Page 23 of The Orc's Innocent Plaything

To my surprise, Vartok shrugged again, then pressed his cheek to my curls.

“Then ye will just have to be extra attentive,dkaar. A big kitling can be alarming, but I ken ye’ll get her through the birth. Ikenye will protect her.”

His faith was…humbling. And, strangely, it gave me courage.

Surprising, because he clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Still, I found myself smiling.

Or mayhap ‘twas because he was holding me so close. So…warmly. I didn’t think ‘twas the fire which had me snuggling closer. Vartok wascherishingme.

What?

Had last night been so pivotal to him?

Two days ago, he’d treated me as if he wanted naught to do with me, like I was different from all the other women. And now? He was cuddling with me like I was one of hisconquests.

He hummed against the top of my head.

“I can feel ye thinking.”

Could I help the way I’d stiffened?

“You do not know me that well, Vartok,” I snapped, irritated that he was only treating me like this because of my request last night.

“I suspect I ken ye better than ye think, lass. Why did ye no’ come to me tonight?”

Well, hell.

I was hoping he wouldn’t ask me that again.

With another hum, he pulled away, but didn’t release me. Instead, he stared down, and in the dancing shadows of the fire, his expression was almost…sad?

“Ye didnae come to me because ye were afraid, aye?”

“I am not scared of you,” I barked, my hackles up as I backed away with a glare.

“Nay, ye’re no’,” he agreed quietly. “Ye’re afraid of yer body’s response to me. Of the way I made ye feel.”

I am afraid of being just another female to you.

He’d agreed to be my tutor,naught more.

And if I continued down this route, I had to know I couldn’t expect more. No matter how much it rankled my pride.

All these months, I’d hated that he treated me so differently, that he didn’t flirt or try to charm me. And now that hewasdoing those things with me, I was angered at the thought that hedidsee me as just another of his conquests?

Damnation, Myra, make up your mind!

Confused, I shook my head, my curls bouncing around my temples, and continued to back away.

“Lass—” he began.

But the fact that he’d shared so much of himself, his fears and his emotions, with me tonight? It only baffled me further.

With a little curse of confusion, I pulled my cloak around me and whirled away from him.

CHAPTER FIVE

Myra

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