Page 51 of The Orc's Princess Bride
“A few hours, no more,” he warned. “I want Jessamin back in Norhaven as soon as possible.”
Egon joined them, dropping more wood on the small fire. “I’ll take the first watch,” he said.
“Get some rest, Ulric. You look like hell,” Wulf ordered. “We’ll leave at first light.”
He wanted to protest, but the poison had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. With Jessamin nestled against him, he fell into a deep, healing sleep.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The next morning they rode hard for Norhaven, stopping only briefly to rest and water the horses. The pace was just as frantic as when Khorrek stole Jessamin but she enjoyed the journey a lot more with Ulric’s powerful arms wrapped around her. The rest had helped—he had regained his color and showed no sign of fever. He never flagged throughout the long day, but she was half-asleep when he finally called a halt.
“You’re much more willing to rest when your mate is with you,” Wulf teased, but Ulric’s response was lost in a yawn.
They camped in a hidden vale surrounded by thick trees, with a stream nearby. As the orcs built a fire and set up camp, she slipped away to the stream to bathe. The water was freezing, but after a day in the saddle, it was a relief to scrub away the dirt and sweat.
A faint splash alerted her to another presence. She turned to find Ulric wading into the stream, the moonlight painting his skin in shades of silver and shadow.
“Let me help you,” he murmured, his hands sliding over her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest.
She relaxed into his touch, letting him lather soap into her hair. His fingers were deft and gentle, working the suds into her scalp with soothing circles. She let out a sigh of contentment. For a moment, they were in their own world, untouched by the madness that awaited them outside this small refuge.
When her hair was clean, he guided her to lean back in the water, letting it rinse away the sobs. He was so careful with her, treating her like the most precious treasure.
Once she was clean, she turned in his arms, intending to reciprocate, but he held her fast. “You need to rest,” he chided. “You’re exhausted.”
“So are you,” she countered. “Let me take care of you.”
“I will always take care of you.” The intensity in his voice made her heart skip a beat.
“And I want you to. But I want to take care of you as well.”
He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Very well. You may wash my hair if it pleases you, my queen.”
She laughed, the sound echoing in the stillness. “It does please me.”
He sank down in the shallow stream, the water swirling around his waist. She scooped up a handful and let it cascade over the long black and silver strands. When his hair was wet, she massaged in the soap, taking her time, enjoying the feel of his hair sliding between her fingers.
His eyes closed, a look of blissful relaxation on his face. She worked the suds from his scalp to the ends of his hair, then let the current of the stream wash it all away.
When his hair was clean, she pressed a kiss to his temple. “There. Now let’s dry off before we freeze.”
They climbed from the stream and she helped him dry off, admiring the play of muscle under his green skin. He was so strong, so powerful, and yet he’d let her care for him without complaint. Of course, he also insisted on drying her, and by the time he’d finished rubbing her body with the rough linen cloth, she was no longer cold. Heat pooled low in her belly, an aching need building within her.
His eyes darkened as he watched her nipples pebble under his touch. “You are so beautiful,” he said, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down her spine.
“So are you,” she said, running her hands over the hard planes of his chest.
“I almost lost you,” he said, his voice rough.
“But you didn’t,” she replied, moving even closer. “You came for me.”
“I will always come for you.”
The words hung between them, heavy with promise, and then he kissed her. The fear and exhaustion of the past days fell away, replaced by a fierce, desperate need to be close to him.
Her hands moved frantically over his body, and he groaned as he lifted her into his arms, the thick ridge of his erection lodged between them. He cast a quick look in the direction of theircamp, the fire visible through the trees, then strode deeper into the woods as she peppered kisses along his jaw and neck.
When they were far enough away that they wouldn’t be overheard, he set her down gently on a bed of moss, his huge body coming down to cover hers. She moaned as he kissed his way down her chest, his tusks scraping lightly over her skin. He paused at her breasts, sucking a nipple into his mouth and rolling it between his tongue and his teeth.
