Page 38 of Wagered to the Orc
“For what?” His voice was a rumble as his palm stroked the bare skin of my arm and chest. “Yer pleasure?”
I grinned, reaching up to cup his cheek. The pad of my thumb caressed his scar. “For choosing me. For loving me. For treating me as someone worth your love.”
The green of his eyes was slowly fading to black as he shook his head. “Ye have that backwards, Mate. Ye are more than worthy of love, and I only wish I could be a better male for ye.”
I scoffed. “You are the best of males, Korvak.” I tugged him closer. “Mate.”
“Mate,” he agreed as he lowered his mouth to mine.
And my heart soared.
Epilogue
Korvak
“That’s it, laddie. Ye’re doing such a good job,” I crooned to the yearling I was working with. “Come by. Och, and ye have an extra apple for this.”
Pleased, I stepped up beside the animal to rub the spot along his neck that I knew he liked. “What a good lad.”
The horse whinnied and bobbed his head, and I smiled.
The early summer sun beat down upon us, and I tipped my head back to bask in it, marveling at the sensation. Not just the warmth, but the fact Ididsmile, and the scar no longer pulled at my skin. I believe ‘twas because I’d been smiling so much more often this last year.
The yearling’s head came up, and I turned in time to see my Mate strolling barefoot across the field toward us.
Mate.
The word—theconcept—never failed to make myKteerrise. How did one male ever become so lucky? I was cursed at birth, but Effie made me whole.
“He’s looking fine, Mate,” she crooned as she stepped up beside me, running her hand along the horse’s side, but her eyes never left me, raking my bare chest wickedly. “The clan will be grateful for such a fine beast.”
I suspected she was speaking of me.
Smirking, I smacked the yearling’s flank, urging him back to the small herd I’d taken from the village here to our remote cottage to work with this summer. “I think ye might be right.”
“I amalwaysright,” Effie corrected, taking my hand in one of her small ones and tugging me toward the large oak tree shading this side of the stream. “And now I have something to tell you.”
Smiling again, I followed willingly.
The naughty look she shot me over her shoulder told me I was going to enjoywhatever news she had.
But when we reached the tree, she arranged me with my back to the trunk. She even settled my arse in a more comfortable position against the shaggy bark. I raised a brow at her.
Effie then—grinning wickedly—moved to stand in front of me, her hand going to my bare chest just for a moment before she moved her hands to her bodice.
Oh fook.
My mouth went dry as she unlaced her simple gown. ‘Twas one of several she brought with her from my—our—village in the spring when we returned to our croft. We both preferred being alone here, but I was pleased she had more comforts than she had last summer when she’d arrived.
But here and now, I was less concerned with the style she wore, and more focused on the fact ‘twas easy to remove. Effie held my gaze as she draped the gown over one of the oak’s branches, then reached for the hem of her chemise.
She was standing nude before me, and my cock was throbbing incessantly against the inside of my kilt, while myKteerhowled in lust.
When she stepped back in front of me and wove her fingers together behind her arse, it thrust out her tits. Gods below, I loved those tits. The nipples looked bigger to me today in the sunshine, the pink a healthy glow I wanted to taste.
But my Mate had other ideas.
Her wicked expression changed to something soft and innocent, her blue eyes going wide, her lips parting.
