Page 16 of Obeying the Orc
Surely he meant to get his money’s worth.
I entered the room Madame Sage had helped me prepare the day before. The walls were painted a soothing blue, though Trevonn had offered to order a new color of paint if I wished to redecorate with a different color. I liked the blue walls though and thought they contrasted prettily with the white furniture. A dresser rested against the far wall, right beside a window that had a view of the main street. There was a large, tall-backed chair, plenty of hooks on the walls for hanging dresses, and best of all—a painting of a grand ship. I liked to stare at the painting and imagine I was about to set sail and travel far away from Faircross and all the heartbreak I’d endured on Black Dragon Island.
“Are you well, Natalee?” Knot asked as he shut the door. The room suddenly felt smaller, and I’d never been more aware of a male’s presence.
I tore my gaze from the painting and smiled. “Of course. Oh, and it’s Julianne. That’s my siren name.”
“Let me guess.” He moved in front of me and cupped my face, then his hands drifted upward and his fingers tangled in my hair. Gooseflesh traveled down from my neck to spread over my arms. “Julianne, for your resemblance to the Goddess of Beauty?”
Had my heart stopped beating? Certainly, time must be standing still. I remained in his arms for several seconds, not speaking or breathing. Finally, I exhaled and peered into his dark eyes.
Why are you here?I wanted to ask.
What do you want with me?
I longed to ask these questions, but I didn’t want to break the spell that had been woven between us. The air crackled with tension, and I was certain fireworks would explode outside the window the moment his lips descended on mine.
The day he’d followed me into the kitchen, I’d intentionally pushed him away. I hadn’t expected to see him again, or at least not so soon. But apparently, he wasn’t spending as much time at his cabin in the mountains as he once had. Why was that? My mind spun as I tried to figure this male out.
I lifted my face and closed my eyes, aching to feel his lips pressing against mine. But instead of kissing me, he grasped my hand and led me toward the bed. My eyes fluttered open as he sat on the edge of the mattress and nodded at my clothing, or lack thereof.
“Take everything off, Natalee.”
His command caught me off-guard, never mind that we were in a brothel. “I told you. I-I’m Julianne,” I said, wondering if he truly meant to sleep with me.
“Fine. If that’s what you insist on being called.” He stroked a hand up my thigh, above the sheer white knee-high stockings I wore. “My sweet Julianne.”
My breath hitched, and I fumbled as I tried to unfasten my bodice. Knot pushed my hands out of the way and had it undone in seconds. My breasts spilled out of the garment as he pushed the dress down over my hips, leaving it in a pile of fabric on the floor. I slipped my shoes off just before he commenced peeling my stockings down. My heart raced. He was stripping me naked. And if the lustful gleam in his eyes was any indication, he actually intended to take what he’d paid for.Me.
“I feel like I’m unwrapping a present.”
I flushed. Heat pulsed between my legs. When I’d decided to become a siren, I had never anticipated enjoying the act of being amorous with a customer. I’d simply been prepared to put on a show. I’d been prepared to smile and giggle and pretend I was having the grandest time of my life.
Floura had given me a few tips on how to make a male complete more quickly, should I wish for a customer to not take forever, and I had pictured myself falling into bed with the man who won the auction the moment we entered my room and doing just that.
But to my shock, I found I wanted to savor my time with Knot. I blinked back tears. Gods, I wanted to wake up in the morning and find he was still here, his arms wrapped around me, our legs tangled underneath the covers.
Don’t get sweet on the customers.
I tried to block out the tenderness I felt for this male. He’d offered to help me, but I had stubbornly refused his assistance, claiming I was fine working here in the tavern. Was that why I felt tenderness toward him? Because he’d shown concern for me?
But no. I’d felt something for him the moment he’d first looked into my eyes in the mercantile. The picnic we’d shared had been like a dream, until I realized he planned to leave town soon and surmised he wasn’t ready to marry again.
I tried to shut my feelings and thoughts off.
He’d paid for a service.
I had best give him his fifty gold pieces’ worth.
This was my life now.
Once he had me completely naked and bared to him, he guided me to lay atop the covers. The large lantern beside the bed cast a yellow glow across my nakedness, and I flushed at how exposed I felt. I looked at the light and reached to turn it down.
Smack!
“Ouch.” I cradled the hand he’d swatted and glared at him. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“The lantern stays on, human female. I want to see you. Allof you.”
