Page 31 of Marrying My Orc Boss

Still holding my arm, he pulls me out of the water. We both steady ourselves on the bank as our soaking wet clothes hang from our bodies, dripping wildly.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his gaze intense. It makes my stomach knot.

“Yes,” I whisper, suddenly very, very cognizant of the fact that his hand is still touching my arm. The skin prickles with heat under his touch.

Our eyes lock, and the moment is charged before he suddenly leans in, his lips slanting across mine.

Instinctively I open my mouth in response, and he’s there, using a combination of lips and tongue, and oh-so delightful pressure to devastate me. My world narrows to his kiss- his mouth is the only stable thing I can grasp, as everything else around me falls away. There’s no mistaking his intent now- not as his tongue strokes mine invitingly, coaxing my mouth with playful, teasing movements.

His kiss unlocks a torrent of passion between both of us, that climbs higher with every heated lick. His tugging, possessive hold threatens to weaken my knees, and the press of soaking clothes only encourages thoughts of a more lustful exploration. I dimly register logically that I should back off- back away and put some distance between us, but the way his lips savor mine makes me feel powerful.

I feel desirous, emboldened, and beautiful because of his caresses. Confidence and passion thrill through my body like electricity. His hips press firmly against mine, and his hands and lips are moving in a pale imitation of what we could be doing. I’m so busy wondering how I’ve held myself back from this man for this long, that the sudden chorus of whoops and hollers startle me sharply back into reality.

The contrasting sensations of the chilled water lapping at my overheated skin are the first things I register, along with a distant cacophony of familiar voices. My vision is filled with sun rays that streak and shatter along the droplets of water that slide down Drakar’s wide torso.

Shamelessly I follow the slick trails that disappear into the shirt now plastered to his muscles, and find myself sufficiently distracted. Wondering how my tongue will feel tracing the lines of those muscles is a tantalizing thought until another round of catcalls reminds me where I am.

“Sally’s getting her groove on!” The boys start offering up innuendo that I know I’m somehow going to get lectured for.

“Aww yeah, Sal, get some!” It’s borderline inappropriate given the younger kids are still around, and when a couple of them start belting out a bow-chicka-wow melody, I consider jumping back into the lake.

“What’s Sally getting some of?” one of the little ones asks.

“Kisses silly! Duh!” another exclaims, while the others use the commotion as an excuse to start splashing each other.

Groaning in mortification, I glance around in search of some kind of escape route. Drakar gives a quiet chuckle next to my ear, and I shouldn’t find the sound sexy, given the situation, yet I do.

Which happens to cue the arrival of more of my family members. A few of the aunts and uncles have made their way to the shoreline, along with a few of the older cousins who are closer to my age. A few are offering some rounds of applause, while some of the older women are still whopping at the sight of me practically making out with my fake fiance. In front of the younger kids.

Flames of embarrassment erupt over my whole body, and I wish the water would swallow me again- until my family has forgotten about me, or the spring swallows me into the center of the planet. Whichever comes first.

A few of my uncles offer Drakar their congratulations, tinged with smiles and laughter. Others are offering commentary about how pleased they are that I’ll be settling down and not working so hard now that I have a proper incentive, and shame can’t cover me fast enough.

Unwilling to bear any more teasing, and unable to process what just happened, I storm off, water still cascading off my clothes with my movements. I barely register our broken embrace, or even Drakar calling out to me as my feet pick up speed, and swiftly I’m tearing away from the scene.

CHAPTER 18

Drakar

Everything here looks official, with big shelves of important looking books and walls covered in austerely toned paint. The judge’s chambers match his personality, which is to say stiff and expeditious. Strange but oddly appropriate, I think to myself as I stand patiently.

This is just another business transaction, I have to remind myself, almost exactly the same as any other merger or negotiation I’ve dealt with in the past. After all, marriage is a merger, and here business is being conducted.

Yet despite the mantra I’ve repeated to myself for the past week, I can’t help but feel that this particular contract is different. Instincts I thought I had long since tamed have begun to rise to the surface since my encounter with Sally at the lake. Those same feelings begin to bubble as the door opens.

“In here,” the bailiff announces as he escorts Sally inside. The ‘wedding party’ is the prerequisite bare minimum, standard judge and security along with the necessary witnesses required.

For the past week, I have been overly aware of her presence whenever we are together. In fact, I’ve truthfully been avoiding her as much as possible since I overstepped our boundaries. That, it turns out, just means I’m now not prepared to see her fully for the first time in a week. Those dormant instincts flare to life as she walks toward me, even as something anxious settles in my chest.

Sally has always had that effect on me, from the first moment I spotted her across the green. Measuring her stride, I use her approach as an excuse for my eyes to take in their fill, admiring her simple yet elegant beauty. Her wrap dress is conservatively casual, but it clings to her shoulders and waist like designer wear, causing memories of our kiss at the lake re-surge powerfully.

Her makeup and hair are lightly styled, her shoes are practical, and there is nothing particularly seductive about her gazet. Yet as she listens carefully to the judge’s words, I find myself barely hanging onto the proceedings with the want coursing through my veins. All I’ve been able to think about for the past week is how she felt on my lips and in my arms.

“All of the paperwork appears to be in order,” the Judge continues. “If there are any exchanges the two of you would like to make, now is the time to do so. Otherwise, we can sign the paperwork and get your union under way.”

Sally looks over and up at me, our gaze locking for a terrifyingly electric moment. With certainty I know she is thinking of our most recent exchange at her family’s enchanted lake, as am I. It makes me think of hands and lips, and slick, wet heat…

“Ah, I think just the signatures should be fine.” Sally turns back to the judge with an awkward smile. I almost groan in disappointment yet restrain myself, hands clenching in an attempt to regain control. My frown feels more pronounced, and suddenly all I want to do is get out of this office.

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