Page 48 of Wrangling the Orc Cowboy

If I lived here, I'd have a sorhox of my own. I'd ride my own beast beside Tark's, our laughter mingling with the wind as we moved across this vast, open space. I halted my thoughts mid-flight. I was here to work with him, to get his social media up to speed, not to fall in love with him or play house inside an orc ranch.

My heart thudded against my ribcage at the thought, whispering secrets I didn't dare listen to. I nestled deeper into Tark’s embrace, a part of me getting lost in how comforting it felt even while I told myself he only held me to keep me from falling.

Finally, he slowed Castree to a walk and we approached a wide, grassy meadow bordered by a trickle of a stream. When Castree came to a stop, Tark leaped down, fluid and graceful, as though he belonged to the terrain itself. He reached up to help me to the ground, and I let him lift me off, that familiar rush sparking through me at his touch.

I stepped away and headed toward the stream, eager to explore. The water glimmered in the sunlight, mirroring the blue of the sky above. I crouched down, trailing my fingers through the cool water, my heart fluttering with the joy of this moment.

Rising, I turned around to find Tark almost directly behind me.

My breath caught. The distance between us shrunk to nothing. Warmth radiated from his body. Incredibly enticing. “You’re close,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s where I belong.” The heat of his gaze washed over me, a mixture of curiosity and something that made my skin prickle in an exciting way.

“I could stay here forever.” I scanned the open meadow with tall grass waving in the breeze, a few speckles of colorful flowers, the stream at our back, and the dense woods beyond. “It’s beautiful here.”

“You have so little time left before you have to go,” he said, a hint of sorrow weaving through his words. I wanted to reach for him, soothe what sounded like pain, but I hesitated. He didn't mean anything when he said it.

Or did he?

“Maybe it’s just about today,” I said, glancing back at the flowing water. “Why worry about tomorrow?”

As soon as the words left me, I regretted them. I wouldn’t let myself get lost in the possibilities, wouldn’t allow my heart to savor this moment. Tark deserved more than an emotional whirlwind. He needed certainty, solidity, and a future with someone other than me.

“Are you married or with someone?” I blurted out.

“What? No. I'm not married or with anyone.”

I shouldn't feel happy about his reply. “Why not?”

“Because there’s only one person for me.”

“That doesn't go with you not being with someone.” Maybe he’d loved an orc female. She could be back at the orc kingdom, waiting for him to send for her.

Or she could’ve died. The pain in his eyes suggested something heart-wrenching had happened. I wasn't going to pry and make him feel worse.

“I want you to enjoy every minute you have here,” he said. “You’ll carry these memories with you when you leave.”

“Always.” Our eyes locked. What I saw in his gaze now left me struggling against the tide of emotions welling inside me. I couldn’t even begin to envision how this would play out, but right now, here in this place, everything felt suddenly right.

I took his hand, acting like it was a friendly gesture when it was anything but to me, and dragged him out into the sunshine, to the middle of the open field.

There I sat and tugged him down beside me.

“What are you doing?” he asked, blinking down at me, not budging an inch from my pull.

“Let's lay in the grass and point out cloud sculptures.”

He glanced up before scowling at me. “The sun is bright. It makes my eyes water.”

“You don't need to stare at the sun. We can lay with it behind us.” I flopped backward and stared up, trying not to laugh at the bemused expression on his face.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because it's fun. Try it. You'll see.”

Grumbling, he gingerly settled on the grass beside me.

“Lay down,” I said. “Stretch out those long legs and look up. Tell me what you see.”

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