Page 7 of The Orc's Sweetheart
Glancing over at Beck, I note his one hand over the side of the boat. I’m not too sure about the kind of power he’s using, since dragons are quite secretive, but I can assume it has to do with water. Except for basic health stuff shared with the medical community, and making some information available about their greeting customs, dragons have not divulged much about their culture.
“You don’t seem to need sails, or an engine. How’s the boat moving so fast?” I ask, hoping he feels comfortable enough to share this information with me, but also willing to sit in silence if he prefers that.
“No need for them right now. I’m directing us with the current. It’s such a short distance that it’ll take more time to get the sails down and use the wind than to simply play with the water to get us to the island.”
I will not envy cool powers. Again. I’m an intelligent woman with my own gifts. Like diagnosing weird shit with only obscure pieces of information. And scrapbooking. I’m great at scrapbooking. And hopefully gardening. I’ve never had a garden before, but I like flowers and plants. That’s good enough, right?
I blink back into the present and smile at Beck. “That is extremely cool. The boat is really pretty too. Is it yours?”
Beck glides his free hand over the teak wood. “Yes. My parents gave it to me as a present when I got assigned my role as guardian of Starry Hill. It’s traditional to be gifted a boat on such a momentous occasion.”
“That’s lovely. They must be very proud of you.”
“Look! You can see the highest hill from here.” I accept the topic change and squint my eyes to where he’s pointing. I see nothing but ocean.
I’m pretty used to being one of the more competent creatures in the room, having studied my butt off and doing extra research on numerous topics so I can be well-informed, but I did not foresee this odd feeling of inferiority despite logically understanding we’re different species. Moving to this island is going to be quite the mental adjustment, and not just fresh air and long walks on the beach.
After more time than I’d like to admit, I finally make out the blue-gray shape of a hill in the distance and I audibly breathe a sigh of relief at the first look of my new home.
Chapter 4
Bodin
It’s a beautifully mild day. The sun sparkles on the ocean’s surface and a gentle wind stirs the treetops as I round the last corner of the hill, a faint floral scent prickling my senses. In the distance, I can make out the shape of Beck’s boat approaching the island, a wide wake of white trailing behind it before dissipating into the blue waters of Indigo Bay.
A feminine laugh drifts across the ocean, crashing into me like a wave meeting the shore, and I almost smile in reply. Thoughts of wondering if her face matches the brightness of her laugh skitter through my mind for a couple ofseconds before I catch myself. My feelings about city creatures are complex, but I’ll try to give the new nurse a chance. If only for Ma’s sake.
I can only hope she doesn’t prove Ma’s “good feeling” wrong.
My cart’s wheels rattle across the wooden dock and I frown as a strange nervousness scratches at the nape of my neck.
“Yes,” Beck says, his voice now clear as they near the dock. “Our buildings might be old, but we’ve tried to keep things updated over the years. Oh, that’s him over there.” Beck points at me, and just to be sure, I look behind me to see if I might have missed someone. “He’s responsible for most of our upkeep. Bodin is Starry Hill’s caretaker and very good at his job.”
I’m not sure what they were talking about, but I fucking hope she’s not already judging the old buildings for not being up to her city standards.
I swallow down my frustration and lift my hand in greeting as they pull up next to the dock. And like we’ve done numerous times before, Beck throws me the ropes and I tie them to the cleats, trying my best not to sneak looks at Tilly as he assists her with disembarking.
I’m glad I waited because the sight of her makes me grateful that I’m already on my knees. My eyes trail up the tight jeans clinging to her thick thighs and round hips, the sliver of smooth skin spilling over her waistband, and the frilly white top dipping between a pair of luscious tits. A body I can dig my fingers into without worrying that it might break, and skin that looks so silky, my tusks ache with a desire to mark it up.
Her face is what has me standing up and reaching out a callused palm as if my brain has no control over my limbs. Pushing her sunglasses on top of her head, warm brown eyesgreet me with a hint of what I assume are nerves pulling at the corners of her mouth.
Tilly places a slightly clammy hand in mine, and my fingers automatically wrap around her entire hand as she says, “Hi, I’m Matilda Williams. I’m the new nurse practitioner.”
“Bodin Terral.”Why is my voice suddenly so deep?“Starry Hill’s caretaker.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Bodin. Please call me Tilly.”Why didn’t she just introduce herself as Tilly then?
I glance over at Beck who studies us with a tilt to his head like he’s trying to figure something out and I drop Tilly’s hand. His eyebrows arch high and his gaze bounces from me to Tilly, then he frowns and turns back to the boat to begin unloading.
Wordlessly, I step forward to help him unload the luggage.
“Can I help with something?” Tilly asks sweetly. My eyes flick to her as she gathers her windswept hair, bringing the chestnut-brown locks over one shoulder to finger comb them. The sight of her unmarked neck has me thinking the oddest thoughts and I frown at myself, annoyed at where my hindbrain is taking me.
Why do I find this city creature so attractive? This is highly inconvenient.
Beck answers before I can say something stupid. “It will go faster if we unload the boat ourselves, since we’re stronger.”
“Of course,” Tilly says with a note of discomfort in her voice that makes my scowl deepen.
