by Tracy Lauren
“Keep those on when we’re around the goblins,” Brom commands.
I nod and wrap my arm around my troll’s waist to help support him. Together, we limp the remainder of the path and it opens into a wide clearing. To the right of the inn is a small barn, the scents and sounds of livestock are distinct in the air. The inn itself is a rather plain, double level building. There’s no one outside, but inside I can hear people talking and going about their business. If Brom hadn’t warned me that this establishment was run by goblins, I could imagine an inn like this in any human village.
We hobble to the door and already I feel a thousand times safer. There’s nothing like a little bit of civilization to give one a sense of security in an otherwise cursed wood. Brom uses a heavy hand to knock the door open. It swings wide and bangs loudly against the wall. Still side by side and supporting my troll, we struggle to fit through the doorway. Neither of us lets go. And just as we get inside the door, I see my first goblin.
Though he sits upon a high stool I can tell he isn’t much taller than my hips. He’s got a bald head and long pointed ears. His skin reminds me of a raisin, brownish and wrinkled, and his nose is like a sausage. The little man wears a permanent scowl on his grotesque face and though Brom and I are obviously in need of aid, the goblin makes no effort to move upon our ragged entrance.
“We need a room,” Brom tells him.
“We need more than that,” I cut in. “He’s been injured. Do you have anything that can help his wounds?” Finally we seem to have piqued the goblin’s attention. He slides off his chair and moves toward us.
His body disgusts me. His limbs are wiry and his belly is fat and protruding. Something about his posture reminds me of a scavenger bird. He’s barefoot and the only article of clothing he wears is a pair of poorly tailored leather pants, worn from use.
He eyes Brom’s body, looking up at the holes left in him by blade and arrow. When he’s done, he turns to me and I pull my cloak tighter around my shoulders. “What are you willing to trade?” he asks, the sneer on his face makes my skin crawl.
“Just the room,” Brom growls.
“Let me check my books,” the goblin replies, harrumphing, and heading back over to his perch.
There’s a water bucket near the door and Brom releases me to splash some of the cool liquid over his face. Without him by my side I feel naked and exposed. Still, I venture for bravery.
“I have coin,” I say in a hushed voice, shoving my little pouch over to the goblin. He takes it discreetly before Brom has a chance to turn back. It’s all I have in the world, but if I can use it to help Brom then it’s a price worth paying.
“Follow me, I’ll stitch those wounds for you while we’re at it, Troll,” the goblin grumbles.
To the left of the entrance is the tavern and I can hear more goblins inside, but the inn master takes us to the right, leading us up a staircase. At the top we follow the hall until the inn master swings a door wide and beckons us inside.
It’s a good room. Not at all what I was expecting to find in the depths of the Perished Woods. It’s equipped with a large bed. The linens look clean and the pillows soft and inviting. Along the far wall is a hearth and already there is a fire crackling within it. And, just as Brom promised, there’s a large wooden tub sitting before the fire.
Brom tosses his pack and axe to the floor. They clatter loudly, causing me to startle. I’m still on edge from our ordeal.
“Sit,” the goblin orders, and Brom moves to the edge of the bed while the goblin produces a small case. I hover nearby, hand on the hilt of my knife as I watch the little monster work. Brom’s face is firm and stoic; his eyes lock on to me and never look away. Despite the work being done to his wounds, he doesn’t flinch once.
The goblin works quickly and seemingly without concern. I gasp when I see the rough stitches he is drawing across Brom’s flesh. “Careful!” I hiss at him.
“Give me a reason to be, girl,” the goblin shoots back at me, flashing his short and pointed teeth in my direction. I swear I can smell the rot in them.
Brom reaches out swiftly, wrapping one great hand around the goblin’s thin neck. “She belongs to me,” he growls, his voice laden with warning. The goblin grimaces but says nothing further, so Brom releases him so that he may continue his work. To my dismay, the rest of his stitching efforts are even worse than his earlier ones and I want to kick myself for ever saying anything at all to such a wretched little creature.
