But Rosa only felt a surging rising warmth, strong enough to bring a slow, genuine smile to her lips. “No,” she breathed, soft. “I wanted it. Ilovedit, my lord.”
The orc’s eyes widened, his mouth clenching — and then a clawed finger snapped to her chin, tilting it up, the rest of his claws trailing sharp and menacing against her neck. “Foolish woman,” he said again. “No falsehoods.”
But Rosa only held those eyes, sinking into the odd, entirely unfathomable comfort of those claws, brushing so gently against her skin. “No,” she whispered. “No falsehoods.”
Something shifted again in his eyes, but before Rosa could follow it, he’d moved away, standing tall and powerful and breathtaking over her. “Sleep,” he said, “and I shall stay.”
And even as those words pulled at something, nagged at something, Rosa felt herself nodding, her eyes fluttering closed. She would sleep, he would stay, she would impress him, and be worthy. He would see.
8
When Rosa next awoke, she was lying naked and warm in Lord Kaspar’s cot. Alone in the cot, which was odd — Lord Kaspar always slept late, always took up most of the cot, and always snored — and Rosa leisurely stretched and yawned and sat up, blinking about the room —
Until she found herself staring at an orc.Theorc.Him.
The memories swarmed in a flood, the heat surging both to her face and deeper below, and it distantly occurred to her that she was rather sore down there, and quite noticeably wet. Not only that, but her entire body felt sore too — she’d been scratched, she realized, blinking down at the faint red marks on her arms and her chest — and her blonde waves were long and loose, and she wasnaked.
And the orc was openly, shamelessly staring at her. Studying her bare torso, his mouth pursed, his black eyes unreadable.
There was the compulsion, sudden and overpowering, to cover herself, to yank the blanket back up — but Rosa held herself still in the bed, letting him look. Thinking, oddly, of those quiet, intent moments before she’d fallen asleep. Did I truly frighten you. No falsehoods.
And whatever madness had overtaken Rosa last night — whatever utterinsanityhad compelled her to fuck anorc, all the way, forresearch— it was clearly still here, lingering close and breathless in her throat. Drawing her betraying eyes down the orc’s clothed body — he was seated at the little table again, a new book open in front of him — and back up to that watching, waiting face.
“Good morning,” she ventured, and she felt her mouth twitch up into a faint, careful smile. “Did you truly sit here and readall night?”
The orc gave a curt nod, his eyes still strangely watchful on hers, so Rosa took a breath, tried again. “You really can see well enough to read like that? In the dark?”
There was no nod this time, just more of that waiting, intent gaze, prickling against her skin. Looking almost suspicious, somehow, and Rosa’s thoughts darted back to the pile — or rather, the mess — of sources on the lending desk. This was supposed to be research. Thiswasresearch. And the orc couldnotknow that, he couldn’t even guess at that, not here, not now, not like this…
“Gods above, that sounds useful,” she made herself say, with an attempt at another smile. “You must be so productive.”
But his face didn’t change, and here was the realization, far too late, that apart from the reading, Rosa had no idea whatsoever how this orc spent his time. Or what he liked, or why he’d come here, or even his damnedname.
“We never did finish our introductions, did we?” she said, as brightly as she could. “What’s your name?”
The orc’s expression still didn’t change, his mouth remaining tight and grim — and far too late there was another flare of comprehension, deep and certain and inexplicably hurtful. The orc didn’twantto tell her his name. He didn’t want to know who she was. And last night — Rosa felt her eyes squeeze shut — last night, he’d done all that for a reason. Abargain, upon his terms.
Give me leave to stay here, he’d said. Tonight, and as many more nights as I should wish.
Rosa’s hands had been fisting into the blanket, and she belatedly pulled it up to her chin, as if it could protect her from this orc’s watching, unnerving eyes. And instead of looking at him, she forced her attention up to the window, the grey sky outside it, andwait—
“Is it pastmidday?!” she demanded, her voice cracking, her gaze darting to the orc for an answer — and even though he still didn’t speak, let alone move, the look on his face spoke clearly for him. Yes, it was past midday, and this should be obvious to anyone who looked at the window — and Rosa should have opened the libraryhoursago, and it was sheer dumb luck that Susan or Southall hadn’t yet turned up for some reason or another. Good gods, how could she have been sostupid—
She leapt out of bed, without at all thinking, and looked round for her dress — Lord Kaspar usually left it on the floor somewhere — and then she felt her entire body go still, her breath coming out heavy and thick.
She had no dress. The orc had torn her dress, last night, and then used it to clean up his mess. And she didn’t have any underclothes either, and she was sore all over, and especially downthere. And she was standing naked in the middle of the room, and it was cold, and the actual orc she’d actuallyfucked— for abargain— wouldn’t even tell her hisname.
Rosa bit her lip, blinking at the floor, fighting to swallow the inexplicable lump in her throat — when there was the sudden, solid feel of a warm hand closing around her wrist.Hishand, drawing her toward his seated form on the stool, and then — she yelped — lifting her up easily by the waist, and then sitting her naked body on the table before him, her legs hanging off the side.
Rosa was shivering, blinking at those black eyes, and they didn’t leave hers as his big hand reached over for the blanket from the bed, clenching it in his claws. And then twirling it up to settle down around her shoulders, his fingers deftly tying the two corners together, into a makeshift cloak.
“Stay,” he said, the single word somehow pressing Rosa’s shudders into stillness — and then his hand brushed against her throat, in a sign that could only mean approval. And Rosa felt her heart hammering, her breath catching, as that hand slipped down toward her bare breast. Not heated and sensual, like it had last night, but more… businesslike. Assessing.
And when Rosa blinked downwards, following his hands, it was indeed to the realization that he was —inspectingher. His fingers tracing carefully along the shallow scrapes he’d made the night before, his eyes glancing at her face, perhaps looking for signs of pain. But there could be no pain, not with his attention fully upon her again like this, and those warm, careful hands sliding down, and down, and down.
Rosa’s cursed nipples had already hardened, and when those hands spread against her thighs, guiding them wide apart, she actually let out a harsh, choked moan, snapping his eyes back up to her face. But heknew, in a single critical glance heknew, and Rosa felt her cheeks burning, her gaze dropping again, watching him hold her thighs open, even as — she couldn’t help another stifled, shameful groan — an astonishing quantity of that thick, viscous orc-seed oozed out from her, and pooled down onto the table below.
The orc’s eyes on it looked almost arrested, and there was a sharp huff of breath from his mouth as he firmly, decisively thrust her legs closed again. As though he were — disapproving. Disgusted. Angry.
