She rolled her eyes. “But he didn’t. He just told me to leave. That it was all his. And to take Grandma with me.” She gave my fingers a squeeze. “She doesn’t know anything about it. I didn’t want to upset her. So I told her that the house was too much responsibility for me to keep up with and I wanted to move to somewhere I wouldn’t have to remember my parents so much.”
Her sigh was deep and heartfelt. “And that’s the biggest lie ever. IwishI could be there. In those memories. Those were the happiest days of my life.”
“Does your uncle live there now?” I asked, frowning.
She nodded, inching closer to me. It was everything I could do to not gather her up in my arms and hold her close. “He moved in right away. I don’t know him that well. My dad grew up with him but after he became successful they’d grown apart. Dad never talked about it,” she explained, “but he’d always told me to be careful with him. That he didn’t have very nice friends.”
She moved even closer, her leg pressing against mine and I stilled even further, hoping and praying that she wouldwantmy touch. Could need my comfort.
“That’s why it was weird. Because they’d been estranged for so long. But when I asked my dad’s lawyer to see his will, it was all there in black and white. Everything was left to my uncle.” She leaned her head against my shoulder, and I froze, struggling to keep everything I was feeling inside me.
She didn’t need all of that right now. She was baring her soul, and the least I could do was listen. But her scent was filling my lungs and the ache to touch her and pull her closer was filling me to capacity.
“And no matter how hard I try, I can’t get that house back,” she said, her side touching mine now. I lifted an arm with hesitance before wrapping it around her shoulders.
It was as if that was all the permission she’d needed. Shesnuggled into me, seeking comfort and I gave it to her. Holding her against me and rubbing my palm in a circle against her back. The heat of her, the scent of her, it was filling my head and making me dizzy, but I was too focused on helping her. Her needs came first. Always.
“Would you like me to try?” I asked, murmuring against her hair and she pulled away to look up at me with a sweet smile, the strain I always saw in her eyes didn’t look as urgent and painful in that moment. It was like she’d finally taken a moment to breathe.
“Thank you for asking that,” she whispered, but then her gaze lowered to my lips and I lost my breath. “Thank you for everything.”
It was like a dream when she leaned forward, her lips pressing against mine. I was certain this wasn’t real. It was a fantasy that I’d concocted with my lustful brain. I was sure of it.
But her scent filled my nostrils, going straight to my brain and making my heart pound. And the soft, gentle, almost hesitant touch of her lips against mine was like nothing I’d ever felt before. Just for that reason, I was certain that itcouldn’tbe a dream.
My imagination was good, but notthatgood.
Every primal instinct in my body and brain were screaming at me to crush her against me, but my heart resisted. This wasn’t for me. This was forher. And for her, I could be gentle. I could take my time.
My eyes flickered shut and I tasted her for the first time, absorbing her inside of me. The sweet taste of her. The feel of her plush lips. The heat of her skin under my hands.
This is better than I could have ever come up with on my own.
This was why orcs had mates. For them to introduce us to sweetness. Tenderness. Love.
With a deep groan, I tilted my head to give her better accessand that was all my little mate needed to push herself harder against me, fusing our lips together instead of just brushing. My cock kicked hard in my pants, straining toward her, but I begged it to wait. To be patient.
For her.
Even if this was all that I could have from her, it was the best thing I’d ever had in my life. She fit perfectly between my tusks, her lush, soft breasts pressed against me. I’d been with females before, but they were orcs. And they didn’t have this kind of softness.
Gods, I treasure it.
After fighting for my life in Hellplane, I wanted to thank every God above for giving me this. For giving meher. She was my reward for fighting. For keeping the faith.
And now, I had her here. With me. Kissing me and stroking those tiny fingers against my scalp as if she wanted more.
She was the one who pulled away next, and my fingers clenched in her soft flesh before I cursed myself and released her. Her lips were parted and her breathing was choppy. She wasglorious. I licked my lips, savoring the taste of her and her eyes flickered there before flickering away and biting her lower lip.
Gods, I wanted to bite her there. To mark her. To make her mine.
“Did I hurt you?” I asked, pulling my hands from her in case I did.
Incredulous eyes turned my way. “Hurt me?” she scoffed. “Krusk, you were there. Doyouthink you hurt me?”
Her mischievous smile told mehell no.
“You’re so tiny compared to me,” I explained, flexing my fingers in front of her. “And so soft. I was afraid—”
