Page 55 of The Orc's Innocent Plaything

Slowly, his shoulders relaxed. “Iamsorry, love. I didnae mean to hurt ye.”

“You did not.” Sighing, I pressed my cheek to his shoulder so I could still see him. “’Twas just…overwhelming. The motion of the horse…”

“Aye, I see it now.” His lips curled ruefully as he glanced at the animal, who was nosing at the lichen in the cracks of the boulder fall. “I likely traumatized the puir thing, too.”

I had to snort at that, but I lifted my hand to cup his cheek.

“I am fine now, I swear. Thank you for stopping when I asked.”

Looking surprised, Vartok pressed his hand against mine, pinning it in place.

“I told ye, I will always stop if ye feel uncomfortable. And I will never,ever hurt ye.”

And I realized…

‘Twas true.

In the time we’d spent together, Vartok hadalwaysfocused on my pleasure. His pleasure had always taken second place. He denied himself release until I had climaxed multiple times. He was an attentive and gentle lover, no matter the circumstances. Hecared.

I caught my breath as realization crashed over me.

Vartok had never hurt me, he never would, and he cared for me.

Was there any way—anyway—that this…whatever this was between us…could come to mean more to him? Could I one day come to mean as much to him as he’d come to mean to me?

“Thank you,” I murmured, tears coming to my eyes again, this time for an entirely different reason.

“Thankyefor trusting me, forentrustingme with yer body,” he responded.

And my heart. I almost blurted it but instead offered a small smile. “And thank you for being trustworthy. I have never known a male who could care about a woman so selflessly.”

The rueful twist of his mouth told me he knew I was thinking of my childhood among humans. Still, he blew out a sigh and bent down to brush a kiss on my forehead.

“Only for ye, love,” he murmured. “Now, let’s get ye tucked back in—did ye ken yer tits were hanging out where anyone could see, lass?—and go find us some sea holly.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Vartok

MyKteerwouldn’t shutup.

And the worst thing of it? I knew it was wrong. I knew Ishouldfeel this shameful burn in my stomach. The damn thing was urging me to throw Myra on the ground and drive into her, slaking my lust with her body as if I was some kind of primitive beast.

But I’d come too close to that already.

Torvar’s Hammer, I’d made hercry!

My cock hadnevermade a female cry, and I had been ready to cut the fooking thing off when I’d realized that. But…

But she’d said it had not beenpainwhich caused her to stop, but an overwhelming of sensations. I could understand that, and while it made me feel marginally better, itdidn’t take away the sharp, sour taste of shame in my throat.

“Vartok?”

We’d spent the last miles with her curled on my lap, both of her legs thrown over one of my thighs. While she’d dozed on and off, I’d known she hadn’t been sleeping long.

Nay, not my Myra. She’d beenthinking.

“Aye,dkaar?”

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