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“Would you like some coffee or tea with your pie?” I asked Rath, when I went to cut it. He’d given me his Wi-Fi password and we had been chatting as I did some work. The tension from earlier was still there but it had been dialed back some. It was as though the big Orc knew he had made me nervous and was now trying to put me at ease.
I appreciated that—I was definitely breathing easier. But I was still determined to try my tincture and see if it helped me be less awkward—just in case he tried to kiss me again. (Which I really hoped he would.)
“Uh sure—tea is fine,” he rumbled from the other room. “Do you want some help?”
“No, no—I’ve got it,” I assured him.
I cut both of us a big wedge of pie—though Rath’s wedge was considerably thicker than mine—and boiled some water in the kettle. I also heated up my tincture again, since I didn’t want to drink it cold.
I noticed, as I fished out the little cheesecloth sachet filled with herbs, that the liquid had turned a dark purple. I frowned—was it supposed to be that color? The instructions had said to steep the herbs in the water for one hour and it had been a lot longer than that now—would the extra steeping time make any difference?
Probably not, I decided and poured the warm tincture into a teacup for myself. I found a much larger mug for Rath and added two tea bags and some boiling water.
“Honey or sugar in your tea?” I called to him.
“Honey’s fine if you have some,” he returned. “I like it sweet.”
I found the honey jar in my Grandma’s cabinet and ladled a generous amount into both our cups—I liked mine sweet as well. Then I put the pie and cups on a tray, added some forks, and brought it all into the dining room.
Rath had been studying at my web design but he looked up when I came in.
“Here—let me help you,” he rumbled, taking the tray from me. He frowned at my teacup. “What’s that purple stuff you’re drinking?”
“Oh, just another recipe of my Grandma’s,” I told him. “I found it in the same book where I found the pie recipe.”
“Well, then it’s bound to be good,” he remarked.
We got settled at the table again and Rath took a bite of pie. Immediately his eyes rolled back in his head and he made a deep, rumbling sound of pure ecstasy.
“That’s it!” he exclaimed after he swallowed. “You got it perfectly! This is exactly how your Grandma’s pie tasted!”
I took a bite myself and had to admit it was good.
“She had the best recipes,” I said, smiling. “I’m sure she’d be glad to see us enjoying them.”
I took a sip of the purple tincture and was surprised to find that it was really good. It had a strong herbal flavor and a faintly bitter aftertaste, but I liked it anyway. I took a bigger sip and then had some more pie.
I guess it was about halfway through dessert that I started feeling strange. Or not strange exactly, more like light-headed…and euphoric. I wasn’t shy anymore, that was for sure. I suddenly felt able to speak my mind.
“You know what? I like you. I mean, I really like you,” I told Rath. Leaning forward, I put my hand on his arm. “You’re bigger than any guy I’ve ever seen and you’re green all over but I think that’s hot.”
“Oh, uh…thank you.” He looked surprised but pleased. “I think you’re hot too, baby.”
Mmm, I liked that—the sweet little nickname made me tingle all over.
“Kiss me,” I demanded boldly. “I’ve never kissed anyone with tusks—I wanna try it.”
I didn’t have to ask him twice. His mouth was on mine, hot and possessive, kissing me like I had never been kissed before. He tasted like cinnamon and spice and honey and I wanted more.
I returned the kiss eagerly, then pulled back to trace his tusks with the tip of my tongue. Somehow every sensation felt heightened—my whole body felt alive in a way it never had before.
“God, baby—you’re driving me fucking crazy,” he growled, his golden eyes gleaming with desire.
“Why don’t we go into the living room?” I suggested. “We can light the fire and get comfy on the couch.”
“Well, sure—if you want to.” He nodded and we left the dining room with his arm around me.
Rath left me reluctantly and knelt in front of the fireplace to get the fire started. While he did, I arranged myself on the couch. The dress I had on had little buttons down the front. It was already low-cut but I opened some of the buttons, putting more of my chest on display.
