Page 8 of Saved By the Mountain Man Orc
Despite everything, I find myself huffing out something that might be laughter. "I see that."
She doesn't smile, but her face softens. She takes a careful step closer, favoring her good ankle.
"Why did you help me, Drak?"
The truth sits heavy on my tongue, too dangerous to speak aloud.
Because you're mine.
Because the mountain gave you to me.
Because I couldn't let anyone else find you—not my brothers, not the humans who would come looking, not anyone.
"I don't know," I lie.
Her hazel eyes narrow. She's too smart to believe me, and we both know it.
"I don't belong here," she says, voice soft but firm. "Do I?"
No.
Yes.
With me, you do.
Instead of speaking, I step closer. She doesn't flinch, doesn't retreat. Her scent wraps around me—sunshine and wildflowers tinged with something else now.Desire. Lust.
It’s enough to drive an orc wild.
Her gaze drops to my chest. I'd forgotten I was shirtless. It doesn’t matter now. She's seen all of me anyway.
Scars that map decades of survival. Muscle earned through necessity. Skin the color of deep forest shadows.
"You're not what I expected," she says quietly.
"We’re not what anyone expects," I reply. "That's always been the problem."
We're close enough now that I could reach out and touch her. Close enough that if I wanted to, I could wrap my arms around her waist and pull her against me. Close enough to bury my face in her hair and breathe in that scent that's driving me slowly insane.
She looks up at me, moonlight catching the gold flecks in her eyes.
And then she does something that stops my heart entirely.
She licks her lips. Like she's thinking about what it would feel like if I kissed her.
Something inside me snaps.
I move before I can stop myself, one hand slamming against the cabin wall beside her head. Not touching her, but close enough to cage her in. Close enough that she has to tilt her head back to meet my eyes.
"You shouldn't look at me like that," I rasp.
Her breath hitches. "Like what?"
"Like you're not afraid."
"Should I be?"
The question hangs between us, loaded with everything we're not saying.
