Page 69 of The Orc's Thief
“I…yes.” It feels like a leap into the dark, but to deny him would be a lie. “I think so.”
Again, I wish I could see his face, but I simply feel the tension bleeding out of him. His muscles relax underneath me, and I find myself drawn into an embrace that has my throat closing up. From his casual jokes and confident attitude, I assumed Arlon would treat bed sport the same way, with enthusiasm but little emotion.
I should have known better.
He rolls to his side and tucks me against his chest, then hooks his leg over mine in a possessive gesture I should loathe. But I’m too tired to pretend. Instead, I brush back his hair and press a soft kiss to his lips, using touch to guide me in the darkness.
Arlon kisses me back, his tongue just lightly brushing over my lower lip. “Sleep, love.”
I want to argue, but there’s no use. His warmth, his embrace, the steady beat of his heart—they’re all lulling me into dreamland, so I trust him once more and close my eyes, knowing he’ll keep me safe.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
ARLON
For the first time in my life, I wake up with my mate in my arms and vow to myself that I’ll do everything in my power to repeat this for the rest of my life.
Tessa’s still asleep, her breaths warming my skin, so I take a moment to watch her face, relaxed and peaceful.
The maids are moving about downstairs. I’m not sure what woke me. The chirping of sparrows on the other side of the straw roof, perhaps, or the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones outside. Some traveler getting an early start to the day, no doubt, waking the poor grooms before dawn.
I need to use the washroom, so I gently pull my arm from under Tessa’s head and tuck her pillow in its place. In the dark, I tug on my riding pants and grab a fresh shirt. It’s my last one, so I’ll be glad to collect our laundry from Mistress Maeve after breakfast.
Cracking the door open, I slip into the hallway and only pull on my boots after shutting the door behind me to avoid waking Tessa. The washroom is occupied, so I lean against the wall opposite it, running through the events of last night. I hadn’tplanned any of it. I wasn’t going to push Tessa any more than I already had, especially after what she told me. But when she ordered me to take off my shirt, I couldn’t refuse. To finally hold her, kiss her, was my deepest wish, and I wasn’t strong enough to deny her.
Would that come back to bite me in the ass? Would Tessa decide the intimacy was too much for her?
The door in front of me opens, and a man steps into the hallway. I recognize him as the lone traveler from last night, the stranger who’d been sitting by the bar, hunched over his dinner plate.
He nods at me amiably and ambles down the hallway toward the taproom.
Huh. Last night, there’d been a moment during my dance with Tessa when I thought he might be watching us, but maybe he wasn’t. He certainly doesn’t seem hostile now.
My business finished, I climb the stairs and return to the upper floor. I ease the door open and slip inside, tiptoeing into the warm room and latching the door behind me.
“I’m awake,” Tessa mumbles from the bed. “Can you light the lantern, please? I still can’t see anything.”
The air is stuffy in here, though not as stifling as I’d expect for a room with no windows.
“Give me a moment.”
I strike the flint, and the yellow glow of the lantern spreads through the room. I turn around to find Tessa staring at me, her cheeks flushed a soft pink, her auburn curls wild around her face. As good as my night vision is, I missed this—seeing her in full color.
“Good morning.”
She brushes her hair back and pulls the sheet higher with a tug. “Morning. How long have you been up?”
I sit next to her on the bed, take her hand, and press a kiss to her knuckles. “Not long. I slept like the dead. You?”
I want to pull her into my lap and kiss her senseless, but I don’t know what she’s thinking. Not until she leans in, puts one hand on my shoulder, and presses a kiss to my lips. I react before I can think better of it, grabbing her by the waist and hauling her closer.
Tessa lets out a small gasp, parting her lips for me, and I stroke my tongue against hers, relief pouring through me.
When I finally pull myself back, her lips are swollen, her eyes hooded from pleasure.
“Well, that was unexpected.” I run my fingers through my hair and exhale slowly to get myself back under control. “Lovely, but unexpected.”
