Page 33 of Enchanted with the Orc
As it turned out, I was wrong. We’d tested his patience in ways that would have driven David straight up a wall, but instead of that, Enka had responded with patient smiles.
He’s not the same as David.
The realization had hit me when he’d fidgeted—clearly nervous—before telling me he’d made plans for hisGruk-ir. I couldn’t act like I thought he was anything like David anymore.
This male was different. I still wasn’t going to be throwing myself all in, but my instincts had finally been right. He wasn’t going to hurt us.
A thought niggled at the back of my mind, reminding me that there was something else that my instincts had been telling me.
True mate.
Shaking myself hard, I tugged on shoes for my daughter. There was no way I was going to think about that until I knew more about him. It was one thing to trust a male, it was completely another to consider him mytrue mate.
I lifted Gabbi into my arms while she was vibrating with pure excitement. I stroked my palm over her hair, making sure it was still neat, before turning to face Enka, my heart thudding in my chest at the soft smile on his face as he looked at us.
Down girl, I told my heart.We’re not doing this again.
I was okay with being attracted to him. At least he was a decent male. It was entirely another thing to be catching feelings. And Iwasn’t.
Swallowing hard, I walked toward him. “Lead the way,” I proclaimed with a grin, keeping my little wiggling bundle close.
He opened the door, gesturing for us to leave first, and I passed by him, trying not to breathe in his glorious, masculine scent that I’d been struggling to become immune to for the past two weeks. It hadn’t worked.
He locked the door behind us before leading the way to the elevator, tapping the button and waiting, rocking on his heels as he wrinkled his nose at Gabbi. She giggled, holding her arms out to him as if it was the easiest thing in the world, and it was.
He took her into his arms, pressing a quick kiss to her little nose that had me melting again.
Stay strong, Tasia.
I looked away, but I could still hear them.
“Is my Gruk-ir excited?” he asked, as the elevator opened. He pressed his huge palm to the doors, ensuring they were opened as he let me step in and followed suit. He told the operator that we were going to the first floor as Gabbi nodded with enthusiasm.
“Iloveparties,” she announced, arms wrapped around his neck as she kicked her little feet against his chest and stomach. He didn’t even flinch, entirely focused on what she was saying—as if she was the most important thing in that moment.
The pang got even more painful and I pinched my wrist to ground myself. It would be too easy to see how he was with my daughter—how he was with me, too—and fall. I wasn’t ready for that, and I’d hoped that she wasn’t either, but she looked so happy with him. More settled than I’d ever seen her before.
My daughter chattered on, cupping Enka’s face in her palms to make sure that he was fully focused on her. Something that she didn’t need to bother to do, because when she was talking to him, heneverpaid attention to anything else. He did the same for me. Fully focused and involved in a way I’d never imagined someone could be when it came to us.
I looked at our reflection in the silver of the elevator and saw how perfect we looked together. The big, strong orc held my tiny daughter in his arms while I stood by his side. My brain filled in the gaps that should be there. If weweremore, he’d have one arm wrapped around my waistwhile he held her with the other, andmaybethere would be a bit of a swell to my stomach…
I trailed off at the thought, snapping myself back to reality, because it soundedphenomenaland I couldn’t afford for that to be in my head. I pinched myself again, and saw Enka’s head snap to the movement, his brow frowning before he met my eyes, censure there for me to see.
“Did you just hurt yourself?” he demanded, worry tingeing his voice. I gave him a tremulous smile, shaking my head.
“Sorry, it’s an old habit,” I explained, and Gabbi shook her finger at me in admonishment.
“Bad Mommy,” she said, and it was everything I could do to look contrite and nod. “Abu doesn’t like it,” she tsked, hugging Enka around his neck, both giving me worried frowns.
I had to smother a laugh, nodding again. “Sorry,” I told them both again just as the doors to the elevator slid open.
We stepped out, and Enka took my hand, lifting it for his inspection. Gabbi leaned down to look too, although I was certain she had no idea what she was looking for. Shock filled me when he lifted my hand to press a gentle, soft kiss to my wrist. I looked up into his dark eyes that were brimming with something I couldn’t name—and maybe didn’twantto name—when Gabbi dropped a kiss to my wrist too.
I was still staring up at Enka, not sure what to say, but Gabbi squealed with joy.
“Uncle Darak!” she crowed, wiggling madly until Enka lowered her to the ground. She rushed at the big male who was making his way closer. She launched herself at him and he caught her up in his arms.
I marveled at how gentle these huge males were with her, ensuring that she never hurt herself.
