Page 38 of Enchanted with the Orc
Our daughter’s matchmaking.
“Are you ready for those candles?” Tasia asked, unable to look at me. She was nibbling on her lower lip and it was everything I could do to not crow to the ceiling. The scent of her arousal was strong in my nose.
She wants me.
“Yes!” our daughter chirped in my arms, vibrating with excitement as Tasia lit the candles. The distracted younglings around the table all turned to face us, cheering with excitement.
“Blow them out, Gabbi!” the little centaur cried and I scowled as Tasia smothered a laugh.
I angled her lower and she leaned forward without hesitation, trusting me completely to keep her balanced. I did, but Tasia had to pull Gabbi’s braids back before they splattered into the cake. She sent me an amused look and I wasn’t sure when I would get used to it—the shared intimacythat was growing between us, joining us together—but I hoped I never did.
“Make a wish,” she gasped, before Gabbi blew on the candles and she shook her little head.
“Nope! I got my wish already. I got a daddy.” And with that pronouncement, that shocked both Tasia and I into silence, our jaws falling open, she blew on her candles and then shoved her hand into the cake, turning to face Tasia. “Taste, Mommy!”
She took advantage of her parted lips and shoved her cake covered fingers between them. “Yummy?” Gabbi grinned, turning to shove her fingers into my mouth next.
I widened my mouth at once, worried she’d graze her precious, soft skin against my fangs. I pulled her hand out, smacking my lips and leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek.
“Thank you. But we’ll eat on plates, okay?” I murmured, struggling not to look at Tasia. I wouldn’t recover if I saw horror in her expression at the thought of me as Gabbi’s father.
“I want abigslice, Abu,” Gabbi insisted, pointing at the cake. I nodded, but just as I was going to start cutting it, Tasia jumped into action, cutting and plating with efficient ease. She wasn’t facing me and I lowered Gabbi to the floor so she could eat with her new friends, sitting next to the centaur and making me scowl again.
“Here’s yours,” Tasia’s voice was little more than a whisper and when her eyes met mine, soft pools of an emotion I couldn’t read, I prayed to every God I could think of.
Don’t let her hate me.
“I… I didn’t ask her to say that,” I explained and she shook her head.
“Trust me, no one can put words in my daughter’s mouth,” she said with a rueful smile. “I’m sorry she put you in that position.”
It was my turn to frown now.
“What position?”
The tug of a little hand on her clothes had her turning her attention away from me and back to the younglings surrounding her for cake. I didn’t get my answer, but she wasn’t going to get away without one.
A little chirp sound left my phone and I tugged it out of my pocket, seeing Rudgar’s name on the screen. I turned around, making my way toward the door of the room. I lifted the phone to my ear, bracing myself for news.
“Hey Enka,” he called, and his cheerful voice made me a little less apprehensive. Still, when it came to the safety of my mate and youngling, I didn’t want to let down my guard.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, not waiting for pleasantries.
“Oh, yeah. The females just wanted to wish Gabbi a happy birthday,” he told me, and I beamed, turning back to where half of her face was smothered in frosting.
“She’s having her cake right now,” I told him.
“There’s so much noise there. Are those other younglings?” he asked, and I could hear the frown in his voice.
“The other younglings from the hotel that Darak could find for her party,” I explained, and Rudgar’s laugh was deep.
“I knew the bastard had a soft spot somewhere. Turns out it’s for younglings. Good to know,” he chuckled.
“No bullying Darak,” I growled the warning. “He’s helped too much for me to help pick on him.”
“I’m offended,” Rudgar scoffed, sounding the exact opposite. “I wouldn’t do anything to one of my mostbelovedfriends.”
The threat in those words was clear and I shook my head, hoping poor Darak would survive however Rudgar planned to mess with him.
