Page 88 of Lake of Sapphire
“Done,” he smiled as he threw his hands up in the air, acting innocent. “You did a convincing job with those moans. Especially the last one.” Then he reached in his pocket and tossed me my necklace. “If I’d known any better, I would have thought you weren’t faking it by the end.”
I ignored his comment and focused on something else as I quickly clasped the necklace back on. “Have you done that before? Been inside my head?” I whispered as the horror of his ability fully sank in.
I was all too aware that I was now going to be sharing a room with the most powerful male in all of Tennebris. Not just sharing a room, but he was myhusband. One who could teleport and move quickly enough that my necklace could be off before I even blinked. He could get me to do whatever he wanted. He could read all my thoughts and plant visions inside my head like he’d done with the memory of our first kiss.
“Yes,” he admitted. “Back when we first met before we left for the castle. I didn’t mean to, but your mind just connects with mine whenever you aren’t wearing Alluse. I can’t help it and I have to actively work to stop it.”
I stood there stunned as he continued, “It’s how I knew you were going to that party. I was staying in LakeWood after you were selected, and just being in the same village as you without your necklace on, connected us. The Alluse in your necklace protects you from it—from me.” Neither of us moved for a moment as we stared at each other. It made sense now. How he knew it was my first time drinking and how he showed up so quickly.
“Why?” I asked. “Why does my mind connect with yours?”
“I honestly have no idea. It’s been baffling to me too. I can’t figure it out.”
When I didn’t respond, he gestured toward the large wooden frame along the wall to my right. “Take the bed.”
“You aren’t sleeping with me?” I asked, confused.
“Scotlind, I’m not going to force you to do something I know you don’t want to do.” He sighed. “I was just inside your head. I know how scared you are. We don’t have to.”
My face turned hot and flushed. “Right. You have other people to fulfill your needs.” Jealousy snapped out of me before I could think better of it.
He gave me the most bewildered look and laughed. “Scotlind, I haven’t slept with anyone since our engagement.”
“Oh,” I said, blushing harder. It hadn’t stopped him from kissing others, though. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. I was happy that we didn’t have to have sex. I didn’t want to risk anything that might expose myself. I didn’t want him finding out I was Luxian. It terrified me, but some part of me wanted to sleep with him too. And I still wanted him to want me. Worried that he could still read my thoughts, my hands instinctively went to my necklace. I surprised myself when I asked, “How many have you been with before our engagement?”
He turned to look at me. “Are you sure you want to know the answer to that?”
I shook my head. That was an answer in itself. The fact that I loathed him and he still turned me on was bad enough. I didn’t want to think about what he would do with females he was actually trying to seduce.
“I wish I could read your thoughts right now,” he said as his gaze pierced through me. Then he said, “Scotlind,whenwe have sex, I want you to want it. It won’t be because some middle-aged males are forcing us to. You’re going to be begging for it.” I noticed the choice ofwhenand notif. Andbegging. I swallowed.
“Someone thinks highly of himself,” I retorted back. “And I won’t beg.”
“So you admit you want to have sex with me then?”
When I didn’t respond, he smiled. I started to make my way toward the bed but came to a halt as Sie added, “You need to take off your dress.”
“What?” I said, whirling around to face him. “You just said we don’t have to?”
He just laughed at me. “If you sleep in your gown, the servants will know we didn’t consummate anything. Then Synder and his men will be back tomorrow night, and they won’t be outside the door.”
“Oh.” I looked down at my dress and frowned, remembering how it had taken Annabel, Ashley, and Roslyn to help me in it. There was no way I could undo the forty-plus buttons going down my spine holding the heavy fabric together.
I frowned further, and Sie noticed. “Let me help you.” I didn’t stop him. I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I didn’t even know if I was breathing as he made his way toward me. He lightly grabbed my shoulders and turned me around so that my back was to him.
I was facing the massive bed with the black silk sheets, trying my best not to think about what it would be like to share it with him as I felt his fingers graze my shoulder. He found the first button, letting it come undone. He continued down my back, slowly, neither of us saying anything. I was irritated that they’d picked a gown that took so long to get off. I swore they did it on purpose. I was going to yell at Ashley and Annabel for this.
I started to feel Sie’s touch on my skin as the buttons were halfway unclasped. I hugged the top of my dress to my chest, covering my breasts as he continued to work, slowly undoing it. I flinched as his fingers grazed over my lower back. His hands were cold and rough and sent a chill in their wake. I felt more exposed and bare and vulnerable with him looking directly at my back than I did the night Alec compelled me.
“Done,” he said softly. “Now get some sleep. I know you had an exhausting day.” He made his way toward the other side of the room. He turned off the lone chandelier the room had, but even with the curtains drawn shut, I could still make out his silhouette. He didn’t bother picking up the side table that was still upside down.
“Where are you sleeping?” I asked shyly, still holding the dress up so it didn’t slip.
“I don’t trust myself to share a bed with you,” he admitted. “Being so close to you, I don’t know if I would be able to keep my hands to myself. Especially just after the—” He stopped mid-sentence as he sprawled out across the leather sofa.
I took in the length of him through the dying embers of the fire. He was so tall that his feet hung off the edge of the sofa. It looked uncomfortable, but I didn’t say anything. The feathered cape he wore during the ceremony was off and tossed on the floor, his shirt unbuttoned, but otherwise he still wore his usual black attire. “I’m fine on the sofa.”
When he realized I was staring and hadn’t moved, he added, “Your nightgowns are in the bureau over there.” I followed his gaze and grabbed one of the thin, white fabrics, taking it into the bathing room to change.