Orc Boyfriend Gorlak (special preview)

“Bad weather is coming,” he growls as he swirls his bowl. “In a few days, it’ll probably be too cold. We’ll have to combine our tents in order to not freeze in our sleep.”

I jerk at the thought. “No!” I snap.

Gorlak cuts a dirty look at me. “You want to survive, don’t you?”

I frown.

“If I wanted you, I could have you,” he snarls. “Nothing is stopping me except I know it’s wrong. I’ll only take you if I hear that sweet yes from your lips.” He slurps down the rest of his soup and sets the bowl aside. “So don’t worry about sharing a bed with me. I may not know how to handle women, but I know how to handle myself.”

I look aside, feeling bad I had ever thought such things of him.

The next day, Gorlak breaks down his tent and uses it to overlay over mine, that way it is insulated from the cold. He lays his furs and pillows in with my bed and places his mattress under mine to keep us off the cold ground.

I dread that night and part of me thinks I can deal with the horrible cold until the winds pick up. As I’m trying to cook it bites and nips at me. I hate to admit it, but Gorlak is probably right. I stay huddled close to the fire while I cook.

I then realize I haven’t seen Gorlak in a while. I look around and don’t see him working on the house or anywhere near the tent. I cover the pot and go to see if I can spot him. The wind is horrible and I lift my scarf up to cover my face. I walk along the river until it spills out into the pond. I find Gorlak’s clothes hanging from the trees and then I see him.

He’s in the pond, scrubbing down his body with a smooth stone. He’s shivering and wet, but he’s bathing himself. I stare a bit, noticing how fine and strong his body is. His thick arms, chiseled chest and belly. He turns, stepping from the water and I see his firm ass. I quickly duck, hiding away as he steps out of the water and onto the bank.

I try to sneak away, but there is no way I can he’ll see me.

“Fucking cold,” he snarls under his breath along with a string of obscene curse words. I then hear him behind me and he laughs. “How long you been there?”

I look up from my crouch, my face bright red and not just from the wind. “I uhm-” I jump up and look him dead in the eye. “The food is ready! I couldn’t find you.” I snap my hands to my waist.

Gorlak is running a towel along his face. “Oh well, I was just washing up,” he shivers a bit. “So you didn’t find me so disgusting going to bed tonight.” He slips into his coat.