Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Anna
Keric almost kissed me.
I swear he was leaning in and his lips were going to touch mine. A brush of those tusks… And then he pulled back.
I’m certain this wonderful kiss was interrupted because I hadn’t said I wanted him to kiss me.
He’d already warned that we couldn’t touch in any type of intimate way until I was truly ready, because his orc brain and body would short circuit and consider that a permanent commitment.
He’d probably go crazy if I tried to leave him after something like that.
My lips still tingle from the anticipation. From the way his dark eyes went soft and hungry at the same time, the way his thumb stroked across my cheekbone.
Frustration courses through my body in waves. I wanted him to kiss me. Every nerve ending is unsatisfied and aching. Three years of celibacy apparently catches up with a person all at once. But it’s not just physical hunger. It’s him I want. This specific, infuriating, impossibly careful orc.
I should be grateful for his restraint.
I really should.
He’s protecting us both, making sure I’m truly ready before we cross a line that can never be uncrossed. Unlike any man I’ve ever known, Keric stops himself even when I can see how much he wants me.
And I definitely saw. The bulge in his pants was... significant. I shift in my seat, trying to relieve the heat. I want that huge cock sliding in my body and in my mouth and the thought of him coming all over me…
He wants me just as badly as I want him. But he holds back.
His parents’ visit echoes through my mind. The way his mother hugged me before she even hugged her own son. Welcome to the family, dear. The wedding talk that made Keric panic and nearly drop the bacon.
But also... didn’t it plant a seed?
I can picture it now. A wedding dress, a ceremony, choosing to become Mrs. Irontree to all my students, instead of Ms. Lee. The thought doesn’t terrify me anymore.
That’s new.
Tiny little Dinah manages to jump up onto the couch and meows at me insistently. I scoop her up onto my lap and she immediately curls up, her tiny motor purring away. At least the kitten provides comfort.
“Your daddy almost kissed me,” I whisper. “And then he didn’t.”
She blinks up at me with those big eyes, utterly unimpressed by my romantic drama.
Keric suddenly strides out of the bedroom, back into the living room—looking like a demi-god.
He’s changed out of his loungewear pants, into more serious black pants with lots of pockets and his black boots.
“I need to go to the security office,” he announces with a gravely voice that’s a bit rougher than usual.
“Oh you do?” My voice comes out breathier than intended.
I can’t keep my eyes off of all that luscious green muscle.
I want to climb this orc and lick him all over.
Except I’m still not sure if I want to commit to him forever and become a mother in nine months.
In all fairness I can’t play with him like that—it would be evil to have an affair with him while I’m here under his protection and then leave.
And how would that even work considering I’d be pregnant?
My mind is a jumbled mess of conflicting emotions; all centered around Keric Irontree.
His nostrils flare. He can smell my arousal. Privacy is dead when you’re living with an orc.
He doesn’t move, just stands there, looking at me. That hungry gaze traveling over my body, landing on my lips. Where he almost kissed me. A muscle ticks in his jaw. He’s fighting himself. “Anna...”
I wave a hand. “Go. It’s fine. I’ll be here.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I need to call Ellie anyway. Check in with her.”
He nods slowly, still not moving. His chest rises and falls harder than normal, and I realize he’s holding himself back with visible effort. God, this male.
“I’ll be back soon,” he finally says, as he crosses the room. He opens the door and cold air rushes in. Keric pauses on the threshold, looks back one more time. “Text or call if you need anything.”
“I will.”
And then he’s gone.
The cabin feels empty without him. I already miss his presence, which is ridiculous considering he’s been gone for approximately ten seconds.
I pick up my phone and scroll to Ellie’s contact. I don’t want to talk about the criminals who are chasing me, but instead I want to talk with someone who’s been through this orc semi-dating craziness and can help me make sense of whatever the hell is happening to my life.
Ellie answers on the second ring. “Anna. Oh my gosh, I’ve been dying to talk to you some more. I’m so happy you called.”
Relief floods through me at the sound of her voice. I lean back into the couch. “I know. So much has happened. Do you have time to talk?”
“Of course I have time to talk to Anna Lee. Tell me everything girl. Are you okay? Are you safe?”
