Page 26 of My Orc Pen Pal

My eyes were heavy, despite the sun not having full set yet. I wanted to remain wrapped here in his arms forever, but I knew we would likely have to go inside and shower, and maybe finish the rest of the picnic before trying this again. For now, though, I was content right where I was.

I blew out a breath and patted his chest as I closed my eyes and breathed out, “Yeah. Definitely boyfriend material.”

Chapter 9

Akhmim

On Monday,I gave up working around noon, unable to concentrate, and headed back to the apartment. Thank the gods that Tarkhan and Abydos were out—I wouldn’t have been able to handle their ridiculous cheer and glowering grunts, respectfully.

Instead, Aswan was sitting at the kitchen table, writing on a pad of paper. “What are you doing?” I barked as I stomped through the door.

The older male lifted one cool brow my way. “I’m making a grocery list, if that’s okay with you? It’s frustrating that the store on the island is so limited. And overpriced.”

I felt my shoulders begin to relax when he didn’t give me the fight I was itching for. “Most of the locals shop on the mainland.” I tossed my wallet and phone onto thecredenza by the door, since I’d walked to the library, and shrugged my laptop bag off my shoulder. “Rosemary goes on Saturday morning.”

Aswan hummed and made a note at the top of his list. “I’ll investigate. Meanwhile,t’mak…” He placed the pen down and gave me his undivided attention. “What has you so wound up? I thought things were going well with your Rosemary.”

With a sigh, I threw myself down on the couch, making sure I stayed to the side Tarkhan’s balls hadn’t rested.

“I thought they were too,” I admitted. This weekend, she’d given herself to me. And it had beenmagnificent.

Just the memory of the way Rosemary had responded to my touch was enough to stir my cock, and I would have thought it had nothing left to give. Saturday night had been a…festivalof touches, as I took her in every way imaginable.

After that first time, I used condoms, which had allowed me to finish inside her, but as the night wore on, it became more aboutherpleasure, and I’d reveled in it. Sunday had been more of the same; I’d made her eggs and bacon, then brought her more pleasure. In the afternoon, I sat with her as she’d graded, loving her insights and the way she’d appreciated mine.

“But?”

Aswan’s question jerked me from my reminiscing. “What?”

The older male was watching me in amusement. “You said you thought things were going well with Rosemary.But now you’re sitting there as if someone just stole your favoritemkaanah.”

I snorted at the analogy, then scrubbed my hand over my face. Well, if there was anyone who would listen without judgement, it was Aswan. “She’s my Mate. I told her this, and she said she wanted to take it slowly.”

“Hence the dates?” he asked.

I nodded. “I’ve spent two weeks trying to prove to her that we’re meant to be together. That this is forever. And I thought,finally…” After I’d claimed her as mine, surely she’d recognize our connection? I blew out a sigh and dropped my head back on the couch. “She called meboyfriend material. I don’t even know what that means!”

“It means you are made out of fabric that is ideal—” Aswan cut off his joke when I glared at him. Smirking, he explained, “She thinks of you as a boyfriend. Not a Mate.”

“Exactly,” I groaned. “The weeks have been wasted!”

“Have they?” Aswan shrugged. “Of course, I’m not an expert on females, but it seems to me that this is not a loss for you. If she thinks of you as a boyfriend, she will eventually think of you as a Mate.”

He was right.

I just…hated the thought of waiting. My fingers dug into my chest, scratching at the itch I couldn’t reach, myKteerthrobbing in impatience.

“I need her,” I murmured, and frankly, I was pleased it didn’t emerge as a whimper. “I need her,Aswan. I need to know she’s mine, I need her to know I’m her Mate.”

Sighing, my friend stood up from the table. “It will happen,t’mak. I’m sorry it’s not happening quickly enough to suit yourKteer, but you cannot rush a female. She is in command of your relationship, and it is up toherwhen you two become Mates.”

“So what do I do?”

His large, dark eyes were sad when he shook his head at me. “You wait. You wait and rejoice in what sheiswilling to give you, and you pray to the gods you can be convincing enough that she’ll come to accept you.”

Fuck.

Ro

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