Page 14 of Bidding on Her Orc Boss

I blink, forcing myself back to the dimly lit hotel bar. “Sorry, I was just... thinking.”

Caro raises an eyebrow. “About that tall drink of water you turned down earlier?”

“He’s more like a tall glass of green tea,” I quip, trying to deflect.

“Mhm,” Caro hums knowingly. She drains her glass and sets it down with a sigh. “Well, as much as I’d love to stay and pry all the juicy details out of you, I think it’s time for this old lady to call it a night.”

I snort. “Old lady? Please. You’re not even forty yet.”

“Tell that to my lower back,” Caro groans, stretching. “And my kids. I swear, they age me a year every month.”

We share a laugh, but my mind drifts back to X. Would his hands be rough or smooth? Would his tusks get in the way if we...

“Okay, now I know you’re not listening,” Caro’s voice cuts through my fantasy. “Spill it, Estrada. What’s got you so distracted?”

I feel heat creep up my neck. “It’s nothing. I’m just... processing some data.”

“Uh-huh. And does this ‘data’ happen to be about six-foot-nine and green all over?”

I groan, burying my face in my hands. “Is it that obvious?”

Caro pats my arm sympathetically. “Only to someone who’s known you for years. Don’t worry, your poker face is still intact for everyone else.”

“Great,” I mutter. “Just what I need. Another reason to be anxious around people.”

“Hey,” Caro says softly, “it’s okay to lust after big, grumpy orcs.”

I peek out from between my fingers. “Even if they’re not only your co-worker, but a senior somebody overseeing our department?”

“Bah! He’s no co-worker, at least not for real. Besides, you’re more of a freelancer anyway. Contracted work. Totally not even your boss. If anything, I’m your boss, and look at us,” she says, waving her hand between us, “we’re not sleeping together.”

I laugh at Caro’s random jokes. I know she’s just trying to make me feel better. “Great. Not only am I opening myself up for rejection, but risking my really good job, too.”

Caro stands, gathering her purse. “What if you’re not? I know for a fact the Otherkin have let’s say different Sometimes, Zana, you’ve got to take a chance. Who knows? Maybe Mr. Tall, Green, and Handsome is sitting in his room right now, thinking about you too.”

The thought sends a shiver down my spine. “Maybe,” I concede, standing up as well. “Thanks, Caro. For the drink and the pep talk.”

“Anytime, kid,” she says with a wink. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with some fuzzy slippers and a face mask.”

As we head towards the elevators, I can’t help but wonder if X really is thinking about me too. And if he is, what exactly is he thinking?

We meander back to the hotel, my mind a whirlwind of green-tinged daydreams. After making sure Caro’s safely tucked away in her room, I trudge to mine, feeling suddenly drained. The click of the door locking behind me is oddly final.

What I wouldn’t give for a nightcap right about now. My gaze lands on the room service menu, and I snatch it up like a lifeline. Perfect.

I dial the number, trying not to sound too desperate as I order. “Hi, uh, could I get a gin and tonic sent up? Oh, and some of those little cheese puffs? Thanks.”

While I wait, I putter around, half-heartedly getting ready for bed. I’m mid-toothbrush when a knock sounds at the door.

“Coming!” I call, spitting and rinsing hastily.

I swing the door open, and my jaw drops. There, filling the entire doorframe, is X. He’s got a drink tray in one massive hand and is maneuvering a food cart with the other.

“Room service,” he says, his deep voice tinged with amusement.

I blink rapidly, certain I must be hallucinating. “X? What are you—how did you?—”

He arches an eyebrow. “I was still helping my team break down the ballroom and get some meeting rooms set up when I saw you and Caro head upstairs. I stook a chance that you could use a night cap for your night cap. Thought I’d deliver it personally.”

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