The goblin’s work is short and he turns to leave without another word to us. Once the door closes, I hurry to secure the latch before turning to Brom.
“Are you okay?” I ask, looking him over. His appearance is even more rugged and fierce than it normally is. And despite everything that’s going on, my mind is on the kisses we’ve shared. While I’m not ready to talk about them, I’m glad to be alone with my troll.
“I am tired,” he admits, his eyes looking heavy.
“Me too.” I eye a pitcher and wash basin near the door and go to it. Wetting a small towel, I bring it to Brom. Wordlessly I wipe down his torso and arms, rinsing him free of blood, sweat, and grime. My fingers graze his thick and leathery skin and I’m grateful he’s such a hardened creature, otherwise the damage would be much worse than it already is.
“Are you hungry?” he asks me. I look up to see his eyes have never left me.
“Yes, but I’d rather just sleep to be honest.”
He groans in agreement. We’ve been up for two days straight and the both of us are worn thin. “Come to bed then,” he tells me.
I nod and move to the other side of the bed, blowing out the candles in the room as I go. I can hear Brom removing his loincloth, but I don’t look over as he does. Instead I remove my cloak, gloves, and dress, leaving only my thin underdress on. I avert my eyes until I hear Brom’s weight return to the bed, then I pull the covers back and climb in. I hardly have the chance to rest my head on the pillow before Brom grabs me roughly by the waist and slides me over to him, tucking me against his side and draping a heavy arm over me.
I relish the contact. I wouldn’t have initiated it on my own, but gods how I needed Brom’s touch. In the safety of our room, locked in my troll’s embrace, the weight of the day seeps in. Brom could have been killed and I’m shocked at how grateful I am that he wasn’t. And not just because I could have been kidnapped and raped by the wild men. Somehow or another I’ve grown attached to the troll. He truly is my only friend in the world.
Though friends don’t typically kiss the way we do.
Chapter 29
Brom
I sleep easy in our bed at the goblin inn knowing Adelaide is safe and in my arms. But she nearly causes a heart attack in me in the early light of dawn when she sits up abruptly with a gasp.
With a blade in hand I shoot from the bed, stark naked. “What is it?” I growl, ready for any type of ambush.
Adelaide’s eyes flash to my naked body and she claps her hands over her eyes. “I forgot to rub the medicine on your back last night,” she frets.
“Is that all?” I groan, crawling back into the bed and throwing a possessive arm over my woman. “It’s too early in the day for you to startle me like that, little one. Go back to sleep,” I urge, but Adelaide wriggles out of my embrace.
“It’ll be quick,” she tells me, hurrying to retrieve the bottle. “You need it to get better, Brom. Plus, it’s my fault you’re injured in the first place, at least let me do what I can to make it better.”
“Later, little one,” I tell her, already falling back to sleep.
“Oomph!” I huff, surprised when Adelaide straddles my waist, and my eyes go even wider when I feel her pour a thick, wet blob of the medicine onto my back. “Adelaide!” I complain, but the cold sensation is eased a moment later by the warmth of her hands traversing the roughness of my back. Her soft touches ease over cracked wounds and old scars. She’s careful around my new injuries, touching tenderly where the goblin stitched me up last nig
ht.
Suddenly I’m not so interested in sleep, and Adelaide’s long, slow strokes up my back start to turn me on. I lose myself in the feeling, groaning with every sweep of her hands as she massages me. If I’m honest, my cock grew hard the moment she laid her hands on me. Now, all this caressing is making my balls ache with need.
My hazy thoughts recall the kisses we’ve shared, particularly the one she greeted me with after battle yesterday. Of all our kisses, this is the one Adelaide initiated. I want to ask her why, what made her want me in that moment? Was it only for comfort? Would I be fooling myself to think it could be something more?
Instead of sharing my thoughts, I roll over, grabbing her wrists to hold her in place. I don’t want Adelaide shying away from what we’ve started. She freezes, sucking in her breath. Adelaide still straddles my waist. Only now she surely feels my hardened cock straining beneath the thin covers—the only barrier separating us.
