Page 58 of Bound to the Orc Guardian

“I’m a medical professional.” She gives me a saucy grin. “And I’m focusing on areas I think are important.”

Another extra tingle of warmth and power flows over my hands, and she says, “Can’t forget those. I really love those.”

My fingers flex, ready to haul her onto my lap—audience and worries about the future be damned.

“Is this a biped mating ritual?” Bellavesaria’s head cocks as she studies us. “I don’t remember reading about this one.”

Dash whinnies a laugh. “You read about biped mating? Why?”

“If the doors to Faerie open again, I’ll have access to my elven form. Why wouldn’t I want to know everything about it?”

“Dragons and your books!” the unicorn says, shaking his head.

“I’m healing him, not mating him,” Selena says. “Trust me, if we were mating, you’d definitely know it.”

“The screaming,” Dash says. “The moaning.”

I glare at him.

“What?” His eyes sparkle with mischief. “I can’t help it if I have excellent hearing.”

“We heard it through the rock.” The head gnome places his hand on the cavern wall. “We weren’t even close to your cavern.”

Selena’s cheeks darken, but the others’ words don’t appear to upset her.

Goddess knows, they don’t bother me. On the contrary, pride swells within me. I pleasured her so well, all could hear.

One last pulse of healing rolls through me, and my cock stirs to life, reacting to her nearness and ready to prove it’s made a full recovery.

“Yeah, you seemallbetter now.” Selena’s eyes flicker over my erection. Then she stands and brings me my clothes. She tsks and shakes her head, her lips quivering as she tries not to smile. “My god! You and your getting naked all the time.”

“Are you complaining?” I stand and slip my feet into my pants, my heavy erection bobbing with the movement.

“Not even the tiniest bit.” She beams at me.

Her smile does nothing to aid me trying to fasten my now too-tight pants.

“I thought we were in a hurry?” the dragon says. “If you’re not playing mating games, or even if you are, we should go.”

“I don’t know,” Dash says, his magic swirling around him as he takes on his pooka form. “I wouldn’t mind watching an actual mating.”

“Fuck off. There’s not going to be any watching. The dragon’s right. We need to hurry.” I send a pulse of magic through the leather of my pants, stretching it so I can fasten it over my swollen cock. Then I stomp into my boots and yank my shirt over my head. Once I have the supplies settled on the unicorn’s back, I say, “Let’s go.”

As I brush past Selena, her sweet scent tickles my nose.

I stride down the tunnel, still aching for her. It’s a long while before I can retighten the leather of my pants.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Selena

Bella’s words should have refocused my thoughts on our mission. But all my mind wants to do is replay the memory of how effortlessly Sturrm held me over his head as his huge body fought against the raging river.

The sheer power of it! The control! No matter how hard the current bashed against him, he never wavered. I didn’t worry for a single second that he’d drop me.

And I love that. I love that I can depend on him. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to feel that way.

Losing Papi broke something in Mami. Grief stripped her to a shell of her former self. Oh, she was still around. Shestill went through the motions, and I always had everything I needed in terms of food, clothes, and a place to live. But she checked out of emotional stuff, no longer the happy, attentive mother of my childhood.

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