Page 22 of My Orc Package Deal

Half the island was here.

I spotted Tarkhan near the water’s edge, patiently showing his new foster son how to dig for sand crabs with those ridiculous little plastic shovels, while his Mate, Sami, watched fondly. Over by the park’s public grills, Aswan was flipping burgers, speaking seriously to his oldest kitling, Ben, who was in Jay’s class. His Mate, Hannah, good-naturedly chased their youngest, Joshy, who was making a break for the swing set.

We exchanged waves, a silent acknowledgment of our shared corner of the world, before finding our own patch of sand.

As soon as I started wrestling the umbrella into submission, the boys were gone, a blur of motion and excited yells as they raced toward the surf. I stifled my sigh, knowing I should have said something to them about helping me, but also knowing that two kids their age wouldn’t focus when there was this much fun to be had. Good thing Kesha had made them apply sunscreen before we’d left the house.

I finally got the umbrella anchored, spread out the oversized blanket, and turned to get the chairs just as Kesha was shrugging off her cover-up.

And the world stuttered to a halt.

My mouth went dry. My Kteer, which had been purring contentedly in my chest with the pleasant peacefulness of the day, shot awake with a low, predatory hum—with the kind of note that warns the song was about to get dangerous—that vibrated straight to my cock.

Her swimsuit was a one-piece, a flash of metallic silver that hugged every single one of her glorious curves. The straps were thin, her shoulders and back were bare, and the cut of it somehow made her legs look even longer. The sun caught the fabric, making her glitter like some kind of sea goddess who’d misplaced her trident.

My breath hitched, a rough, involuntary sound I was glad she couldn’t hear over the crash of the waves.

I was in trouble. Big, hard, these-swim-trunks-are-woefully-inadequate trouble.

She knew. Oh, she knew. I saw it in the way her lips quirked into a knowing smirk as she caught my gaze. Kesha swept her hand up her thigh, her fingers caressing her skin—a little show, just for me—and smoldered at me.

“You like it? I had to engage in an intensive campaign of deforestation to make it work…”

“What?” I managed to rasp, my throat hoarse.

Her grin suddenly was back. “I shaved.”

“Oh.” I swallowed, struggling to control my cockstand. “Yeah. It’s…uh…nice. Pretty.”

With a little laugh, Kesha turned the tables on me.

Her eyes, dark and suddenly assessing, did a slow, deliberate crawl down my body. From my shoulders, over my chest, down past my navel, and lingered for a half-second too long on the very obvious problem in my swim trunks before flicking back to my face.

Her smirk widened.

That was it. My control snapped.

My Kteer went feral, a possessive, snarling thing in my chest demanding I cross the sand, pull her against me, and show her exactly what she was doing to me.

Mine.

A wave of heat flushed my skin, and I had to physically turn away, grabbing the cooler as an excuse, the heel of my free hand pressing against the hard ridge of my erection through the thin fabric of my suit. It did fuck all to alleviate the need to taste her, to feel her whimper beneath me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my jaw tight, every muscle screaming with a need so sharp it was a physical pain.

She was my wife. No one would think it strange if I reached for her, pulled her in for a kiss. Yeah, okay, she might, considering there’d been no discussion of the possibility after the wedding.

I thought of Milo’s innocent question from that morning—Why can’t she share my bed? Because there’s no way I’d be able to sleep beside Kesha without feeling her, holding her, tasting her, making her come…and she’d given no indication she wanted that.

But then…

But then, carried on the breeze, I caught her scent. That sweet, intoxicating fragrance of arousal, a high, clear note above the salt and sunblock.

She wanted me, too.

The thought was a lightning strike, short-circuiting what little reason I had left.

I was already reaching for her when the gods sent a distraction.