On the tip of my tongue is the question…what are we doing? But before I can speak it, Adelaide leans in. Blood pounds in my veins and I take her hungrily into my embrace. My mind races and the questions slip through my fingers like smoke. All that’s left in my hands is a woman, beautiful and yielding, setting my soul on fire in ways I’ve never felt before. I know I should stop and talk about this thing we’ve started, but I am a slave to the fire between us and despite myself, I let it burn.
Adelaide’s tongue probes boldly into my mouth. She tastes so fucking sweet, but the way she kisses is all spice. My hands find her hips and I press her down onto my stiff cock, grinding her against it. She whimpers between kisses and begins to gyrate on my bulge. If only I could push my cock into her virgin pussy and take her for my own. I want nothing more than to fill her with my thick troll cock, until she’s screaming and begging to be mine.
But I can’t.
We have a deal and deals are sacred to my people. Adelaide wants to go to Pontheugh and the witch in Briarmere won’t work with us unless we bring her something she wants—a virgin. A freshly fucked Adelaide wouldn’t do at all. Still, as our kisses become frantic and Adelaide bounces on my cock, I know we are building toward something and I’m so hard for this woman I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from taking her.
“Brom,” she moans, still hungrily devouring my kisses. I find I like the sound of my name on her lips and I wish to elicit more. I move my rough tongue down her neck, sucking on her collarbone and grazing it with my teeth. “Oh fuck, that feels good,” she says breathily, her eyes closed in ecstasy. I smile, knowing I can make her feel even better.
I gather her underdress in my hands and yank it down abruptly. The loose neck falls down her shoulders, exposing Adelaide’s creamy breasts, tipped with rosy pink buds the same beautiful color as her lips. They look good enough to eat. Adelaide gasps at the sudden exposure, but she wastes no time in pulling her arms free from her dress, letting it bunch around her waist. She arches her back for me, offering herself like a dessert…and I’m so hungry for her.
I take her breasts in my hands and suck one pink tip into my mouth. The other I tease with the pads of my fingers, starting with gentle grazes but working my way up to rough pinches. Adelaide goes wild over the sensations, getting more worked up the rougher I get. Always vying for control however, she takes my head in her hand and pivots, forcing my mouth to give equal attention to both of her full and rounded tits. When I bite at her with my teeth, she starts moaning my name again, shaking as if she is nearing her climax.
I’m mad with need. I wrap my arms around her waist and bring her down onto the bed, rising up over her. Her underdress slides up her open thighs, exposing her cunt to me. I’ve had a peek or two at Adelaide’s naked body, but this is my first view of her spread pussy. Her folds glistens with arousal and I stare at them, filled with lust. I want to drive into her. I can’t help but think how easy it would be to slide my cock into such a wet little hole. But I cut my eyes back up to her face, haloed in shining, ruby-colored hair. She looks back at me with heavy-lidded eyes, her chest heaving with excited breaths.
“Adelaide…” I growl, not sure what I mean to say. She bites her lip and reaches for my hips, only to tug me closer to her opening. I narrow my eyes, willing her to speak, to ask me to fuck her virgin hole. Because if she begged right now, I might just have to give her exactly what she wants, the witch in Briarmere be damned.
“Tell me what you want,” I demand.
Adelaide stammers a little before she finds her words. “It’s okay…you can if you want to.”
I growl low in response. That is not what I wanted to hear. I want Adelaide to tell me she wants this as badly as I do, even if neither of us knows why.
She eyes my throbbing hard-on in anticipation, still I make no move to claim her. Instead, I reach for my cock, giving it a long and measured stroke—teasing her. Adelaide’s mouth falls into a delicious O as she gazes at my body, transfixed by it.
“Maybe…” she stammers. “Maybe we could do this, in exchange for all the trouble I’ve caused you,” she manages to get out.
I can’t imagine anything worse she could say in this charged moment between us and it instantly kills my desire. I push myself off of her, growling, clenching my fists and tightening my jaw.
