Page 28 of Bound to the Orc Hunter

“No. I’m good.”

“Then I’ll take the waterskins. I’m sure they need refilling.”

“On second thought,” Grace says, scooping both the waterskins off the ground—the suspiciously round waterskins—“Iwillvisit the creek and take care of these.” She darts into the trees.

“Humans are even stranger than orcs,” Aurora says. “She already filled the waterskins.”

I smirk over at my friend. “Oh, she did far more than that.”

“Now you really have to explain. I’m making a study of your odd mating habits.”

I laugh and shake my head. No matter how much my friend pesters me, I refuse to elaborate.

Our wooing is between me and my bride.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Grace

If riding pressed to Branikk was difficult over the past few days, it’s downright excruciating today.

Every time he touches me, I can’t help but picture him naked. And he’sconstantlytouching me, so…

My back brushes his chest, and I picture him turning to face me, his cock swollen and huge. His thigh presses against mine, and I picture how the muscles trembled as he neared his climax. His hand flexes on my stomach, and I see it wrapped around his cock, stroking and stroking and stroking…

God, I need to stop thinking of him naked.

I squirm in the saddle, which only pushes me closer to him and makesnotthinking about his body impossible. Bad brain!

“Are you okay?” His voice is a deep, hypnotic rumble, his breath hot on my ear.

I shiver. “I’m fine.” Then I lie. “I’m just bored. I’m used to working all day, not sitting and riding.”

“You could practice your magic,” Branikk says.

“While we’re riding?”

“Why not?” His body moves behind me in a shrug that sends ripples of sensation across my back. “You can make small things you can hold in your hand. It will still be practice.”

I remember the absolutely transparent negligee that appeared the last time I tried to “do magic,” and a blush heats my cheeks. God, can you imagine if I wore something like that in front of Branikk? It wouldn’t hideanything. I’d pretty much be just as naked as he was last night.

I groan. There I go again, thinking about the thing I willnotthink about.

I grasp at this magic idea. Anything to keep my mind off… the other thing.

It’ll be impossible for the props department to drop something embarrassing like a negligee into my hands while we’re riding. Hell, it’ll be impossible for them to make anything appear without the drones or whatever becoming obvious. This will help me prove once and for all that this is all a sham. “That’s an excellent idea.”

I grab my crystal in one hand and extend the other. What to wish for? What I could most use is a clean pair of panties. I ran that cleaning cloth over them, and it worked wonders, but it’s not completely the same. But no way in hell am I saying that in front of Branikk and the cameras. Besides, they’d probably give me a red lace g-string that would floss my butt crack instead of anything I’d want to wear.

Ah, I know. Even in airplane mode, my phone’s on its last legs. “I wish for a new cell phone battery.”

Nothing happens. Ha! I bet they didn’t have one of those ready. This is fun. What else will they not have?

“Earphones.” No. “A scrunchie.” Nothing. “Lip balm.” Nope.

I continue on, with Branikk occasionally asking me what the things I’m asking for are. After a while, the shine wears off. I’ve proven they can’t deliver anything while we’re riding, but it feels like I’m the only one who got the memo that I’ve blown the hoax wide open.

In fact, Branikk says, “It’s all right. The other witches all had to practice for a while before their magic worked, too.”

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