Page 37 of Loved By the Orc
Together.
That was a dangerous thought. An assumption he was starting to take for granted that he couldn’t afford to. Dana had never made a promise to be anything more than what they were right now, but…. That was where the danger really lay, because to try and deny his thoughts hadn’t veered into that territory already was to live in the same sort of denial Dana did about the risks she took.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Kurt.
He pushed those thoughts aside as they retraced their path and returned to Rawhide, because there was nothing to be gained by obsessing over it right now. By the time they’d made it back to the resort, it was late afternoon, the sun already kissing the mountain ridgeline.
Passing the keys to the SUV over to a cowboy named Dax, Kurt strode up the steps of the main building to where Dana stood in the lobby as the valet returned the car to its parking spot.
“So…” he began, watching the fire crackle in the huge stone hearth.
“So.”
“Dinner again tonight?”
“Mmm… maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Dana grinned. “Yes, maybe. Now that we’re back, I’m going to review my previous research in light of what we saw today. I want to make sure there’s nothing I missed the first time with the spectroradiometry scans.”
“And that impacts dinner… how?”
“Kurt. You know me.”
He let out a deep sigh. “Yes, I do. You’d think as long as we’re here, you could take enough time away from working to?—”
“Enjoy the amenities?” she fired back. “I thought I made it clear why I’m here, and what I wouldn’t be doing.”
“Oh, and after last night you expect me to believe you aren’t willing to make an exception?”
“Last night was the exception.”
“Wow, Dana. Cold.”
She laughed. “Oh, you poor baby. Afraid you’re not going to get laid again while we’re here?”
“The thought had crossed my mind,” he said with faux seriousness.
“Uh huh. Well, the Wi-Fi here is really good, so you’ll have no problem connecting to Pornhub, and I’m pretty sure I saw lube on one of the shelves in the convenience store.”
He stepped in close. “This whole brat thing you’ve been doing lately is cute, but it has its limits,” he warned softly.
“Lately?” she murmured in return.
“Keep pressing your luck, Dana, and I’ll show you what happens to brats.”
“Looking forward to it.” She placed a hand on his chest, pressing but not pushing. “Call me later, and we can talk more about dinner and… perhaps dessert afterwards.” Now she did push, slipping past Kurt to saunter toward her room with an unmistakably suggestive sway to her hips.
Wow. Cold, Dana. Cold.
As she disappeared down the hall, Kurt tried to ignore the lower part of his body that was suddenly demanding attention. Attention she’d created. The damn thing was, now she actually had him thinking about doing what she’d suggested.
And you claim she has no self-control.
Sighing, Kurt turned away from the guest wing and stood looking back into the lobby. He’d explored the grounds, the mine, and a little of the main building, but what he hadn’t done…
Kurt crossed the room and started down the steps into the building’s lower level. He stopped to show the guard his guest key, then passed through a pair of huge double doors. After Yasmin had mentioned what was down here, he’d avoided coming to confirm it. Now, though, curiosity overcame his reluctance, and he slowly stepped into the space listed as the Rawhide Ranch Dungeon.
