Page 44 of That’s My Orc, Tusk Off

Neither of us was pretending this was about Nix anymore.

“I need to go home,” she said, but she didn’t move.

“Yes.” I didn’t want her to.

She tightened her fingers around her keys and took a step toward the door but turned back, holding my gaze. I didn’t look away. She stood three feet away. It felt like less.

She eliminated the space between us, not stopping until she was close enough that I could see the exact pattern of her curls where they framed her face.

Her hands landed on my shoulders.

And she kissed me.

For one full breath, I couldn’t move or process anything beyond the softness of her mouth and the fact that she’d chosen this.

My hands found her waist, holding.

Willa Enford had walked into the building, crossed the entryway, and kissed me as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

She made a small sound, and I forgot about where we were. I could only focus on this kiss.

When she lifted her head, I couldn’t make myself let go. My hands stayed on her hips, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing through her shirt.

She studied my face.

I didn’t know what expression I was making or what to do with any of this.

“Goodnight, Traig,” she said, her voice rough.

She stepped back. My hands fell away but stayed shaped like they were still holding her.

She left. The door clicked shut behind her, and her Jeep started. Her headlights swept across the windows again as she turned around and drove away.

I didn’t move. My hands were still shaped like they were holding her. The taste of her remained on my mouth. Something sweet.

Something I craved more than anything.

I looked down at my hands, opening and closing my fingers.

This was not how I handled things. I documented creature behavior, intake protocols, and supply inventories. I didn’t document the shape of someone’s mouth or the way her hands had felt on my shoulders or the sound she’d made right before she pulled away.

I dragged my tablet closer but only stared at it before tucking it into my back pocket.

Rising, I walked out to the fizzling enclosure, though I didn’t check for escape routes. I stood at the gate, watching the fizzlings sleep.

Nix slanted one eye open, his stripes glowing in the darkness.

I’d spent years building structures to keep everything in their place. The creatures. The supplies. Myself.

Willa had walked in and reorganized a drawer.

Then she’d reorganized everything else.

Willa had held my shoulders gently. She’d kissed me because she’d wanted to. Then left, giving me time to think about what happened.

It was only when I touched my mouth that I realized I was smiling. I couldn’t stop and I didn’t want to.

Nix escaped his pen because he could.