Page 21 of Bidding on Her Orc Boss

I nod, feeling a sudden surge of nervousness that I quickly squash. “You did win that charity auction, remember? I believe I owe you a dinner.” I take a step closer, my voice softening. “Besides, I’d like to prove that you mean more to me than just a...what was it? A back scratcher?”

Gently, I cup her face in my hand, marveling at how small and delicate she feels compared to my large, calloused palm. Her skin is soft, warm, and I have to resist the urge to stroke her cheek with my thumb.

“Let me prove it to you, Zana,” I murmur, my eyes locked on hers. “Give me a chance to show you what you really mean to me.”

I watch as a myriad of emotions flicker across her face—doubt, hope, fear, and something else I can’t quite name. My heart pounds as I wait for her response, realizing just how much I want her to say yes.

Chapter Eleven

Zana

I’m trying notto gawk as X leads me into Ma Chérie, the most exclusive restaurant this side of the Obsidian Rift. The understated elegance of the art nouveau decor screams “you can’t afford this,” but I force my jaw to stay shut. How did X even get us in here? I’ve heard it has a six-month waitlist, minimum.

“Zana, fancy seeing you here!” a familiar gravelly voice calls out.

I turn to see Kro, my orc driver from yesterday, grinning at us from behind an ornate hostess stand. He’s swapped his chauffeur’s uniform for a crisp white shirt and bow tie.

“Kro? You work here too?” I ask, genuinely surprised.

He chuckles. “Nah, just filling in for my mate. Speaking of which—” He gestures to a Filipina emerging from the kitchen, her chef’s whites dusted with flour. “This is Plum, pastry chef extraordinaire and the love of my life.”

Plum gives a shy wave. “Nice to meet you, Zana. Kro’s told me all about you.”

I raise an eyebrow at Kro. “All good things, I hope?”

“Only the best,” he assures me with a wink.

As we exchange pleasantries, I can’t help but marvel at how small the world really is. Here I am, in the fanciest restaurant I’ve ever seen, chatting with my Uber driver and his mate like we’re old friends.

X clears his throat, reminding me of his presence. Right, we’re here on a... date? Meeting? I’m still not sure what to call this.

A lithe faun in an impeccable suit glides up to us. “Good evening. I’m Guillermo, and I’ll be your server tonight. If you’ll follow me?”

As we weave through the tables, I lean in close to X. “I didn’t see a menu outside. Do we order when we sit down?”

X’s lips quirk up in that subtle smile that makes my heart do a little flip. “You’ll see,” he says cryptically.

We’re seated at a cozy table near a window overlooking the city. The view is breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as the way the candlelight plays across X’s chiseled green features. Stop it, Zana. You’re here on business. Sort of.

Guillermo appears at our table again. “Your first course will be out shortly,” he announces before whisking away.

I blink in confusion. “Wait, what about menus? How do we know what to order?”

X leans back in his chair, looking annoyingly smug. “We don’t. See that imposing dragonkin over there?” He nods towards atable where a massive figure in an impeccable suit is holding court. “That’s Dean the Dragon. He owns this place, and he’s decreed that the chef has free rein. She serves what she wants, when she wants. Don’t like it? There’s the door.”

I snort. “And people just... go along with that? In this economy?”

“They do when the chef is Cherry Espinosa,” X says, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

The name rings a bell, and suddenly it clicks. “Wait, THE Cherry Espinosa? The one who won all those awards last year?”

X nods. “The very same. She’s also Dean’s mate.”

“Ohhhh,” I breathe, understanding dawning. “I guess when you’re mated to a dragon, you can pretty much do whatever you want in the kitchen.”

“Or anywhere else,” X adds, his voice dropping an octave.

I feel a blush creeping up my neck and quickly grab my water glass, taking a long sip to hide my flustered reaction. As I set it down, I catch X watching me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I wonder what it would be like to have someone look at me the way Dean looks at Cherry—like I’m the most precious thing in the world.

---