Page 31 of The Orc Chief's Baker
Her breath exhaled hard to push out her frustration as the orc regarded her with a calm, almost passive, expression. “I’m sorry about that.”
He nodded, clearly unaffected by the mistrust. She didn’t know what things were like outside the Rove Woods. It was probably far worse than how he was treated here. But it didn’t matter. She still wasn’t keen on him feeling unwelcome.
Especially when she wanted so much from him. She needed him to be willing to come back.
“Uh, do you want to sit down?” She gestured to the fallen log, and he rose a brow questioningly. “I guess it’s too wet, isn’t it?”
He nodded.
“Oh, here.” She held out the cream bun to him. “Another apology.”
He took them, expression going slack before a wide grin stretched his face. His eyes twinkled with delight. Almostreverence.
Her heart fluttered. Fades, that felt good. Folks usually enjoyed her baking, but notthismuch. Watching him fall all over himself with glee made her whole body tingle.
His mouth opened wide to place thewhole bunon his tongue, and she suddenly knew exactly why Ulia had wished her luck.
The tusks were one thing, as long as her palm and as thick as three fingers at the base, but at least those had been filed to a blunted end, so they didn’t skewer him in the cheek when he was chewing.
His fangs were a whole other story. They were nearly as long as her pinky finger anddeadlysharp. It was a wonder his green tongue hadn’t been skewered.
She’d seen the Rove Wood orc’s teeth when they ate her pastries, but they werenothinglike these teeth. She swallowed hard.
Then he closed his mouth and began to chew.
And his eyes fluttered shut with delight, his lips curled, his whole body went a little limp as he savored the treat.
Her blood heated up in a way that was far too telling.
She needed to get control of herself, or she was going to be too flustered to trade with him!
“Thank you.”
Her heart plunged with shock.
He quirked a smile. “Thank you, Trinia.”
She clenched her thighs together as a zing of pleasure shot down her spine. Oh Fades, his voice sounded like the blissful combination of a thunderclap and the crunch of footsteps on icy snow.
“Y-you can talk,” she said stupidly, and his amusement was clear from the grin on his face. “S-sorry, I just really didn’t think you could. You didn’t talk at all yesterday...”
“I am Brovdir. Sorry, talked too much yesterday. Ran out of words.” He tapped the jagged scar at his neck with two of his thick fingers.
Trinia swallowed though her mouth had gone dry. His blasted voice was so low and rough and yet it suited him perfectly.
She wanted him to keep talking, but his statement finally processed in her mind. “Does it hurt to talk?”
He nodded.
Her stomach twisted. “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have...”
“I am fine.” He used a tone that was so firm it was almost tangible. “Been saving for you.”
Her cheeks heated despite herself. “You’ve been saving your words for me?”
He nodded.
A flush of pleasure shivered from the top of her head all the way down to her toes and she was certain she was blushing as bright as the sun right now. The male’s expression softened into something so tender it only made the sensation worse.