“Yeah, I’m safe. And Keric tells me that you, Zoe and your mom are safe too, which brings me to much relief you don’t even know. And as for me, I’m... I’m actually good?” The surprise in my own voice makes me laugh.
Zoe’s voice rises in the background, high and excited, and Loki starts barking. “Hold on,” Ellie says, “let me go somewhere quieter.” There’s rustling, footsteps, the sound of a door closing. “Okay, I’m in the bedroom. Garlen has Zoe. Now talk.”
I settle even deeper into the couch, stroking Dinah’s soft fur. Where do I begin? “I met some of the other women here,” I start. “A group of Brides.”
“Ooh, what are they like?”
“Amazing, actually. I met four of them named Drew, Miranda, Sarah and Megan... they were so welcoming. Like I was already one of them. Miranda is a little older and the others are in their twenties or thirties, about our age.”
“That sounds like what I’ve heard from Garlen’s family. The Maine commune is the original one, right?”
“Yeah. They’ve told me it’s one of the oldest communes in North America. It’s beautiful here, Ellie. Remote but... peaceful.”
“Do you like it?”
I pause, considering. A week ago I was terrified, running for my life. Now I’m sitting in a cozy cabin with a kitten in my lap, thinking about wedding dresses. “I do,” I admit. “More than I expected to considering I’m used to living in cities with a fancy coffee drive thru always nearby.”
She chuckles at my remark. “Okay, now tell me everything else. What’s happening between you and Keric?”
I bite my lip. “I met his parents today.”
“Already? How did that go?”
“His mom basically tackled me the moment she walked in. She didn’t even hug Keric first. Just beelined straight for me.”
Ellie laughs. “I guess you’ve got to give her a break because she’s always had a son and lives amongst so many men.
I’m lucky that I already have a daughter from my first marriage, but when you marry an orc there will never be daughters or nieces in your life.
She’s probably thrilled at the idea of another female being added to her family. She’s hungry for it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. She was very bold, I think in fact she was embarrassing Keric a little with all her personal remarks. In fact, she asked if I cared about Keric. In front of him, while he was cooking breakfast with his dad.”
“What did you say?”
“I said yes because I do care about him.”
Silence on the line. Then, Ellie responds softly, “Anna... that’s huge.
You haven’t admitted that before. I have to admit I was wondering if you were going to return to Truckee without him at the end of this mess.
I mean, that wasn’t a bad thing, you couldn’t help it if you didn’t feel the same way about him that he does about you.
But now I think we can both see that maybe you feel for him, like he feels for you? ”
“I know. I’m taking baby steps toward this though.” I swallow hard. “It’s important to me that when I say to him I’m ready, I’m really ready. And right now, I’m not fully ready.”
“I understand.”
“And there I was this morning, still in my half-in, half-out place concerning my relationship with Keric, and then his mother starts talking about wedding planning.”
Ellie snort-laughs. “Oh my gosh. What did Keric do?”
“He nearly dropped the bacon. Looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him.”
We’re both laughing now, the absurdity of it all bubbling up. This is what I needed. Someone who gets it.
“His mom is... a lot,” I continue. “But she’s lovely. And his dad is intimidating but kind.”
“They liked you?”
A smile widens across my face. “They were so sweet and I could tell that they immediately loved me. They want me in the family.”
Saying it out loud makes it more real. More terrifying. More... possible.
“So,” Ellie says, her voice turning serious, “do you think you’re really going to say yes to Keric? Marry him and live on the commune forever?”
I exhale slowly. “I really don’t know,” I admit.
“He’s never actually asked me if I wanted to live here forever.
I think I could do this part time, if I wanted.
And... I’m not fully sure about everything yet.
I feel weird even thinking about something like that when I’ve got dangerous people trying to kill me. ”
Ellie laughs, but it’s a knowing sound. “It was similar for me, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“Trying not to think about Garlen when my ex-husband was after me. I was being stalked and Garlen was literally chained in a basement cage next door. And yet my mind was filled with the idea of being with Garlen and saying yes to something permanent. ”
I can’t help but laugh. “Weird times.”
“Agreed. The weirdest. At least you don’t have to deal with Keric being chained while in bed next to you.”
“No, but he is sleeping on the couch.”
“While you’re in his bed?”
“His only bed. In his one-bedroom cabin.”
“Oh, Anna...”