AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Taking things slow did not meannotending the night with a kiss, however. Her mouth fell open at the first press of his lips to hers, and he wasn’t sure if the action was born from shock or desire, but he took advantage of the access. Her breath came out in short pants as he nibbled her lower lip, dipping his wide, rough tongue into the heat of her mouth, gratified to feel her small pink tongue dancing against his when he did so.
The action went straight to his cock. He wanted to feel that little tongue flicking over his leaking tip, pressing into his foreskin the way her fingers had done so often, fluttering against his frenulum as his balls contracted. When he finally broke off the kiss with a groan, he was thick and straining, and he wondered if she would notice that he was bowlegged if she watched him walk away.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time,” he rumbled, coming up for air at last. She clung to the front of his shirt, and for a pulse-stopping moment, Rourke felt as though she were attempting to pull him back down to her mouth. “I enjoyed spending time with you, Violet. I hope we can do it again soon.”
“I’d like that too. I mean, I’d like to see you again.”
They had already exchanged numbers, so there was only one thing left to do, and regretfully, it did not include the turgid shape at the front of his trousers. “I do a Monday call with my field team to plan my schedule for the week. I’ll give you a call sometime after that, and we’ll plan something.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
It seemed as if she were holding her breath when he bent again, brushing his lips gently into hers for a final time. “Good night, Violet.”
The walk back to his car was only a few blocks, and as he traversed the dark city streets Rourke contemplated that Bridgeton had never seemed more peaceful to him. The dull hum of traffic was a white noise, a perfect backdrop to the ink-blue sky above, pricked with white stars.
The city was beautiful that night. Or, he contemplated with a small smile, humming in satisfaction, perhaps it had something to do with the company.
***
“Did you just buy another woman a drink right in front of me?”
He dropped his head back, horns cutting through the air as his shoulders shook with laughter. “I did, but just wait,” he explained, holding up a placating hand. “She’ll be stomping over here in a minute. This way, we can make introductions without needing to get up. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
Violet laughed, and once again, he took advantage of the boon of her open mouth, leaning down to steal a kiss before Lurielle turned up at his elbow. “Thank you for meeting me tonight. I know Wednesdays aren’t exactly the most romantic date night, but the idea of not seeing you until next week didn’t sit well.”
His weekly team check-in had yielded an issue that wouldn’t wait for him to solve, and his overnight bag was already packed for the weekend. He’d be leaving the following morning, missing his appointment at the farm, and the thought of potentially going two entire weeks without seeing her smile was not one he could tolerate.
“I can’t believe you have to cancel for Friday. You didn’t think of taking this trip while Stiff Grip Sally was covering for me?”
He was still laughing when Lurielle turned up at the table with her fruit-laden drink, right on schedule. “You know what, the joke’s on you because I actually like these.”
His shoulders continued to shake as she downed the fruity red drink, the paper umbrella bumping her in the nose. She made a show of smacking her lips defiantly, but her eyes slid to Violet quickly, a lightning-fast up and down, taking her in before her attention shifted back to Rourke.
“Please tell me you didn’t tell Xenna I’d absolutely be at her party.”
She’d come over a few nights after he’d gone stomping back to his own yard with his nose in the air, demanding to hear every detail about their coffee date, and then, when he pulled into his driveway after coming home from Bridgeton two nights later, she had thrown her slipper at his back door from her patio. She’d already been in her pajamas, her head sticking out the pushed-open screen as he came through his back door laughing.
“I’m an old woman and we’re going to bed, but I want to heareverything tomorrow, do you understand? Every single detail. You should write it all down now, so you don’t forget anything.”
She lured him through the bushes with the promise of a late morning breakfast, and Khash had just been pulling into the driveway with coffee and pastries from the Beanery when he’d gone trudging out his back door once again.
“So, she’s human? But like, that’s okay, right? You’re half-human anyway. Oh, my stars, your kids are going to be so cute! Okay, if you have a boy, it’ll be a bull like you, and a girl will just be a human, right? We just went to that museum exhibit, and I feel like I’m a minotaur expert now. But that was new information; I didn’t even know it worked that way!”
“We’ve had dinner exactly once. I am not talking about kids with anyone.”
She had rolled her eyes dramatically as Khash chuckled.
“Yeah, but you’re not getting any younger, Rourke,” the big orc had drawled, plating an almond croissant for Lurielle, dusted in powdered sugar. “Build your house today so you can make it a home tomorrow. Otherwise —”
“Yeah, homeless. I got it.” He took a savage bite from his chocolate croissant at Khash’s words, ripping the flaky dough with his teeth, imagining it was orc flesh. “Fortunately, I already bought a house, and what I’m building is equity, so I think I’ll be okay.”
“Is she pretty? Wait a minute, how young is she? What does she do again? You said she lives in the city?”
He had answered the elf’s rapid-fire questions to the best of his ability, evading the subject of Violet’s place of employment and how exactly he knew her, giving Lurielle enough details to placate but keeping plenty for himself. Khash had hooted at the prospect of his ex-wife choosing to dine at the Italian restaurant the same night he and Violet had their date. Rourke had been forced to laugh because thatwouldhave been his no-good terrible luck.
“Fortunately, she’s excited to see Cambric Creek, so hopefully, we won’t need to spend too much time in the city. Like I said, it was one date. We’ll see what happens.”
“Promise me you’re going to try smiling more. Otherwise, she’s going to think you’re allergic to fun before you get a chance to show her, you’re not.”
