Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy (Sweet Monster Treats)

17. Rosey

Chapter 17

Rosey

W as it possible to fall in love with a guy in only a few days? Because it was happening. I’d gone from thinking Ostor was gorgeous on the outside, which he was, to admiring everything about him where it truly mattered.

And I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

So I was going to do nothing. I was going to enjoy what was left of this weekend, a total switch for me. Instead of crying on the beach while my sister married Jacob, I would make sure each second with Ostor counted.

We left the pool mid-afternoon, stopping to say hi to my parents, who were reading, before going to our rooms to get ready for the rehearsal. After, we’d all have dinner together at one of the beachfront restaurants. Tomorrow morning would be spent getting ready for the wedding and the early afternoon wedding would follow. We’d party after that and while they went off to their honeymoon suite, the rest of us could do what we pleased. I had so many ideas for what I wanted to do with Ostor. A walk on the beach? Dancing under the stars? No, we could return to our room and be together.

Because, if he was open to the idea, I wanted everything.

My heart might end up broken when we returned home, but if I didn’t give him my all, I’d always wonder what might’ve happened if I did.

While Ostor sat on the balcony, admiring the view, I scooted into the bathroom to shower and change into the dress he’d bought me.

I stepped out of the bathroom, excited and nervous. The silky fabric skimmed over my body, soft and feather-light, the pale blue matching my eyes. I’d kept my makeup subtle, using only enough to highlight my features, and I'd left a few curls loose to dangle by each ear. I’d pinned the rest of my hair back in a neat twist.

When I walked into the bedroom, his gaze snapped up to find me. His chair scraped against the tile floor as he stood, and the soft groan that rumbled in his chest as he took me in made my stomach tumble like I'd taken a running leap off a high diving board.

He stalked toward me, slow and deliberate, his dark, luminous eyes devouring every inch of me as if I were something rare. Precious. The flicker of warmth in his gaze ignited embers beneath my skin. The way he was looking at me made me feel more than beautiful. It made me feel seen. Whole. A dizzying kind of confidence filtered into me, one I hadn’t felt in years, if ever.

“Rosey,” he said, his deep, gravelly voice curling around my name like he was revealing a secret. Once he stopped in front of me, he reached out, brushing one of the curls framing my face. He twisted it around his finger, tugging down, then let go, grinning as it bounced back into position. His knuckles grazed the shell of my ear. My breath hitched at the tenderness in his touch.

His gaze lingered on mine, and before I could say anything, he leaned in close. The world fell away as his warm lips met mine, soft and seeking. This wasn’t a kiss for show, it was an honest moment between us, one filled with patience, longing, and a tenderness so deep it spun through every corner of my heart.

I slid my hands across his chest, savoring his hard muscles hidden by his shirt. My lips parted for him, giving back as much as he gave, and I sank into him with everything I had. His hand cradled my jaw, keeping me close, as if even the air between us was too much space.

When he pulled back, his forehead pressed against mine, his breath ghosting over my mouth. “I’ll be the luckiest orc tonight because you’re with me.”

The words sliced across my heart and made a flurry of butterflies skitter through my belly. Did this mean he felt the same, that he was falling too?

I didn’t dare ask. Not yet.

“I should get ready.” He stepped around me and disappeared behind the bathroom door, the faint sound of running water following.

I drifted onto the balcony, where I leaned against the railing and let the balmy evening air settle my nerves. Palm leaves rustled, and the setting sun painted the sky with pink light.

When the bathroom door opened, my breath hitched again, except this time, it was for him.

Ostor stepped out, his jet-black hair damp and combed back, curling slightly around the edges of his jaw. He wore a crisp, short-sleeved button-down shirt, the white fabric contrasting nicely with his green skin, plus black pants that hugged his powerful thighs.

“You look good.” Way to impress him after he’d said such sweet things about my appearance. “Amazing. Wonderful. I could eat you up.” And I'd better stop talking.

“That’s great,” he said with a sheepish twist of his lips. He extended his hand toward me. “Ready to go?”

My fingers slipped into his, and he gave them a squeeze as we left the room. Outside, we followed the winding stone path across the front of the buildings to the beach.

