Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dristan
I’d come to the conclusion that my mate was the most stubborn female on the planet. It was glaringly obvious as I drummed my fingers on my desk while she avoided looking—much less touching—me from the opposite end of my desk.
She’d had the traitor Fionel set her up with all the files she would need so she didn’t have to talk to me for anything other than basic questions about my schedule. Penelope had gotten my new chair all adjusted and set up for me and while I was comfortable now, I couldn’t keep the scowl off my face.
We’d been heading in the right direction for a bit, but it looked like she’d taken ten steps back. I couldn’t stop myself from prodding her, but so far, she’d been blatant about the fact that I wasn’t allowed in her space anymore.
For now.
I’d had Rudgar digging into her background, but there didn’t seem to be anything notable that I could see. Her family had recently sold their home and the land surrounding it to a development in their area. The transactions for the payment weren’t showing yet, so I figured they were in the process of finalizing everything before the transfer or they would be moving into one of the homes the development had constructed elsewhere.
I didn’t know much about the company but my brother had mentioned some rumors about bullying and persuasion tactics. He was doing some more digging, but if that was true, I would be stepping in immediately.
If they’d sold their property, though, it boded well for me. It meant that her parents might be moving closer to the city. She hadn’t told me anything about it, but she didn’t seem very inclined to share anytime soon.
I was holding out the hope that we could fix that within the days to come. I already had a planned seduction in my mind. I wasn’t the smoothest orc in the world—and some might argue that I was, in fact, the least smooth—but I was still an orc and orcs won their mates no matter what.
I would follow in the proud footsteps of my ancestors. Ancestors who had much greater barriers to break down with their own mates. Narrowing my eyes on my female, I promised myself that she would be mine soon. I just needed to find a way to get her to fall for me.
This is harder than I thought.
Finding things that tickled my female’s fancy was turning out to be almost impossible. She’d loved the clothes and accessories that I’d bought her, so I’d gotten her a new dress. The form-fitting sheath had earned a frown and a glare.
Failed.
The diamond choker that I’d presented her with one morning at breakfast had earned a gasp and then she’d snapped the case closed and pushed it as far away from herself as possible. So much for females liking shiny things.
Failed.
The deed for a house in the suburbs just fifteen minutes away from our penthouse had earned an indignant screech.
“Dristan, what the hell is this?” she demanded, her hands shaking as she held the paperwork.
“I thought your parents might like to move closer,” I told her, watching her reaction and realizing that this was going to be another flop.
“I don’t need you to buy them a house ,” she gasped, shoving the deed back at my chest. “I’m sorry, but you’re starting to make me uncomfortable. Please. Stop.”
Failed.
That was when I realized that I needed to start with smaller gestures. Less expensive gestures. My female was an excellent chef. I’d been gratifying my appetite with her food for a couple of weeks now, fairly gorging myself on whatever she’d made. But I also figured that she needed a break.
My plan was to spoil her with extravagant food instead of her having to cook every day. I’d requested a special meal for dinner.
I rubbed my hands together as we made our way up the elevator and she eyed me suspiciously.
“You’re acting odd,” she said, before she pointed an accusing finger at me. “Did you buy another house?”
“No,” I told her, scoffing. “That would be ridiculous.”
She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, but I heard her. “It was ridiculous the first time.”
“I disagree,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest. “But you’re impossible to argue with.”
“ I’m impossible to argue with?” she laughed, gaping at me. “Dristan, you really need to do some introspection if you think I’m the impossible one in this relationship.”
I grinned at her and she blinked at me, biting her lip, realization dawning on what she’d just said. “We’re in a relationship, then.”
“Stop it,” she huffed, looking away. The doors to the elevator opened and she was out first, slowing as she took in the scents emanating from the dining room. “Dristan, I think someone’s here.”
“Yes,” I told her, moving behind her, my palm caressing her lower back. This was the first time she’d allowed me to touch her in such a long time and contentment spread inside me at the feel of her. “I thought it would be nice if you didn’t have to cook for us for one evening.”
She turned to look up at me, a bubble of intimacy spreading between us as a sweet smile graced her face. “That’s really thoughtful of you,” she whispered.
I couldn’t pull my gaze away from her precious, beautiful face. “I know,” I murmured, loving the grin that spread across her features.
“Such humility,” she giggled, shaking her head and heading toward the dining table.
On it was a massive spread of food. I’d ensured that fruits aplenty were included—especially exotic ones that I hoped she hadn’t tried yet. Hand-whipped cream and berries made up one of the desserts and I eyed her thoughtfully, wondering if I could get her to let me use the cream on her.
When she glanced at me before taking a step away, I sighed. No body-shots of whipped cream for me, then. I pulled her chair out and ensured that she was settled before I brought all the dishes to her, ensuring that her plate was filled before mine.
As each course was eaten, the low murmurs and moans of pleasure she was making ensured that my cock strained against my pants the entire time we sat at the table. When she was finished, she leaned back with a small sound of contentment.
That sound.
I wanted her to make it for me after I’d fucked her until she couldn’t take any more. She would make that sound and I’d know that my female was so well-pleasured that I could finally give her pussy a break. I gnawed uselessly at whatever I’d put in my mouth.
I was so focused on Penelope that I hadn’t tasted a single bite of what I was sure was a scrumptious meal. I watched the low light of the room bathe her skin in shadows. I gripped the edge of the table, hearing it creak as I used it to stop myself from getting up and tossing her over my shoulder.
I’d wanted to feed her every morsel by hand, but I didn’t want to push boundaries with her. It would be too easy for her to pull away altogether and I couldn’t have that. No, I needed to be patient.
