Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Sloane
For practical reasons.
I can’t believe I just said that. As if there’s anything practical about moving into an orc’s bedroom two days after he rescued me from a Colombian jungle. My heart pounds as I watch this massive green orc gather my meager belongings like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
But here we are.
Jonus moves around the guest room, collecting the new clothes Aldar bought, the toiletries, my laptop and phone.
He’s still shirtless, wearing only those soft sleep pants that hang low on his hips.
I can see the V of muscle disappearing into the waistband.
The broad expanse of his green back. The way his muscles flex as he reaches for things.
His black horns and those white tusks are still doing it for me.
My eyes drop lower before I can stop them.
This orc’s ass is utter perfection. I literally want to bite one of his ass cheeks. Is it weird to notice that about an orc? Probably. Do I care? Apparently not. I look away quickly when he turns around. Then look back. Because apparently, I have zero self-control around this male.
Oh jeez, I think he just caught me watching. Our eyes meet. Something hot flickers between us.
He clears his throat. “Ready?”
No. Yes. I don’t know.
“Ready,” I say.
He comes back for me, scooping me up like I weigh nothing.
I’d never been carried in anyone’s arms my whole adult life and now that I know Jonus, he’s done this so often it’s starting to feel normal.
I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers brushing against the warm skin of his shoulders.
The feel of his bare chest against my side does inappropriate things to that space between my thighs.
Things I should not be feeling about an orc I’ve known in person for approximately forty-eight hours.
But I’ve known him longer than that, haven’t I? Weeks of late-night video calls. Hours of conversation. He knows things about me that Ryan never bothered to learn.
The hallway is quiet as he carries me past Aldar’s room across the hall—door closed, I can hear him talking softly. Is he on the phone with Lucy? Hmm.
And then we’re in Jonus Irontree’s bedroom. It’s only slightly larger than the room I just left. There’s a walk-in closet and an attached bathroom. The window looks onto the expansive backyard.
I still can’t get over the size of Garlen and Ellie’s lovely mansion. They are paying for all of this on two teachers’ salaries? Did Ellie come from generational wealth?
Jonus sets me on his bed and the first thing I notice is that wonderful smell. I want to bury my face in his pillow and just breathe him in, which is completely insane. “It smells like you in here,” I say before my brain can stop my mouth.
Jonus pauses. “Is that bad?”
“No.” My voice comes out softer than I intended. “It’s good. It’s really good.”
I watch as he moves into the bathroom to line up my toiletries alongside his. Then he puts my small amount of clothes in drawers next to his clothing.
I can’t help cataloging the sparse, functional space.
There is an oversized chair in a corner that I suspect is there so he can have a chair that actually fits.
It reminds me of the huge furniture in the front rooms of this house.
There are few personal items, some books on a shelf.
A photo I can’t quite make out in the dim light.
This is where he lives and sleeps. And now I’m going to be here too.
“Which side?” he asks, his voice rough.
“I don’t know. Which side do you usually sleep on?”
“Left. But I can—”
“Left is fine. I’ll take right.”
He pulls back the dark covers for me and helps me slide in. His sheets are soft. They smell like him too. I resist the urge to roll around in them like some kind of scent-obsessed weirdo.
Jonus moves to the other side of the bed.
The mattress dips significantly under his weight.
I knew he was big, but sharing a bed really drives it home.
He lies on his back, staring at the ceiling.
I notice that the wooden headboard has a few scrape marks from his horns, but there is still enough space for him.
I turn and lie on my side, facing him to study his profile in the dim light.
The slope of his horns. The strong line of his jaw.
Those tusks I never thought I’d find tusks attractive, yet here I am, wondering what it would feel like to trace my tongue along them.
My gaze travels down to that utterly perfect bare chest with the ridged stomach.
The waistband of those sleep pants, riding low. ..
I look away before I get caught checking out his epic package for the hundredth time today.
Neither of us closes our eyes.
“Jonus?”
His head turns to look at me. “Yes?”
“Thank you. For everything. For Colombia. For the chair. For this.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“I know. I want to.”
“Goodnight, Sloane.”
“Goodnight, Jonus.”
I close my eyes and try to sleep. I really do.
But I’m hyperaware of his sexy body inches away.
I’ve got bandages all over my feet still and yet I’m wishing I could pull down his pants and carefully lick that cock.
Wowza. My practical brain: This is insane.
You just got out of a relationship. You were kidnapped. You barely know him.
My body: Move closer. Touch him. You know you want to.
I tell my body to shut up and I breathe Jonus in and let myself relax completely for the first time since Colombia.
Leave the orc alone. He personally went against the cartel to save my life and I’ve caught him staring at my ass too, so I know he wants more than friendship from me, but I don’t know what else.
This means I need to let all of these hot thoughts go, for now.
Sleep pulls at me, warm and heavy.
I don’t dream of the pit.
Instead, I dream of green skin, dark eyes and a voice that tells me I’m beautiful.
I wake up in his arms.
