flush against him, his bare skin scorching against mine. I run my hands over the hard planes of his chest, marveling at the bunched muscles beneath my palms.

For a brewer, he’s built like a warrior—all strength and power barely leashed. And right now, all that intensity is focused solely on me.

Thorak’s large hands skim down my back and over the curve of my ass. He grips me firmly and lifts me up, urging my legs to wrap around his waist. I comply eagerly, locking my ankles at his lower back.

The hard, thick ridge of his erection presses against my core through his pants, making me gasp.

He carries me over to my bed and lays me down gently, his body blanketing mine. The solid weight of him on top of me, surrounding me, makes me feel safe and cherished, even as the heat between us ratchets higher.

Thorak’s mouth finds my breast, his teeth scraping over my nipple through the thin fabric of my bra. I cry out, my back arching off the bed as the exquisite sensation shoots straight to my center. He lavishes attention on my breasts, nipping and sucking until I’m writhing beneath him, desperate for more.

“Thorak, please,” I moan, not even sure what I’m begging for. I just know I need him, all of him.

With a low growl, he reaches behind me and deftly unhooks my bra, tossing it aside. Then his large, calloused hands are on my bare breasts, kneading and plucking at my aching nipples. I mewl in pleasure, my nails digging into his broad shoulders as the sensations overwhelm me.

Thorak’s rough palms are exquisite against my sensitive skin, each touch sending jolts of electricity to my most intimate places.

He dips his head, drawing one tight nipple into the wet heat of his mouth, his tusks framing my breast. I gasp and arch into him as his tongue swirls around the hardened peak. He grazes it with his teeth before sucking hard, making me cry out.

“So responsive,” Thorak rumbles appreciatively against my breast. “I could do this for hours, just to hear all the pretty noises you make.”

I squirm impatiently beneath him, desperate for more. “Thorak, I need you,” I pant. “Please...”

He releases my nipple and kisses his way down my quivering stomach. When he reaches the waistband of my panties, he hooks his fingers in the fabric and looks up at me, his amber eyes blazing with need.

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