Page 51 of The Orc Outcast's Conquest

His brows twitched. “Miranda, I am willing to go to whatever lengths to please you. You only need to tell me what you desire.”

Her whole body went hot.

Hoo boy! He was flirting now, right? Or was that just her own wishful thinking? She had the worst flirting skills. She’d never had time or money for much more than the occasional video date. All of which had ended in utter disappointment.

“What are you offering?” Miranda asked, a little desperate.

Govek hesitated, and his throat worked. “I could attempt to hunt for you. If I am lucky, I could find a hare.”

Her excitement dwindled. “A hare? Like a rabbit?”

“Yes.”

“For . . . a pet?”

Govek blinked, momentarily flustered, and Miranda forced a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing. “You want to keep it as a companion?”

“Dude, I don’t know. You’re the one offering me weird shit.” Miranda’s voice was a little too shrill. “Look, I don’t need anything, all right? I’m perfectly fine with what I’ve got. Even though it’s basically nothing.” She managed some bravery and gestured at her makeshift bikini, drawing his attention down her body.

His eyes raked over her and Miranda held her breath, waiting for him to finally make a comment.

He didn’t make a sound, didn’t even blink.

His non-response had her body breaking out with goosebumps from the overwhelming embarrassment. Desperate to distract from it, her stupid mouth blurted, “I stole these.”

“You stole your undergarments?” His eyes shot to her face with his nose wrinkled in either shock or disgust. She couldn’t decide which was worse.

Hysterical laughter born from sheer panic bubbled up her throat and she bit her cheek to stop it.

But she couldn’t stop her horrific penchant for speaking when she should remain silent. “I mean, I guess. Technically, the person who owned them was dead before I took them.”

Govek blinked slowly, eyes bulging.

Goddamn. There was no recovering from this.

With that in mind, she hurried into the water. It was deliciously warm, but that barely did anything to quell her tense muscles and only added heat to her embarrassment.

She considered dunking her head as well. Maybe if she stayed down long enough, Govek would forget she’d ever opened her mouth.

Maybe she’d drown and just end it already.

“Should I be worried about you robbing me of my clothes?”

His voice was low with mirth. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and found him smirking. She swallowed. “Depends. Do you have a hoodie?”

He clearly didn’t know what a hoodie was. “I only have what I’m currently wearing and perhaps an extra shirt. You are welcome to them if you wish.”

She snorted, carefully sitting down. The sandy bottom was soft, and the warm water lapped at her chin. Her embarrassment eased. “So, what? I rob you blind and leave you naked?”

“If you want. Then we would match.”

“Excuse me. I have panties and a top on,” she countered.

“Panties and a top that leave nothing to the imagination,” Govek said thickly. He leaned against a nearby boulder. The very one she wanted him to bend her over.

She was already in this far. Miranda reached down and slipped off her underwear, giving them a good scrub before lifting them out. “You know what? Catch!”

Her aim was wretched, but Govek handled it like a champ, lurching forward a few paces. Her panties splat into his hand, revealing what they were in an instant.

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