Page 15 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

We lifted drinks off the tray, and the woman smiled and hurried to our right, her heels clicking on the gleaming marble floor.

“This way, please,” the man who’d greeted us at the entrance said, urging us farther into the enormous, three-story foyer with a round, arched roof overhead. A massive crystal chandelier cascaded like falling stars overhead, the lights making the entire room glow. Floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the room in sunlight on the opposite side of the lobby, offering sweeping views of turquoise pools and arched stone paths lined with vibrant, tropical vegetation. Red stone buildings etched in gold marched in rows toward the sea, with a huge swimming pool in between.

“Right over here.” While we sipped our drinks, our greeter escorted us toward the registration desk on our right, the gleaming wooden counter backed by an eye-catching red wall etched with gold designs. Such opulence. I’d never seen anything like it outside of TV shows.

He led us to the left of the counter, where we were greeted by a woman sitting in a wheelchair. She smiled and waved to the two plush chairs opposite her desk. “Please sit and I’ll check you in right away.”

We dropped into the seats, and I was glad they’d provided large seats for orcs.

“Name?” she asked in a cheery voice, and I gave her mine, Ostor murmuring his own.

She clicked into her computer. “Ah, yes. Perfect. A lovely room on the third floor, overlooking the pool. Here’s a packet that explains all we offer here at Azure Sands.” She handed it to him. “The concierge in your building will help with dinner reservations. All your meals are included. Breakfast and lunch are at the buffet other than the pool barbeque area where you can choose lunch options at the times noted in the booklet.” Her smile rose. “I see you’re part of a wedding party. If you choose to dine all as one group, let your concierge know, and they’ll ensure you have a table large enough to accommodate all of you at once. Your bracelets are coded to unlock your door.” She secured them around our wrists and cut off the excess string. “Room 3205.” Her hand lifted and a smiling man came over to stand beside us. “Miguel will take you to your room and ensure your bags are brought promptly. I hope you enjoy your stay at Azure Sands!”

After thanking her, we rose and followed Miguel out of the lobby and up over one of the arched bridges, where we paused to look down at the pools on either side where fish swam among rocks and colorful vegetation.

“Amazing,” I said, spontaneously taking Ostor’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

“Never,” he breathed, staring around with widened eyes. “There’s nothing like this in the orc kingdom.”

“If you’ll follow me,” Miguel said with a bright smile. “Your building is the third on the right. I’m sure you’d like to unpack and change into something better suited for our tropical environment.”

“Do you have a shopping area?” I asked, remembering that Ostor hadn’t brought swimming trunks. “We need to pick up a few items of clothing.”

“We do.” His gaze flicked down Ostor’s frame. “We stock orc-wear now, and I believe you’ll find we have a good selection.”

“Awesome,” I said, realizing that I still held Ostor’s hand.

He lifted our linked fingers and lifted them to kiss my knuckles. Heat flashed through me, and I had to remind myself that this wasn’t real, that he was only practicing what we’d discussed we’d do when my sister and others were around.

Miguel took us into our building and up to the third floor where he opened our door. We stepped into the air-conditioned suite. He showed us the closets in the short hall, as well as the mini bar, dorm fridge, and coffee maker, telling us that the bar and coffee would be replaced daily. “Don’t drink the water from the faucet, though it’s safe to use to brush your teeth.” He pointed to two glass bottles standing near the coffee maker. “We purify our water here and if you need more, please let us know.”

He urged us into the bedroom with a sitting area and balcony beyond.

One bed.

One big, orc-sized bed.

“Oh, there’s been a mistake.” My cheeks blazed. “I meant to mention this in check-in. We need two beds.”

“I do apologize,” Miguel said. “But we’re still renovating to accommodate orcs. I’m afraid the double rooms only have queen sized beds which . . .” He scanned Ostor’s frame. “Your legs will stick off the end. It won’t be comfortable.”

Ostor said nothing.

My shoulders curled forward. “Well, um . . .”

“I'm terribly sorry.” Miguel’s face darkened.

The bed stretched across the room like an orc-size monument to bad decisions, and every second I stared at it made my skin itch with dismay. This wasn’t part of the plan. Fake dating, yes. Acting like a couple for the weekend, sure. Butsharing a bed with a seven-foot-tall, palm-licking orc cowboy wasn’t on my agenda.

“Could you give us a minute?” I asked Miguel in as neutral a voice as I could manage.

Ostor’s eyes remained locked on me, and he was probably wondering what was going on, but I couldn’t meet his gaze right now.

Taking a breath, I grabbed Ostor’s arm and urged him toward the balcony. “Let’s check out the view.” My voice was too bright, too perky. Without waiting for a response, I steered him out onto the balcony, sliding the glass door closed behind us.

Heat immediately wrapped around us like a tropical hug. The balcony had two massive chairs that catered to orc-sized bodies. They faced out toward the resort’s teal-colored pool where people played in the water. Palapas dotted the sides of the pool like straw hats, offering shade to the lounge chairs beneath. On our left, the ocean sparkled under the late-afternoon sunlight, waves gently licking at the powder-white sand where a few people walked while others bobbed in the water.

The tension coiled in my shoulders loosened. The view was near postcard-perfect, and who could be uptight while staring at something like that? Though it didn’t solve the situation waiting for us inside the room.

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