16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

M ara

I wake slowly, momentarily confused by my unfamiliar surroundings and the huge t-shirt I’m wearing. Then memory comes crashing back—the earthquake, the flood, Krull. I bolt upright, heart racing, only to find him sitting in a chair near the bed, watching me with warm amber eyes.

“It’s okay, Mara. You’re safe now.”

His deep voice washes over me, soothing my frazzled nerves. To make me feel even better, he purrs, the rumble vibrating through me underscores a feeling of safety and well-being.

I sag back against the pillows, taking in the sparsely furnished room. Krull’s apartment. We made it to shelter in the Integration Zone.

A quick glance shows Krull’s put my phone on his nightstand. When I grab it to text my parents, there’s still no signal. Sighing, I set it aside. I’ll keep trying. Right now, my attention drifts back to the big orc quietly studying me.

How is it possible I feel like I’ve known Krull forever after the insanity of the last day? Yet there’s no denying what my heart already knows—I’ve fallen completely and hopelessly in love with him.

I love the way he cares so deeply, how he put my safety above his own every step of our harrowing journey. I love how smart and determined he is to build a good life despite the discrimination he faces. And God help me, I love looking at his muscular green body, those tusks, pointed ears, sexy black tongue, and exotic swirling tattoos. He’s everything I never knew I wanted.

My cheeks heat as I wonder if he can read my besotted thoughts. But Krull just smiles gently, still sitting too many feet away from me on the other side of the small room.

“Kam’s mate Emma brought food. You fell asleep before she arrived. You must be starving.”

He rises to gallantly help me up, one big hand engulfing mine. As we sit at the tiny, scarred wooden table in his ancient kitchen, joy wells inside me despite the uncertainty ahead. With Krull at my side, I feel I can weather any storm—literally.

Krull brings over two heaping plates of fragrant curry and rice called korzok . My mouth waters as I realize how famished I am. As we sit, knees touching, I moan in delight at my first bite.

“I’ll have to thank Emma. This is amazing. This is an orc dish? ”

“Yes. Several of her new friends taught her some of our recipes. She was eager to learn our ways, says she loves living here despite the crumbling infrastructure.”

I know it’s way too soon to even think about such things, but part of my mind toys with the idea of living here. I wouldn’t be the first human to move in with the male she loves. Perhaps I should meet Emma and the other human women here.

What am I thinking? I’ve certainly gotten the cart before the horse. I don’t even know if Krull’s into me. Maybe the heat in his eyes is all about a replay of this morning’s blowjob and has nothing to do with affection. Perhaps I’m reading this whole thing wrong.

We eat ravenously, the spicy sauce warming me from the inside out. The Integration Zone sprawls outside the window, run down and all but forgotten by the rest of the city. But here, there is only intimacy.

I study Krull openly as I lick sauce from my fingers. His broad shoulders flex as he lifts his fork. Candlelight plays over his emerald skin, shadowing the hard planes of his face. He’s the most gorgeous being I’ve ever seen. I gnaw at my upper lip as I squelch my desire to erase the distance between us and climb onto his lap.

As if sensing my thoughts, Krull stills. Our eyes lock as he sets aside his plate with slow precision, then licks a drop of sauce from his full bottom lip, his long black tongue making my thighs clench.

“Mara…” he rumbles.

The air seems charged with electricity as he pauses, searching for words .

My breath catches at the banked heat in his stare. He reaches to tenderly tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. His fingertips scorch my skin everywhere they touch, tracing my cheek, the line of my jaw, the column of my throat. I lean into his palm, sighing as my lashes flutter shut.

“So beautiful,” Krull whispers.

In one swift movement, he grips me by the waist, scoots his chair back, and settles me crossways on his lap. Then his mouth claims mine. The kiss begins sweetly but quickly ignites into an inferno. My hands rove greedily over his broad back, earning a purr that’s suddenly cut off by a low groan. We kiss until I’m dizzy and aching.

Finally, Krull breaks away with a gasp. He presses his forehead to mine, his ragged breath mingling with mine.

“Mara, I know we’ve only known each other for two days. You probably think I’m insane, but what I feel for you can’t be denied or minimized. I’ve never experienced anything half as intense, as real, as compelling as this. If you…”

He slicks his beautiful black tongue over his lips and continues, “If you want to go back to Ohio, or… find a hotel room or bunk with a friend until everything is sorted, I’d understand. I just need you to know that I want you here, with me.”

Really? He feels this connection as intensely as I do? My stomach swoops and spirals, making me feel almost dizzy with excitement. How could everything I’ve yearned for in the secret places of my heart fall into my lap at such an inopportune time? It’s as magical as it is unexpected .

“My feelings for you have been growing minute by minute. The moment I carried you through my front door, I knew with certainty that you belong here. With me.”

My chest is tight and full, and my insides feel another cataclysm—like a cyclone of swirling… I don’t know if I can name all the emotions, but joy and optimism are at the top of the list.

He shrugs. “The Zone is a shithole, love.”

He pauses as though uttering the word out loud surprised him as much as it surprised me. Love? Did he really say it? And by the look on his face, he means it.

“It’s a shithole, but it’s full of wonderful people, like the males who risked life and limb in that ridiculous stunt to save you today. Will you stay? Give what’s happening between us a chance to grow? See if what we’re feeling can stand the test of time?”

A wave of affection, warmth, and safety washes over me. It’s bigger than the tsunami we just battled together. It’s way too soon to be thinking about forever, but doesn’t it say something that we’re both thinking it?

“I’m here with you, Krull. I… I love you too. Yes! I want to give us a chance.”