Page 20 of Romancing the Orc

It takes me three more tries, but I finally get a leg thrown over his neck.

Brokk’s huge hands swallow my thighs, holding me steady as he straightens up to sitting.

An eep slips from me as I scrabble to keep my balance, and only his hold on my legs keeps me upright. I finally steady, my hands buried in his hair.

We repeat the process when he stands, and this time, my heels dig into his chest as I fight to stay on him.

When I stabilize enough to sit upright, Brokk’s fingers squeeze my thighs, and his deep voice growls, “Good girl.”

An electric jolt flies straight to my clit, and I gasp, my legs clenching around his head.

He gives that husky laugh again, and I’m equal parts horny and embarrassed that heknowsI’m horny.

“As much as I love being crushed between your thighs,” he says, “I think it might be good if I can breathe.”

CHAPTER TEN

Brokk

My mate’s sweet thighs clench my neck more tightly for a split second, then release. “Oh, god! Sorry.”

Lust roughens my voice as I growl, “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

I long to pull her around to my front, bury my face in her pussy, and eat my fill. My cock swells, the stud at the top stirring to life as its magic activates. What kind of toy will it turn into for my lovely Lara? What does she want most?

If I’ve learned one thing in my time on Earth, it’s that while humans might pretend to be prudish about sex, they actually think about it as much as orcs. And since humans don’t have magical studs, they also make a wide variety of sex toys to compensate.

Such pleasures must wait until I get her to safety, and this river will be excellent for hiding our tracks.

I wade into the water, its warmth swallowing me to my waist in only a few steps. Determined to cross the deepest part while my strength is at its freshest, I continue straight ahead, testing at each step for drop offs. I could swim this easily, yet that won’t keep Lara dry, let alone the journal that means so much to her, and I would do anything to please her.

She sways on my shoulders, her fingers digging into my hair until the roots burn. The pain is nothing.

When the water reaches mid-chest, her feet get wet, and she makes a little kick.

“It’s fine,” I soothe. “I can make you new leaf shoes.”

“Thanks.” Her stomach jiggles against the back of my head as she gives a nervous chuckle. “I guess leaves are one thing we don’t have to worry about running out of.”

“Or vines,” I say.

Another step, and my foot touches nothing. I turn and head upriver for several yards, then try again. No luck. “There’s a deeper trench in the middle of the river. I don’t know how deep. I can try lifting you over my head and hope it’s enough to keep you dry, or I can swim.”

“Lift me how?”

“I would fill my hands with your buttocks and lift you straight overhead.”

“I’m sure you could do it, but I’m also certain I can’t balance well enough.” She lets out a huff of breath, and I imagine her blowing a stray lock of hair off her face. “I can think of a million things that could go wrong.”

A low growl vibrates my chest. Lara is the most brilliant person I’ve ever met. Her imagination fills her books with wonder and excitement. Yet it seems that same intelligence alsomakes her worry too much. I want to find a way to counteract it, to let her feel more of the joy of life.

If anyone deserves it, it’s my wonderful mate.

“I will swim.” I tip forward slowly, letting go of her thighs. She adjusts her position until she’s sitting on my upper back instead of my shoulders. Then I kick off, launching forward using the power of my legs.

“Ahh!” Lara’s knees clamp the side of my head, covering my ears until I can hear nothing but the steady drum of my heart and the whoosh of my breaths. With her on my back like this, I have to keep my face out of the water, so I do short, powerful strokes with my arms as I kick furiously.

The swifter current of the middle of the river batters against my side, and my attempt to swim straight across turns into a diagonal pushed toward downriver. With Lara on my back, unable to submerge, I can’t use my full strength. Thank the goddess I’m an orc, so even my partial strength is formidable.

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