15. Gracie
Chapter 15
Gracie
B efore we left Tark's home behind, Sharga left his shoulder, soaring over to the red barn in a zigzag pattern, somehow making a bullseye as he approached, flying in through an open window on the second floor of the barn.
“That’s his home. He didn’t want to stay inside the house with me,” Tark said.
“What about Podar?”
“He’s a lounge kitty. Loves being warm and taking up most of my bed at night. I don’t think I could make him stay in the barn even if I wasn’t happy for his company. He’s a part of my inside life, and Sharga rules the outside.”
“Does he go outside at all?”
“Sometimes. When he’s feeling frisky. I make sure he’s back in by nightfall.” His sharp gaze scanned the area. “Predators come out then. He’s strong. Bobcats can fight off a lot of things, even creatures bigger than themselves, but he only has three legs, and the missing one is a front limb. The loss of it makes it harder for him to fight. I’d battle for him, but I can’t be with him all the time.”
Was he lonely with his raggedy band of creatures and no one else? I wasn’t going to ask, though I sensed the feeling lingering around him as he urged Castree past the ranch house.
Beyond, the world expanded in a way that made my heart race. Six massive sorhoxes dotted the pasture on our right, their emerald-green bodies sending long shadows across the grass. Some grazed, while others sprawled in the sun as if they were the kings of this surface world. They were like living hillsides, every bit as formidable as Castree. But Castree was incredibly gentle, like she was a big pussycat lounging in the sun.
“Everything out here is big,” I said softly, not wanting to break the beauty of this place and this moment with a loud voice. “Bigger than I’ve ever seen back in the city. Look at them.” Flicking my hand that way, I half turned to Tark. His body radiated warmth behind me, and honestly, it felt wonderful to be this close to him. “They’re incredible.”
“They're just sorhoxes.”
He said it so dryly that I laughed. “To me, they're amazing. Gorgeous. Cute.”
“So many words with many meanings,” he whispered.
Did he think I wouldn't hear? “Did you speak our language when you came here?”
“We learned it before coming to the surface. We all speak orcish there, of course.”
“Naturally. What does it sound like?”
“Makzug ka thrakat.”
“What does that mean?”
His arm tightened around me. “That you, Gracie, are special.”
“That's sweet of you to say.”
I felt more than saw his nod.
When Castree moved past the other beasts, only a few turned their heads to look our way. We left the pasture behind, the trail opening up ahead of us, dotted with wildflowers and framed by tall grasses swaying in the breeze.
He urged Castree into a gallop, and I squealed, a thrill rushing through me as the beast surged forward with massive power. The world around us blurred, the wind whipping through my hair. I could almost feel the heartbeat of the land beneath us. It was stunning. The sensation of flying, tethered only to Tark and Castree, made something flare inside me, a pulsing feeling unlike anything I’d felt before.
If I lived here, I'd have a sorhox of my own. I'd ride my own beast beside Tark's, our laughter mingling with the wind as we moved across this vast, open space. I halted my thoughts mid-flight. I was here to work with him, to get his social media up to speed, not to fall in love with him or play house inside an orc ranch.
My heart thudded against my ribcage at the thought, whispering secrets I didn't dare listen to. I nestled deeper into Tark’s embrace, a part of me getting lost in how comforting it felt even while I told myself he only held me to keep me from falling.
Finally, he slowed Castree to a walk and we approached a wide, grassy meadow bordered by a trickle of a stream. When Castree came to a stop, Tark leaped down, fluid and graceful, as though he belonged to the terrain itself. He reached up to help me to the ground, and I let him lift me off, that familiar rush sparking through me at his touch.
I stepped away and headed toward the stream, eager to explore. The water glimmered in the sunlight, mirroring the blue of the sky above. I crouched down, trailing my fingers through the cool water, my heart fluttering with the joy of this moment.
Rising, I turned around to find Tark almost directly behind me.
My breath caught. The distance between us shrunk to nothing. Warmth radiated from his body. Incredibly enticing. “You’re close,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s where I belong.” The heat of his gaze washed over me, a mixture of curiosity and something that made my skin prickle in an exciting way.
“I could stay here forever.” I scanned the open meadow with tall grass waving in the breeze, a few speckles of colorful flowers, the stream at our back, and the dense woods beyond. “It’s beautiful here.”
“You have so little time left before you have to go,” he said, a hint of sorrow weaving through his words. I wanted to reach for him, soothe what sounded like pain, but I hesitated. He didn't mean anything when he said it.
