Page 16 of Marked By the Wild Orc

I take off my long, puffy coat and the dark brown sweater dress clings to all my curves. I’m kinda excited for him to see it because it’s the first nice dress I’ve bought with the money I earned from this job.

“Are you doing this on purpose?” a deep voice questions.

I turn around and shift in my tall boots. I lick my lips because I haven’t seen Talon in a little over a month and my poor heart can’t handle all that green muscle and silver belt buckle, yearning to be touched. “Maybe?” I squeak.

His dark, molten gaze scans me from head to toe, lingering on my chest and then finally back to my face. Is his crotch tented or am I imagining things?

“I’m on the edge of sanity,” he growls. “You have to get away from me or I'll fuck you right now.”

Am I dreaming or is this real? “And this is bad because…?”

“I won’t be able to make it to my home, or even to your apartment across the street. If you don’t leave now I’ll strip you bare and fuck you here, in my office or even on the floor oragainst the wall. And customers are set to arrive soon. I might need to close the shop today, either way.”

I stare at him, continuing to not understand how this is something I shouldn’t want. And then I take a step closer to his hot body. “Can’t we talk about this? Is the problem that you think you’re too old for me? Because I don’t think that’s a problem at all. We get along great and a thirteen year age difference isn’t a big deal.”

“You are fired,” he snarls.

I have a sinking feeling that this time he’s not joking. “Why? What have I done wrong?”

“You know.”

“I don’t know.”

“Get out, now,” he thunders.

One hourlater I stand in the snow in front of the nearby sandwich shop, crying.

My brother calls me at exactly the wrong moment. Right when I’m in the midst of a snotty ugly cry over the fact that Talon has fired me, for reals this time. He literally kicked me out of his shop.

I’ve been here for awhile now, not quite knowing where to go or what to do with myself. I did have presence of mind to zip up my long, puffy coat and pull on my hat. The boots are pretty but they’re also practical and warm in the snow.

“Yes?” I sob.

“Krissy? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I try to say and then cry some more.

My brother’s voice vibrates with agitation. “I just got back to the station and was calling to invite you to an open house we’re having at the fire station next month, but instead you need to tell me why you’re crying. The tears of a female, especially from asibling, affect me greatly. Tell me. Who is making you cry? I will pound this human into the ground.”

“It’s…it’s an orc. But really, it’s nothing you need to do anything about. It’s more like I just need to get over it and move on. Or, I don’t know, go back and try again later? I’m so confused. You happened to call right after it happened, so I’m upset.”

“An orc has mistreated you to the point where you are crying? Is it one of the customers at the shop? Have you told Talon so he can take care of this individual?”

“That’s the problem, it’s Talon,” I cry because I’m a freaking mess. “He’s fired me and I don’t even really understand why. Well, I guess I do understand but why did he have to fire me? It’s silly how he acted and it…it hurts my feelings.”

A vicious growl rumbles over the phone. “I will be there in moments to take care of this.”

“No. No, I was only telling you because you called and happened to ask. This is nothing. I can handle it myself. Really, maybe he’s right that I shouldn’t work there…Kavin? Kavin?”

But the line is dead in my hand. Uh oh, this won’t be pretty.

And then I hear a shout of greeting and look up to see Doril who has come to my rescue. “Get in the car,” he says.

I use the back of my hand to wipe at my face and get in the passenger seat.

Doril slowly drives me home and I ask questions. “I don’t understand why he’s treating me this way,” I cry. “I mean there was another reason for him firing me, that I hope you didn’t hear about but, this is the second time he’s tried to fire me, and you and I both know there’s no cause.”

“Well, you’re his bride, that’s why.”

---