Page 58 of Her Orc Protector

I braced myself more firmly against the wall, one hand gripping the windowsill, the other still tangled in his hair. My hips had a mind of their own, canting forward, seeking more—more heat, more pressure, more of him.

He growled low in his throat, the vibration sinking into me, and then his hand shifted from my hip.

Thick fingers skimmed up the inside of my thigh—slow, steady, patient. He didn’t push. He gave me time to feel every inch of his touch. When he reached the slick heat of me, he paused, just resting there.

My body tensed—not with fear, but with need—and he felt it.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Just breathe.”

He eased a finger inside me, slowly, carefully. I gasped—not in pain, but in the stretch. Even just his finger was bigger than I was used to. Thicker. I had to focus on softening around him, letting my body open.

The way he looked up at me—half-lidded, dark with want—undid something in me. There was hunger there, yes, but also restraint. Reverence. As if he thought he might break me, and wanted to be worthy of the risk.

He worked that single finger in and out, shallow and patient, giving me time to adjust. Then, gradually, he added another.

I let out a soft cry, and his free hand cupped the back of my thigh, steadying me, holding me open as he buried his mouth against me again.

His fingers moved in rhythm with his tongue—deep and slow inside me, firm and unrelenting against my clit. The dual sensation pushed me higher than I expected, faster than I was ready for.

The stretch still burned a little, but the heat of it twisted into pleasure, and that only made everything sharper. His tusks occasionally grazed my inner thighs, not painful, just grazing—just there. Constant reminders of his shape, his difference, his presence.

My moans turned to whimpers. My legs began to shake. I couldn’t hold still anymore.

“Uldrek—” I gasped.

His fingers curled inside me, pressing into a spot that made me see stars. His mouth latched harder onto me, his tongue relentless now.

My climax hit like a storm breaking. I cried out—louder than I meant to, legs locking around his shoulders, fingers clenched hard in his hair. My hips jerked and ground against his mouth, riding every wave he gave me.

He didn’t stop. He held me through it, fingers still moving gently inside me, his mouth slowing only when my body began to shake with oversensitivity. I sagged back against the wall, breath ragged, heart pounding, a soft sob escaping me before I could stop it.

Not from pain. Not from fear.

From release.

From relief.

He pulled back slowly, easing his fingers from my body with a care that made me ache all over again. He pressed one last kiss to the inside of my thigh, then stood—tall and steady, despite the way his breath came heavy through parted lips.

I looked up at him, dazed, barely able to think. My legs didn’t feel like mine.

He cupped my face with those same hands—still warm, still smelling of me—and kissed me. Deep, slow, tasting of skin and sweat and want. And something else, too. Something close to awe.

When he pulled back, I exhaled hard and let out a breathless laugh. “Well,” I managed, “we’ll take this one.”

Uldrek’s grin was crooked, flushed with heat and something softer underneath. “Hope it comes with curtains,” he said, brushing his thumb across my lower lip. “We’re gonna need ‘em.”

I leaned forward, letting my forehead rest against his chest. His heartbeat was a steady thud beneath his shirt, grounding me.

We stood there for a long moment, held in the hush of dust-moted light and new breath. No urgency now. Just warmth. Just after.

Just us.

The sunlight had dimmed by degrees when we left the cottage. I didn’t notice at first, but as we made our way back toward Tinderpost House, a chill crept into the air—not sharp enough to bite, but bracing. The breeze had shifted. Damp. Salt-tinged. There was no sea near Everwood, but suddenly, I could taste brine on the back of my tongue like a warning.

I pulled my shawl tighter around my shoulders, but the shiver that moved down my spine wasn’t from cold.

Uldrek noticed but didn’t press. Just adjusted his steps so we walked shoulder to shoulder, brushing more than once as the narrow lane wound beneath the curling branches of dusk-dimmed trees. A pair of crows flapped overhead, silhouetted against the deepening sky, and the hush that followed felt… expectant.

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