Page 50 of The Orc's Thief
“I’mnotwashing my hair,” I mutter to myself as I unlace my boots and shove my pants down. “I’d catch a cold and die of exposure.”
A shudder runs through me, and goosebumps erupt all over my skin as I drag my shirt over my head and undo my stays. My nipples pebble in the cold air, and I already regret this.
“Cold, cold, cold!”
I hiss in a breath—my toes are barely touching the water. But I’ve come this far, and if I don’t wash right now, quickly, I’ll risk getting that chill after all. I clutch the bar of soap tighter in my fist and march forward resolutely. The water covers my shins, then my knees. The burn starts, the chill seeping into my bones.
Another few steps, and I’m up to my buttocks, deep enough in the pool that water will cover me to my chin if I crouch.
Scrunching my eyes shut, I take a deep breath and plunge.
“Aah!”
The cry escapes my throat, a wild sound ripped from me along with all the breath left in my body. I shoot upward, trembling all over, and scrub the bar of soap under my arms. My teeth chatter, so I clench my jaw against the involuntary movement and lather my hands to wash my?—
“Tessa?”
I swing around, dropping my soap in alarm, because Arlon is standing right there on the bank, naked as the day he was born, gawping at me with his mouth open.
With a squeak, I cover my tits and lower a hand between my legs. “What are youdoinghere?”
He blinks, then wrenches his gaze up to my face with visible effort. “You-you screamed.”
“Because I’mcold!”
But that’s not really true anymore, because heat pulses through me—part embarrassment, part the realization that we’re both naked, fully exposed to each other. Arlon must have run here the moment he heard me scream. He’s still dripping wet, his long hair plastered to his shoulders. My gaze drifts over his body. I can’t stop it. There’s just so much of him. His powerful arms, those muscular legs, and the startling length of his cock between them.
Gods.
As I watch, it thickens slightly, beginning to rise. Is he…?
I snap my gaze to his face and catch the deep flush in his cheeks. Yes, he’s getting hard, still staring at me. He doesn’t move closer, doesn’t speak, and that restraint says more about him than any of the questions I’ve asked.
My heart is pounding, from both the cold and the shock. But my belly is warm, heat pooling deep inside. I tell myself it’s natural. Arlon isgorgeous, and we’re both naked, so of course my instincts would respond. What I can’t explain is why I’m not sending him away, why I haven’t told him to turn around or leave me alone.
Arlon’s nostrils twitch as he inhales, and he lets out a low groan, barely audible over the rushing water. My gaze dips down to his cock, now fully hard and pointing up toward me, the length of it truly impressive. What’s more, there’s a fist-sized bulge at the base, and I wonder what that’s for. It can’t be comfortable for him—can it?
A shiver runs through me. My body is at war with itself, trying to stay warm and fight arousal at the same time. Arlon and I are locked in a silent moment, staring at each other, and I have no clue what to do.
But his eyes narrow at my shudder, and he runs a palm over his face. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Tessa. I’ll-I’ll get back to the horses. You finish washing.”
He turns on his heel and disappears through the bushes, his footsteps silent.
His retreat snaps me from the moment. I squint into the water and spot the soap floating near the bottom of the pool, the current washing it away from me. I grab it and lather my hands again, then freeze as I reach between my legs to wash myself. I’m wet, slick and warm, ready for…
Gods, that’s not a great development. But Arlon has this effect on me, and if I’m not careful, he’ll pull me into this whole fated fairytale he’s concocted.
I need to learn more about orcs and their customs to understand what this is all about. The more prepared I am, the better my chances of survival. I seem to have forgotten that over the past few days, as I plunged into the unknown without a solid plan. But now that I’m not in immediate danger, I need to stop and think. Prepare a plan, then execute it ruthlessly.
My shivering has given way to a constant tremor, so I rinse myself quickly and stumble out of the water, crossing slick river stones to the mossy boulders beyond. I dry my body with my old shirt, then drag on fresh underwear and my stays. My fingers and toes are alarmingly pale, so I jump in place several times, willing my teeth to stop chattering, but it’s no use. I got chilled through, just as I suspected I would, all because I wanted to smell good for Arlon.
Damn it, Tessa.
I fumble with the buttons of my jacket, cursing softly under my breath. I shouldn’t have stayed in the river for so long, not at this time of year, when the air around me is barely any warmer than the frigid stream.
“Tessa?” Arlon calls from somewhere behind the bushes. “Everything all right?”
I tuck my numb hands under my armpits and will my heart to send more hot blood into them. “I’m fine!”
