Page 41 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

“Good job.” Jacob slapped my shoulder.

“Thanks.” I'd feel better about his congratulations if his eyes shone with happiness too, but they remained sharp, and he kept looking from me to Macy, who wiggled through the water over to my side. Then his protective gaze fell on Rosey. Did he now see himself in the same role as her father, a person needing to watch out for the woman I was falling in love with? They didn’t need to worry. Rosey could take care of herself.

“That was amazing, Ostor,” Macy said, looking up at me much like a sister would. I liked her already. What she presented to the world was who she was, and that was a rare thing among both humans and orcs.

Jacob tugged her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Stop admiring other guys, babe.”

She giggled and tilted her head back for a kiss, which he gave her. “Jealous? No need to be. I only love you.” She slipped from his grasp and hopped over to stand by Rosey on my other side. “Well, Rosey too, who is equally amazing.” Leaning against her sister’s shoulder, she grinned. “I'm so glad you came. Glad you brought Ostor. He's wonderful, sis. Definitely a keeper.”

Jacob's smile grew, but there was no mistaking the irritation on his face. It was sad that he didn't feel confident about the woman he'd soon marry.

But then, I wasn't confident about Rosey.

Although, she’d kissed me as if she liked me. There was no mistaking her arousal in bed this morning.

She hadn’t denied she was mine—unless that was part of our pretend relationship. She may have thought I was faking it when I expressed the words to whoever might be listening.

I hoped we figured this out soon. I leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

“So, what have you been up to?” Jacob asked Rosey, sidling close enough to wedge himself between us.

“This and that,” she said.

“No, like what?” He took her hand and held it. Most would see it as a friendly gesture.

I saw the proprietary gleam in his eyes. Hedidfeel as if he had a say in her future.

This male had rejected her. Hurt her. Bound himself to her sister, who he’d soon marry. He had no right to inject himself into Rosey’s life any longer.

“Nothing new,” she said brightly, extracting her hand from his and stepping around to come up on my other side.

What would the group think if I growled at him to back away?

An orc would do it if a male approached and touched his mate in such a way, but these were humans with much different customs—ones I’d only started to learn.

Jacob’s laugh cut through the hum of voices around us. It wasn’t the kind of laugh that invited you in. No, it held a sharp edge, like he was issuing a challenge.

“You know what I’d like to do?” Jacob leaned toward me, a smirk twisting the corner of his mouth. “How about a little arm-wrestling contest? Ever tried that before, Ostor? It’s a manly tradition.”

Arm wrestling? The skin around my eyes tightened as I tried to piece together what that might mean. Was it some kind of combat? If so, I hadn’t brought my sword.

This human tradition could be done prior to a mating or to prove one’s worth among other males.

“I don’t understand.” I kept my tone measured. “What is arm wrestling?”

Jacob’s brow climbed so high, it nearly disappeared into his damp hairline. “It’s just for fun.” The glint in his eyes didn’t appear playful. “You put your elbow on a flat surface, grip hands, and see who can pin the other guy’s arm to the counter first. You know, to prove who’s stronger.”

Macy spun her eyes. “Jacob,” she groaned, dragging out the syllables. “Do you really have to turn everything into a competition? We’re here to relax with our friends before the wedding, not throw testosterone around like confetti.”

Jacob shrugged but didn’t take his eyes off me. His smirk widened. “We’re just having fun, babe.”

“Orcs don’t need to prove themselves with games.” I coiled my arm around Rosey's shoulders. “We prove ourselves in battle.” I angled toward Rosey and lowered my voice. “Why would we wrestle with our arms? Is this meant to shame the loser?”

Annoyance flickered in her blue eyes. She stabbed a look at Jacob before returning her attention to me. “It’s a silly game.” Her lips quirked into a half-smile, though the tension around her mouth showed her frustration. “You don’t have to do anything like this if you don’t want to. You’re the best guy here.”

Her words stunned me. I wanted to lift her, toss her over my shoulder, and take her to our room where I could show her more things my tongue could do to her body.

But if I’d learned nothing else growing up with nine brothers, it was to never leave a challenge unanswered.

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