Or did he?
“Maybe it’s just about today,” I said, glancing back at the flowing water. “Why worry about tomorrow?”
As soon as the words left me, I regretted them. I wouldn’t let myself get lost in the possibilities, wouldn’t allow my heart to savor this moment. Tark deserved more than an emotional whirlwind. He needed certainty, solidity, and a future with someone other than me.
“Are you married or with someone?” I blurted out.
“What? No. I'm not married or with anyone.”
I shouldn't feel happy about his reply. “Why not?”
“Because there’s only one person for me.”
“That doesn't go with you not being with someone.” Maybe he’d loved an orc female. She could be back at the orc kingdom, waiting for him to send for her.
Or she could’ve died. The pain in his eyes suggested something heart-wrenching had happened. I wasn't going to pry and make him feel worse.
“I want you to enjoy every minute you have here,” he said. “You’ll carry these memories with you when you leave.”
“Always.” Our eyes locked. What I saw in his gaze now left me struggling against the tide of emotions welling inside me. I couldn’t even begin to envision how this would play out, but right now, here in this place, everything felt suddenly right.
I took his hand, acting like it was a friendly gesture when it was anything but to me, and dragged him out into the sunshine, to the middle of the open field.
There I sat and tugged him down beside me.
“What are you doing?” he asked, blinking down at me, not budging an inch from my pull.
“Let's lay in the grass and point out cloud sculptures.”
He glanced up before scowling at me. “The sun is bright. It makes my eyes water.”
“You don't need to stare at the sun. We can lay with it behind us.” I flopped backward and stared up, trying not to laugh at the bemused expression on his face.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because it's fun. Try it. You'll see.”
Grumbling, he gingerly settled on the grass beside me.
“Lay down,” I said. “Stretch out those long legs and look up. Tell me what you see.”
He scowled some more before easing his back onto the grass, stretching his legs out like I’d asked. “The sun is still too bright.”
“Don't look directly at it. Oh, if there’s an eclipse, definitely don't look directly at it at all.”
“What’s an eclipse?”
“It’s when the moon floats between the sun and us. It kind of blocks the light.”
“The moon floats?” he barked out. “Is it going to float down to us and hit us?”
“Not so far. I don't think it can.” I really didn't understand the science of all that. “Focus on the clouds. They're pretty. They're not going to attack us.”
“They're visible masses of water droplets or ice crystals that hover in the sky.”
“Where did you learn that?” He hadn't mentioned clouds in the orc kingdom. Was something like that even possible there? Steam off a river or lake, sure, but puffy white clouds in the sort of cavern roof-sky? I doubted it.
“I read about it online. I wanted to know.”
Ah, that made sense.
“When I was a kid, and I had some free time on the set,” I said. “I used to like to lay on the grass and watch the clouds float past. I'd try to pick out shapes.” Spying a good one, I pointed. “See there? That looks like a sorhox's head.”
“Where?”
I scooted closer to him and pointed, trying to ignore how yummy he smelled, how wonderful it was to lie beside him, our bodies brushing, sharing this special moment. “Right there,” I croaked. I really needed to keep control of my voice and emotions. “You can see a big horn coming off the side and the curve of its head. It’s like Castree up in the sky.”
Tark tilted his head as he tried to make sense of it. “I see the horn but the body, where is the body?”
“Just imagine it connecting to the rest of the cloud. Your mind knows how to fill in the blanks. Isn’t that the fun of playing pretend?”
“Playing pretend seems... odd.”
“Odd? Tark, it's beautiful! It's a way to escape reality for a little while.” The fresh air wrapped around us, the rustling of the grass made it feel like the world was sharing secrets. Emotions swirled through me, but I brushed them aside for now.
“Life can’t be all work and survival,” I said. “What would be the point? We need those moments where we can laugh and relax.”
Tark turned to look at me, those dark eyes pooling with something unreadable. “Do you laugh often?”
I chuckled, turning my head fully to meet his gaze. “More often than you'd know. Sometimes I remind myself to be silly. It keeps me enjoying the now and not focusing on whatever might be coming next. We only live this instant. Why worry about tomorrow when it'll never come?”
“Tomorrow is coming. It'll be here…tomorrow.”
“But it won't be, because tomorrow, it'll be today, and the next day will be tomorrow. If you focus too much on what's coming next rather than enjoying what you have now, you'll miss out on the good stuff.”
