Page 70 of The Orc's Thief
She lifts one naked shoulder in a shrug. “You seemed unsure of whether you should touch me or not, so I showed you.”
That she read me like a book should come as no surprise—we’re mates, after all. But she’s human, so I didn’t expect that level of understanding from her. Does she also realize I want to topple her back on the bed and bury my face between her legs?
“We shouldn’t tarry,” she says, shuffling in my lap. “We need to ask around and find out which way the caravan traveled from here.”
I hold back a sigh. It would be unfair to expect that she should have the same cravings as me.
“What is it?” she asks, frowning up at me.
I think of making up an excuse, but I promised Tessa the truth, didn’t I?
“I was hoping we’d spend more time, ah, getting to know each other,” I hedge. “It’s barely dawn, after all.”
She stares at me for a long moment, then whispers, “Right now? In the morning?”
“Why not?” I frown at her, confused. “Is there a schedule I don’t know about?”
Tessa scrubs a hand over her face. “No, but I…” She peers up at me through her lashes. “I’ve only ever fucked at night.”
I can picture it, Tessa and some stranger, fumbling under the covers at night. The image has my blood racing faster, unaccountable jealousy piercing through me. Does she feel the same when she thinks of me and my past lovers? It’s not a pleasant thought, and I push it away, focusing back on her.
“Do you want me to blow out the lantern?” I ask, voice gravelly from the lingering tension. “The room’s isolated enough…”
But she’s already shaking her head. “No, I-I want to see you.”
My cock kicks in my pants at her words. She wants to see me? I’ll show hereverything, erase the memories of those assholes who never took the time to worship her in daylight.I tug my shirt off and toss it on the saddlebags, then shove off my pants and underwear.
“Oh, gods.” Tessa’s eyes go round in surprise. Her gaze flicks down to my dick, then she forces herself to look at my face again. “You really don’t have any issue being naked, do you?”
I grin and tuck my arms behind my head, even though I want to reach for her and drag her on top of me. “None. Not in front of you.”
Tessa’s hands tremble as she clutches the bedsheet. Her face is pink, her hair disheveled, and she’s never been prettier than right now, when she’s contemplating whether to give in to her instincts or not. I shouldn’t pressure her, not with this, but my cock is heavy against my stomach, the tip leaking precum just from her attention. I need her to make this decision on her own, in the full light of day, so to speak. What we did last night was a hurried, desperate thing, meant to take the edge off and help us sleep.
And it did. After two days of hard riding and camping on the road, I slept like a log with my mate in my arms.
She sucks in a deep breath, then lets go of the sheet. It pools around her hips, exposing her perfect, heavy tits. Her nipples are already tight, and I know she’s growing wet for me—her scent betrays her, even as her expression remains guarded.
“What-what can we do that won’t involve…?” she begins, keeping her gaze somewhere above my head.
I force myself to stay very still. “You could ride my cock without putting it inside you, like we did last night. Or I could lick your pussy until you’re screaming with pleasure.”
Her gaze snaps to me, her eyelashes fluttering. The scent of her arousal perfumes the air, and I bite back a groan. If she knew how desperate I was for her, she’d have the upper hand. She’d have all the power.
I still, my muscles locking at the realization. Maybe that’s exactly what she needs.
“I’d do anything to taste you, love,” I admit, forcing the words out even as the warrior in me chafes at this loss of control. “I would sell my soul to be inside you too, but we’ll have to wait for that. You can choose anything, and I’ll do it, as long as I get to touch you.”
Tessa’s lips part in surprise, and for a moment, I think she might refuse me, might run from me, from my declaration.
Then she scoots closer on her hands and knees, the sheet falling away from her. “Is there anything we can do where we’ll both enjoy it at the same time?”
“If you think I won’t enjoy eating you out?—”
She waves my words away. “I want a fair exchange.”
A fair exchange? Nothing is fair about this situation where I would walk over hot coals for her, and she’s one wrong move away from fleeing this room. But that’s not Tessa’s fault. It’s the Fates who paired us together.
But I have an idea that would honor Tessa’s request.
