Page 17 of Bidding on the Orc Outcast

He plucked a leaf and crushed it between his fingers, then held it out to her. The fresh, minty fragrance mingled with his own spicy scent, and her fingertips brushed his as she took the leaf from him. She felt that same pulse of heat, and her gaze flew to his, wondering if he felt it too, but he only nodded towards a narrow gap between two massive boulders.

“Through here,” he said.

He had to turn sideways to squeeze through the gap. His broad back blocked the sun, casting her into shadow, and she took the opportunity to admire the way his jeans hugged his remarkably fine ass. A girl could definitely get used to a view like that.

When she emerged on the other side, she stopped, her breath catching. The mountainside fell away, revealing a small valley nestled between two ridges. The sun illuminated the snow-capped peaks in the distance, and the whole valley glowed with the golden light. Snow clung to the pines, and beneath them, a carpet of tiny red berries covered the ground.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

She could almost imagine a herd of reindeer bursting from the trees, or elves emerging from the shadows. The air felt charged with magic, as if anything was possible. Maybe the magic was the fact that he’d brought her here.

He’d shared something special, something uniquely his.

She stepped closer, not stopping until their shoulders brushed.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’ve seen so much of the town, but I never thought to come up here.”

“It’s not the same in summer,” he said gruffly.

“I bet it’s always beautiful.”

He grunted but didn’t disagree. The valley was too lovely for him to deny its appeal.

They stood together in silence, watching the sunlight play across the mountains, until she shivered. He glanced down, a frown drawing his heavy brows together.

“Are you cold?”

“Not exactly,” she said, which was true. It was more an internal shiver than anything the wool coat couldn’t protect her from. “It’s just… it’s so beautiful, it’s overwhelming. Like I can feel how special it is in my heart.”

His brow smoothed as he looked back at the valley. “I know what you mean.”

“Have you come here often?”

“Once or twice a week in winter, less in the summer.”

“Why do you come here?” She’d only been there a few moments, but she could already see it was a place you came back to.

He shrugged, his big shoulders almost touching hers.

“It’s peaceful.” His gaze scanned the valley. “You can think here.”

“What do you think about?” she asked softly.

He looked down at her, amber eyes full of an emotion she couldn’t read.

“Mostly the past.”

She waited, wondering if he’d say more, but he only turned back to the view. The sun had moved, casting half the valley into shadow.

“We should start back,” he said finally, and she nodded.

Just after they passed through the boulders, he came to an abrupt stop, then stepped off the path. Kneeling beside a fallen tree, he brushed away ice crystals to reveal a cluster of tiny white flowers.

“Snowdrops,” he said softly. “First blooms of the year.”

He hesitated, then carefully picked one of the delicate flowers. Rising to his full height, he held it out to her, carefully avoiding her gaze. As she took it from him, his rough fingers gently brushed against her palm and a jolt of electricity shot through her.

“Thank you,” she said as she tucked the flower behind her ear, and he finally looked directly at her, his eyes dark and unreadable.

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