Page 44 of Enchanted with the Orc
“You’re not going to lose her to another male,” I told him, leaning forward and reaching out my hand toward him. He hesitated for only a second, searching my expression with hope brimming in his eyes and sending a sharp panging ache into my chest before taking my fingers into him, his hold firm and warm. “She’s only making friends,” I continued, clearing my throat.
“She can have as many female friends as she wants,” he explained, as if he was being totally reasonable. “Butwhydoes it have to be a male?” he groaned, running his thumb over the back of my hand, staring down at it in wonder. “And especiallythat male.” His lip curled, but adjusted itself while he twined our fingers together.
“Thatmale,” I laughed, pretending that I didn’t notice the heat of his touch or the fact that my hand was so comfortable in his it was as if it wasmadeto be there. “Is a child.”
“And do you think I wouldn’t have known who you were to me if I’d met you at his age?” he scoffed, still marveling at our hands.
Until he realized what he’d said. He froze, his eyes sweeping up to mine, wide and round. “I mean…” he trailed off, and I smiled, suddenly shy, ducking my head and pretending that I didn’t know exactly what he meant. I’d been doing a lot of that.
“Well I think we should leave them alone and let her make a friend,” I told him, twining our fingers together even more.
He licked his lips, and I noticed his fangs were still blunted. He’d kept them that way after Gabbi had begged him to play “bite monster” with her. In the game, they would have to bite each other and leave the biggest mark they could.
The Goddess Mother only knew where she’d come up with the game, but he’d been terrified to hurt her with his teeth, and she’d pounced on him, prying his lips apart and poking his teeth to prove that hecouldbite if he tried. That night, he’d gone into the bathroom with a metal file and then come back out with blunted teeth. Only then had he allowed the “bite monster” game to continue.
Since the file now stayed on a shelf that Gabbi couldn’t reach in the bathroom, I was certain he was using it daily. It was so far removed from what David would have done, that I didn’t know how to feel. Then again, if David had had even a fraction of Enka’s strength, I wouldn’t still be alive.
I swallowed hard, running my fingers over his now, in a small grateful gesture for all the sweet things he did that were unconscious for him. He knew how to take care of my daughter and I without being told.
Friends touch. I can touch him and it’s okay, right?
I nibbled on my lower lip before glancing up at him from under my lashes. His reaction was exactly what I needed in that moment. His lipswere parted as he stared down at where I was tracing patterns over his skin. His pupils were blown, the black taking over most of his eyes.
“Okay,” he whispered, his voice deep and growly. “I will.”
I’d almost forgotten what we were talking about.
Jael and Gabbi. Right.
“You’ll let her be friends with him?” I asked, my own voice husky in a way it had never been. My awareness of him—of us being alone—was pinging in the back of my mind.
“Okay,” he repeated, and I had to hide my smile.
He’d been arguing about this for a week, but suddenly, he’d changed his mind. Suddenly, with a simple, tiny touch, he was amenable to being reasonable. I smothered a laugh against my fingers as I pretended to yawn.
“Tired?” he asked, his brow furrowed, and I shook my head. “Are you sure? You’ll finally be able to get an undisturbed nap in.”
Maybe Iwantto be disturbed… by you.
I ignored his blatant attempt at changing the subject after his little faux pas. The last thing I wanted was to lose out on our first real interaction with each other when we were alone. “No, I’m good right here,” I told him, and I couldn’t stop the small flirty tilt of my head, my loose hair falling over my forehead and over my shoulder, hiding a part of my face.
I pretended I was stretching, my toes reaching out and nudging against his calf and I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. I tried to push aside the deep, sweet, feminine knowledge inside of me that was crowing with satisfaction over his reaction to the simplest touches, but I was failing.
Life had been so much simpler and easier when I’d sworn off males and had never met Enka, but I couldn’t say that I regretted a single moment with him. Nibbling on my lower lip, I watched him focus there, licking his own lips as if he couldn’t stop himself.
Chapter Twenty-five
Tasia
“So what am I to you?” I asked him in a low voice, tucking my toes against his warm, hard calves. I saw the argument he was having with himself in his gaze. Long moments passed where he stared down at where I was touching him, not moving. I mentally pumped a fist in the air when he released a deep sigh of surrender and met my gaze again.
“My mate,” he murmured, “but I think you already knew that.”
I shrugged, tucking my other foot against him. “Kind of.”
His smile was sheepish. “I didn’t do a very good job hiding it.”
“Neither did I, I suppose,” I looked away and then back at him, in time to see his frown.
