Page 25 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy
“It looks nice,” she said brightly, not meeting my eyes. I still worried she wasn’t happy about our kiss. I hoped not because I wanted another. I'd quickly gone from telling myself I didn't deserve to be with someone new to meeting this woman and craving much more than I should.
She let out a soft sigh, the kind people made when their feet found solid ground again. Her shoulders dropped. Her eyes roamed. “I like it. It suits you.”
I nodded toward the rest of the house. “Let me show you around.”
Holly grabbed her bag off the island, handing Max his own, and they followed me down the hall.
The living room on the left held two big chairs, one long couch, a bookcase with books in orcish, and a table where I propped my feet up at the end of the day.
“Your chairs are big,” Max said, touching the arm of one.
“Not to me,” I said with a low laugh.
“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” I was more watching Holly than him. What did she truly think of my home? I was grateful I kept it tidy. Some of my brothers did not. Dungar, our oldest, kept everything meticulously clean, but that was him, not me, though I wasn't what anyone would call messy.
Across the hall from the living room, I pushed open the bathroom door. “There are towels in the closet.”
I urged them to the end of the hall with doors on either side.
“Here.” I pointed through the open one on the left. “Max, this will be your room. The bed’s smaller than the other, but I think it'll work well.”
Max barreled past me. “My own room? Cool.” He rounded the bed and peered out the window.
“And this one’s mine, so yours, Holly.” Backing out, I tapped the doorway across on the right. “I’ll change the sheets. Just give me a bit.”
Holly stood beside me, scanning each room. “Thank you.”
I nodded. “Get settled. Come out when you're ready. I’ll get dinner started.”
“I can help,” she said, already stepping past me.
I waved a hand. “Tomorrow, maybe. You both deserve a break after traveling here, and you worked a full day today.”
She didn’t argue, just smiled.
Back in the kitchen, I dropped my hands to the counter and leaned into them. Pressing the smooth surface like it might hold me up.
In the loft, she’d kissed me back. She’d wanted the kiss as much as I did. Did that mean she trusted me?
I scrubbed my face with my palms and blew out a breath. My whole body still hummed from being that close to her. Close enough to feel her heartbeat. Her warmth still clung to my skin. And her mouth…
It wouldn’t be a good idea to think too hard about her mouth right now.
Flipping my arm over, I smoothed my fingertip across the small golden circle glowing on the inner part of my left wrist. I’d felt it blaze when we kissed. Still stunned about it, I crossed the room and dropped into a chair at the table, staring at the fated mate mark.
It shimmered like quiet thunder under my skin.
Holly was my fated mate. The very thing I’d never expected to find after the death of my first mate. I’d never even dared to hope for anything like this. And it had happened without ceremony, without anything but one perfect kiss.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t deserve a mate when I couldn't protect the woman I'd mated with years ago.
But the mark didn’t lie. The fates had chosen Holly for me.
My heart pounded with something much too hopeful. I’d been given a second chance I'd never thought I’d want, let alone deserve. She was my fated mate. That was the truth now, carved into me.
But I hadn't earned her. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