“I don't want to miss out on anything.” His gaze dropped to my mouth. Was he thinking about our kisses?
I wanted another. Even more.
“I want to kiss you,” he growled.
My breath caught. “Then I think you should.” I slid my fingertip across my lips. “Here.” And then slid my finger to my throat. “And here.” I could keep going. Would he get the message?
His eyes widened. “You don't mind me kissing you?”
“No, why would I?”
“Because…I'm bumbling. I trip over my feet. Slam into walls without meaning to.”
“What does that have to do with kissing me?”
He blinked. “You're right. It doesn't have anything to do with kissing.” He gave me a firm nod. “I'm going to do it. Soon. I just need to?—”
“Tark.”
“What?”
I tapped my lips. “Kiss me here first.”
“Very well.” He sounded so solemn, it was all I could do not to snicker. Because he might be bumbling or falling into walls, but he was amazing. Fun. I loved how gruff and stoic his exterior was. It encased a soft, squishy interior I could easily love.
Tark leaned closer, and time seemed to stretch as anticipation hummed through the air around us. My heart pounded. I could see the determination on his face, the way his brow furrowed with concentration as if this kiss was a crucial undertaking.
With a tentative move, he brushed a single strand of hair from my face, his fingers grazing my skin in a feather's touch. Every nerve in my body lit up, blooming with excitement. He hesitated longer, measuring the distance between us, before finally closing the gap.
When his lips met mine, it was a gentle press, a soft exploration rather than a storm. The world melted away. Nothing mattered but us. He tasted intoxicating, warm, and rich like the earth we lay on. I melted into the kiss, latching onto his shoulders, pouring all the emotions welling inside me into this moment.
He pulled back, studying me with an awe that left me breathless. “You taste like sunshine.” His bemused expression returned, only this time, it was accompanied by a flicker of something else in his gaze I couldn’t define.
“And you taste like the promise of something new.”
His laughter came out low, like the growl of a distant thunderstorm. “You have a way with words, Gracie. I like that.”
My cheeks warmed. “It’s your fault. And the beautiful scenery.”
“Nothing matters if you’re not here to enjoy it.”
“Kiss me here, now.” I tapped my neck.
“You're sure?”
“Would I suggest you do it if I wasn't?”
“Kissing there could…”
“Could what?”
He cocked one shoulder up before lowering it. “Make me want more.”
“How much more?”
“Everything,” he breathed.
My heart flipped over and galloped across the plain.
“I still want you to kiss me here.” I tapped my neck again, then the top of my breasts revealed by my shirt. “And here. See what happens after that?”
“Gracie. Do you mean that?”
“I've never meant anything more in my life.”
“Gracie.” He buried his face in my neck and sucked in a breath. His tongue dipped out to gently stroke my skin. “I don't want to hurt you,” he mumbled. “I'm big and awkward, and I'd probably bumble even a kiss on your neck too. Slam my mouth against you too hard or something.”
Heat coiled through me. “I want you to slam something too hard.”
I could see him processing this in his slow blinks, before he glanced up, dragging his eyes from mine fast. “Truly?”
“Truly.”
“Gracie,” he growled.
Then his fingers were everywhere, stroking my sides, lifting my butt to press me against his body. He only hesitated when his hand stroked up to hover over my breast.
“I've never touched one of these before. I saw some, though.” His face darkened.
“Checking out images on Google, were you?” My lips curled up. “See anything you like?”
“They're amazing,” he gushed. “So round and plump-appearing. I don't know what they feel like, but I imagined them.”
Had he jerked off to a few pictures? Maybe he'd let me watch sometime…
“You can touch mine,” I said.
Frowning, he directed his focus on my chest. “I would like to know.”
“Know in general or know what mine feel like?” I mean, I wasn't going to be his voyeur experience. If he wanted this, he'd be doing it with me, not some woman he pictured in his mind that he'd seen on Google.
Tark’s gaze snapped up to meet mine. “Yours. I only want to know what yours feel like.”
A thrill shivered through me at the honesty in his eyes.
“You can touch me,” I whispered, suddenly shy despite the warmth pooling between us. “If you want to.”
Tark’s massive hand hovered, trembling slightly as though he feared breaking something fragile. My heart slammed up into my throat in anticipation, and I gently took his hand and guided it down to my chest. “It’s just me. You won't ever hurt me.”
“All of me is big.”
“I kind of felt that while riding here. I'm not afraid about that either.”
