Page 32 of How To Woo A Warrior Orc

“You mean where you came so many times from my tongue and my cock you nearly blacked out?” I ask, arching an eyebrow mischievously. “That’s what you mean, about what we just did?”

She blushes furiously, but lets out a small tinkle of a laugh. “Exactly. We are more than that, and if I pushed you faster than you wanted?—”

I cut off her words with a fierce kiss, her sigh of happiness replacing the anxious line of questioning.

“You did not push me at all. I have liked you since the moment I walked into your magical café. I wanted you the second you invited me to come work for you. I knew I caredabout you deeply the morning you ran to Wren’s house bawling, upset about the duchess’s visit.”

She kisses me then, a gentle brush of her lips against mine. “We will take this one day at a time. We aren’t your parents. My mother told me the secret to relationships.” Her lips curl in a smile, and she rubs the tip of her dainty nose against mine.

“You know the secret to relationships?” I ask, astonished. “That’s quite the secret.”

Her smile grows, and she crooks a finger at me. “Come closer and I’ll tell it to you.”

I lean forward, intrigued and pleased with my little kitchen witch.

I like what she whispers in my ear so much that I slide one hand under the water and part her folds, caressing her until she comes again.

CHAPTER TWELVE

PIPER

We’ve been slammed all day.

I keep trying to sneak looks at Ga’Rek, but we’re so busy with customers, he and I barely have time to do more than smile at each other across the store.

My feet hurt, I’m sore in places I didn’t know I even had, but all of that pales in comparison to the bubbling happiness deep in my soul.

Ga’Rek held me all night. Every time I stirred, he would whisper in my ear and rub my back until I fell back asleep.

We got to sleep much, much later than I normally would, but I’m more well-rested today than I have been in a long time.

We both ate a lemon-curd tartlet for breakfast enchanted with an energy spell, but I’m not sure I would’ve needed it.

I only wish we could have cuddled in bed longer this morning, that we could have had a lazy breakfast snuggled up by the fire instead of getting right to work in the dark hours of morning.

The Pixie’s Perch is close to closing, and there hasn’t been much of a chance for either of us to do more than sneak a sandwich. But tonight…

The bell tinkles over the entry, and my hopes for tonight go up in smoke immediately. My entire coven has walked into the store, replacing the rush of customers with a familiarity I at once love and am annoyed with.

Only because I want to spend time with Ga’Rek.

The realization makes me warm again, and I grin up at them.

Wren bustles over and makes herself at home behind the counter, grabbing a sandwich and a pastry while she’s at it.

“Forgot lunch again?” I ask her drily.

“I was busy. I’ve been so inspired lately.” She’s so enthusiastic that I can’t even be annoyed with her presumptuousness. Besides, she’s my friend. She knows I’d stuff food in her mouth if she asked me to. We both know it.

Nerissa leans against the countertop, dressed in her typical array of black and thick silver necklaces. Ears sits on his haunches outside the store, stoic until he glances back at his witch, his tongue lolling out.

Then there’s Willow, our local apothecary and plant witch. She’s more disheveled than usual, her red hair standing up with frizz, likely due to her standing over her cauldron all day or working in the heat of her greenhouse. Her owl familiar perches on the street light outside the shop, her feathered head swiveling around.

Ruby holds an enormous leatherbound book, her long-haired cat familiar already making himself at home in Velvet’s bed behind the counter. She struggles to set the book on a recently cleaned table, and I raise an eyebrow at her very serious expression.

My nerves jangle.

“What’s wrong?” I ask slowly. It’s clear something is very wrong. I can’t remember the last time all of us were able to show up in one place unannounced. Book club is different, and we’re not always all there. Our coven meetings have been few and far between as we attempt to get the proper legal paperwork filed with the magic administrative branch to declare us the official Wild Oak Woods coven.

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