Page 8 of Marked By the Broken Orc
“That’s Ink,” Talon says as the cat sniffs my fingers. “The small one is Cole.”
To my amazement, all three cats allow me to pet them. Shadow, the one who hissed at me, even starts purring.
“These are guard cats. They’re trained to be suspicious of strangers.”
“Guard cats?” I laugh, scratching behind Cole’s ears. “They’re just cats who want attention.” I look up at Talon. “Do you bring them with you to work every day?”
“I do. And normally I’m the only one they allow to pet them.” He leans against the doorframe. “What do you want, Mia Martin? I assume you aren’t here for a tattoo?”
His blunt question catches me off guard. I’m used to people being intimidated by me, but this orc doesn’t seem fazed in the slightest. “No, I’m not here for a tattoo. I was getting lunch next door and noticed this place. Kavin mentioned you were his best friend.”
“And you thought you’d check up on him?”
I grimace. “Not really, I just wanted to get to know him better by learning more about this place and the other orcs that are important to him.” I stand, meeting his gaze directly. “Look, I’ll be honest. After meeting Kavin last night, I learned that I’m, um, interested in your friend, romantically. So I guess I thought I’d come inside and poke my head in to see this place…”
Talon’s eyebrows rise. “Kavin doesn’t date human females.”
I blink. “At all?”
“At all. Well, orcs in general don’t date. We like to take our brides in the dark of winter. Dating is a ridiculous human construct. But Kavin does neither of those things. He’s got his reasons.”
“Care to share?”
Talon studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “That’s not my story to tell. But I will say this, my cats are a good judge of character. If they accept you, there’s something worthwhile there.”
I feel a little thrill of victory. “So you’re saying I have a chance?”
“I’m saying you’re the first human those cats have ever tolerated, let alone liked. And Kavin did mention meeting you, in a good way, which is unusual too.” He glances down at Shadow, who’s now rubbing against my leg. “Kavin’s going to be very surprised when he hears about this.”
I smile and then check the time on my phone. “Oops, I should go. I need to be back in plenty of time before he gets off work,” I laugh, giving each cat a final pet. “Thanks for letting me meet them.”
“Thanks for not running when they hissed at you.” Talon’s lips twitch. “Most people do.”
“I’m not most people.”
“No,” he says, watching me carefully. “I don’t think you are.”
I’m almost to the door when he calls out. “Mia.”
I turn back.
“Be patient with him. He’s worth it, but he’s got walls for a reason.”
I nod and step back out onto the sidewalk, my mind racing. Kavin doesn’t date human females at all, which is good to know. He’s got walls…this is also good to know. His body language had already hinted at this, so this isn’t new, but hearing it from his friend lets me know that getting close to Kavin is going to be a tough job. But his best friend’s guard cats love me, which apparently means something significant.
Hmm. I head back into my favorite sandwich shop with a wide smile on my face and order my typical number ten combo meal.
Tough projects don’t bother me in the least. Nothing good in life ever comes easy. And I have a feeling, in the end, Kavin Irontree will be worth the bother.
Two hours later,just as I’m checking my mailbox—okay, pretending to check my mailbox—Kavin’s truck pulls into the parking lot. It’s time to implement operation Get Kavin’s Phone Number.
He climbs out still wearing his uniform, looking tired but impressive. When he sees me, he pauses. “Mia?”
I smile back, pleased he remembered my name.
Wow, the sweat on his body, the smear of dirt on his cheek are hot as hell. I love the look of a male coming off a day of hard, hard work. “How was your first day?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
“Good. Productive.” His voice is carefully neutral. “How was your day off?”
