Chapter 6

Effie

‘Twas the sound of his voice—distant and grumbling—which alerted me to Korvak's return. A horse's whinny answered him, then he snorted in return. I was smiling as I approached the door.

And came to a stop with a shocked gasp. "What happened to you, Korvak?" I blurted, taking a hesitant step toward the abomination leading the horse along the stream.

He held up his hand, palm out, to stop me from getting closer. "I am pleased ye could recognize me, despite my disguise."

The statement was so ludicrous I burst out laughing. Because ‘twas indeed Korvak, but he was covered almost head to toe in thick mud, while the mare was clean.

At my laughter, his scowl deepened, so I pressed my palm to my mouth. "You forgot my advice, did you not?" I managed, despite the muffling hand.

"I didnae forget it," he admitted with a put-upon sigh. "I merely chose to allow the mare to toss me down a hillside. I got the plarkets though."

My laughter ceased. "You fell? Are you hurt?"

He cocked his head at me. "You would care?"

This again? I clucked my tongue and held out my hand. "Give me Mags. Thanks to your teachings, I know enough to rub her down safely. You go straight to the stream and start washing that gunk out of your hair."

Looking a little surprised—as hard as it was to tell beneath the layer of mud—he handed me the reins, and I admit I was proud that I was now familiar enough with the horses to lead her to her stall and care for her.

After, I climbed up on the stool to reach the upper shelf near the cabinets and pulled down the flower-scented soap. I had been surprised when Korvak first left it out for me—it seemed such a delicate scent for such a male—but he often surprised me.

My hands were already untying the laces of my bodice by the time I realized what I was doing. Almost unconsciously I hung my gown on the hook beside his spare kilt, which I took down and folded. ‘Twas as if my body knew what needed to be done without my mind interfering.

When I stepped out of the cottage, barefoot, clad only in my chemise and carrying his clean plaid, my eyes went right to Korvak.

He was sitting in the middle of the stream where the water was deepest. Were he to stand, the water might come to his shins, but seated, his arse was covered. His arse and…his crotch.

Because he was very, very naked.

As naked as he had been last night when I had made the bold decision to climb into bed with him.

As I watched, he threw himself backward, completely submerging his head in the shallow water as he scrubbed his fingers through his dark hair, trying to remove the mud. The angle gave me the view I had been aching for.

Korvak's cock was thick, thicker than I would have imagined, and ridged. My eyes widened, as my steps took me closer, curious.

I was no stranger to men's cocks and the force they could wield, but this one…I wanted to touch it. I wanted to taste it.

The Supplicant Swan . ‘Twas what he had threatened me with the first night, but now I wanted that .

That, and so much more.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the stream just as he sat up, dripping, mud still caked to him. I did not bother stifling my giggle.

He whirled to face me, but his habitual scowl eased when he saw me picking my way barefoot toward him. His gaze seemed to lighten slightly as it raked me, and I wondered how sheer my chemise was in the sunshine.

"Effie," he murmured, and I could confess that his voice was like a caress, making me shudder.

I held up the soap. "I wanted to help. There is no way you will be able to get it all out on your own."

"I've managed well enough so far," he grumbled, but he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "But verra well, have at me."

Oh, I think I might.

The water was above my knees by the time I reached him, and I knew the linen surrounding me was now almost useless in terms of preserving my modesty.

I stepped up behind him, admiring the way the droplets glistened in his hair. Since he sat with his back upstream, the force of the water pushed my legs against his back, but I braced my knees and knew he would not let me be swept away.

When I placed my palm on his shoulder, I swear I saw him shudder.

Slowly, almost reverently, I washed him. His back, his shoulders, his arms. I dragged the soap over his skin, rubbing lather as I went. With the bubbles still on him, I addressed his hair. I worked the soap into his scalp, using my fingertips and nails and combed through each strand.

When my nails scraped across his scalp, he released an audible moan, so I did it again.

I snuck a peek at his face. His eyes were closed and an expression as close to bliss as I had ever seen on him was stretched across his face.

I scratched his head again, grinning when he made another little happy noise which ended on a sigh.

‘Twas such a simple thing, to scratch his scalp. Had no one ever done it for him?

He trains animals and prefers to live alone.

Mayhap he was as uncertain of others as I was.

By the time I deemed his hair sufficiently lathered, the entire front of my chemise was soaked through. I did not care because the sun was warm, but I suspected the wet linen was sticking to me in all the wrong places.

"Done," I announced. "Take one last dunk. "

When he threw himself backward, the splash made me even wetter and I shrieked, backing up with laughter.

He emerged, shaking water drops from his hair, and I decided this orc looked like one of the old gods, all fierce and glistening and protective. The thought made my breath catch in my throat, made heat pool between my legs.

"Come here," he suddenly growled, twisting and reaching behind himself to grab my wrist.

I stumbled willingly alongside him and almost whimpered at the heat in his gaze when he cocked his head back to stare up at me.

With him seated in the stream, the water flowing around us, his head was level with my navel. With his mouth so close to my body, I was suddenly very aware of how wet my chemise was…how transparent.

One of his hands settled on the back of my upstream thigh, as if anchoring me.

"Effie…"

I clutched at the soap, but my other hand dropped to his head, my fingers twining through his hair.

"Aye, Korvak?"

His voice was raspy. "Thank ye for taking care of me."

I swear, my heart melted just a bit at those words. As if no one had ever taken care of him.

It took me a few tries to clear my throat. "You deserve it."

Something flickered in his eyes, something I couldn't identify.

"So do ye."

"Oh, Korvak." My smile felt wobbly as I stroked his hair. "You take care of me."

He suddenly swayed closer, his mouth so close to my mound I swear I could feel his breath.

"I want to."

I could not help the way I whimpered and rocked my hips forward until my pelvis brushed against his mouth.

And still, he held my gaze.

Without speaking, he used his hold on my thigh to move me around him. I understood, and stepped over his legs until I was straddling his thighs, standing downstream, in front of him.

My cunny a hairsbreadth from his mouth.

I knew I was wet from more than just the stream.

"Effie," he said again, settling his hands on the backs of my thighs. "My pretty wee human. "

My hands settled on his head, because ‘twas all I could reach. Thanking God that Korvak was holding me up—because my knees were in very real danger of buckling—I swayed closer to him.

"I want to touch ye," he admitted.

"Aye." My agreement was a mere rasp.

His hands rose up the backs of my thighs until they cupped my arse cheeks, and I whimpered, trying not to thrust my pelvis at him like a shameless bitch in heat.

"Ye deserve pleasure." He leaned closer, and I looked down, watching his tongue dart out to caress one of his tusks. "I want to give ye pleasure."

"Aye," I whimpered, amazed by the force of my arousal. "Please."

He did.

With his hands holding me in place, Korvak leaned forward and swiped his wide, ridged tongue over my mound.

Gasping, I jerked forward, my cheeks burning, but unable to look away.

The white linen of my chemise was molded to me, my breasts practically on display. I stared down my body, watching his dark head as he leaned closer, closer …

And licked me again.

The sensation was…remarkable. Unconsciously, I shifted my legs open a bit more, arching my back to offer him more more more. He hummed in what sounded like amusement, then slid his tongue between my legs.

My knees buckled.

I fell straight down, into his lap, the water splashing up between us and the linen billowing up to wrap around our wet skin, sticking awkwardly. But I ignored all of that to stare, wide-eyed, at the only male to care about my pleasure.

My hands dropped between us, under the water, to wrap around his cock—so thick I needed both hands, the ridges mimicking his tongue.

"Stop," he growled, and I froze. "Release me," he ground out.

Slowly, I forced myself to take my hands from his cock, confused why he would not want me to give him pleasure. My heart was pounding rapidly, my breathing coming too quickly, and I was not ashamed to admit that beneath the water, my cunny was producing its own liquid heat.

"Lass, right now, ye want me." His nostrils flared. "Dinnae deny it. Ye want release."

I had to tip my head back to meet his gaze. "Aye," I whispered .

And I realized what was different about Korvak; deep in the dark depths of each eye, a tiny spark of green glowed fiercely.

"I'm going to give that pleasure to ye," he announced, and my hips surged forward, as if I could take it from him. But his fingers wrapped around my waist, and he was lifting me. "Remove yer chemise. Over there, on the shore."

I wasn't sure I understood his commands, but I was half-dazed with desire anyhow, so I stumbled to the shore and peeled the wet linen from my body. Then he was there, turning me away from him.

When he stepped behind me, my body molded to his. His chin propped on top of my head, and his arms came around me.

"Ye see, lass?" His hands cupped my breasts, and I sucked in a breath. "Pleasure cannae be one-sided."

I swallowed a moan as I arched my back, thrusting my breasts into his hold. He caressed, he squeezed, and when he gently rolled my nipples between his fingers, I couldn't hide my whimper.

He was taking his time with me and I was surprised by how my body felt. Each caress, each gentle flutter, was so different from what I had felt before. The Harlot's Guide had an entire section on what it called "sensual preparations", something completely lacking in my life up until now .

I found I liked it.

I wanted to turn in his arms, to throw myself around him, to drag his mouth down to mine for a kiss. I wanted to stroke the thick cock I could feel pressed against my lower back, the cock that even now made me moan to think about taking it.

But I also didn't want this sweet torture to end.

"Ye like that, Effie?"

"Oh, God aye," I whimpered, and I thought I heard his chuckle.

His hands were everywhere , and then one was sliding between my legs, cupping my mound. When he pressed a heavy finger between my lower lips, I felt his cock jump against me.

"Good girl," he murmured, dragging that finger upward into my curls. "Ye're so wet."

He did it again, and this time his fingertip dragged right over the bud of my pleasure, hidden among my curls. The Harlot's Guide called it a clitoris, but I only knew it felt good, oh-so-good, when Korvak rubbed it with my own dew.

He made a humming sound, somewhere between pleasure and interest, and did it again. And again, until his attention was split between that spot and my nipples, and I was half mad with lust, panting and pushing myself against him, my hands scrabbling uselessly at his hips .

Then in one movement, he pushed away from me, and I was left bereft, swaying in confusion.

"On yer knees, lass."

I had heard that command before, but this time I went eagerly, hoping this meant I could taste him soon. Would he taste differently than John, who often stank of unwashed flesh? Korvak was—

And then I stopped thinking, because his hand was on my lower back, pushing me forward. I dropped my weight forward to my palms, so I was now on my hands and knees there in the grass.

Korvak moved behind me, and I expected him to push that huge cock into me from behind. Auld Furry Weasel , that's what the Guide called this position, which looked the way dogs and horses performed the act. Tupping from behind.

I vowed to take his cock without crying out, no matter the size.

I was that eager, that desperate.

But ‘twas not his cock I felt next…but his tongue.

Korvak's tongue swiped me from my clitoris back toward my arse, and I forgot my vow not to cry out.

"Kor—" I gasped. "What are ye…?"

"Hush," he commanded, mouth against my core. "I'm focused on this pretty cunny, and I cannae be bothered to answer questions."

I jerked as his tongue slithered along my cleft. "But—"

One of his hands caught my arse cheek and squeezed. "Hush. Do ye understand, lass? Stop arguing."

Since his tongue found my core then and pushed inside, I could do little more than whimper, "Aye, Master."

I thought I felt him smile.

And then I could focus on naught other than the dual sensations of his licking and stroking. His tusks brushed against the inside of my thighs, and I found myself shivering at the sensation, holding my breath, not knowing when ‘twould come. I opened my legs farther, hoping to encourage him in this incredible pleasure he was bringing me.

His fingers came into play, rubbing between my legs, creating an obscenely arousing sort of sloshing noise as he moved my liquid desire back and forth. His tongue, meanwhile, teased and suckled, while his hums seemed to offer praise and pleading all at once.

To my surprise, my desire built, higher and higher. It had been many years since I had viewed intimacy as anything other than a burden, a weapon wielded by men. I used to be able to bring myself to ecstasy, alone in my bed …

But no man had ever bothered to try.

That thought alone nearly sent me over the edge.

Then Korvak moved his mouth and shifted his fingers to my core. He pushed in first one, then two thick digits, while his tongue caressed and encouraged. His tusk brushed against my sensitive skin, but I was already rocking against him. His other hand found my clitoris, playing with me, and dimly I wondered how he was supporting himself behind me…

And then he slid another finger into me, and my inner muscles tightened, and I fell over the edge to oblivion.

My climax slammed into me, milking round after round of pleasure from me, my spasms causing me to jerk backward against him. I pushed my cunny into Korvak's mouth, not even caring if I was being too greedy, too desperate.

All I knew was I needed more more more.

And he gave it to me.

He murmured sweet words of praise to me between gentle licks as his fingers slowly thrust into me, allowing my bliss to stretch impossibly long.

"Such a good lass. Look at how beautiful ye are, eh? Gods below, Effie, ye're remarkable. So perfect."

I knew ‘twas nonsense, but ‘twas nonsense I needed to hear in that moment.

To hear that what I was doing was right . Was acceptable .

I was allowed to have pleasure. I was allowed to be pleasured.

And Korvak had taught me that.

When I finally collapsed, exhausted, spent, and more than a little dazed, he was there to gather me up.