Page 5 of My Orc Pen Pal

When he squeezed the muscles in his cheeks, as if flexing to show off, I slammed my gaze upward again, suddenly very, very glad I hadn’t barged into the bathroom for those condoms after all. Tarkhan and I shared thi hall bathroom, because Tarkhan slept in the small secondary bedroom, while Aswan and Abydos, being brothers, shared the larger one when Abydos was on the island instead of dealing with his business.

As much as I hated to admit it, with him standing there flexing his ass at me, Tarkhan was right. We all needed more space.

With a satisfied smack of his own rear, my cousin crossed to the living room and plopped down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other. Aswan turned to him, spoon raised.

“Remove your testicles. From. My. Couch.” Each word was a low hiss, but Tarkhan just smirked.

“I’m dry. I’m clean. What does it matter?”

“It matters because I have to sit there,” growled Aswan. “Get off.”

“Oh, I don’t think you want me getting off on your couch.” Tarkhan pretended wide-eyed innocence. “Unless you’re into a weird kink I don’t know?—”

“Enough!” I held up both hands, a little surprised when it stopped their bickering. “Wedoneed more space.”

To my surprise, Aswan’s expression turned speculative. “Well, perhaps you’ll be out of here soon.”

“Oooh yeah,” Tarkhan smirked. “With yourMate. Cilantro? Oregano?”

I flicked him off and refused to correct him. “She’s special. I’m looking forward to meeting her.” That was an understatement. I could barelybreathefor excitement at finally gazing into her eyes. But I wasn’t going to give Tarkhan more ammunition to tease me.

MyKteerthrummed deep in my chest. It was a part of me in the same way my liver or my voice box was; something I noticed but rarely acknowledged. It was a sense all orcs had, something from our distant evolutionary past that had kept us alive when we lived in a more primitive time.

Or a more primitive place.

Since coming through the veil to the humans’ world, I’d mostly been able to ignore myKteer. But in the last few months, it had become active, and I had a suspicion why.

Rosemary.

“It’s almost six,” Aswan announced, striding toward me. He halted in front of me, giving me an inspection that started with my braid, seemed to check that my shirt wasnicely pressed, and included him sniffing. “You look great. Go have fun with your Rosemary.”

Just like Aswan, always taking care of us. I don’t know what he was going to do now that we were here on Eastshore Isle, and he didn’t have his restaurant to fuss over…but he deserved happiness. I hope he found it. I hope weallfound it.

As for me?

I grabbed the keys of my Jeep as I hurried out the door.

I couldn’t be certain, but myKteerwas telling me that happiness was close.

Ro

I couldn’t believehow nervous I was while waiting to meet Akhmim. I mean, I had no reason to believe hewouldn’tbe punctual, and he’d emailed me as he’d left, saying he was ten minutes away…

And that was probably why I was out on my front walk, pacing.

I lived on the backside of the island, off Seahorse Lane, with a great view of the salt marsh, and not a lot of people to see me acting like a crazy woman.Stop biting your nails, you’ll ruin your manicure.

Right. I exhaled, forcing my hands down my sides and hips. “Right.”

No need to be nervous. This is just Akhmim! You know Akhmim! Good ol’ Akhmim, your friend.

Right.

And I have to admit, as soon as I realized the Jeep heading toward me was going to turn into my driveway, I suddenly felt a lot calmer. Like… Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, and I couldn’t stop it, so I might as well have fun with it.

But when he stepped out of the driver’s seat, his admiring gaze stroking me like a lover’s hands, I…

Lover’s hands? That’s where you went with that?

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