Page 31 of First Comes Orc, Second Comes Baby
Charlotte sneered—but she was faced away from Brahnt anyway. “You're not supposed to go any earlier, Brahnt. It's a waste of everyone's time. All they'll do is give you a stick to pee on and pat you on the head and send you home with generic vitamins the size of sewer rats.” Her cousin, a dad of five, who’d she called after talking to Caro, had said so.
“It sounds like you've done some research,” Brahnt said. “Good. You're taking this seriously.”
Charlotte swiveled to stare at her. “How else would you take a pregnancy, Brahnt?”
“Oh, I don't know.” He smiled pleasantly. “There's all kinds of reactions you could have to this sort of news. Denial. Self-destructive behavior. Failing to tell the father of your child.”
“None of which I've done. In fact, as soon as Caro and I knew, I called you.” Not first, but eventually.
“Remind me to send Caro a gift basket—or maybe tickets to that writers’ conference in Vegas you two were on social media talking about since calling me was her idea.”
Charlotte said nothing. Mostly because she was trying to figure out how long ago that social media discussion had been and where else Brahnt had been stalking her.
“That's what I thought.”
They didn't talk much the rest of the trip, and Charlotte grudgingly admitted it was a companionable silence. . .and that said, she was being immature.
She could blame some of it on the pregnancy, but some of it was her being an ass.
“Look, I'm sorry,” Charlotte said. “I'm being difficult, and you don't deserve it. I mean, you fucked me without a condom. More than once. But you don't deserve it.”
Brahnt glanced at her as he turned into the parking lot of his high-rise. “You're fine. This is an emotionally charged situation, and we're both off balance right now.” He pulled the car into its slot and turned it off. “But you have to be aware, Charlotte, I'll only tolerate so much sass before I discipline you.”
Oh my god. There was that voice again, that look. Orc Eyes, but another variation. This was the“please misbehave so I can fuck you hard”variation.
Charlotte was so tempted.
She ran her tongue along her teeth.
So tempted.
But then, that would give away how much she was craving to be fucked, hard, and she didn't want Brahnt to have that power over her yet. They were still in the negotiation phase, and if Charlotte didn't set up strong boundaries now, the Orc would run right over her in the course of their relationship.
She wasn't trying to go out like that.
“You're so quiet,” Brahnt purred. “Are you tired? Hungry? How can I take care of you?”
In response, Charlotte unbuckled her seat belt, got out of the car, and proceeded to retrieve Snowkiss while Brahnt grabbed the duffel bags.
The Orc gave her an amused look then pressed his hand on the small of Charlotte’s back, ushering her towards the elevator.
Once they were inside the penthouse apartment, Brahnt gestured. “Your bedroom is this way.”
“We're not sharing?” She trailed behind Brahnt.
“I would like to, but I won't force the issue. Even if you’re sleeping in my bed, you're an adult. You need your own space.”
The last of Charlotte’s ire vanished. How could she stay unreasonably mad for the sake of using anger as a barrier when Brahnt was still, curse him, doing and saying all of the right things?
“Thank you. I appreciate the consideration.”
Brahnt lowered the duffel bags onto the floor and turned towards her as Charlotte entered the bedroom.
“I don't appreciate the distance,” Brahnt said. “Let me make my position clear.”
Charlotte held her breath and couldn't escape the intensity of Brahnt's gaze.
“I want you in my bed. I don't like the idea of sleeping apart. I won't press the issue for now, because we're still in the getting to know you phase and I don't want to scare you away. But I will be pressing the issue, Charlotte. Fair warning.”
