Page 25 of Bidding on Her Orc Boss

She nods slowly, her long black hair swaying with the movement. “It does, but...”

That ‘but’ hangs in the air like a storm cloud, and I feel my stomach clench. As someone who prides himself on closing deals with a win-win outcome, I need to know what’s holding her back. I’ve spoken to all her desires on paper, everything she’s discussed in her performance reviews. What am I missing?

“Zana,” I say, trying to keep my voice level, “what’s on your mind? You can be honest with me.”

She fidgets with her napkin, her tan fingers twisting the fabric. “Can I... can I ask you something?”

I brace myself, nodding. “Of course. Anything.”

Zana takes a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine. “Will I be working for you at all?”

The question hits me like a ton of bricks, and I realize there’s more to her hesitation than I thought. Is she worried about the implications of our relationship? Or is there something else?

I can’t help but smile, understanding dawning on me. Of course, that’s what’s bothering her. Even though nepotism and interpersonal favors are common among orcs, Zana’s different. She values her independence, her integrity.

“Ah, I see,” I say, leaning back in my chair. “Well, I’ve got some news on that front too. Turns out, my partners have finally realized what a disaster I am at running a technically intensive department.”

Zana’s eyebrows shoot up, a mixture of surprise and amusement dancing in her eyes. “Oh? And here I thought you were perfect at everything.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Hardly. They’ve made it clear that I need to focus on real estate acquisitions. It’s more my strong suit, anyway. Less chance of me accidentally deleting the entire company database or something equally catastrophic.”

“So, what does that mean for...us?” she asks, her voice hesitant but hopeful.

I lean in, lowering my voice conspiratorially. “Well, on the bright side, HR has cleared us for any relations we may or may not have. You’re nowhere near being my direct report anymore.”

Her eyes widen, and she almost chokes on her water. “I’m not?”

Just then, a waiter appears with our dessert, placing two decadent-looking chocolate cakes in front of us. The timing couldn’t be more perfect—or more frustrating.

“Oh, wow,” Zana says, eyeing the cake. “This looks... interesting.”

I nod, trying to focus on the dessert and not on the way her lips curve when she smiles. “Yeah, it’s, uh... ery...cake-like.”

We fall into an awkward silence, both of us hyperaware of the growing tension between us. I watch as she takes a bite, a small smudge of chocolate lingering on her lower lip. It takes every ounce of self-control not to lean across the table and kiss it away.

“So,” she says, clearing her throat. “How about this chandelier, huh? Very... chandeliery.”

I laugh, grateful for the distraction. “Oh yeah, it’s definitely one of the chandelier-iest chandeliers I’ve ever seen.”

We continue like this, making increasingly ridiculous observations about the restaurant, our desserts, anything to avoid addressing the elephant in the room. But beneath it all, I can feel the undercurrent of attraction, growing stronger with each passing moment.

As we wrap up dinner and say goodnight to our hosts, I can barely contain myself. We head toward the parking garage, and I’m acutely aware of every brush of her arm against mine, every soft breath she takes.

When we reach my car, I open the door for her, but instead of getting in, she turns to face me. The look in her eyes is unmistakable. Before I know it, she wraps herself around me. Somehow I get both of us inside of the vehicle without wrenching the door off its hinges. We shift clothes just enough for me to sink into her dripping hot core.

Her gasp is lost in my mouth as I stake my claim on her lips, our tongues meeting in a fiery dance that leaves me breathless. She tastes sweeter than our dessert, her decadent flavor something that I cannot get enough of. Her hands roam my torso, the strength of her grip surprising me. Our clothes are disheveled, our bodies in a feverish tangle.

I find myself losing all sense of time, drowning in the pleasure of being near her, touching her. The tight spaces of the car intensifying our desperate need for each other. She arches beneath me, her nails digging into my back.

I toy with her clit to push her over the edge.

She gives a sharp intake of breath, clinging onto me with renewed fervor. I feel like an orc possessed as I lose myself in the rhythm of us, every thrust and grind driving me tantalizingly closer to the edge.

Her sighs become pleading whispers against my ear. “Please…”

Shushing her with a kiss, I quicken my pace, bucking into her with raw desperation. Her body tenses, and then she screams my name, climaxing beneath me in a chorus of passionate cries. Her release triggers mine. My knot fills and I clamp tightly around it, longing for the moment I can bury this deep in her body. I shudder as waves of pleasure roll over me. My body pulses with the aftershocks, my grip on her tightening as if afraid she might disappear.

It’s a while before we can untangle ourselves, every inch of us sticky and sweaty. Zana giggles breathlessly, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my chest. The sound makes my heart flutter in a way that I haven’t felt in ages.

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