20. Katar

Just like that, my attention left the computer and centered on my mate, who gazed at me with so much heat, it kicked my cock into action.

I groaned.

"Sorry," she said, her smile widening. "I believe," her finger pointed to the bulge forming in the front of my pants, "I've stirred things up."

"You, mate, are going to soon see how stirred up I truly am." Leaving the computer to finish downloading to the thumb drive, I lifted her and pressed her against the wall, making a mop fall onto the floor with a clatter.

As her legs coiled around my waist, I kissed her deeply, gliding my tongue across her lips, demanding entry. She complied with a whimper of surrender. This woman could turn me into a raging inferno in seconds, and I knew she always would. It wasn't just the bond driving us both. It was her. Me. Us.

As I teased her tongue with mine, I gripped her ass with one hand, holding her up, while sliding the other to her breast. I rolled the nipple through her sedate top, and my reward was her jutting her hips against my waist.

Leaving her mouth, I kissed along her jawline to her ear. Human ears were so different from an orc's. Ours jutted up from our head beside our horns, and they came to a point at the top. Some orcs' ears flopped over, but I'd inherited mine from those in the royal family. Points were considered superior, but I didn't care about anything like that.

I just loved it when Bailey grabbed onto them and tugged. When she left them to latch onto my horns.

Heat shot to my cock, and it stiffened even further. How was I going to make it until tonight without claiming her?

I nipped on her rounded earlobe while sliding my hand beneath her top and the stiff garment beneath, shoving it aside to place my palm fully against her breast.

Gasping and arching her back, she yanked on my horns.

I left her perfect ear and made my way back to her mouth, taking it once more.

I stroked her breast and left her lips to yank up her top with my tusks to gain full access to that hard nipple, sucking it inside my mouth and coiling my tongue around it to tug.

"Katar," she cried out, thrusting her hips against me.

Something banged on the hall, and we sprung apart.

Bailey shot me a wild look and smoothed the hair I'd totally mussed. She dragged her skirt back into place and tucked her top back into her skirt. The lovely nipple I'd been working on poked against the fabric.

"You." Speaking sternly, she poked her finger my way. "Behave."

"Do I have to?" I purred by her ear.

Her laugh burst out, though it was jittery. "Hold those thoughts and," she stroked her fingertip down the length of my cock trying to slice its way through the front of my pants, "and keep this big boy nice and toasty. I believe someone got to do a lot of tasting, but I have not yet had my fill."

With that, she left the storage closet, striding confidently out into the hall. I was glad she wasn't upset, though I hadn't intended to provide a distraction when I got lost in her mouth.

With a shake of my head, I returned to the computer, finding the thumb drive wasn't big enough to hold all the data. I'd have to get another, which meant a trip to the nearby box store.

Out in the hall, I found Bailey talking with Flynn, the guy who'd stopped by the day before. The one who'd laid a proprietary gaze on my mate and who'd delivered a scowl my way.

That same gaze was now locked on Bailey's breasts.

"Flynn," she said, her voice rising. She snapped her fingers between their bodies. "Flynn!"

"What?" he asked, still focused on her chest.

"My eyes are up here." Pure exasperation came through in her words, and she pointed to her glasses.

"Mine," I growled, stalking over to stand with her, facing Flynn. Would Bailey get upset if I tackled him? If I was dressed in a loincloth and armed with my blades, I would pull them. Brandish them in his face.

Then I would drive him through the front of the library with a warning to never return.

"It's . . . okay, Katar," she said, all breathy. I suspected my prim and proper Bailey didn't enjoy me acting jealous, so I restrained my hands from locking around his throat.

I was an orc. As far as humans were concerned, acting uncivilized came with the territory. But I didn't want to displease my mate.

"What can I do for you, Flynn?" Bailey asked. Did I hear laughter bubbling in her voice?

Like a pup who'd been told he was behaving nicely—now—I sent him a sharp smile that told him I was only tolerating his presence around my mate because she appeared willing to speak with him.

"I heard you were being arrested," he blustered. "I had to come to the library immediately to make sure everything was all right."

Everything? Why not make sure Bailey was all right?

"As you can see," she said, "I wasn't arrested."

"Why not? From what I heard; they have plenty of evidence." He stared down his nose at her. What a switch, to go from gaping at her breasts—that were also mine—to acting like he had some say in all this.

"Why don't you leave?" I barked.

Bailey laid a hand on my arm, squeezing it. "Flynn's the chairman of the board, as I mentioned yesterday. It's in his interest to know what's happening with the library."

"I'm grateful you haven't been arrested," he said, his gaze shooting to her fingers now stroking my bare forearm. Did she realize she was doing it?

"So am I."

"I've taken over the case," I said, watching him. This male had a key to the library. Was he somehow involved?

"Why you?" Flynn asked, turning his stiff gaze my way.

"I was assigned by the orc king," I said.

Flynn sucked in a breath. "You know the orc king? I thought you were an innocent bystander who was conveniently here to assist Ms. Everhard."

"I'm investigating the case, hence taking it over from Detective Carter."

"Then you're the reason Ms. Everhard hasn't been arrested?"

"I sure am," I said with an edge of impatience in my voice. This male could leave. I had an investigation to conduct. Bailey to lick.

"Don't you think that's improper?" he asked.

"Me taking the case? I assure you," I said in a deadly tone, "I'm well qualified to handle this investigation."

"I meant since you and Ms. Everhard—"

My snarl broke through his words. I advanced on him, making him back against the wall, his hands fluttering at his throat. "What were you about to accuse Bailey of?"

"Nothing," he sputtered. "Absolutely nothing. I'm sure you two are just . . . friends."

"It's all right." Bailey leaned into my side. "You can release him."

That's when I realized I had him by the throat. I'd lifted him off the ground and his feet were twitching in the air.

I dropped him, and he straightened the neckline of his stiff white shirt.

He scurried toward the front of the building, shooting a dark look my way and delivering a parting shot. "Don't think you'll get away with manhandling me, sir."