Page 19 of My Orc in Uniform

The nurse snorted; her attention on the oyster in her left palm as she tried to jab the knife in between the shell. “Itoldyou he was totally into Rissa, didn’t I? They need to cook these things longer, they’re not open enough.”

Rissa, who was flushing happily now, latched onto that. “That’s the way I like ‘em! They dry out once they’re opened.” She was already pawing through the bag on her shoulder. “Here’s your oyster knife, Simbel. I couldn’t find a glove for you, so you’ll have to make do with a rag.”

We stood across the wooden boards—which were strewn with shucked and unshucked oysters —and I had to confess that I didn’t actually know what I was doing. This led to much laughter as the ladies instructed me on how to cradle the oyster in my left hand, how to find the crack, how to jab in the dull blade and twist it just so, how to slurp out the slimy creature within.

I loved oysters…I’d just never had to shuck them before.

“You’re doing great!” Rissa assured me, deftly spearing her oyster and wrenching it open. “And I can’t believe how well that knife fits you. When Dad made it a billion years ago, we all joked that it was too big to be used.”

I hefted the blade, then spun it on my palm. “Fits my hand perfectly. It reminds me…”

When I trailed off, she bumped my hip with hers. “Of home?”

Had it been ten years since I’d last held a dagger? Good thing this was so dull. “We had freshwater clams where I grew up, but they were easier to open.”

“Ooh, I love clams. We go clamming a lot in the springtime.”

My brows rose, and I managed to resist making a raunchy joke aboutloving clams, since the lesbians would either find it hilarious or outrageously offensive, and I didn’t want to piss anyone off. “You dig your own clams?”

Rissa’s attention was on the mollusk in her gloved hand. Everyone besides me wore only a glove on their left hand, to hold the oyster. “Sure. My favorite spot is Lighthouse Island, and the sandbars around it. Patrick and I went out last week after school, actually. I mean, we had to spend a day checking over the boat—”

“You have a boat?” I couldn’t help the excitement in my voice as I interrupted her.

She made a satisfied noise as her knife slid between the shells. “Yep. A center console fishing boat, nineteen feet.” She paused, then shot me a side-long look. “Patrick and I were going to take it out tomorrow. The tide is right for clamming…any interest in joining us?”

I heard Joleen suck in a breath, but I couldn’t look away from Rissa. My face split into a grin. “Really? You don’t—I mean…” I took a breath, forcing myself to tamp down my excitement. “I would love to go out with you two, as long as you’re okay with me spending time with Trick.” I placed my knife and rag on the table, wanting to focus on this conversation. “I know it must be a delicate balance, protecting him and letting him be part of your life, so it’s okay if you don’t want me to…”

I wasn’t even sure what I was saying anymore.

Luckily, Rissa seemed to understand. She was quiet for a moment as she wrestled the oyster from its shell. Then, when it was dangling from her blade, she turned to me. “You know what? Iamokay with it. I like you, and Patrick likes you, and he knows you. Do you want to join us?”

“I would love that,” I whispered.

Smiling, she lifted her knife, the mucus-blob of the oyster dangling from it. “Here.”

I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and guided it to my mouth, making sure I slurped as loudly as possible as I ate the thing. “Mmm.” I smacked my lips. “Can you imagine how incredibly hungry the first man to eat an oyster must have been? To look at one of these things and goYep, I’m going to put that in my mouth.”

As Rissa grinned—and didn’t pull her hand away from my hold—Joleen snorted. It was Maggie, however, who quipped, “Many cultures consider oysters—even half-raw ones like these fuckers—to be aphrodisiacs.”

I used my hold on Rissa’s wrist to tug her closer, and I bent my head to murmur near her ear, “I don’t need a mollusk to turn me on when I’m with you.”

Rissa sucked in a breath, her cheeks heating, her eyes widening. I was close enough tofeel, toscent, the changesin her…including the sweet rush of her arousal, which teased my nose and tongue.

Unable to help myself, I growled, myKteerurging me on, and lowered my lips toward hers…

”Whyhello,” came a jarring voice from behind us. “Oh, Simbel, it’ssogood to see you here!”

It took a moment for me to blink away the haze of lust I seemed cocooned in around Rissa and turned to see Kelly—the PE teacher—lurching toward us. She carried a beer in one hand, wore a tight t-shirt that outlined her breasts, and a huge smile.

“Simbel!” she announced cheerfully, pressing herself too close, resting her hand on my arm. “Is this your first Eastshore Isle oyster roast? Of course it is!” she laughed gaily. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get to show you how to open oysters.”

The way she waggled her brows left me with no doubt she wasalsothinking about aphrodisiacs. Did she not see that I’d been about to kiss Rissa? Did she not see I was still holding Rissa’s hand? As carefully as possible, I extracted myself from Kelly’s hold, backing along the table and pushing Rissa with me.

“I have the best instructor on the island.” I tried for a charming grin, but part of me couldn’t understand why I was bothering to charm Kelly. I guess I just didn’t want to hurt her. “Rissa has been awesome.”

Kelly’s lips tugged into a pout as she made a big deal out of “noticing” Rissa for the first time. “Oh, that’s…cool.” She looked Rissa up and down, and my hand tightened on hers in support. “Maybe for the town Oyster Festival next week, you and I could get together?”

Joleen, bless her, chose that moment to intervene. “Didn’t I see your name up on the charity auction, Kelly? What are you offering?”

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