Page 29 of The Orc Outcast's Conquest

A low growl sounded, and she yelped as he jerked the fish out of her grasp. In her panic to keep the food, she snapped, “Give it back!”

He didn’t, and he was so much bigger than her, holding her off easily with nothing more than his elbow. She watched in dismay as he ripped her meal apart and gathered up the tiny pieces on a large yellow leaf.

“You cannot eat the bones. You will choke on them.”

She paused in her attempts to reach over him, startled at his misplaced concern. “No, I won’t.”

“You will.”

“My throat isn’t that small.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I assure you it’s big enough to handle anything you want to put down it,” she stated before she could think better of it.

He froze for a heavy minute before a shudder raked over him, and his eyes snapped to hers. He looked as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

She was in way over her head, but she’d watched enough raunchy movies to know that flirting could get you a lot of places, and she would literally do anything to win her fish back.

Govek huffed and slid the leaf over to sit on her knee. “Don’t do that.”

She mumbled innocently. “Do what?”

“Tempt me. You know not what you ask for.”

Sure, she did. She might have technically been a virgin, but she certainly wasn’t innocent. Twenty-second century Earth was about as prudish as a pop star and sex toys were as easy to come by as candy bars.

But, as the male heaved heavy breaths, as his enormous muscles bunched and his scowl darkened his features, she realized she probably shouldn’t be provoking him. Even if that provocation would lead to a very pleasurable distraction from her current turmoil.

Halfway through these randy thoughts she noticed she’d already eaten all the fish he’d given her and was about to lick the leaf clean. Maybe even break down and eat the dang leaf, too.

Govek plopped another pile down before she could lift it and she went back to eating without a word. Then he handed her some water. “Slow sips.”

She supposed she should obey for now. She didn’t want to upchuck all the fish.

She was partway through the third or fourth “plate” before her stomach became full enough for her to acknowledge that the orc wasn’t eating anything. “What about you?” If she could polish off three small trout, Govek could probably eat thirty.

“I am fine.”

“But you’re hurt.” She trailed off, remembering he actually wasn’t hurt anymore. She gulped, fiddled with the fragrant flakes of meat she had left. “Sorry. I went a little crazy there, huh?”

“You were starving.”

“It’s only been a couple of days.”

He growled. “You look fragile enough that a stiff breeze would blow you away like dandelion fluff.”

A puff of laughter bubbled up from her full stomach, forcing a smile to stretch her chapped lips.“You have dandelions here too? I guess I can believe it. Those weeds were so prolific they would spread to different planets, wouldn’t they?”

The orc’s face softened as he watched her. The usual scowl vanished. She rested her head on her knees. Warm from the fire. Drowsy from the food.

“You should rest,” he moved the leafy leftovers aside. Then he took off his cloak again, placed it on the ground next to the fire. “You may sleep here.”

“Where will you sleep?” she asked, though she was already moving to lie down on it. He wouldn’t be able to leave without his cloak, right?

“I’m fine,” he said, throwing a few more logs on the fire.

“But—”

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