Page 6 of How the Orc Stole Christmas
Jarrus, the minotaur second mate of Olivia, slowly stood. “We could use some hope right now. It’s been a long, cold season, with random attacks by King Tarfu. We could use some joy, especially for the younglings.”
I hadn’t spent much time with Jarrus, but he had seemed to be more of a thinker, someone who took his time to consider options before rendering his opinion. The herd respected his opinion and the orcs followed.
Once everyone appeared to be on board, except the grinch in the back, we divided up the responsibilities and agreed to meet up in the afternoon tomorrow to see how everyone had done. I looked for Klas to give him a task, but he had disappeared. I stifled my disappointment and let Bakh walk me home, tryingto see him as anything other than an eager young male who was more a younger brother than a potential mate.
We got to my door, and he paused, shuffling his feet and glancing around. I finally took pity on him. “Was there anything else, Bakh?”
He flushed a darker shade of green, which I’d learned was a blush for them, and he stared at my lips. Oh lord, he wanted to kiss me. Was I ready for that? If it had been Klas, I would have already been leaning in, but Bakh was more like a brother, or cousin, not someone I had feelings for. He was certainly quite handsome, with a lean build and strong muscles. He tended to wear a fur lined vest and three-quarter pants, like most orcs, as if they didn’t feel the cold of winter, so it showed off a good part of his body. While he had a body that a cover model would die for, he didn’t do anything for me.
But I had to try, right? I had told Olivia I would give them a chance, see if someone would be a good mate, after she had explained there was no way to get back to earth. I had to find a place here with the clan.
I was finding my niche, working with their healer to help the human females with their pregnancies, and it was so rewarding. Honestly, I was making friends and had a position that I enjoyed. In a week, I felt more a part of a community than I had in three years at the hospital in Phoenix. I was needed here and people cared about me, though some of them hoped I would be their baby-maker. I wouldn’t mind finding someone to share my life with. Seeing how those mates doted on their females had incited a longing inside of me for a family that I had suppressed for far too long. But the only male who interested me avoided me like I was a plague-carrier.
Bakh scuffed his foot and looked at me shyly. “May I kiss you?”
Aww, he was so sweet. He even asked permission. I felt so old right now. But I smiled and raised up on my tiptoes and brushed his lips with mine. And, as I suspected. Nothing.
Bakh put an arm around me and pulled me closer and kissed me deeper, finally taking some measure of control. His lips were firm against mine and it was a decent kiss, but there were no sparks, no fire in my belly. We drew back and Bakh studied me regretfully.
“We’re not mates, are we?”
“I’m sorry, Bakh. I don’t think so.”
His shoulders slumped, but he nodded. “I didn’t think so, but I had to try. Thank you.”
I took his arm. “We can still be friends.”
He gave me a dejected smile, nodded and melted away in the night. I felt someone watching me. I looked into the night, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, and saw Klas watching me with burning eyes. I crossed my arms in front of the chest and arched my eyebrow at him.
He stalked out of the darkness and loomed over me. “That wasn’t much of a kiss. He’s not your mate?”
“Do you care?”
“I want you to select one so our males can refocus on their job defending our community,” he growled.
“Or maybe you’re jealous that he kissed me. Why else were you following us?” I challenged him.
He stepped so close that I was forced to look up at him. “Maybe I was protecting you. Or looking out for Bakh. If you break his heart, he could take chances that could place us at risk.”
I laughed at his ridiculous explanation. “Do you hear yourself? You’re making so sense.”
He stared down at me, his gaze burning. Suddenly, he wrapped his arm around him and pulled me against his body and lowered his lips to mine, claiming my lips in a firm kiss.
His lips were nothing like Bakh's tentative touch. Klas kissed like he fought, when I watched him train the younger orcs,—with absolute certainty and overwhelming power. His mouth claimed mine, hot and demanding, stealing my breath and my anger all at once. The arm around my waist pulled me flush against his chest, and I gasped at the heat radiating from his skin.
My hands flew up instinctively to push him away, but the moment my palms pressed against his chest, something electric shot through me. My fingers curled into his shirt instead, holding on as my knees went weak. His tusks pressed against my cheeks, not uncomfortable like I'd imagined, but thrilling—a reminder of his otherworldliness that made my heart race faster.
He tasted like ale, and when his tongue swept across my bottom lip, I opened to him without thinking. The kiss deepened, and I heard myself make a small, desperate sound that should have embarrassed me. Instead, it seemed to fire him up. His grip tightened, one large hand sliding up my back to tangle in my hair.
This wasn't just a kiss anymore—it was a conversation without words, an argument, a challenge. Each stroke of his tongue against mine felt like he was trying to prove something, but all he was proving was how perfectly we fit together. The rough pads of his fingers against my scalp sent shivers down my spine, and I pressed closer, wanting more of his heat, more of this impossible connection that made my skin feel too tight and my chest ache with need.
When he finally broke the kiss, I swayed forward, chasing his lips before I could stop myself. His breath came in harsh pants that matched my own, and I could feel his heart thundering against my palms where they still gripped his shirt. I forced myeyes open, not sure when I'd closed them, and found him staring down at me with an expression of shocked recognition that probably mirrored my own.
“That wasn’t—” he started to say, his voice rough.
“Shut up,” I whispered, and pulled him back down to me. This time he came willingly, a growl rumbling deep in his chest as his mouth crashed into mine. The gentleness of before was gone, replaced by raw hunger that matched the fire burning through my veins. His tusks scraped my chin as he changed angles, deepening the kiss until I could barely remember my own name.
I needed to be closer. My fingers released his the edges of his vest to slide around his neck, feeling the powerful muscles there flex under my touch. He responded by backing me up until I hit the rough wood of my hut, using his height to cage me in completely. The cool night air didn't stand a chance against the heat of his body pressed against mine.
