Page 34 of My Orc Contract Husband
He was comforting me. Wow.
“You looked beautiful today, Sami. Did I tell you that?” He huffed a little laugh. “Well, you look beautiful all the time—you’re the most beautiful female I’ve ever met. But today you looked particularly stunning.”
What an incredible sweet thing to say. Still, modesty demanded me to reply, “I’m sure you’ve dated far more beautiful women.”
He hesitated, and when he exhaled, his breath stirred my hair. “Honestly? Maybe I have. I suddenly can’t remember a single one of them. Because none of them had your strength, your bravery, and your humor. That makes you the most beautiful female I’ve ever met.”
Oh.
Wow.
I found myself pressing closer, enjoying the feel of being held by him, surrounded by his warmth and strength. I felt…cherished. Safe.
“Then I should probably tell you that you were really hot today in your suit,” I finally admitted. “I mean, when you’re in your work pants and those tight T-shirts, I’m delighted to look at you. But in a suit, you’re positively devastating.”
“Really?” I could tell I’d surprised him. “Then I’ll make an effort to wear the suit more often.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I assured him, pulling away slightly so I could tip my head back and meet his eyes. “Not for me.”
“Of course I do,” he scoffed. “Have to make my wife happy, you know.”
Wife.
I was someone’s wife. Someone Ichose. Someone who wanted to take care of me, instead of just using me.
He married you so he could get a mortgage. That’s using you.
Yeah, but he was protecting me from Pierce. And he noticed things about me and tried to care for me. And he was hugging me.
Actually, no, he wasn’t just hugging me any longer. His hand had risen to the back on my neck now and he was squeezing, rubbing the tight muscles. I felt myself melting under his touch, those big fingers of his pressing and kneading in all the right places.
I sighed, relaxing against him.
What would it feel like for him to touch meeverywherewith those fingers?
I squeezed my thighs together to capture the rush of warmth down there.
Tarkhan inhaled sharply, and I remembered what I’d read about orcs’ senses. Oh Lord, could he tell what I was thinking about? Did he know that I was imagining him kissing me? And doing more?
“What does your shirt mean?” he blurted it out, as if he was just trying to start a conversation.
I blinked, surprised, before I remembered I was wearing my naughty acronym shirt. “Oh. It’s…uh. It’s a bookish thing. An acronym. It means…it’s just like an inside joke. With book girlies.”
“And you are a book girly?”
“I…like to read. Um. Certain kinds of books.” I probably shouldn’t admit I’d even picked up a few dozen monster-fucking books since I’d taken him on as a client, right? I mean, admitting I’d fantasized about a client was likely a professional no-no.
Except now he was my husband.
His nostrils flared again, and my cheeks heated, guessing he could read my body’s responses.
Tarkhan’s voice had dropped. “What kind of books?”
Without thinking, my gaze locked on his lips, I whispered, “Kissing books.”
His tongue darted out to flick over his tusk, a gesture I found simultaneously erotic and utterly charming. “Sami…we need to talk about what you expect from this marriage. Do you want… Me?”
Did he flex his hips on purpose? I’m not sure, but being wrapped in his arms, I could feel his hardness—hiscock—against my belly, and I managed not to moan. It was close.
