Page 31 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

Macy said she knew the moment she met Jacob. It was clear he’d felt the same.

And that thought made my smile fade. I handed Ostor his mug and glided my fingers across his shoulder, because I didn’t want him to think I was upset with him, I went to the hallway and made myself a cup of coffee—using only one pod.

He passed me in the hall, his big hand stroking along the back of my waist as he strode into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

I'd finished my drink by the time he emerged, his hair wet and tousled, dressed in a snug white t-shirt and his swim trunks. After plunking his cowboy hat on his head, he joined me on the balcony, where he drained the rest of his coffee and stared toward the ocean.

“Let's have breakfast at the buffet,” I said. “And then we can take a walk on the beach.”

“I’d love that.” He shot me a shy smile, as if he was as unsettled about what we'd done in bed as me, but also like me, he didn't know how to put it into words.

And maybe we shouldn't. We had three more days together. We'd talk, have fun, and when we returned home, we could decide if we wanted more.

Although, I was beginning to believe I wanted much more from Ostor than one long weekend.

We ate breakfast and strolled through the resort, aiming for the front and the turquoise water of the Gulf of Mexico.

When we reached the beach, we left our sandals near the outdoor shower, tucking them beside neatly stacked others, his comically larger than all the rest. He wasn't the only orc here, just the only orc cowboy I’d seen so far.

“Do you always wear that hat?” I asked, squinting up at him before sliding my sunglasses off my forehead to cover my eyes.

“I don't have any other hat to cover my face.” He stroked his fingers across my cheek as if the gesture was completely natural. No one was watching, so he didn't have to pretend.

And I loved it.

“Would you rather I didn't wear my hat?” He tugged it off and swept it out, giving me a cute bow. “My oldest brother, Dungar, insists all the gals love a male in such a hat.”

“Gals, huh?”

He nodded fast.

I grinned because he was right. I couldn't stop staring at him, touching him, though I kept my gestures as casual as I could. Did he feel the same way? “You do look amazing in your hat.”

He placed it back on his head. “I won't wear it to the pool today. I don't mind if it gets wet. It's a working hat. But I noticed no one else was wearing one. They're wearing . . .” He frowned. “I don't know what that style of hat is called. It's snug to the head and has a brim across the front shaped in a half oval.”

“Baseball cap. We can get one of those in the shop.”

“Only if you allow me to pay this time. Not only that, but I also want to buy you something special. Something you can keep and look at or wear and . . .” His swallow took a long time to go down. “Something that'll help you remember.”

I had a feeling I was never going to forget this weekend and Ostor. “Alright.” I tried to keep my voice breezy, but it came out in a croak, because emotions kept lashing through me. I didn't know what to make of them. I'd liked Jacob and look where that got me.

What would keep Ostor from doing the same thing?

The second the thought went through my mind, I stomped it flat with my heel. The two males were completely different. While it hurt when it happened, Jacob was honest with me. How could I be upset when it was clear he adored my sister? I wanted Macy to be happy, and that happiness was linked with Jacob.

When had I started to accept that fact and find peace with it in my heart?

Not long after I met Ostor.

We stepped onto the beach and paused.

“This place is paradise,” I breathed.

The soft, powdery sand was speckled here and there with tiny pearlescent shells and fragments of coral that glinted in the morning sun. Grains moved like silk against my soles, and the air felt warm but not hot, carrying with it the familiar briny smell of salt water, fresh air, and seaweed.

Ostor stepped beside me, rolling his muscular shoulders as if the ocean breeze was massaging the tension out of them. He bent to touch the sand, sifting it slowly between his fingers, studying it as if he was determined to memorize its texture. “The surface world is full of wonders, isn't it?”

“Yeah.” I smiled and watched as he brushed the sand off on his thighs, sunlight glistening on his green skin. “Does the orc kingdom have similar places?”