Page 24 of Vexing the Grumpy Orc

The uncertainty in his voice caught me off guard. This wasn’t the confident orc who’d fucked me senseless during the ritual. This was something else—something vulnerable.

“Have you done that before?” I asked gently.

The tips of his ears turned a deep shade of red and his eyes slid away from mine. “No.”

A suspicion formed in my mind. He’d been so hesitant and… awed, at times. Easy to cast aside as appropriate partner appreciation, or first time nerves, or… or…First time,first time nerves.

“Galan,” I said, searching his face, “have you done any of this before? With anyone?”

He shifted uncomfortably, suddenly finding the ceiling fascinating. “Didn’t have time for such distractions.”

“But the ritual—” My hand flew to my mouth. “That was your first time?”

His defensive growl confirmed it before his words did. “Don’t make it a thing.”

“But it should have been—” Guilt crashed through me. His first time had been during a magical ritual gone wrong, with a stranger, on the forest floor. No tenderness, no connection beyond the physical. Just magic-induced lust neither of us could control. “I stole that from you.”

“You didn’t steal anything, witch.” He caught my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “It was truth, not desire. Remember?”

My own words from that night echoed back to me. Truth, not desire. The magic had amplified what was already there—an attraction taking root from the second I saw him standing over me in the forest. It’d only stripped away all our pretenses and excuses.

“Still,” I said, twisting my fingers. “Your first time should have been?—”

“No.” His thumb brushed my lower lip. “I chose tocross that line. I wanted you then. I want you now. No magic. No ritual. Just us.”

The raw honesty in his voice silenced my protests. I studied his face, searching for signs of regret or resentment. Found none. Just that same intensity, that same hunger that had drawn me to him from the start.

“Besides,” he added, a smirk tugging at his lips, “I’m a quick learner.”

To prove his point, he lowered his head and captured my nipple through my shirt. The heat of his mouth seared through the thin fabric, drawing a gasp from my throat.

I chuckled low in my throat. His eyes darkened as I reached for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. My bra followed, leaving my breasts bare to his gaze. His breath caught audibly.

“Then yes,” I whispered, leaning back against the pillows. “You can taste me.”

He needed no further instruction. His lips closed around one nipple, tongue flicking experimentally. I arched into the contact, a moan escaping my throat. He grew bolder, alternating between gentle suction and teasing licks until I was squirming beneath him.

He moved down my body with agonizing slowness, placing open-mouthed kisses along my stomach, my hip bones. When he reached the waistband of my jeans, he looked up, seeking permission.

“Yes,” I breathed, lifting my hips to help him remove them.

My panties followed, leaving me completely exposed to his hungry gaze. He settled between my thighs, his broad shoulders pushing them wider apart. He looked up at me, uncertainty warring with desire.

I reached down, threading my fingers through his hair. “Start slow. Use your tongue. I’ll tell you what feels good.”

He nodded, then lowered his head. The first touch of his tongue against my clit was tentative, exploring. I gasped, my fingers tightening in his hair.

“Like this?” he murmured against my flesh, the vibration of his voice adding another layer of sensation.

“Yes,” I hissed, grinding against his mouth. “Right there. Harder.”

He growled and licked me harder. Deeper. His hands gripped my thighs, holding me open as he devoured me. There was nothing hesitant about it anymore. His tongue dipped inside me, tasting, teasing, testing to see what made me gasp. What made me shudder. What made me writhe.

When he slid a thick finger into me, curling it just right, my thighs shook. Fire raced through my veins, coiling low in my belly. A second finger joined the first, stretching me. Filling me. I rocked against him, chasing my release.

“Galan,” I panted, straining for it. So close. Almost there. “Just like that. Don’t stop.”

He didn’t stop. He kept licking and thrusting and growling.

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