Page 44 of Marrying My Orc Boss

Sally pulls back and looks at me, her eyes filled with understanding. "It's okay, Drakar. You thought I was dead. Clearly, that meant something to you."

“Of course, of course, it does,” I sigh, taking her petite face between my hands. “How could it not? The thought of you… dead… It’s too hard to even think about.”

Her words fill me with a sense of warmth and love that I've never felt before. I know that our relationship will never be the same after this–I'll never be the same.

"I love you, Sally," I whisper into her hair, my voice raw and unguarded. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened between us. Can you ever forgive me?"

As I pour my heart out to Sally, I can see the emotions playing across her face. She looks surprised, confused, and then, slowly, something else. Something that makes my heart race with hope.

She takes a deep breath, her eyes locked on mine, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She's weighing her options, trying to decide what to say. And in that moment, I realize that my heart is in her hands.

"I thought…" she says finally, her voice soft and steady. "I thought you felt that this was just a business arrangement."

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, my nerves on edge as I wait for her to continue. I've never wanted anything more than this.

"No, Sally," I say, my voice filled with emotion. "It's never been just a business arrangement. Not for me. You mean so much more to me than that."

Sally looks up at me, her eyes filled with tears. “But you filed for divorce.”

I freeze. How the hell could she know that? I only talked to my secretary about it a few hours ago.

“Sally,” I say, searching for the right words. “I mean it when I say I love you. You’re like the sun and the moon, the stars, the blooming of flowers. You are everything good and beautiful in this world. I know that I’ve been a damn fool not to realize it, and I don’t know if you could possibly forgive me for being so ignorant, but… I can’t live without you.”

I gaze into her beautiful eyes as they search my face, holding my breath and not willing to let my heart beat until I hear her response.

CHAPTER 26

Sally

My vision is limited, due to the fact that Drakar is still clutching desperately at me. My perspective narrows to just this man, this cool, proud, successful orc who has become my entire world.

“So ah, just to be clear, this hasn’t been a sham marriage you were ready to unload, and you really want a relationship with me.” I lick my lips nervously upon this pronouncement and watch Drakar track the movement.

“Because I’ve fallen in love with you,” he gently reaffirms as he gentles his touch for caressing strokes along my jawline. “And I don’t want to waste another second without you knowing.”

I’m still flush from the recent experience, but as he touches me, a now-familiar warmth rises. With it comes something else, a validation that settles across my bones and empowers my spirit.

“I want you to know that I will respect your feelings and wishes, regardless of my own,” he continues solemnly. “I will also continue to honor all the standing clauses of our original contract, as however you see fit.”

This has been quite a wonderful confession, and I take the time to appreciate the roll he’s on. Now I can bask comfortingly in the safety of his arms without restraint, secretly thrilling in the new-found depth of our connection.

“But I also think it’s important for you to have all the information before you make any consequential decisions. With that in mind, I want to tell you that regardless of whatever you decide- know that wherever you go and whatever you do, you will always be deeply and irrevocably loved. That I will love you, for every minute of our lives.”

Stepping further into his embrace, I slink along the bulk of his arms, resting my hands to clutch at his neck. Drakar closes the remaining distance as well, bringing one of those arms to wrap firmly around my waist, aiding in supporting my weakened knees. I may not have been injured, but I am as unsteady as ever, feeling like I’m tipping back into a bright lake.

“In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably tell you now that the same holds true on my end. I’ve fallen completely in love with you, and nothing will change that, not even time.”

He growls and pulls me even closer, lifting my feet off of the ground. “Say you’re mine, Sally Harte. That we belong to each other until the end of days.”

“Sally Tvojan,” I correct, sass inflecting my tone. The identifying reminder of our nuptial bond seems to open the floodgates because the next thing I know, Drakar is lifting me and spinning to press me soundly back against the wall.

Then there is no space between us and his lips are on mine, and time no longer even exists as I lose myself in his kiss. I feel weightless and supported all over again, and I surrender to the sensations as he lifts me against him, dragging my curves along his body’s firm planes.

He lashes me to him, unyielding and desperate, as I sink into his current, giving and taking as much as we can in the exchange.

The distant drone of an intercom voice filters through the haze of my thoughts, momentarily distracting me from trying to consume Drakar’s mouth.

Our kiss is raw, life-affirming, and escalating quickly considering we are making out in the middle of a hospital hallway. To his credit, Drakar doesn’t miss a beat, and switches to long, caressing kisses along my neck- utterly uncaring of how public our display of affection is.

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