Page 15 of One Stolen Night with Her Orc

Each hitch of her breath, every moan and whimper, drives me on to explore more of her uncharted territory. Licking, sucking, flicking my tongue over her clit and inside her. When she’s close, her nails digging into my scalp, I insert a finger into her wetness. Gods, she’s dripping and tight. Her hips buck against me until she comes. My name on her lips.

Always. I always want my name on her lips.

“Koru, I don’t know what to say,” she breathes after a few minutes of stillness. The fire is low, so I get up and put another log on, stoke it a bit, then shed my pants.

“Come back,” she says, a slight pleading in her voice.

“You’re such a good girl. So receptive to my touch.” I hover over her in the nest of a bed. A kiss after each word. How is her skin so soft and velvety? How are her small fingers so powerful in the magic they hold over me with each touch?

My thick, heavy cock drags across her thigh as I move from belly to nipple to mouth and back again. Poppy’s eyes widen when it rests against her clit and throbs against her.

“Koru? Will you fit?”

I chuckle and nod. Then gasp when her fingers grasp my shaft. “Gods, you can’t do that. I’ll fall apart.” At that admission, she smiles. Her fingers travel root to tip, reading me like braille. “Ready?” I ask, positive I can’t hold on any longer, even though I have a thousand times more control than what I feel right now.

“Say the words,” I admonish after she nods.

“Take me, Koru.”

I pull out of her hand and notch myself at her entrance. The sweet heat of her is perfection. Her breathing increases. I thrust in. Not all the way. Enough that she’s swallowed my head. We both groan at the sensation.

“You’re so tight,” I moan.

“More,” she says, a spark in her eyes.

I oblige. Thrusting again. Between the tightness and her whimper, I almost come undone. A little more—I pull out and thrust in again, using all the momentum to make it all the way in. To the hilt. Our bodies now joined as one.

Poppy thrusts her hips at me, and my head falls back as a growl escapes my lips. That fire in her eyes is a forest blaze now. Her sweet smile turns wicked when she sees the power she holds over me.

The animal in me comes to play, thrusting again and again, holding her tight to me. When she clings to my shoulders and pants my name, I’m done. I let out a roar that threatens to rattle the windows as we come undone together.

Careful not to squish her when I collapse, all other rational thoughts have left my being. We lie together, intertwined, for seconds, minutes, decades, just reveling in the touch of our bodies. Eventually, the crackling of the fire brings me back to my senses. Poppy is curled up next to me, slightly shivering. I get up, stoke the fire, then grab a wet washcloth to clean her up.

“You’re the most ravishing creature,” I say, once I’ve finished cleaning us up and climb back into bed, spooning her.

“I bet you say that to all the ladies,” Poppy whispers, half-asleep already. At that, I lean up on one elbow and turn her chin toward me so she can see my face. See my honesty.

“No, Poppy. There is only you. Your scent sings to me, since the moment you stepped into my brewery. No one else will ever do but you. You’re my mate. It’s fate.”

Her eyes widen, and she sits up. “You’re frowning,” I say. The satisfied, sleepy look is gone from her eyes.

“Mmm, just thinking about how wonderful this is,” she says as she scratches the side of her head.

“That’sthe face of wonderful? I call bullshit.” Propping myself up to look at her clearer, there’s a space between us now, the vacuum of space in our bed.

“Fine. I was thinking about how wonderful this is. But also about my mom and how she ended up with someone like Marcus.” I stay absolutely still, not wanting to scare her off from telling me what she thinks. “I don’t want to end up like her. I promised myself I wouldn’t attach myself to anybody.”

“Do you think that I am like Marcus?” She shakes her head adamantly no. Her eyes don’t meet mine. “Look at me, Poppy.” I wait until she does. Gorgeous eyes that speak of all the hurts she’s endured. All the betrayal by someone who was supposed to love her and take care of her. The anger of a thousand suns fills my chest as I think of that creature—less than a man—and how I let him walk out of my brewery on his own two legs.

“I love you. That piece of scum will never bother you again. And I promise you that hurting you is the last thing I want to do. Betrayal is a serious offense in our world. And if you need to go slower, we can go slower. You set the pace. I’m happy to be with you—wherever you are.”

“I love you, too, Koru. Thank you.” The crystalline tears on her cheeks break me, make me vow to hunt Marcus down and make sure he never hurts anyone ever again.

Kissing each tear away, she breathes easier, slipping back into that sleepy state. Arms wrapped around each other, we lie there; me listening to her breathing and calculating all the ways I can love her and keep her safe.

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