Page 24 of The Orc Outcast's Conquest

“Five things I can see. His healed wounds, his chest rising”—she paused as if looking around—“weird trees, red autumn leaves, and birds. So many birds. Four things I can touch.”

What was she doing now? What was the point of this?

“His chest... again.” Her hand stroked down his flesh. A warm hand. He would have groaned if he could have.

Her fingers trailed down his arm to his wrist, clasped it tight. “His heartbeat. My wet clothes and the cold ground. Three things I can hear. Heartbeat again. Birds too. Wind in the trees.”

Govek noted that she sounded much calmer. Her breathing was deep, her voice was almost musical and slow. This was relaxing her. And him too.

“Two smells.” She sucked in a lungful of air and breathed deep. “Man, you really smell good, and I smell like bleach.”

Bleach. Was that the name of the tincture she was coated in?

Her lips fluttered over his heart. “One taste.”

Govek sucked in a breath as his eyes popped open.

“Oh, my god, you’re awake! Are you okay? Can you talk?”

He forced himself up on an elbow, only to nearly fall right back over. “Shirt.”

“Shirt?” she repeated dumbly.

“Your fucking shirt,” he grated out, each word hard won. “Where is it?”

She looked down as if she’d only just noticed she was only wearing a thin garment that barely covered her full, plump breasts. It held them tight to her body, pressed them up and together. He could easily see the outline of her nipples through the cloth. His fingers twitched with want to touch her.

The Fades really were testing him.

“Oh,” Miranda covered herself with the cloak. The one he’d given her. It still looked fucking good on her, but not nearly as good as her naked torso. “I used it for...” She looked down at his wounds.

Following her eyeline, he saw she’d ripped up her shirt and wrapped it around the puncture wound. He tore the useless fabric off and revealed nothing but smooth, undamaged skin.

Miranda gasped and her hands pressed into his side, fingers splayed against his flesh. They were deliciously warm. “Oh, my gosh! That really worked. How did it do that? It’s like magic or something.”

“It is magic,” he muttered. “Where are you hurt?”

She ignored his question. “Magic. Are you serious? You’re not kidding. Oh my god. What is going on with this? How did I get here?”

Questions he also wanted the answers to, but there were far more pressing matters at hand. “I need to get to the spring.”

“Oh,” she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. She tucked the cloak around herself in a way that concealed every part of her body he desperately wanted to get a better look at. “Let me help you.”

His snort of a laugh came out more like a choked gulp. He’d crush her to a pulp under his weight. As if to prove it, she slipped her hand into his, gripping his wrist and trying to pull him up.

“I can help?—”

He yanked away, careful not to touch her with his fingers—his fucking claws were threatening to extend—and laboriously he managed to get his feet underneath him.

“Okay. I guess you’re really... you’re all right?”

He was wavering slightly, but he would make it. “Just lead the way.”

She stepped closer, completely undaunted, and took his arm. He was so startled by her actions he simply let her.

Chapter

Five

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