The truth was I probably didn't need to be spanked to be eager for my orc's touch. It was next to impossible to avoid being drawn in by him. When Khell described how being mated felt—as if I'd latched on to him, embedded myself deep in his chest—I'd immediately recognized the sensation. And now that we were together, it didn't even hurt. It was just as if the entire world seemed to tilt in his direction, and gravity always led me back to his side.

But if my orc wanted to spank me and tease me before a dinner party, I found I had no objections.

CHAPTER 25

Sunny

I heard Khell's footsteps coming up from the basement as I returned home from a trip to the art supply store, and I rushed to meet him at the door.

"What are you doing down there?" I asked, Khell's eyes wide with surprise as I appeared in front of the cracked door.

He slid out through as narrow a gap as he could manage, using his bulk to hide the view below from my gaze. "Have patience."

It wasn't my first time asking, and it wasn't the first time I'd received the same answer.

Khell had been working on a secret project down in my basement for over a month, in between our work on the upstairs master bath and the various jobs he was finding via word of mouth. It'd been almost two months together, and he more or less lived with me, something I was planning to make official before this next month was up. All we really needed was to finish the bathroom so the coach house was more comfortable for him.

And maybe we needed to say a few things we'd been tiptoeing around a bit too.

"We need to get ready," Khell said, taking my arm and steering me away from the basement door.

"I'm not the one covered in sawdust and dirt," I teased, brushing at the mess on his chest.

"You're about to be," Khell rumbled, reaching for me.

I yelped and ran ahead of him to the stairs, huffing as his laughter echoed after me.

"We don't have time for you to make a mess of me," I called over my shoulder, heading for the bedroom.

"I have a guess why you're always so eager to go out," Khell said, following me up the stairs at a slower pace. "I think you don't want my friends to come here because you're afraid to paddle my ass."

I blushed. He was partly right. "We barely fit you in here. How are we going to fit…you know, a whole bunch of orcs and gargoyles and satyrs?"

Khell laughed and veered into the bathroom. We hadn't gotten the new wall up, but the much larger tub and waterfall showerhead were both installed. It was tempting to join Khell, but it also meant we'd probably be late to meeting everyone at the bar.