Page 20 of Swipe Right for Orcs
“Well, we had sex, and we didn’t use protection. Your brother said I should be fine, so I’ve left it at that. Is there something I should know?” I ask.
Ovivia leans back in her chair, her expression serious now. “Orc sperm is very potent, and implantation happens almost instantly. I’d use protection from now on, just to be safe. And not human preventatives, you need something stronger.”
Osric growls, clearly frustrated. “Ovivia.”
“What? She asked, and I’m answering,” Ovivia says with a shrug. “It was one time, and I doubt she took the whole thing, so she should be fine. But she should know the risk.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, my mind racing as I turn to look at Osric.
“Were you going to tell me?” I huff, my eyes narrowing.
“I was,” Osric says, his voice softer now.
“When?” I cut him off, my frustration simmering beneath the surface.
“Tonight,” he replies.
“Before or after we—” I stop myself, feeling a lump in my throat. “Before or after we fucked again?”
“Before,” he says, his voice shaking.
“Why didn’t you tell me when I asked?” I demand, standing up and dropping my silverware onto the table with a clatter.
“It didn’t matter to me.” He shrugs.
“What didn’t matter?” I struggle to keep my emotions in check.
“If you got pregnant,” he admits, his gaze steady. “If it happened, we’d deal with it. I want offspring.”
I stare at him, my mind racing. “We’ve had one date, Osric. What if I don’t want kids? What if I don’t want hybrid kids? Do I have a choice, or does that not matter either?”
His expression falters for a brief moment, like my words have taken him by surprise. He opens his mouth as if to respond, but then closes it again, running a hand through his hair in frustration. For a moment, we just sit there in silence, the weight of the questions hanging between us.
I can feel the tension building, and I can’t stand the suffocating quiet anymore. I storm out the door to the front step, needing space to think. I sit down, the cool night air hitting my face. The door opens behind me, and I sense Osric’s presence before I even see him.
He sits beside me, his large frame dwarfing mine, yet there’s a softness in the way he moves. He sits down carefully, leaving just enough space between us so I don’t feel crowded, but close enough that I sense his warmth. His shoulders slightly hunch as if trying to make himself more approachable. Despite the tension swirling inside me, there’s something about the way he’s sitting—patient, unassuming—that puts me at ease.
"I like you," he says, his warm amber gaze catching my own. There's a sincerity in the way he looks at me that makes me almost want to melt.Almost.
"More than like you, if I'm being honest." He runs a hand through his hair, his jaw tensing. "Maybe even a bit on the obsessed side."
His words warm my heart, and despite the confusion, the idea that he thinks I’d be a sexy mom to his babies is strangely flattering.
“Thank you,” I say, my voice soft. “But we’ll be wrapping that up tonight. You better get a tarp from the garage, so we know it fits.”
He chuckles deeply. “You’re something else, Sweetheart.”
He picks me up effortlessly and carries me back inside, setting me down gently in my chair. Ovivia greets me with a warm smile as I return.
“Welcome back,” she says.
“Thanks,” I reply, feeling a bit more at ease.
We finish our meal, bantering and chatting, and I find myself genuinely liking Ovivia. She’s a fascinating woman, and I wish I knew more about her so I could help her in some way. After dinner, we settle on the couch to watchBilly Madison.The evening drifts by comfortably, filled with laughter and a sense of belonging I’ve only felt with Merrin since my parents passed.
As the credits roll, the night has already grown late. I yawn, feeling the effects of the day catch up with me. Osric grabs my bag and leads me to his room, his hand warm in mine. Ovivia mumbles something about feeling funny and a bad piece of shrimp before heading to her room.
No sooner does the door to Osric’s room close than his lips are on mine, his kiss urgent and filled with the passion that’s been building between us.
