Page 5 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

I frowned at her feet, admiring how her legs looked in the shoes with long spikes at the heels, though I questioned how anyone could walk in such things.

“You have a passport, don’t you?” she asked.

“We were required to obtain them for identification when we came to the surface.”

“Good. If you say yes, we’ll leave next Thursday and return on Sunday. The wedding’s on Saturday. I hope that’s enough time for you to arrange to be away.” A shiver tracked through her. “We can get to know each other better on the plane. They’re not going to quiz us as if you’re trying to get a green card, but they’ll find it odd if we don’t know anything about each other. We’ll have to come up with matching answers to questions, such as how long we’ve known each other and where we met. Simple stuff like that.”

“Yes,” I said. “Whatever you need, tiny one, I will do it for you.”

“This is really kind of you.” She leaned close, and her light floral scent combined with a hint of her very essence befuddled my senses. “You’re not a serial killer or a misogynist, are you?”

“What’s a misogynist?”

“I enjoy a bit of alpha as much as the next woman, but don’t start telling me what I can do, who I can talk to, or hiding me away inside a basement.”

“I would never do such a thing.” In the orc kingdom, females were equal to males in all ways. How could they not be when they could defeat males in combat? Even during mating rituals, it was anyone’s guess who’d win a match over the other. But we respected them above all others, just like I did Rosey.

“Good. Just a few more things. Weapons are not allowed on the plane or inside your checked bag, so you’ll have to leave your sword behind.”

Now I couldn’t lob off Jacob’s head. Although, she said her sister loved him, and I wouldn’t want to cause my new family pain.

Her sly smile grew. “Youcanbring soft ropes.”

“Ropes?” I pictured the games my brothers and I planned to offer at our cowboy tourist destination that might include such things. Did she want to practice lassoing a fence post? I didn’t know anything about Mexico, but our destination must offer their version of cattle.

She shrugged. “I was just teasing.”

“I see.” Though I didn’t. There appeared to be a hidden meaning in her rope comment that I would need to examine further.

Sitting back in her chair, she studied my face. “Yes or no, Ostor? If you want to back out now that you know what I’m offering, you’re certainly welcome to do so. I’d never expect youto come with me and pretend to be my boyfriend if you find the idea unappealing.”

“Yes.”

A frown bloomed on her pretty face. “Yes, you find the idea unappealing or yes to . . .?”

“Yes, I’ll go with you as your date and yes, I’ll ensure your family believes we are happy together.”

And I’d happily do all I could to take this from fake to the real thing, but I wouldn’t mention that now. From the little I’d learned already, humans didn’t know right away that someone was their perfect match. Me mentioning it might drive her away.

“Perfect.” She held out her hand.

I stared at it. Did she want me to lick her again? Oh, no. Humans clasped hands and wiggled both when meeting and to solidify an agreement.

I held hers gently and after wiggling it, I lifted it to my mouth, kissing her palm.

A pink tinge rose into her face. “You really are special, Ostor.”

Special enough to agree to our mating?

Humans knew nothing about such things—they’d made this clear in the booklet we were all required to study when we arrived on the surface. She didn’t know what my licking meant, what the symbol she’d yet to discover on her wrist meant, let alone that we were essentially married already.

I’d explain soon, and she’d understand.

She might believe this was fake, but she was mine, and I was hers forever.

I was going to do all I could to show her this should be real.

Chapter 3

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