“Good girl,” he rumbled, and I found myself slowly warming.
He hadn’t released my wrist, and I realized he was running the pad of his thumb—the one with the claw he’d used to slice open my father’s letter—over my pulse point. Did he know how much those tiny circles were doing to calm me down? From the way he was watching me, maybe he did.
“Good girl.” This time, he murmured it, and when he tugged on my wrist, and I stumbled toward him, I knew in that moment I would follow him wherever he wanted.
Garrak stepped back, pulling me gently into his home. Dimly, I heard the door close behind us, but I was still staring up into his dark eyes, mesmerized.
A moment ago, I’d been on the verge of hyperventilating. But now? I felt…almost outside of my body. I waswatchingme, watching the way I had calmed. My fear wasn’t gone, but I was breathing normally, my heart had slowed…
And it was all thanks to this deliciously built male holding me.
Oh.
I remembered the way my body had reacted to him, back before he’d read that letter—had it been only a few minutes ago?—and suddenly knew that whatever shit my father had sent me here to do, it wouldn’t completely suck. Garrak had cared enough to soothe me, he’d called megood girl…
Slowly, almost in a daze, I pulled on my wrist, and his hold came with it. This moved me closer to him, close enough I couldfeelhis warmth, close enough I could stretch up on my toes…
My free hand went to the back of his neck, pulling his mouth down to mine. I knew he was strong enough to resist me if he wanted, but he seemed bemused more than anything. There was a slight smirk on his lips before they met mine, and then I stopped thinking.
Because kissing an orc was like nothing I had imagined.
Or maybe it was justthisorc?
Damn, Garrak could kiss! His lips were wider than anyone I’d kissed before, fuller. Thicker. And those tusks? I was intrigued enough to allow my mouth to wander over one, and the way he growled, his hands going to my hips to pull me flush against him, told me they were as sensitive as I’d hoped. My tongue stud clicked against one, then I teased the seam of his lips…
Then he was bending over me, taking control of the kiss, his own tongue pushing mine out of the way to play with my lips. It took me a moment to realize what was different; Garrak’s tongue wasridged. My hand, now free of his hold, rested on his chest, and I wondered whatelsewould be different about his anatomy.
That pulse was back between my legs.
I told myself that stupid letter didn’t matter. Thedebtdidn’t matter. I was going to enjoy this.
Wasn’t I?
Garrak
MyKteerraged.
I’d spent the day in front of a computer—definitely not my favorite place—struggling with spreadsheets and numbers. Dinner had been leftovers, and I’d just been sitting down to unstrap my leg from my aching knee when the knock had come at the door. I’d thought it was Mrs. MacKinney from down the hall, again with her petition to allow window planters…
Andfuck,had I been wrong.
I’d gone from intrigued, to anger, to arousal, torage, and now…? Now myKteer,that primitive part of me which had kept my race alive for generations, had given up trying to control all those emotions and just focused on the feel of this female in my arms.
The female who’d beengivento me.
Mine take claim fuck taste hunt claim CLAIM!
Stevie had kissed me, and her mouth—her tongue—was like nothing I had experienced. The piece of metal in her tongue was intriguing as hell, and I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel against my skin. The kiss had been…
Instinct.
I’d seen her panic, had acted instinctively to calm her. Apparently, my intriguing little human had liked the way I commanded her, because she’d pressed herself against me, and when she’d reached up to draw my mouth to hers…
Well, good intentions could only take you so far, you know?
My palms slid up her sides, my cock reveling in the feel of her curves in my arms, the faint scent of her arousal.Mine.
But then my palms reached her torso, and my hands were big enough that my thumbs could brush against her breasts. I wasn’t squeezing her, but the pads of my thumbs found her nipples—hard beneath her t-shirt and bra—and I stroked them.
