25. Mari

Chapter twenty-five

Mari

S oren, true to his word, fucked me until daylight. We had sex so many times last night that he ended up falling asleep inside me after we both enjoyed and explored each other to the point of exhaustion.

I don't think we were the only ones, either. Every so often, I could hear a grunt or a moan. A rustle that was distinctly the sound of thrusting. I should feel embarrassed. I should be ashamed to show my face in the morning. But I'm not.

Something happened to me last night, and madness was unleashed. I felt like a goddess being worshiped; it was heady and unexpected. I want to feel that desire always.

The dull haze of another cloudy morning fills the sky with pastel grays. Soren's next to me, still deep in sleep. The green hue of his skin stands out in stark contrast to the cream and hide-colored blankets.

His steely lines and sharp features are beautiful, playing with the softness of his full lips and long dark lashes.

Despite myself, I run my hand over the curve of his cheek, brushing a lock of his chestnut hairfrom his face.

A slight smile curves his jaw at the touch.

"Still can't keep your hands off me, I see," he says, opening one eye and inspecting where my hand still rests on his skin. "I'm ready for more, if you are." Both eyes are open now, and he's grinning at me like the cat who got the cream.

I roll my eyes at him and flop back into the bedding, anyway I can detach from that look. That look would have me back under him in a matter of minutes. I never thought I would need a sex break, but spirits be damned, I do.

"Thanks for the offer, Hoss, but I need a break if I'm expected to function today," I say, and as if reacting to the sound of my voice, that spot between my legs throbs. Fuck. Getting used to the sheer size of him will take some time and practice. And I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea.

"Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" He sits up, the covers falling from his perfect chest and revealing the hardened muscles of his abs.

His concerned face twists as he looks down at me.

"No, not at all. I'm fine. I just…don't, or I should say haven ' t, had that much sex in one night. I'm a little raw. Nothing that you did. I just overdid it, I guess." Well, explaining that was absolutely mortifying. I throw the covers over my face, fighting the bloom of red I know is staining my cheeks.

He reaches up, cupping my face. His eyes are so soft, so empathetic. How a creature so massive, so unrelenting, can look so vulnerable, so caring, breaks me inside. Feelings I've never experienced flood my system and spread through my bloodstream.

What is this? My heart pounds, thrumming an erratic beat in my chest I know he hears; there is no way he can't.

I panic, looking for something to distract me from the thoughts bombarding my senses.

"Hey, what's wrong?" His brows furrow. Of course, he notices. He notices everything. Fucking green-ogre-god-thing. That frustrates me even more.

"No, I'm fine; I'm still tired and, like I said, sore." Anything, anything at all I can do to distract from what is happening in my head.

Really, Mariana? You get a good night of boning, and now you think you might love the guy. This is sad, even for you.

Okay, first off, I need to stop being mean to myself. Second, I can't shut Soren out. Even though every fiber of my being wants to push back, wants to run away.

I'm tired of denying myself just because the prospect is scary.

"What's the plan for today?" I ask, settling back in the bedding with a sigh.

"If you're hurting, I don't want you working hard," he says, and I huff indignantly.

"I'll be fine; just because I'm a little too sore to get dicked by you right now doesn't mean I can't work."

"Dicked?" he asks. His voice is a tease and a promise I would take him up on right now if I could. He chuckles slightly and continues. "Is that what you humans call what we did? Getting dicked?"

I fumble a little. "Well, it's an informal phrase…like slang, I guess."

"I see. What is a formal term for it?" He leans into the bedding with me, brushing the hair out of my eyes and running his thumb over my bottom lip.

"Well, um," I choke again, the weight of his presence and smirk on his face throwing all of my bodily control out the window. "I guess, sex, or fornication, or…" I trail off. Don ' t say it, don ' t say it. "Making love, I suppose." I try to dismiss that last phrase as if it means nothing, as if it's not even used anymore. "Never mind. That's not the point. I asked what the plan was," I say, trying not to let how flustered this change in conversation has made me.

He smiles, his eyes lighting in mischief. "Sorry. I love making you squirm." I can tell from the fire behind his irises it's true. He's never backed down at my harsh words. He's just risen to the challenge at every turn.

