Page 11 of Ella’s Obsessive Orc

“Sure,” I say. “Just let me drop these off and freshen up.”

He nods, and I dash inside. My brain runs wild as I run down to my room. Did I just get asked on a date? Is this a date? I want it to be a date. Damn. I’m losing my freaking mind.

My heart’s pounding like I just sprinted up the mountain, and my brain is short-circuiting. But all I can think about is Oren’s hands, how careful he was with the flowers, and the way his gravelly voice goes soft when he talks to me. My thighs squeeze together as a weird, fluttery heat flows through my body.

Yeah. I want to see what a date with a seven-foot Orc is like. I want to see what happens if I let him get close. I want to tangle those big hands in my hair and see if he kisses as intensely as he stares. I wonder what his tusks will feel like against my lips.

I touch up my lip gloss, fluff my hair, and check the mirror. Screw it. I’m going all in. Bring on the date, the forest, and whatever the hell else Oren Arch thinks is “normal” courting ritual.

I rush up the stairs to find Oren pacing the front hall. His arms are at his sides now, hands unclenched, but there’s a tightness in his jaw like he’s clamping down on an invisible enemy. He glances at my hands, and for a second, I think he’s going to bail, but instead, Oren steps close and offers me his palm, broad and scarred and steady. I drop my hand into his, feeling dwarfed by the sheer size of him, and holy cow, the contrast is enough to make my brain do a backflip. His grip surprises me. It isn’t crushing. More like careful. Like he’s handling glass.

The heat from his skin slides straight up my arm, and I swear my knees threaten to go full noodle mode. I can’t help but stare at his hand wrapped around mine. Who knew a giant Orc warlord could hold a woman like she’s precious?

My stupid heart absolutely loses its mind.

He leads me down the slope behind the house, toward a line of ancient trees. The world here is impossibly green, and the air hums with wet moss and sap. Every few yards, I catch a flash of bioluminescent lichen or the gold of a humming bug that’s three times the size of anything I’ve seen in the human world.

We walk for a while in silence. I’m the one who cracks first. “Where are we going?”

He grunts, but it’s a little less threatening than usual. “My favorite place.”

There’s a hint of pride in his voice. I look sideways at him, and he’s scanning the underbrush. “Did you grow up here?”

He shakes his head. “My family moved to the settlement after the civil agreement. I was raised in the western barrens, near the old fort.” He says it like I’m supposed to know where that is, and I nod sagely. “We did not have a forest. Only rocks and sky.”

“Do you like it here?”

He walks a few paces before answering. “I do.” He opens his mouth then closes it while shaking his head.

We hit a break in the trees, and he stops so abruptly I nearly rear-end him. The clearing is ringed with glowing moss and thick with mushrooms that pulse blue at the edges. In the center is a stump twice as wide as my bed. Oren sits on it, testing the weight before gesturing for me to join.

I perch next to him, careful not to let our bodies touch. He’s radiating heat like a furnace, and my skin picks up the charge even with a solid two inches of daylight between us.

For a while, we just sit, watching the bugs trace wild shapes in the air. I can hear his breath, slow and deliberate.

“Why did you take this job?” he asks suddenly. The question sounds like an accusation, but his eyes are weirdly gentle.

I bite my lip, surprised. “Honestly? I needed a job that came with housing to get away from my mother.” I pick at a loose thread in my jeans, ready to pour out my entire life story, while a little voice in the back of my mind tells me to shut up, insisting this is definitely second or third date material.

“I read the report on you.” My heart jumps, realizing he already knows about my background. “I’m sorry for what you had to go through.”

“Did every Orc on the settlement read that freaking report?” I grumble, wondering if everyone already knows about my sad life.

“No.” A horrified look passes across his green face. In fact, he goes a little greener. “Only the Security Council read that report.” He takes my hand in his, and sparks shoot down my spine. “No one else will ever know your personal business. You’re part of our Orc family now, and we protect what’s ours.”

Those words bring tears to my eyes. “Thank you.” I lean close and place a soft kiss on his cheek.

We fall into another silence, but this one isn’t heavy. More like the world holding its breath. The bugs dance. The moss glows. Oren’s profile is sharp against the last rays of sun, his tusks gleaming white in the light.

Out of nowhere, he says, “You’re very direct.”

I snort. “So are you.”

He doesn’t smile, but his eyes crinkle at the edges. “That is not always a compliment among my people.”

“It’s not always a compliment among mine, either.” I shrug. “But I’d rather someone tell me the truth. Even if it’s not pretty.”

He watches me for a long moment. It’s not creepy, just intense. Like he’s trying to memorize me, catalog every reaction.