The bridal party had already gathered, and Mom and Dad stood to the side, beaming at Jacob and Macy. Their gazes slid to me and Ostor, and I read approval in both their eyes.

Candles in glass jars flickered on the top of wooden posts, illuminating the sand as the sun faded into the horizon.

Macy waved at us, her curls bouncing as she rushed over. “There you are! Finally! I was beginning to think we'd have to do this without my maid of honor.” She smirked. “Not really. I knew you'd get here soon. With such a sweet guy in your room, I can't blame you for hanging out before joining us.” She snickered, more jittery than usual. She extended her hand toward Jacob, who stepped forward to take it. He tugged her into his embrace, kissing the top of her head.

“Now we can get started,” she said. “You can wait with Mom and Dad, Ostor, if you’d like. Rosey, you’re back here with me, obviously. Jacob? Go take your place at the end of the aisle, waiting for me to walk toward you with the others.”

He left us to go stand by the unadorned arch that would no doubt be covered with ribbons and flowers tomorrow.

Macy watched him walk away before turning back to us. Her voice dropped to a hushed tone. “Don’t mind Jacob. He’s just . . . Jacob right now. He’ll learn soon enough he has no reason to be jealous.”

Jealous of Ostor? I vowed to smack sense into her fiancé if he took things too far. There was no way I’d let him spoil this for Macy. I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought I could care for him. What a joke, especially when I stood next to someone amazing like Ostor.

Macy corralled her bridesmaids and me into our respective places.

We rehearsed the flow of the ceremony a few times, and despite Macy’s frayed nerves, things ran smoothly, her perfectionism making sure of that. After, we made our way to a gorgeous oceanside restaurant decked out with twinkling lights and Mexican decor. They served us at one long table, waiters bustling around, serving one delicious dish after another. Others kept our glasses full of our drink of choice.

I sat between Macy and Ostor, who took up most of his seat but somehow made himself comfortable. Jacob sat on her other side, and I was grateful to see him giving her all his attention and ignoring Ostor.

Mom and Dad were farther down the table, though Mom waved my way whenever I looked.

When Jacob turned to speak to his best man on his other side, Macy leaned close to me. “I love my guy so much. And he loves me. I can't wait to say I do.”

“Good,” I said. “If he didn’t, I wouldn’t let you marry him.”

She snorted, her grin exactly what I needed to loosen the tension in my chest. “I love you all the more because of that.” Her gaze shot to Ostor. “Keep that in mind with him.”

“Will do.” But really, we were nowhere close enough to worry about something like that, though I had hope we would be.

After dinner, he and I strolled back to the room under a velvet sky speckled with faint stars. Ostor’s hand warmed mine all the way, his thumb brushing soft, lazy arcs across the funny tattoo that appeared after I met him. I'd barely thought about it since, but I did now. Was it some kind of orc thing? Because he'd licked my palm, and it appeared. It must mean something.

I hoped it meant something.

If I asked him, would he tell me?

Better not ruin the mood with something like that.

I glanced up, taking in the strong line of his jaw, the way the light from the tiki torches lining the walkway flickered across his green skin. He caught me looking, his lips tipping into that crooked smile that turned my insides to mush.

“I enjoyed tonight,” he said, his deep voice a rumble rolling over me.

“Me too.” The truth was, I’d enjoyed it because he was with me. The setting sun, the yummy dinner, the romantic blue dress. None of that would’ve mattered if Ostor wasn’t by my side.

We reached our building and took the stairs to our room.

“I’m going to get ready for bed,” I said.

“Take your time. I’ll be waiting out here.” He stepped onto the balcony, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the soft golden light spilling from the resort grounds below.

Inside the bathroom, the quiet click of the door behind me seemed louder than it should. I released a breath and sagged against the countertop, pressing my hands flat against the cool marble surface. My heart hadn’t stopped doing high jumps since dinner. One look from him, one soft smile, one gentle kiss, and I was undone—and he didn’t even seem to know the power he had over me.

For now, though, I let myself retreat into the rhythm of brushing my teeth, each stroke of the toothbrush giving me something to focus on. But even that did nothing to quiet the rapid-fire thoughts swirling through my head. I thought about the way his deep laugh seemed to vibrate in my chest, about how the pad of his thumb had stroked over the back of my hand during dinner like it was second nature to him. I thought about the heat in his eyes whenever they landed on me, and how it couldn’t be pretend. It had to be something more.

