Rosey nearly swooned against the doorframe. “So sweet!”
“It’s one of our orc mates’ most attractive qualities,” Rosey said with a dreamy sigh. “Ostor gets this look in his eyes when he thinks I might be in danger or pain. Like he’d fight the world to protect me.”
“Tark’s the same way.” Gracie met Rosey’s eyes. “Remember when that drunk tourist got handsy at the saloon? I thought Tark was going to throw him through the front window.”
“What did he do?” I asked, on the edge of my seat.
“Lifted the guy off his feet and carried him to his hotel room, where he tossed him on the bed.”
I slapped my hand over my mouth. “Oh, my.”
Gracie grinned. “Beats the floor, which I’m sure was where Tark wanted to throw him. The guy didn’t come down until thenext morning, and he was unfailingly polite until he left that afternoon.”
“Ostor once carried me three blocks because I mentioned my feet hurt,” Rosey said. “I was wearing new boots, and he didn’t want me to get blisters.”
“Aww,” I said.
“We’re working,” Becken growled.
Gracie scowled his way. “We’re almost through.”
“The claiming rituals are even more romantic.” Rosey lowered her voice. “You should’ve seen how Ostor was at the swim-up bar in Cancun.”
“You’re never through,” Becken said under his breath.
As I gazed at Rosey, my eyes widened. “What were you doing in Cancun?”
“My sister was getting married, and I needed a fake date. I roped Ostor into doing it and, well…only one bed explains what happened after that.”
“How romantic,” I sighed.
“Tark doesn’t say much, but he once wrote me a poem and recited it from start to finish,” Gracie said. “Twenty-seven verses about how my eyes reminded him of stars.”
I leaned closer. “What about the mating marks? How do those play into this all?”
The women exchanged glances, and I realized I may have revealed more interest than I should.
“Sometimes, they appear at first contact,” Rosey said. “I was at a bar when my sister called. It’s a long story, but she was marrying a guy I thought I liked, and I was feeling kinda down about it. I had to go to the wedding; she’s my sister. But not without a date to save face. Ostor was there, and he stood up for me when some jerk wouldn’t leave me alone. We touched. He dropped to his knees and?—”
“Licking commenced. Same for me.” Gracie grinned. “I’d just arrived in town and held out my hand to introduce myself. Tark fell to his knees and then he carried me inside the saloon. It was history after that.”
Becken and I had touched, but it wasn’t until he… Well, until I came, that our marks appeared.
“Other times, it takes more intimacy.” Rosey’s probing gaze shot to my wrist that was thankfully still covered. “Golden circles. They’re beautiful.”
“It’s incredibly romantic,” Rosey said. “I love the idea that the universe chooses your perfect match and marks you both so you’ll know.”
“What if someone isn’t ready?” I asked, hyper-aware of Becken listening raptly. “What if the timing is wrong?”
“The marks don’t lie,” she said gently. “If they appear, it means you’re meant to be together. The timing might feel wrong, but the connection is real.”
“Besides,” Gracie said, “when has love ever showed up at the perfect time? Sometimes you have to take a leap and leave it to the fates.”
“We should go,” Rosey said. “We still have to ask Hail and Allie if they can make all those ornaments by themselves or if they need help. We’re talking hundreds. We can enlist Max if needed. He’s off for school vacation now.”
“Great idea.”
With that, the two women left.
