Page 4 of Guarded By the Orc

I turned my head in a slow pivot, trying not to move or make a sound. When I spotted the male next to me, a flutter filled my chest—something I hadn’t felt before.

He’s real.

I’d dreamed of this male. I’d seen that perfect face almost every night when I went to bed—since I was a little girl. His high cheekbones and sweeping lashes were as familiar to me as my own.

The gentle slope of his nose and the strong brow with that thick dark mane of hair. I lost my breath as I stared, unable to fathom that he was actually here. I’d thought I’d dreamed him last night.

After I’d opened the portal and we’d escaped, I assumed that I’d fallen into the deep sleep of magick-overuse. When I’d seen this male, I’d recognized him and treated him the way I usually did—like I owned him.

I’d forced him to lift me into his huge arms and I’d snuggled against him in comfort and familiarity. Now, I felt heat rush to my face.

I don’t know him. He’s a stranger.

My gaze swept over him, his strong shoulders and chest visible above the blanket and I heard a hum of appreciation leave my throat.

Ahotstranger.

I eased myself away from him, trying to get as far as I could from the breathing apparition. This couldn’t be a good sign. If I was seeing him, then that meant that he had never been a dream. He’d been apremonition.

And my mother had warned me what recurring premonitions were. They meant that you were tied to that future without question.

And there’s no way I can be tied to this male.

My gaze skimmed over him again with longing.

This exceptional, fine specimen of a male.

I continued to move backward, away from him and I ended up slipping over the edge of the bed with a loud yelp.

So much for sneaking out of here, Zara. Way to fuck up your clean exit.

I sat up at once, my ass giving a holler of pain as I peered over the edge of the bed. Sky-blue eyes greeted me with a cocked eyebrow.

“Good morning,” the male orc purred, in a voice that should be banned for its outright sexiness.

“Good morning,” I squeaked in reply, my voicemuchhigher pitched than natural.

“Are you trying to run away?” he asked, resting his chin on his palm as he surveyed the top of my head and eyes—the only things that were visible to him at the moment.

“Nope,” I replied at once—maybe a tad too quickly to be seen as outright honesty, butdamn it, that voice.I was terrible at lying on a good day, and ifhewas the one doing the interrogation, I couldn’t be expected to stand firm in my lies.

“Right,” he drawled, giving a little nod at where I was still sitting on the floor. I scrambled up in response to that look, and hesitated when his gaze swept over me—an appreciative gleam in his eyes.

Goddess Mother help me, my panties are toast. Wait… am I wearing panties?

“Well, it was wonderful to meet you,” I told him, eyeing the door as my means of escape, struggling to ignore the perfectly gorgeous specimen of a male in front of me. “I’ll be leaving now. I have to go check on my three friends,” I added, grabbing onto any excuse I could think of.

Although, that one was pretty accurate. Ididneed to check on the three males who’d kept me safe during my time on their plane.

I had to figure out where we’d been transported to and how far away the house that my mother had left for me was. If I could figure that out, now that I was rested, I’d be able to open a portal there. Portals weremucheasier and much less magick-intensive if you were just going between locations on the same plane.

I took my time heading toward the door, ogling this male who I intended to never see again. If I did, I had no doubt that it would be disastrous for the both of us.

“They’re fine,” he told me with an indolent shrug of those bite-worthy shoulders. “I checked on them this morning and they were still sleeping. By the time you arrived, it was late and those males must be exhausted after the battle.”

“Oh,” I paused in my tracks, before trying again. “Well, I’ll still check on them. I’m sure they’ll be looking for me when they wake up. In fact, I have some things I need to look into now that I’m back.”

“I can help you with that,” he purred, his gaze sweeping over me again with a look of pure lust. It sent a sizzle straight through me. “I can help you withanythingyou need.”

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