I carefully removed my dress and secured it on a hanger. I skimmed the soft fabric, and a small, crooked smile teased across my mouth. He’d insisted on buying it for me, and I couldn’t shake the memory of him standing outside the changing room earlier, his dark eyes consuming me in a way that sent my thoughts spinning. Something had shifted between us then, but neither of us had said it out loud.

I slipped into a soft tank top and sleep shorts that hit just high enough on my thighs to make me mildly self-conscious. Staring into the mirror, I loosened the arrangement I’d made with my hair earlier and tugged my brush through it, smoothing out the curls. My reflection smiled back at me in the mirror, and I wasn’t sure if it was the way the pink still flushed my cheeks or the way my chest felt lighter than air, but the realization hit me.

I couldn’t wait to see where this would take us next.

With flutters zipping through my belly, I stepped out of the bathroom, catching sight of him framed by the balcony light. “The bathroom’s free,” I called out. As I crossed the hall to hang my dress in the closet, he glanced over his shoulder, his brows quirked.

The hallway narrowed as he moved toward me, and when he passed, his hand drifted down my spine. It was faint, only a gentle trace of his fingers, but the gesture burned through me like it was the most deliberate touch in the world. My breath caught, but before I could react, he was gone, disappearing into the bathroom and leaving me standing outside, my fingertips pressed against the warm fabric of my dress.

I shut the closet door and walked toward the bed but then stopped in my tracks. What now? Should I lie down and wait for him there? Crawl under the covers and pretend I wasn’t overthinking everything?

He might think me slipping into bed was too forward. The last thing I wanted to do was make him uncomfortable, not when things between us felt delicate, too easy to break.

Decision made, I stepped onto the balcony. The night wrapped around me like the softest blanket, warm and sticky and filled with the rustle of palm leaves swaying in the breeze and the faint, briny tang of the ocean. Stars winked out against the clouds, tiny promises scattered across a dark sky, while bats swooped through the moonlight.

It was peaceful here. The kind of quiet that stretched and soothed until any knot unraveled on its own. My eyelids slid shut as the wind lifted the ends of my hair. I didn’t know how it was possible to feel completely at home beside someone I’d just met a few days ago. But with Ostor nearby, nothing else seemed to matter.

The sound of footsteps coming up behind me brought me to attention. His presence filled the small space as he joined me, his strong hand brushing the curve of my shoulder.

His face seemed carved by the moonlight, softened only by his tusks and the quiet gaze of his eyes. There was so much to him. He was strength and gentleness wrapped together in a way I didn’t understand yet. But I wanted to, more than anything.

I turned to face him. For once, his towering height didn’t feel intimidating. My awkwardness melted beneath his warm gaze. Whatever barriers had been built between us before, they crumbled under his quiet confidence.

He cupped my cheek, his palm rough. His thumb brushed across my lips, sending a sharp pang of longing through me. Heat coiled through my belly and shot lower.

“You're beautiful, Rosey,” he said. “I don't feel worthy.”

“Worthy of what?”

“Whatever you might offer.”

“What would you like me to offer?”

“You,” he groaned. “Only you.”

My throat tight, I kissed his palm. “I'm here for you, Ostor. I'm not going anywhere.”

With a muffled growl, he tilted his head, leaning forward to brush his lips against mine. Our kiss deepened, the pressure growing as his other hand circled my waist, pulling me against his hard body.

His fingers grazed beneath my breast, and my moan ripped out.

He lifted his head, staring down at me. His dark eyes drifted down to where his hand hovered on my breast, and the look he gave me when he glanced back up was filled with such intense longing, my entire chest spasmed.

“I want you,” I said. The words left me in a breathless rush. “All of you.”

His gaze locked on mine, and his fingers trembled against my chest. When he nodded, his voice came out low and rough. “You already have me.”

“Ostor.” I leaned into him.

He lifted me, and I curled my legs partway around his chest.

He kissed me again, harder this time, as he carried me into the bedroom.