Page 32 of Bidding on the Orc Outcast

He quickly tried to redirect his thoughts, watching her sort through the candles. Her fingers traced the glass, leaving trails of heat in his chest as he imagined her touching him the same way. She arranged the candles around the shop, looking at him for approval with each display.

When she was done, she turned to him. The question burned in his throat.

“Was this-” His voice came out rough. He cleared it and tried again. “Was this the only reason you came to see me?”

She stilled, one hand resting on the counter. Her pulse fluttered at her throat as she turned to face him.

“No.” The word fell soft between them and he closed the distance between them.

His hand found her waist, drawing her closer. She tipped her face up, eyes dark and wanting. The last thread of his resistance snapped.

He bent down and captured her mouth with his. Her lips parted on a sigh, fingers curling into his shirt. The kiss deepened, desperate and hungry. She tasted like coffee and possibility.

His other hand tangled in her hair, cradling the back of her head. She pressed closer, fitting perfectly against him. A growl rumbled in his chest as she nipped lightly at his lower lip. The teasing gesture fanned the flames building inside him and his hand slid up from her waist to cup a perfect breast. Her taut nipple stabbed his palm as she gasped into his mouth. The kiss deepened, claiming, demanding. He needed her like air.

The shop bell chimed, and he instantly released her, his heart hammering. A customer stood frozen in the doorway - Mrs. Chen from the herb shop. Her eyes darted between them before she backed out, the bell chiming again as the door closed.

The warm bubble that had enveloped him burst, reality crashing back. What had he been thinking? The whole town would know by nightfall.

“I should go.” He took a step back, but she caught his wrist.

“Wait-” Her lips were still flushed from their kiss, hair mussed where his fingers had tangled in it. “Please don’t run away again.”

The scent of her skin pulled at him. His thumb brushed her cheek before he could stop himself. She leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering closed.

“You don’t understand what you’re getting into.” His voice came out rough. “The things people will say-”

“I don’t care what they say.” She moved closer, and his resolve wavered. “I… care about you.”

Fuck. When was the last time anyone had said that to him? His arms wrapped around her of their own accord, drawing her against his chest. She fit there like she belonged.

But then the memory of Sebastian’s sneering face flashed through his mind. The whispers would start. The stares. The judgment. They’d make her an outcast too.

He couldn’t do that to her. She deserved better than a life in the shadows with him.

He forced himself to release her.

“This was a mistake.” The words tasted like ashes. “I can’t-”

He backed toward the door, desperate to escape before he changed his mind. The warmth of her kiss still lingered on his lips, making it hard to think straight.

She planted her hands on her hips, brown eyes flashing. “No. You don’t get to do this again.”

His hand froze on the doorknob. The determination in her voice caught him off guard.

“You can’t kiss me like that and then run away. Either you want this or you don’t.” She took a step closer. “But you need to make up your mind, Varek. Because I’m not going to keep chasing after you every time you get scared.”

The word “scared” hit a nerve, and he tensed. “I’m not-”

“Yes, you are.” She crossed her arms. “And I get it. But I’m standing right here telling you I want to be with you, and you keep finding excuses to push me away.”

His chest tightened. The truth in her words stripped away his defenses, leaving him raw and exposed. She saw right through him, through all the walls he’d built.

“Mrs. Chen will tell everyone,” he muttered, grasping at straws.

“So let her.” Her expression softened. “I told you before - I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

The certainty in her voice made something crack inside him. How could she be so sure when he was drowning in doubt?

---