“Wait! Brom! What are you doing?” she protests, her hands ineffectually trying to pull me back.
“Sex is not something I make deals for, Adelaide,” I say, pulling away from her touch and moving to the edge of the bed.
“Wait,” she pleads, climbing over to me on her knees. Her dress makes her fumble and she kicks it off, annoyed. I look away, having no desire to gaze upon her luscious body if all she plans to do is piss me off. But her hands find my cheeks and she forces me to face her. “Brom—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
I try to turn away from her, but she grips me tight, positioning herself before me. “Brom, I’m sorry. I was being a coward. It’s just hard for me to admit…” She looks shy and nervous, like she still can’t speak the words that are on her mind. “I swear to you, I didn’t mean it like that. I can understand if I killed the moment, but I don’t want to go back to constantly being at each other’s throats. Please, I made a mistake.”
I hear her words and can accept them for truth. Though it doesn’t make me feel any better. I let out a breath of air and my shoulders slump. She takes it as my forgiveness…and she isn’t wrong. Grateful, she wraps her arms around my neck in an embrace. Despite myself, the feel of her body against mine still makes me aroused. I let go of my last bits of anger, reminding myself that I am a reasonable troll. I can see how this might be hard for her. Especially since she has never made love before.
Adelaide nuzzles against my cheek and I turn towards her. Watching my expression, she presses a tentative kiss to the side of my mouth, testing the waters. I don’t stop her and she presses another and another, letting each one last a little longer than the one that came before it. When she licks at my lips, seeking entry into my mouth, I finally stop her.
“Tell me, Adelaide, what are we doing here?” I need to know before anything more happens between us.
Her eyes are as wide as a doe’s and her lips raw and abused by my kisses. She shakes her head. “I don’t know.” Her answer is barely more than a whisper. At least she’s being honest.
“But I…” She swallows hard. “I want it, even though—” She breaks off suddenly, her cheeks flushing.
“Even though what? Even though I’m a troll? The monster your village always warned you about?” I can tell by her tight expression that I guessed correctly. “You aren’t supposed to want me, are you, little one?”
She bites her lip and shakes her head no.
“Tell me what you want,” I demand again.
“Brom, I—” she begins, her expression shy.
“Was it my cock you were after, Adelaide?” I ask, stroking myself again. She looks down at my thick shaft, her eyes filled with desire.
“Yes,” she w
hispers.
“Say it louder,” I demand.
She locks eyes with me. “Yes, Brom. I want your cock.”
“Tell me where you want it.”
She looks at me, indignant that I might force her to say the words. “Tell me you wanted to fuck a troll,” I demand, a smug grin on my lips. “Tell me you wanted a big, hard troll dick pushing into that virgin pussy of yours.”
“You’re teasing me,” she accuses, her voice angry as she shoves at my chest. I stop her hand before she can touch me and force her back down onto the sheets. She doesn’t have time to hurl any more heated words in my direction, however. I stop her short with a kiss that leaves her panting and clinging to me.
“Tell me, Adelaide, or I won’t give you a damned thing,” I warn, pulling away to study her face. I let a hand to travel down her chest, kneading her breast and teasing one hard nipple.
“I want you, Brom, human or not. I want you to fuck me,” she admits.
“And the consequences? What will your aunt in Pontheugh say if she knew you let a troll in here,” I ask, reaching between us to run a thick finger through her folds. She’s so fucking wet, I groan with longing.
“No one has to know what happens between us,” she challenges.
“You’ll know,” I promise her. “You think you’ll ever want a sad little human cock after you have this?” I question. She looks down at my aching cock, eyeing it desirously.
“Probably not,” she admits, her voice sounding wistful.
“Not fucking likely,” I agree.
She angles her pussy up toward my hand again, seeking my touch. I oblige, spreading her slick juices up to her clit, circling it until Adelaide is panting. “I want this,” she breathes. “I want it.”
I take her lips in one last kiss and we devour each other. Roughly, I move her body back into position, spreading her out under me.
“Yes, Brom. Please!” Adelaide begs, her voice filled with need.