He studied my face for a long time before giving me a curt nod. “For too long, I've felt unworthy. Of my place in this world. The love of my brothers. Of you, Gracie.”
That struck a chord deep within me. This man, this powerful, towering orc who could move mountains with his hands feared little old me?
“You’re not unworthy. Especially not of me.”
His breath came out shaky, almost a growl as he leaned in closer, his forehead brushing mine. “You don’t know everything about me. About what I’ve done.”
“Maybe not everything, but I know the male you are right now. The one who holds me like I’m something precious. The one who takes me riding on enormous creatures and is willing to lie in the grass with me and find pictures among the clouds. You're special. Never forget that.”
His gaze snapped toward mine, wide and full of something caught between hope and disbelief. Slowly, I guided his hand across my chest, the heat of his palm sinking through the fabric of my shirt.
His eyes darkened, a storm brewing, about to break. “Don’t say things like that unless you mean them.”
“I won't.”
He stroked his hand across my breast. The sheer contrast of his careful, deliberate touch compared to his enormous strength sent a shiver spiraling across my skin. He froze at the reaction, his fingers twitching. He swallowed as if he was unsure if his hand was allowed to move.
“You can explore. It feels good to be touched there.”
“Orc females don't have breasts. They have fleshy tubes that project from their chest to feed our younglings. They’re longer than you’d think but the palest green. Nearly white, and about the width of my smallest finger. Some say that…” He gulped. “I'm talking too much. Not doing enough.”
“Keep touching. You're doing fine.” Was he a virgin? Or at least a virgin when it came to women?
He pressed a little more firmly, his hand curving to the shape of my breast.
“You're soft,” he rumbled, his voice so low it was almost inaudible. A curious wonder came through in his tone. His fingertips brushed across the underside of my breast, hesitant at first, then bolder as he began to trace the nipple with his thumb. A gasp slipped from my mouth, and I arched my body into him.
His gaze snapped up to mine, and panic flickered there. “Did I hurt you?” He pulled his hand back as if he feared he’d done something wrong.
I grabbed his hand, lowering it back onto my chest. “You didn’t hurt me. It felt good. Really good. Especially when you stroked my nipple. Don’t stop.”
He stared at me, his brows furrowed like he was trying to decipher a code. “I don’t understand,” he admitted, his voice incredibly vulnerable. “How can something so simple feel so powerful?”
I cupped his cheek. “It’s not about the touch. It’s about trust, about connection. When it’s with someone you care about, it’s not simple at all. It’s everything.”
A war raged in his eyes. I sensed he wanted to believe me, but part of him still doubted. Who had kicked this guy's confidence so far down the road he couldn't catch up? Maybe he’d been told too many times that he wasn’t enough, that he didn’t deserve this kind of closeness, this kind of affection. I hated whoever had made him feel this way.
“You deserve this, Tark,” I said. “You deserve to feel wanted, to feel everything life has to offer.”
“So do you,” he said gruffly.
“Would you like to touch them without any clothing?”
His breath sucked inward. “That's allowed?”
“It's wanted.” I let my smile trickle through. “It feels even better.”
Gulping, he bobbed his head.
I urged him to back up and sat, tugging my shirt over my head, tossing it aside. I unfastened my bra and sent it to the grass too. Then I watched him stare at me. Gape at me. Honestly, the way he gaped and swallowed was a major turn-on. I hadn't been this aroused in… I wasn't sure if I'd ever felt this aroused, and he'd barely touched me.
“Have you been with someone before?” I asked, and he shook his head. “Have you loved someone?”
“Not completely yet.”
“Did she die?” The words popped out.
He frowned. “Did who die?”
“The female you loved.”
“Oh, Gracie.” His face cleared, and his lips curled up on one side. “There is no other female. Only you.” The last came out in a croak.
My giddy heart flipped over. He didn’t love anyone else. There was no one pining for him back at the orc kingdom. He was implying I was the only person he saw. The realization settled within me, making something deep inside me bloom.
“I don’t want to push you if you’re not ready,” I said.
“There’s nothing I’d rather do than touch you.”
“I want you to, then,” I said. Inside, I internally shouted. Heat was pooling between my legs, and I'd almost kill to feel his fingers on my breast. His tongue wherever he ached to put it. And yes, that big cock I'd felt prodding my backside as we rode.