While it wasn’t my usual style, I’d do whatever I needed to do, even if that meant having the patience of a saint and controlling my temper. I let out a snort, because I knew my brother would have a lot to say about my ability to control my anger. Only for her.
“Thank you for this, Dristan,” she said, her voice low and intimate.
“You’re welcome,” I growled, and I realized my error when her eyes flared with awareness. She knew what watching her eat was doing to me. She straightened in her seat and I stood abruptly, reaching for the cream and berries.
“Dessert is next,” I told her, making my way over to her. Her wide eyes were focused on where my cock was throbbing in my pants, but I ignored the look and doled out some of the sugary concoction onto a dessert plate—trying and failing to make it look artful—before placing it in front of her. “And there’s more fruit in the kitchen for you to try.”
She bit her lip, staring up at me with a look in her eyes that I couldn’t decipher. “You’re being really sweet, Dristan. Tell me why, please.” Her words were still so low and intimate that I wanted to lean down and kiss her, but I held myself back.
“I can be sweet,” I huffed, reaching out to tuck a curl behind her ear, caressing her skin with reverence. “For you.”
A tremulous smile made its way across her face. “I don’t know how much sweet I can handle from you,” she whispered, reaching up to touch my hand where it was still next to her face. “I have plans. So many plans. And you’re not supposed to be a part of them.”
“What I’m hearing,” I told her, tipping her chin up with my other hand, “is that you’re making room in those plans for me.” I searched her beautiful face, her dark brown eyes soulful and pensive.
“I’m thinking about it.” She bit her lip, looking away. “You make it so hard to keep you out,” she laughed, giving my hand one more squeeze before releasing me. “How did you know the way to my heart was through my belly?”
I grunted, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head before making my way back to my seat, completely ignoring the dessert. “Well, you’ve been winning mine with all the food you’ve been making for me recently, so I thought I would give it a try,” I told her with a wink.
Her eyes were huge in her face. “W-winning your heart?” she murmured the question, but I heard her.
“I’m skipping the prepared dessert today so I can have a portion of that pie you made yesterday,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. I was trying to change the subject, aware that my mate wasn’t ready for what I was trying to tell her. “Now, this was the course I told the chef to put the most effort into. Tell me if you like it.”
She hadn’t changed her stricken expression, but at those words, she looked down at her plate. “Okay.” The word was a low murmur of sound and she lifted her dessert spoon to her mouth, taking a small bite.
I waited a moment and I wasn’t disappointed when a moan escaped her lips. The hard throb of my cock had my hips jerking up from my seat at the sound.
Gods, to hear those sounds from her when she’s in my bed.
I tried to focus on the pie that I’d snuck in from the kitchen, tucking happily into it and releasing my own moan. She shook her head at me.
“I can’t believe you’re eating my pie instead of this incredible dessert,” she scoffed.
I quirked an eyebrow at her, taking another bite of the pie and licking my lips hungrily as I dipped my gaze to her breasts. “I’d choose your pie any day of the week.”
A little breath puffed out from between her lips and they parted around it, the scent of her arousal spiking. We sat there, staring at each other for a full minute before I stood from my spot at the table. I was too damn far away. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move, keeping me in her line of vision until I was standing in front of her.
“I want more with you, rega ,” I said, my voice low and meaningful.
She looked up at me with lust and trepidation warring in her gaze. She stood too, pressing her hand to my chest, but not to push me away. Her fingers curled against my chest, greedy and clinging.
“Dristan, I want more too, but I can’t,” she whispered. “If I could have you without having to worry about anything else, don’t you think I would?”
She was in my arms before I could think better of it, lifting her easily onto the table and clearing it behind us, the loud clang and shatter of dishes as they fell to the floor not jarring me from my focus on her.
I leaned into her, burying my face in her hair and taking a hit of her scent. I hadn’t been this close to her in too long. She hesitated at first, but in increments, she gripped me closer, spreading her legs to make room for me between them.
“Dristan,” she whispered, her palms flattening against my chest. I stiffened, wondering if she would push me away, but she skimmed them upward until she wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me close in a hug that I was in desperate need of. I tugged her closer, our bodies pressed tight—and intimate.
“I want this with you,” I told her, baring my soul in a way that I wouldn’t with anyone else. “I want this closeness, this feeling of belonging. Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong anywhere, but with you I feel like I’m home.” I rubbed my tusks along her throat and my female’s fingers dug into me.
It felt so good that I tightened my arms around her. I didn’t want to squeeze her too tight, but her touch was soothing the parts of me that I hadn’t even been aware needed soothing.
“Dristan,” she murmured, and I swiped my tongue over the sensitive skin of her throat, making her shudder. “You make me feel like I belong, too.” Her words were a low admission, and she held on when I tried to pull away from her. “I want this with you and you know that. But my family...”
“Let me take care of them too, rega ,” I whispered, running my palm up her back, feeling her shiver as I did. “I’ll carry the world on my shoulders if you ask me to.”
A drip of moisture landed on my cheek and I tried harder to pull away, but she clung to me, and I didn’t want to hurt her. I stayed there, letting her seek comfort in me, wishing I could do more than just hold her.
“I want to get us out of this hole on my own, okay?” she whispered and I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to not say anything that could put my entire foot into my mouth the way I usually did with her. I’d been vulnerable with her and now my female was opening up to me. I needed to show her that I was capable of responding without becoming a wrecking ball and taking everything over—something I wasn’t sure was actually true. But I could try. For her.
“Okay,” I murmured against her hair. “But I’m here if you need me.”
She lifted her face, pressing her lips to mine. My eyes slid closed as I cupped the back of her head in my palm, cradling her to me. She was the most precious thing I owned and I wasn’t going to let anything hurt her.