For a moment, I don’t remember where I am. Then his scent hits me and it all comes flooding back. The guest room. The invitation. Moving into his bedroom “for practical reasons.”
A happy smile widens across my face.
I’m pressed against his chest. My leg is thrown over his thigh. My hand is splayed over his heart.
Not sure how I got here, but it’s all pretty wonderful.
Sometime during the night, I apparently decided to climb this orc like some kind of green-skinned jungle gym. Did I do this in my sleep? Did I literally koala-cling to him while unconscious?
I should definitely move.
But I don’t.
Instead, I take inventory. His arm is wrapped around my waist, holding me tight against him. His other hand rests on my hip, fingers splayed possessively. His chin is tucked against the top of my head.
I’m surrounded by him and it feels...perfect.
And pressed against my stomach is—
Oh.
Is that...?
My face flames. That’s definitely an erection. A very large, very hard erection pressed right against my stomach through the thin fabric of his sleep pants. I knew orcs were big. I’ve done... research.
Don’t look down. Don’t you dare look down.
I look down.
Those sleep pants hide nothing. The outline of him is... impressive. Mouth-watering? Is that a word I’m allowed to use? Because that’s definitely the word that comes to mind.
My thighs clench involuntarily.
Okay. Okay. He’s asleep. This is just a biological response.
Morning wood. Totally normal. Nothing to do with me.
Except I can feel his nose buried in my hair.
Feel him breathing me in even in sleep. And the way he’s holding me isn’t casual.
It’s possessive, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he loosens his grip.
I should move wake him up and create some distance before this gets awkward.
Instead, I do something stupid.
I press my lips against his chest. Just once, to see what his skin tastes like.
A rumble vibrates through his chest. A growl, low and pleased.
I freeze. Oops.
“Sloane.” His voice is rough with sleep.
I look up. His dark eyes are open, watching me. Heated.
“Good morning,” I whisper, my face flaming. “I, um. I don’t know how I ended up... I mean, I didn’t mean to...”
“You were having a nightmare. I pulled you close. You settled.”
“Oh.” I should move now. I definitely should. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” His arm tightens around me. He makes no move to let go.
The moment stretches. His erection is still pressed against me. Neither of us mentions it.
“Sloane.” His voice is serious now. “I need to tell you something.”
“Okay...” My heart pounds.
“I can scent your arousal.”
“What?”
“Your arousal. I can smell it.” His dark eyes hold mine. “I’ve been able to scent it for a while now. Since yesterday. Maybe before.”
Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god.
I want the bed to open up and swallow me whole. “That’s... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—"
“Don’t apologize.” His thumb strokes my hip through my pajamas. “I’m not complaining. I’m proud that you want me.”
“Proud?” I squeak.
“Yes.” A small smile tugs at his lips. “Very proud. You’re the most beautiful female I’ve ever met. You’re smart and brave, and you want me. How could I not be proud?”
I bury my face against his chest because I can’t look at him right now. “This is mortifying.”
A rumble of laughter vibrates through his chest. “It’s not. It’s perfect.” He tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. “But you need to understand something about orcs.”
“What?”
“We don’t pleasure mate.”
I blink. “What does that mean?”
“It means orcs don’t do casual.” His dark eyes are serious. Intense. “We don’t do ‘just sex’ like humans can. When an orc takes a female to his bed, it’s all or nothing. A life-long mate. A Bride. Forever.” His thumb traces my jawline. “There is no in-between for us.”
Forever.
The word hangs in the air between us. I absorb it slowly. “So if we...”
“If we mate, my body will think you’re mine, permanently.
” His jaw tightens. “I want you, Sloane. I think I’ve wanted you since the first time we talked through a screen but I didn’t know for sure until now, that we’ve been this close.
But I won’t take you until you understand what that means and you’ve had time to heal.
Until the danger has passed and your story is published and you can think clearly. ”
“Wait, you’re saying you’ve never felt this way before? So does this mean that you’re…?”
“I’m a virgin. I’ve never found a female until now that causes my cock to thicken.”
“This is your first erection, ever?”
“Yes, it’s been happening since your clean, semi-healed scent entered my lungs. It’s only for you.”
“Jonus—”
“But as I was saying, I want to wait to do anything about it.” His voice is firm but gentle. “I’ve waited my whole life to find you. I can wait a little longer until all of this is over and we’re both ready to make life-long decisions.”
Tears prick my eyes. I don’t even know why. “Okay,” I whisper.
He presses a kiss to my forehead. Gentle. Reverent. Then he untangles himself from me, leaving me cold and bereft. My body immediately protests the loss of his warmth, his weight, his scent surrounding me.
“Wound care,” he says. “Then breakfast. Then, since this is a Saturday, I need to meet with the others. Dane, Garlen, Aldar. We need to discuss security. And... other things.”
I crook an eyebrow. Other things? I wonder what that means.
He stands, and I try not to stare at the tent in his sleep pants as he walks to the bathroom.
I fail spectacularly.
The bathroom door closes and I flop back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling.