The Orc and the Innkeeper (Elderberry Falls, #1)

by Cora Crane

Thorak Ironfist. I scowl at his photo, even as a heat forms low in my belly. Still stupidly handsome, I see. Probably still an unrepentant asshole, too.

It’s Thorak gods-damned Ironfist. What is my high school tormentor doing in my inn?!

“Surprised to see you here.” The words drip with honeyed venom, my eyes narrowing just enough to let him know I haven’t forgotten or forgiven. He flinches, so fast I almost miss it, before schooling his face back into something neutral.

“No humans on staff, but uh…” He scans around the room, as if searching for a satisfactory response to this prejudice. We lock eyes and my face flushes. I’ve been caught snooping. He glances back to Mr. Kingsley. “My fiancée is human.”

I glance back over to Mariah, who is inelegantly coughing up her scone at a table in the corner. Even red-faced and wheezing, she’s beautiful. Always has been.

Brewing isn’t just tossing ingredients together; it’s alchemy, a dance with elements both mundane and magical.

My chest tightened as memories of high school foolishness played across my mind. How I tormented her, how her face twisted in pain from my cruel jibes.

My eyes scanned the room, searching for Robert Kingsley, but instead landed on her. Mariah. Gods above, she was as gorgeous as ever.

Mariah was a dream I never allowed myself to have, a wish upon a star that I extinguished with my own hands.

The last time we’d been this close, I’d been a heartless brute, spewing venom with every word.

the temptation to have Mariah close, to finally act on the forbidden crush I’ve harbored for over a decade, is overwhelming. More than that, this could be my one chance to make amends for how despicably I treated her back in high school.

Twenty grand is pocket change to me.

Must be nice

“No touching below the waist,” she continues. “Kissing on the cheek is fine, but keep it chaste in public. In private, we’re business partners only, got it?” “Got it,” I agree gruffly, hoping she can’t hear the disappointment in my voice.

Two weeks of pretending to be madly in love with Mariah, the woman of my dreams ... who also happens to despise me. Two weeks of torturous bliss, fighting my real feelings, trying not to fall deeper under her intoxicating spell.

These next fourteen days will either be my sweetest fantasy come true—or my ultimate undoing.

“Mariah,” he murmurs, his voice low and deep. “I know this isn’t easy for you, being here with me like this. But I want you to know that I’m grateful for what you’re doing. Even if it cost me twenty thousand dollars.”

He’s so much bigger than me that it feels like he could wrap one hand around my whole waist. I wonder if he could pick me up one-handed. Maybe use that strength to easily toss me on a bed⁠— Gods.

“I don’t know, Ecco. I thought I had Thorak all figured out, but seeing him today...he’s different. More mature, more driven. And the way he looks at me sometimes...” Ecco settles down beside me, her expression softening. “Hey, it’s okay to be confused. But just be careful, okay? I would hate for you to get hurt by him again.”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Thorak Ironfist and Mariah Parker.” Mariah tenses as we turn to face the source of the interruption. It’s my former friend Grok, a sour-demeanored troll who, unlike me, never grew out of being a little fuckwad.

Mariah’s hand finds mine again, her fingers intertwining with my own. The simple gesture sends a jolt of warmth through me, steadying my rising anger. She steps forward, her chin lifted in defiance.

She turns to me then, and before I can react, she rises up on her tiptoes and presses her soft lips against mine. Fireworks explode behind my eyelids as I instinctively pull her closer, my hand splaying across the small of her back.

I melt into him, my hands gripping the front of his shirt for support. His large hands pull me impossibly closer until I’m molded against him, soft curves yielding to unyielding strength.

Panting, I break away, my breasts heaving against his solid chest. Thorak’s intense amber eyes, pupils blown wide with barely restrained hunger, bore into my own.

Watching Thorak stand protectively in front of me, all six foot eight inches of pure, rippling muscle, defending my honor without hesitation—it’s sexy as hell.

I’m torn between wanting to yank him down for another scorching kiss or knee him in the groin for making me feel this way. Weak and wanting and completely at his mercy.

the extremely inconvenient and infuriating thoughts currently coursing through me. The ones urging me to climb this giant orc like a tree.

I trail off, unable to admit the truth that’s been gnawing at me ever since that kiss. That despite everything, despite the painful memories and the years of resentment, I’m starting to feel something for Thorak.

And gods, the way her body pressed against me, so small and delicate compared to my large frame...I’m half-hard just thinking about it now.

If I want any chance of making things right with Mariah, of turning this fake engagement into something real, I must do more than just play pretend.

A soft grunt draws my attention, and I look down to see Snuffles, my teacup boar, trotting towards me. His tiny hooves click against the stone floor, and his little pink snout twitches with excitement.

As I settle onto the bed, my thoughts drift back to her, to the feel of her lips against mine, the way her body melted into my embrace.

I pull down my trousers and close my eyes, letting the memory consume me. My fingers curl around the deep ridges of my already hardening cock.

My grip tightens, my strokes becoming more forceful as I lose myself in the fantasy. I picture Mariah’s naked body beneath me, her fair skin flushed with arousal. Her small human hands would explore my chest, tracing the lines of my muscles before wrapping around my thick, pulsing shaft.

“So big,” she’d whisper in awe, her delicate fingers stroking along the prominent ridges, unique to orcs and made for pleasure.

A low groan escapes my lips as I pump faster, chasing the building pressure at the base of my spine. In my mind’s eye, Mariah arches beneath me, her breathy moans filling the air as I thrust into her welcoming heat.

The fantasy reaches its peak, and I erupt with a guttural roar, spilling my seed onto my fist and stomach. I ride out the waves of ple...

I know I should be focused on the tour, on making sure Kingsley is sufficiently impressed, but all I can think about is the way Thorak’s lips might feel against mine again, the way his strong hands might touch me. What would it be like to have his thick body sliding against mine?

“I was an asshole. A complete and utter asshole. I’m not that guy anymore, and for years, it’s eaten away at me, knowing the suffering I inflicted on you.”

“Thank you,” I manage to whisper, my voice soft and unsteady. “For the apology. I...I appreciate it.”

“That moment with Zara was a turning point for me,” Thorak says now, his deep voice wavering with emotion. “I’ve never gotten that look on your face out of my mind. I realized then that things had gone too far. The cruelty, the bullying—it needed to stop.”

Each word hits me like a revelation. Thorak kept my necklace. He painstakingly pieced it back together, pouring his heart into restoring this precious item. And he did it all for me.

“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper. Thorak reaches out and takes my hand in his, his palm rough and warm against my skin. “You don’t have to say anything,” he murmurs. “Just know that I’m sorry, more than I can ever express. And I will do anything in my power to prove it to you. I hope we can have a fresh start.”

“Oh, Mariah,” she sighs. “I was skeptical of his intentions by agreeing to this deal but I think I was wrong. Don’t you see? He’s been in love with you this whole time.”

“Mariah,” she says softly. “I’ve known you for years, and I’ve never seen you light up the way you do when you’re talking about him. There could be something special there, something real and powerful. Don’t let your fear of the past keep you from embracing the future.”

“This ruse you and Mariah are attempting with the distributor...it’s really risky.”

Even though she works with me, she’s closer to our parents than I am. And she knows Ma and Da would be upset by the Mariah relationship.

As I turn to greet the next customer, my gaze can’t help but stray to the front entrance every few moments, my heartrate kicking up a notch. Waiting. Anticipating. Aching for the moment a certain alluring human innkeeper walks through that door.

Holy hell, she’s a knockout. I’ve never seen her wearing something so obviously sexy. The dress clings to every dip and curve of her body like it was painted on. The deep V neckline plunges dangerously low, revealing the swell of her perfect breasts. I swallow hard, my pants suddenly way too tight.

What I wouldn’t give to grab her, crush my mouth to hers, trail my tongue along that graceful neck, slip my hands under that sinful dress and... I wrench my gaze away, clenching my fists. Gods. I’ve got it so bad.

Lust ignites in my gut. It takes all my willpower to not grab her by the waist, pull her over the wood countertop, and show her exactly what she does to me.