Page 32 of My Orc in Uniform

The sandy island, which had so many clams last week, was practically empty now. Rissa said this was either because of the hour, or the moon, ormagical ocean spirits. I took that to mean she didn’t know either.

This doesn’t stop you from looking for clams—sounds like the title of a sex tape, doesn’t it?—and laughing about all the crazy shit thathappened at the Oyster Festival—another sex tape title?—after Memnon and his boss Maya found out about the whole Kelly-in-the-silent-auction thing.

It can be a lot of fun, tromping around a sandbar in the dark, laughing. Just the two of you, way out in the middle of the water, no cell reception, surrounded by nothing. It was humbling.

However, if you tromp too far along the sandbar, looking for practically nonexistent clams and chuckling about your idiot brother’s obliviousness, youwilllose track of time.

“What do you mean, we’re stuck?” Rissa’s voice had gone all shrill, after I sheepishly told her the boat was sitting in sand. “Oh God, we missed the tide?”

I should probably apologize for distracting her with those kisses…but I wasn’t going to. There’d been something damn alluring about being out here alone, and when we’d both turned off our headlamps to avoid blinding each other, I hadn’t been able to resist pulling her against me and kissing her.

And touching her.

And now myKteerpositively ached to claim her.

But the wholeher hyperventilatingthing had put a major crimp in my arousal.

“Whoa, whoa,dkaar,” I murmured, pulling my headlamp off and grabbing her as she swung past me. I pulled her to my chest and ran my hand up and down her spine. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. I’m sorry I can’t push the boat out.”

“I don’t care how strong you are, you can’t lift a Boston Whaler!” I could feel her bouncing in my hold, as if she was desperate to be moving. But I didn’t like this frantic energy of hers, and was trying to calm her. “This is my fault!”

“What?” I buried my face in her hair. “You’ve been perfect, Rissa. If anything, it’smyfault.”

“No, it’s mine!” She finally succeeded in pushing away from me, and began to pace, the light from her lamp bobbing up and down. “Oh, God, Iknewsomething like this would happen! I knew it!”

I was beginning to realize this wasn’t just a normal freak out. “Rissa, it’ll be okay. The tide will change in…” I did a quick calculation in my head. “We’ll be floated off here by midnight at the latest.” I mean, it’s not like it was permanent. Tides changed twice a day, right?

But the reminder didn’t seem to help. If anything, Rissa’s pace increased, and now she was tugging on her hair and groaning.

Frowning, I clambered aboard the boat and began to root around for what we needed. Since it was heeled over on its keel, the footing was a little unstable, but I remembered where we’d stashed everything.

I climbed out with the cooler, the emergency blankets, my sweater, and her rain slicker. Also, a set of matches and some tinder I hoped to put to good use.

“Here, Rissa,” I murmured, holding out my sweatshirt as she stalked by. Luckily, it distracted her enough to stop, and she glanced at me in surprise.

“You’re tense.” I offered it again. “If you warm up, maybe you’ll relax a little?”

She blew out a breath and, with a nod, took it from me. When she pulled it over her head, I had to smile, because the waist hung down around her thighs. She held up her hands, the sleeves draped way past her wrists, and she snorted.

“At least you’ll be cozy?” I asked.

Her sigh turned into a groan, and she spun away. “How could I have been so stupid?”

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