Page 13 of My Ogre Husband
Just the thought of it makes my heart hurt, though. I’ve already grown so attached to him.
It might be a tad presumptuous of me to think I’ll fit into Egorr’s world, or that I’ll be sticking around long enough for it to matter. Maybe things look rosy now, but you never know when a monster like Shisek might decide you’re too much trouble and send you packing.
I have to hope that won’t be Egorr.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up late. The smell of cooking bacon draws me out of my room, and I’m glad it’s Sunday so Egorr doesn’t have to go to work. I want to get to know him better, what makes him tick, and see if he could really be the one for me.
“Maddie!” Egorr’s eyes light up when he sees me, and mine probably do, too, when I walk in on him bustling about the kitchen. The fire is going in the fireplace, which means it’s probably quite cold outside, and the open living room has a cozy feel about it. I spend more time than I should just staring at him and his enormous body, taking in his bulging pectorals and the swell of his belly. He’s wearing yet another pair of casual sweatpants, and I like that he’s not putting on any airs for me. This is probably how he spent his time before I came here, just busying about in nothing but sweats, and I like knowing what my life could look like in the future with Egorr.
“Good morning,” I say, strolling into the kitchen. He leans down to kiss my forehead, and in return, I rise up onto my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. I’m rewarded with a chuckle.
“I hope you wanted bacon and eggs, because that’s about as far as my breakfast repertoire goes.” He pulls a pan off the stove and uses a pair of tongs to pull out steaming-hot strips of bacon, dropping them onto a pair of plates waiting on the island. Then follow the eggs, scrambled with herbs and served alongside ketchup.
I sit on one of the stools at the island while Egorr pours out grapefruit juice for both of us, then joins me. We eat in companionable silence until we’ve both cleared off our plates.
“What would you like to do today?” Egorr asks as he takes them away and tucks them into the dishwasher.
I haven’t even thought about it. For some reason, I pictured him with plans already that I would simply have to fit into.
“How much time do we have?” I ask, wondering which activities we can fit in when he’s free. I have a laundry list of things I’d like to do in the world, but Egorr has a life already, and I don’t want to intrude too much.
But he just blinks at me. “Well, we have all day, if you want. You’re my priority.”
He’s giving me his whole Sunday? Damn it, I could just hug him.
So I do. I can’t help but throw myself at him, wrapping my arms as far as I can around his bulk. Egorr pats my head.
“I have too many ideas,” I say, finally pulling away.
“Well, tell me the first few.”
I put up one finger. “I really want to try rock climbing.” I put up a second finger. “And zip lining.” Then a third finger. “I’ve always thought about learning to fence.” A fourth finger. “Forging? I used to watch this TV show about forging and it looked like so much fun.” Before I can add a fifth finger, Egorr is laughing, and he covers my hand with his.
“Okay, we can probably fit in one of those today,” he says. “I think you have to make reservations for a zip line.” He tilts his head. “Forging? Like what?”
“Knives, of course!”
My enthusiasm is met with an arched eyebrow. “What would you use said knife for?”
That seems like a silly question. “Well, to cut stuff.” I rub my chin. “It would probably also look good on my wall.”
“Do you want to decorate?” he asks. “I didn’t put up any pictures in your room in case you wanted to choose them for yourself.”
“Yes! As long as it’s with a knife I made. I think that would be cool.”
Egorr pulls out his phone and starts Google searching. “There is a local forge where you can sign up for classes,” he says. “Why don’t we do that? It would be a weekly thing, though, and we couldn’t get into a class until next week.”
I like the idea of making plans that far in advance. I hope I’m still here in a week, enjoying Egorr and his cozy home.
“Then we’d better find something to do in the meantime,” I say brightly.
Egorr grins in return. “There’s a rock climbing gym nearby. It’s a walk-in type of place. I’ve never done it, but we could go check it out if you want.”
“Sounds good. I’d love to.”
* * *
