She could see the door to their bedroom. She panicked and tried to bite him, but he easily dodged it. She was tired already, and underneath her dress, her skin was clammy with sweat.
The last thing she could do... The last trick up her sleeve... Was to cry.
Tears spilled out of her eyes, and she didn’t try to cry prettily or endearingly. She let a full-on ugly cry take over, until he stopped right in front of the bedroom door and put her back down on her feet.
“Beth,” he whispered. “Beth...” He smoothed down her hair, then cupped her face with his big, rough hands. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Don’t cry... If you don’t want to do it, we won’t do it.”
She opened her eyes and sniffed loudly. She had the instinct to step back and put distance between them, but she didn’t think it would help, so she fought it. He was apologizing, after all, so maybe he deserved a second chance.
“Beth.” He drew her in his arms, this time gently and carefully.
She sobbed against his chest, her ear pressed right beneath his sternum. The fabric of his shirt was soft and smelled like soap.
“We’ll do it your way,” he conceded. “Whatever you wish, Beth. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to see you cry.”
Her glasses were starting to fog up, and she needed a tissue.
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Will you stop crying now?”
She rolled her eyes. God, was he impatient!
“I’ll stop crying.”
He let go of her, and she wiped her eyes as best as she could.
“If you want, we can sleep in different rooms.”
She sighed and looked up at him, hoping her face wasn’t the mess she felt it was. She would’ve liked to sleep separately tonight. Since it was her first night here. But then again... the whole point was to seduce the captain, so then the captain would... Long story short, they had started on the wrong foot, and it was up to her to redirect the course of their relationship.
“No, that’s okay. If you promise to behave, I’d love to share the bed with you tonight.”
His cheeks darkened, and Beth realized it was... a blush. That put a genuine smile on her lips.
Chapter Five
A sense of confusion and misplacement rose inside her even before she opened her eyes. Unfamiliar territory... She didn’t recognize the smell of the room, the sounds coming from the street, the bed she lay in. And the one sleeping next to her... She snapped her eyes open and looked around. It took her a minute to calm down and remember where she was. The one sleeping next to her... not a man. Not a one-night stand. An orc.
She let her head fall to the side, and her long, red hair covered half of her face. Between the messy tresses, she saw his chest rise and fall. He was shirtless, and he had one bulky arm draped over his middle.
Beth relaxed and stared back at the ceiling. The room was dark, the sun was not yet up.
They’d shared the bed, after all. He hadn’t touched her, and she hadn’t sought his warmth. It would’ve been weird, especially after the fight they’d had. He had respected her boundaries, and for that, Beth was grateful.
She drifted back to sleep and had a weird dream about her sister and birds. Abby was chasing them through the forest. Beth smiled in her sleep. She felt the mattress dip and heard the bed creak, and she wondered where the forest and her sister had disappeared. She opened her eyes and saw Uthar getting dressed at the foot of the bed. She sat up and looked at his broad back.
“Good morning,” she said.
He turned to her and nodded. He seemed upset.
Beth bit the inside of her cheek.
“I slept well,” she said. “You?”
“I slept in a corner of the bed,” he said gruffly.
Okay, so not that well. Had she allowed him to touch her during the night, maybe he would’ve been in a sunnier mood today. But she couldn’t blame herself for how he felt. She’d only asked for what she needed – time and space. Not even that much! He’d rushed her the night before, so if anything, his foul mood was on him.