Page 20 of Loved By the Orc

“It’s just the same kind of thing—except this time instead of saying nasty things to me while we were alone, he did it in front of my coworkers. It was just really, reallyhumiliating.”

His face twisted.

“I hate that you have to go somewhere and be treated like that every day! What the fuck is wrong with humans, letting that happen to you?”

I sighed.

“I don’t know. I told you—my boss is the CEO’s brother so there’s nothing I can do about it. And I can’t quit—I’d owe over a hundred thousand dollars and I don’t have that kind of money.”

“Well you can’t go on like this!” he protested.

I shook my head.

“Please—I don’t want to talk about it. I’m almost halfway through school—if I can just make it for four more years I’ll be a Pharmacist and then I’ll be free.”

“Will you, though?” he asked skeptically. “Be free, I mean. I thought you said you were still under contract to that human company even after you graduate.”

“Only for two years,” I said. “And I won’t be working under Mr. Price then.”

“But you’ll still be working for a company that’s letting you be abused,” he pointed out. “How can you trust a place like that? A big corporation that doesn’t give a fuck about their workers and only cares about profits?”

“Idon’t—not completely. But I really don’t have any choice. I’m stuck here.” I took a deep breath and swiped at my eyes. “Anyway, it helps to have you to talk to about it. Thank you for letting me cry and for not being judgmental about my choices or my, uh, curves.”

“Ah, baby…” he sighed and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “How could I be judgmental when you’re so fucking gorgeous?”

I gave a sad little laugh.

“Gorgeous…right. I’m a mess right now, I’m sure.”

“You’re alittlemessy,” Tark acknowledged. Reaching between us, he raised the hem of his T-shirt, showing washboard abs, and used it to dab at my wet eyes. “But you’re still gorgeous,” he finished, smiling at me.

“You’re so sweet to me.” I sighed and snuggled against him. “I’ve never had anyone treat me like you do—not since I was little.”

“You haven’t? What about your aunt and uncle—the ones who raised you?” he asked, frowning. I had told him as little about my childhood as possible, so the fact that my aunt and uncle had raised me was pretty much the limit of his knowledge of my past. Well, other than the fact that my mom had died and my dad had left when I was young.

I shook my head.

“No, they didn’t do this kind of thing. I mean, they didn’t hug me like you do. They barely tolerated me, to tell the truth. I don’t think they would have taken me in at all except they thought it wouldn’t be ‘Christian’ to let me go into the foster care system and they were afraid their friends at church would talk about them if they did.”

“Seriously?” He looked at me with a frown. “That’s fucked up, sweetheart.”

“I know.” I hung my head. “I think that’s why my boss’s criticism and nastiness bothers me so much. He says the same kinds of thingstheyused to say to me. About me being stupid and fat…”

But I couldn’t finish—I was too ashamed. I shook my head and looked down at my hands.

“Hey, Babygirl, look at me.” Gently, Tark raised my chin until our eyes met. “You’rebeautiful,”he murmured, stroking my cheek. “And you’re fuckingbrillianttoo. I didn’t understand half of that stuff Madam Healer was telling you that first day we met but you soaked it up like a fucking sponge!”

“It’s not that different from what I’m already studying,” I pointed out.

“Which isalsofucking hard to understand,” Tark pointed out. He pushed my hair away from my face. “You know what your problem is? You’ve never had anyone to believe in you—anyone to baby you.”

“Baby me?” I frowned uncertainly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, someone to be sweet to you—to comfort you when you feel hurt. To be there for you, no matter what,” he clarified.

I felt my heart give a little leap.

“I haven’t had anything like that since my dad left when I was eight,” I admitted in a low voice. “I mean, I haven’t had anyone to hold me like you are now.”

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