Page 54 of The Billionaire Orc

“Matteus?”

She nodded. “But it was just my vision playing tricks.”

“I’d kill him.”

“W-what?”

“If he came near you.” Her eyes skittered up to see his jaw working, his tusks brighter, and somehow sharper. “I would wring his stringy neck if he so much as…”

For a moment they stared at each other, then Shona said quickly, “It’s okay, Tor, I can look after myself.”

Tor appeared to make an effort to pull himself into line. “Excuse my hairy-chested behavior. We orcs can be a little… heavy handed at times. Especially when it’s with someone…” he gave a tight smile, “someone we admire.”

“Thank you, I do appreciate your concern,” she murmured, resisting the urge to step closer, put her head on his shoulder and say, “Yes, please protect me.” How pathetic. She was a career woman with her own life, but she felt like an emotional mess right now.

Suddenly Tor said, “Tomorrow night, let me take you out to dinner.”

It caught her off guard. “Oh, I—um?—”

“To thank you for your hard work.”

She stood nibbling her lip, her whole body buzzing with the desire to say yes, but for entirely the wrong reasons.

“Shona,” he said softly. “I thought we’d agreed to put the other night behind us. Are you hesitant because…”

She shrugged helplessly. “I’m just so busy and…”

“Of course.” His face shuttered and he inclined his head. “Just forget I mentioned it.”

Her eyes flew to his. It was like having some bright beautiful bauble dangled in front of her nose, then whisked away. And when the bright shiny bauble was Tor Arquin, she didn’t like that at all.

Contrary creature that she was.

“I’ll check my schedule… and let you know,” she demurred quickly.

He merely smiled and gave a curt nod.

After that, they made stilted conversation about the negotiation for Orc Island until Tor bade her a polite, distant farewell.

Shona decided she’d been imagining his knight in shining armor behavior earlier. At the thought, a blanket of melancholy descended on her.

As she washed up the dishes, her belly started to hurt. The feeling got progressively worse until it was actually a painful ache that spread round to her back and into her thighs. This was a feeling she knew well. Her monthly menses had arrived. Which explained why she was so emotional right now.

In the toilet, she wiped herself with the paper and a streak of blood presented itself. She let out a sigh of relief. So why was there this little niggle of disappointment in the mix?

What? You want to bear him an orcling? Seriously?

The idea almost made her snort out loud. Just imagine. She’d grow huge in the belly, be waddling like an orc in flat shoes at the end of her pregnancy. Without a doubt she’d get stretch marks, and giving birth to an orcling would probably rip her vagina to shreds. As for suckling it, didn’t orcs breastfeed their younglings until they were toddlers? Carrying an orcling around would wreck her back. Her tits would droop and her nipples would be rubbed raw by their sharp little teeth.

Ew. Nope.

Never. No way. Not. Ever.

She rummaged around in her desk drawer for some tampons.

And then a thought did occur to her. Going out to dinner with Tor would be safe.

It was never safe with Matteus.

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