Oh my god, bitch, you are turning into a ball of mush. Get your shit together.

"I figured we would stay another day and finish clearing most of the damage," he says, but it's also a question. Left open for me to either agree or disagree.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. I'm not good at carpentry, but I can shovel mud all day."

He laughs again. It's a deep and rich sound, leaving a warm spot blooming in my chest.

"There is no doubt in my mind you could be a carpenter, if you chose to be. But in the meantime, I don't mind picturing you covered in mud."

I roll my eyes at him, but I can't pretend there isn't heat building between my legs at his words.

You need to get a grip, Mari. You have a lot of daylight ahead of you.

"Right," I say, dismissing the heated comment, favoring progress. "Better get to it." I move to rise out of the warm covers, my naked body coiling from the exposure to the cool, humid air.

"Hold it!" Soren, averting his gaze, throws the covers back over me. "You just stay there! If I see you naked again, we're never leaving this tent." I laugh, but not mocking or defiant. I really laugh, reveling in the effect I have on him.

"Have it your way," I say, reclining again into the covers.

Before Iknowit, Sorenhaspiled all of my clothes next to my blanket cocoon so Icanredress.This is so ridiculous and oddly adorable.

I emerge dressed and ready for whatever the disaster outside has in store for me. And whatever mocking or salacious looks Soren's siblings want to throw my way.

To my shock and surprise, no one bats an eye at us as we leave the tent. There's not even a playful jab or mention of our extracurricular activities last night.

We get a few good morning s and breakfast is ready s .

Soren told me they wouldn't care, but my life experience screamed at me for that to be false. My life experience with humans—right .

Whatever fundamental truths exist in my world don't apply here. There is no precedence for behavior. There is no locker room talk because there is no culture that provokes and protects it. All the rules for life embedded into my subconscious don't apply.

It's maddening and freeing.

The day goes by quickly. This time, there is more detailed work. If this were Earth, I think ogres would be the stars of every home renovation show. We have removed the mud from the house. We took care of any broken glass or splintered beam by repairing or removing them. Now, they are cleaning and treating the hardwood walls and building new window frames.

I help where I can. I spend most of the day washing the walls with Winnie.

I let him know we plan on leaving in the morning. He intends to stay here for a few more days to finish the details.

He asks that I come to visit, which I will, of course. Then his eyes grow distant. "Before you really go, will you come to see me again?" That breaks me. Something fundamental and deeply rooted in my being breaks open. The possibility of never laying eyes on me again has made him sad.

I wrap him in an enormous hug and try not to let anyone see the red rimming my eyes. This place is making you so damn soft. I straighten, gaining composure.

"Absolutely. At the rate things are moving, you might be stuck with me. I have no idea how to go back."

He smiles at that; I don't know how, but I feel he wants the best for me, regardless of the outcome.

"Well, if you do, um, stay here, there is always a seat for you and that ogre of yours anytime." I smile at him again, squeezing him tighter.

His words stick with me for the rest of the day. That ogre of yours. Is Soren mine? Or are we just very sexually compatible?

When it's time for dinner, Soren finds me through the sea of his relatives. When his eyes lock on mine, his face lights, and he parts through the crowd to get to me.

He leans in, brushing the shell of my ear with his lips. "Is it okay if I kiss you, you know, in front of everyone?"

The fact that he would ask, that he knows how I might react, It's a revelation. His face is still next to mine, so I wrap my arms around his neck and whisper back, "You don't have to ask me anymore. I'm here with you."

He stills, then slowly stands at full height, looking down at me. His expression is one I haven't seen yet. I don't know what it means or how to clock it.

Both hands come up, cupping my face, and he bends and kisses me. Softly this time. It's gentle and reverent. I've never been kissed this way. His lips move overtop mine, promising things I would never have the courage to ask.

He backs upa bitwhen we break the kiss, taking me in, his eyes lit with tenderness and maybe a little lust. He runs his hand through my hair before cupping my jaw again.

"Thank you, My Warrior," is all he says.