Page 169 of Halfling
He leaned down to press a quick kiss to her mouth. “Then I can have you to myself soon?”
Sorcha’s heart fluttered in her chest, but her quim wasn’t so coy. It clenched with want for him.
She’d eaten her fill, danced her fill, and now it was time to gorge on her handsome halfling husband.
All day her body had hummed with excitement, which had turned to a sharp ache when she’d spied him across the glen. He was already the most handsome male she’d ever seen, but kitted out in a fine leather tunic, spread wide across his glorious chest and left open at the collar to show off the gold torque ringing his thick green neck, he was downright devastating. Soft braies stretched over his strong thighs, and his hair shone glossy, brushed back from his pointed ears to show off the handful of hoops that hung there.
In spring, Sorcha had made a point to find the perfect hoops and presented them to him one night.“These are for you,”she’d told him quietly, unsure what he would think. She wasn’t orc-kin and didn’t know if it was appropriate to present him with them.“One for saving me and bringing me home. One for defeating the orc chief in battle. And another for me, for being my mate.”
If the way he’d stared at the hoops for a long while before pouncing on her, taking her to the bed and showering her with kisses and keeping her up long into the night with his tongue set to her quim, was anything to go by, she’d say he liked them. And he liked even more that she’d gotten herself a pair, too.“For surviving being taken and for finding my mate,”she’d said.
She had bought another hoop for each of them but decided to give them to him once they were alone—she was very much counting on a similar reaction.
“You can have me any way you like,” she flirted.
A rumbling purr rattled his chest, and Sorcha bit back her laugh when his face went serious. He set down his tankard and pulled her by their bound hands to skirt the celebration. They kept to the edge of the firelight, her halfling determined not to be intercepted.
The night turned chilly away from the fire and feast, but Sorcha barely felt it. In the blue haze of night, she walked with her mate through the orchards, kept warm by his big body and the desire simmering inside her.
They passed behind her parents’ home but kept walking, through another orchard to the other side. There, out of sight and sound of her childhood home, was the house Orek had built.
It was a large affair, heavy logs stacked to make the walls two stories high. Leaded windows watched over empty flowerboxes, soiled and seeded, ready for next spring. The roof was pitched to allow for snow to slide off, with scalloped gutters lining the roof, and the gables of both dormers had been carved into scrolling designs. The front door was a heavy slab, a prancing horse carved into the front and an iron handle set into the right side.
“Oh,” she sighed dreamily, taken already with the sleepy visage of the house.
She’d seen the outside before, of course. It’d been a task keeping her promise not to snoop—but that didn’t mean she didn’t meander near the house to catch glimpses of the progress.
But there was something different about it tonight.
Warmth spilled out of the windows, illuminating the meadow in diamond-patterned light. It feltalive,as if it had been staying awake just long enough to welcome them home. She almost wished it was daytime still, so she could see every corner and beam perfectly, but there was something enchanting about being led home by its light through the darkness.
“Do you like it?”
Orek’s voice had gone low, almost concerned, and Sorcha realized she hadn’t said anything else.
“It’s perfect!” she gushed. “Show me everything.”
A smile cracked the serious cast of his face, and in one quick move, he swept her up into his arms. Sorcha laughed and threw her free arm around his neck.
He carried her to the door, which he pushed open with his hip. He didn’t have to stoop under the lintel, the door more than suitable for orcish heights.
Inside, the house glowed a rich, warm amber. The logs had been smoothed, their crevices plastered over to seal in warmth, but much of the honey-colored wood had been left exposed. Knots and rings whorled across the walls and beams, unique patterns that demanded her awe.
The door opened to a small hallway, which led to a large parlor. Already it sat full of Orek’s woodworking projects—some she recognized and some that were new. A long settee, a sturdy rocking chair, a low table, a pair of side tables, and more chairs sat ready for them, casting shadows in the fire crackling in the main hearth. A chunky wooden mantel was already laden with bits and bobs, though there was plenty of space to add more trinkets.
He carried her next to the kitchen, behind the parlor. It was a large one; at the far side, the cooking area was laid with stone. A brick oven dominated one corner, and all the countertops had been polished to gleaming. The other half was a simple dining area, a huge wooden table taking up much of the space. A handful of chairs ringed it, though she was sure her mate would soon make enough to seat her whole family.
Not that her siblings were allowed in here. Not for a while, at least.
Next, he showed her the washroom, where he had installed a deep copper bath and a stove meant solely for heating water. Cabinets had been filled with fluffy bath-sheets and linens.
A wide staircase was tucked neatly into the back of the house, and he carried her up even when she argued she could walk. He’d hear none of it, instead taking her in his arms down the second-floor hallway, past three doors left ajar. The last one he opened to reveal their bedroom.
Somehow, their big bed had already made it inside, the wide, sturdy frame carved with trees and deer and streams. The mattress was piled high with plush furs and soft blankets—he’d only added to his collection on their trips to Dundúran and Gleanná. Her trunk was there, as was the wardrobe he’d made, the curio cabinet her mother had gifted them, and a vanity and wash basin she’d never seen before. A small hearth warmed the room, and she fully expected her mate to lay her down on their bed to begin their wedding night.
Instead, he turned to show her the other two rooms, these left empty.
“To fill however you want,” he said.
