Page 10 of Saved By the Mountain Man Orc
He drives the axe into the chopping block with a final, resounding thud and turns to face me fully. Sweat gleams on his chest and his breathing is slightly elevated from the exertion.
"You're still in pain."
"No." I swallow hard, taking another step closer. "Not really."
He says nothing, but his nostrils flare slightly like he's scenting the air around me.
The silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken words.
"Why do you keep looking at me like you're fighting something?" I ask.
His jaw tightens. "Because I am."
"What is it?"
He doesn't answer immediately. Just stands there, chest rising and falling with controlled breaths, golden eyes fixed on my face like he's memorizing every detail.
So, I take another step toward him. Then another.
I'm close enough now to feel his body heat despite the night air, to see the fine tremor in his hands as they curl into fists at his sides.
"Drak."
He doesn't move. Doesn't speak. Just watches me with an intensity that makes my skin feel too tight.
I lift my hand and press my palm flat against his chest, right over his heart. His skin is furnace-hot, sticky with sweat, and I can feel his heart hammering beneath my fingers.
He’s a man. Just a man. But… better.
His breath hitches. Every muscle in his body goes rigid.
"You saved me," I whisper. "You took care of me. You fed me, protected me. And you keep looking at me like I'm... like I'm yours."
His golden eyes blaze. When he speaks, his voice is rough as gravel.
"Youare."
The words hit me like lightning, sending electricity racing down my spine.
I don't move. Don't speak. My fingers curl slightly against his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heartbeat.
"I don't know how," he continues hoarsely. "But I knew the moment I saw you. Smelled you. Everything in me just locked onto you like you were the missing piece I didn't know I needed."
His voice drops lower, rougher.
"I'm trying to do the right thing, Jasmine. To let you go back to your life. But you're all I can think about. You're in my blood now."
For one dizzy second, I wonder if I should step back—but I don’t.
My breath comes shorter. "Then stop trying."
Emotions flicker across his face, and I see his control snapping like an overstretched rope.
He moves faster than I can process, one massive hand sliding to the small of my back, the other curling around the nape of my neck. His fingers tangle in my hair as he pulls me against him, and our mouths crash together with desperate hunger.
The kiss is nothing like the gentle touches from before. It's claiming.Consuming. His tusks press lightly against my cheeks, perfectly spaced so that my mouth meets hisjust right. I can taste the wildness on his lips, something untamed and honest that makes heat pool low in my belly.
I melt into him, my hands fisting in his hair, pulling him closer even though there's no space left between us. His chest rumbles with a low, guttural sound that vibrates through my entire body.
