Page 12 of Guarded By the Orc

Zara

Iwatched Savla interrogate Rok about therodentwith a wide smile. The male loved animals and would befriend any that he found. The number of times he’d complained about me not having a familiar was incalculable.

“Did you want dessert?” Rudgar asked, the low rumble of his voice sending pulses of arousal through my body.

This male will make me melt into a puddle of goo.

“No,” I said in a prim voice, but I searched the table for any sweets. There weren’t any, so I frowned.

“Pen keeps it hidden,” he said in that same low, sensual voice—way too close to me for my own sanity. “Because she knows I’ll steal it. Did you want me to bring some for you?”

I frowned, peeking at Pen and then looking back into Rudgar’s gorgeous blue eyes. “How good is it?” I asked, curious now.

“Sogood,” he told me with a grin. “Make an excuse for me,” he said, standing and turning away.

Pen’s gaze snagged on him right away, and my lips parted of their own volition.

“He has gas,” I said with a firm nod. Both Becca and Pen stared at me for a long moment, so I shoved another bite into my mouth, staring down at my plate and struggling not to look guilty.

Buy it. Please buy it.

“It might be the cheese,” Dristan said with a nod. “He’s always eating too much of it when he’s been sensitive since he was a youngling.”

Pen and Becca turned disgusted expressions his way and I just nodded along with him.

“Definitelythe cheese,” I agreed.

“I only get gas with certain types of breads,” Enka told us in what I assumed was an attempt at being helpful.

I made a small sound of agreement low in my throat, but Pen gasped, standing and pointing at where Rudgar was making his way back from the kitchen with two plates.

“Iknewit!” she gasped, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re supposed to wait to have dessert with everyone else!”

“Thisisdessert with everyone else,” he scoffed, sitting and placing a plate in front of me and then himself. “Everyone else ispresent.”

“Those cookies are for everyone,” she added, and I noticed that there werefivefull-sized cookies on my plate andtenon his.

“There’s enough for everyone,” he said with a shrug and Pen sat with a grumble, glaring at him while he took a hearty bite out of his first cookie. “They’re delicious,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair, tilting his head back toward the ceiling. “Your mom’s recipe?”

Penelope’s frown transformed into a smile with just those words. “They’rehers. She made them and brought them over this morning.”

The happy sigh from next to me as he shoved a cookie into his mouth made me curious. I lifted one to my mouth and took a small bite before moaning low in my throat.

I watched as Rudgar’s head whipped in my direction, his blue eyes going dark with lust. “Be careful what noises you make, Gul-ar. I don’t know how much control you think I have, but I can assure you that it isn’t much,” he murmured.

My eyes widened and I swallowed down the bite of cookie, almost choking.

Oh dear Goddess Mother, please send help. I can’t deal with this on my own.

He licked his thick lips and it was everything I could do to not lean forward and nip them between my teeth. I wanted to grip his tusks and yank him down to me—but I resisted, forcing myself to look away from the intensity in his gaze.

You can’t do this. You know why.

Swallowing hard, I stood from my seat. “Thanks so much for having me,” I said to Pen and Dristan. “Everything was delicious. But I need to go meet my mom’s coven,” I explained. “And you guys arealwayswelcome to visit me,” I told them.

I didn’t even look at Rudgar as I stepped away from the table, but I felt his giant presence stand next to me and follow me as I scuttled toward the door.

“Leave them,” I heard Dristan say. “Rudgar’s got her.”

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