“Alright, I will,” he said firmly. Both of his hands lifted, and he hovered them in front of my breasts, shooting looks from them to my face and back again before he laid them on me.
“The nipples in the center are the most arousing. You can roll them, stroke them, and they'll pucker. If you suck on them?—”
“Like a youngling would?” He almost sounded scandalized.
I did all I could do not to smile. “Yeah, like a youngling would. There’s no milk because I haven't had a baby.”
“Yes, a male would never touch the milk.”
Oh yes, they would. Given permission, they’d suck to their heart's content.
He did as I suggested, first rolling my nipples before cupping my breasts and stroking them with his thumbs. Such an intent look on his face, as if I was a puzzle he ached to solve. As he continued to stroke me, it was all I could do not to swoon.
Would he want to take this all the way? He'd suggested that, but it wasn't clear.
“I want to suck on them,” he growled.
I couldn't miss the big bulge in his pants, a thick length prodding the fabric. It made my saliva go down too thick.
“Then suck on them,” I said. “Do whatever you want with them. With me.”
For a minute, he looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. “ Everything ?”
“I'm not pushing you. Just touching is good. But if you want?—”
“I want it all. Will you let me lick between your legs if I do a good job with your nipples?”
Fuck, yeah. “Of course.”
“Then I will.” His intent focus landed on my nipples again. “These first.” Leaning forward, he ran his tongue across one of them, humming low in his throat.
I almost came right then and there. So wet. I must be dripping. There was something incredibly arousing about his innocence mixed in with his daring.
He flicked his tongue, as if testing the boundaries of what was allowed, tasting the curve of my nipple like it was forbidden fruit. That hesitation only fueled the fire building inside me. When I gasped, arching toward him, something seemed to break loose in Tark, and he groaned low in his throat. His large hands cupped me, pressing my breasts together as he took the full swell of one into his mouth, drawing me deeper into the blaze of pure, unfiltered desire.
His tongue swirled around the sensitive peak, rough and hot, the perfect contrast to his fumbling innocence. I tangled my fingers in his hair, tugging him closer, and he groaned, the rough vibration shooting through me like lightning. It was both clumsy and perfect, the kind of unfettered passion that could only come from someone discovering something they truly desired for the first time. His enthusiasm poured through me, and a moan escaped my lips as heat pooled low in my belly, spreading outward until every inch of me felt alive and tingling.
“You like this?” His words were muffled against my skin, his tusks grazing my nipple as his tongue darted back out to soothe the spot he’d teased. The contrast of sensations sent a shiver straight through me, and I arched into him again, my breath jerking in and out of me as if I'd run a 10K.
I tightened my fingers in his hair. “I love it. Do it some more.”
That seemed to ignite something primal inside him. His hands became more confident, sliding over my sides, gripping me as though he wanted to memorize every curve and texture of my body. He moved to my other breast, his mouth capturing the nipple with a newfound hunger that left me gasping. His devotion to this exploration felt almost sacred, as though he believed worshiping me with his lips and tongue was his sole purpose in life.
Between the heat of his mouth and the care in his touch, I was coming undone. I fell back into the grass, and he followed, caging himself over me. My body writhed beneath his, seeking more contact, more of him. My thighs pressed together, desperate to quell the ache building there, but it only intensified the need. I could feel the strength in his hands, the way they held me but never pushed too far, as if I was something beautiful. It made my heart twist.
“Tark,” I moaned, my voice breaking as he nipped gently at my belly.
With a jerk of my hands, I hitched my pants down. My underwear too. Shucking it all aside and lying back for him to devour.
“Yes,” he breathed. “You're gorgeous. Do you know that orcs have an incredible sense of smell? I can tell that you want me. Only me, right?”
“Always you, Tark. Always.” Nothing and no one else was ever going to compare.
His mouth left my breast, and he kissed downward across my trembling belly before he spread my legs. Easing back onto his haunches, he looked down at the juncture between my thighs. His cock rode his pants, jerking forward in rhythmic moves as if it was trying to seek my hot core.
If only.
He slid his finger through my wetness then curled his hand up, sliding his finger into his mouth. His eyes closed and he released an almost desperate groan before his eyes opened again. “I can put my tongue there?”
Did he think I'd deny him—and me—that pleasure?
“Go ahead.”
His head bobbed in a nod, his cock mirroring the action. Leaning low, he spread my legs wider and crawled between them, glancing up at me as if he thought I'd tell him to back off.
No way. Never.
Then he drove his tongue inside me.