Page 17 of Bound to the Orc Hunter

I stare down at my empty hand, all this talk of magic and witches making my heart speed up with a weird longing. But it’s nonsense, right? I wish for a sausage lover’s pizza. No pizza appears, proving I don’t actually have “magic” if the special effects people don’t do their thing.

Branikk finishes off his food in a couple more big bites and goes to pick blueberries, not eating any as he does so. He holds the bottom of his shirt up to make a temporary bowl. When he returns, he sits down right beside me, his shoulder brushing mine. He holds a plump, purple-blue berry to my mouth. “These will sweeten your lunch.”

I’ve never been fed by hand before, but what the hell. If he’s willing to do it, I’ll play along. I wrap my lips around the berry, and they tingle where they brush his fingers.

His eyes latch onto my mouth, darkening as his pupils dilate. He truly looks as if he’s into me.

The plump sphere breaks when I bite, flooding my mouth with delicious sweetness. I moan. I always thought I liked blueberries, but now I’m not even sure I’ve ever had a realblueberry. These are the genuine article, the blueprint upon which all other blueberries are built.

Not even stopping to take one for himself, Branikk lifts another to my mouth. “Make that sound again.”

I take the berry—I’m not stupid—but I fight down any such noises.

He holds the next berry back, his smile teasing. “No sound, no berries.”

I dip my hand over, snagging a few of the plump balls straight from his improvised bowl.

“No fair.”

“I’mnot being fair?” I pop one of my stolen fruit into my mouth and crunch down, the juice all the sweeter for the theft. I’ve never flirted like this before—no one’s ever wanted to—and I wouldn’t have expected it, but I’m having fun. “You’re the one holding my lunch hostage by demanding a porno soundtrack.”

“What is porno?”

Oh, god, is he really going to make me say it? Heat flares in my cheeks, and I know I’m turning as red as a tomato. He’s really going to sit there and pretend he doesn’t know what it is? Fine. I’ll play along and milk it for the cameras.

“It’s a very sexy film of two or more people… together.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

“Film?” His brow creases in exactly the right way, his acting top notch. He truly looks confused.

I pull out my phone and swipe to clear the lock screen. Damn. Zero bars. I should have expected it, since we’re clearly in the middle of nowhere. I put my phone on airplane mode to save what battery I have left. Like most people, I stream almost everything, but I downloaded a few of my favorite scenes fromBridgertonseason two, like when Kate and Anthony finally kiss in the garden at night. No matter how many seasons they’ve made of the show, that’s the one I rewatch over and over.

“It’s not porn,” I say, holding my phone up, “but it’ll give you an idea.”

“What magic is this?” A look of incredulity covers his face as he watches the screen.

“Romance. Passion.” I give an internal sigh as Kate tells Anthony not to stop. “Love.”

One big finger hovers over the screen, which has frozen on the actors in a clinch. “You wish to be wooed.”

Oh, god, I’m doing the thing I said I wouldn’t do, showing that the plain gal longs for love, giving people something they can make fun of.

“Don’t be silly.” I stand up and waggle the phone. “It’s not real. It’s make believe.”

“Love is real.” Branikk looks up at me, a wealth of sincerity filling his dark eyes. “I love you.”

My throat closes, clogged with emotion. I’ve wanted to hear those words for years. But not like this. Not as a joke.

“Now I know you’re lying,” I choke out. The romantic buried deep inside might believe in love at first sight, butI’mcertainly never going to inspire it in a gorgeous guy like him. “You can’t love me.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Branikk

I’ve been such a fool, rushing forward as I always do. I’ve already hurt my moon bound, and we only just met.

I leap to my feet, spilling blueberries everywhere as I reach for her.

She shies backward, her eyes wary.

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