Page 18 of Bidding on the Orc Outcast

They were so close she could feel the heat radiating from that massive body, and she wanted to lean into him. His gaze dropped to her mouth and for an exhilarating second she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he jerked back.

“We need to go back to the cabin,” he said roughly.

“Is everything okay?”

“Fine. Cabin. Now.”

He turned and strode away, his long legs eating up the distance. She sighed and hurried after him, but the combination of the rough path and her shorter legs conspired to slow her down. When she slipped on an icy patch in her rush, she barely avoided falling, catching herself against a nearby tree trunk.

“Varek, wait!”

He stopped and turned around, conflict clear on his face. After a moment he came back towards her and bent down.

“Get on,” he ordered.

“Excuse me?”

He gave her an exasperated look.

“Get on my back. I’ll carry you.”

“You want to carry me? You don’t have to do that.”

“I’m tired of going slow,” he grumbled. “Now get on.”

Without waiting for her to respond, he scooped her up and swung her around to his back. She squeaked as the world spun, but then she was against his back, her legs automatically curling around his hips. His scent surrounded her, warm and spicy and tempting, and she couldn’t help noticing how good he felt against her - all those thick muscles flexing as he started down the mountain. He’d somehow managed to arrange her so that her coat protected her from the cold, but she could feel the warmth of his skin through the layers of fabric.

She leaned against his back, letting the steady rhythm of his movement soothe her. His hair tickled her cheek, surprisingly silky beneath her skin, and she resisted the urge to bury her face in his neck. He maneuvered over the rough ground, as easily as if he were walking on flat, open terrain. There were worse ways to travel, she decided, although she still wasn’t sure what had brought about such an abrupt change in his demeanor.

A chickadee called from a nearby branch, and his head jerked towards the sound, his nostrils flaring as he scanned their surroundings. He no longer seemed to be searching for the hidden treasures of the forest - instead it felt like he was looking for an escape route.

It suddenly occurred to her that he probably hadn’t shared his forest with anyone in years. Perhaps not even his greenhouse. All of it had been his alone until today. No wonder he looked like a spooked deer. She’d wandered into his private world and he’d actually let her in, even if just for a little while.

When his cabin came into view through the trees, some of the tension left his body. Another private space, and one he hadn’t shared with her. He turned around to lower her onto the porch. She reluctantly released him and stepped back, trying to decide what to do. She didn’t want to leave, but she was convinced he needed some space.

“I should head back to the shop,” she said, drinking in the sight of him one last time. The winter sun caught his eyes, turning amber to molten gold. “Thank you for today. For letting me into your world.”

His throat worked as he swallowed, those impressive tusks catching the light. He looked so confused that her heart ached. The urge to touch him, to break through that careful wall he’d built, overwhelmed her good intentions.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned towards him and lightly pressed her lips to his. Her mouth fit perfectly between his tusks.As if we were made for each other.

For one heart-stopping moment, he went completely still. Then his big hands caught her waist and yanked her up against him so he could kiss her properly, his mouth claiming hers with a hunger that stole her breath. The brush of his tusks against her skin sent pleasant shivers down her spine, and she melted against him.

His arms tightened, pulling her higher so that her feet left the ground and she wrapped her legs around his hips again. This time she was lodged directly over the massive ridge of his erection. Need burned through her veins like wildfire as the kiss turned fierce and desperate, and she kissed him back with equal passion. She wound her fingers in his shirt, wanting to crawl inside the warmth of him and stay there forever.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Varek lost himself in the kiss. Her lips were impossibly soft beneath his, softer than the petals of the flowers in his greenhouse, softer than anything he’d ever felt. The scent of her filled his head - the smell of the winter air mixed with the sweet honeysuckle scent that was all hers. She clung to him, her soft body cradling his aching shaft as his arms tightened around her. Her curves filled his palms, so warm and tempting that he groaned, a deep rumble of need that he felt in every inch of his body.

Heat coursed through his veins. He wanted to carry her inside and never let her go.

The thought snapped him back to reality. He jerked back, his breath ragged, and quickly lowered her to the ground. She stared up at him, her eyes wide and dazed.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” Pink stained her cheeks, but her eyes sparkled. She touched her lips, which were slightly swollen from his kiss. “That was… wow.”

His chest tightened at her expression. No one had ever looked at him like that before - as if he was something wonderful, not someone to be feared.

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