Page 59 of The Death King

I didn’t realize what had happened until the damage was done.

I went down a path with Talon I’d vowed never to tread—and now I was stuck. I couldn’t undo what I did…and I couldn’t say I regretted it either. When he’d pressed his face between my legs, I didn’t know what to expect…but it was the best pleasure I’d ever had. His hot mouth, his aggressive tongue, the scruff from his jawline as it scratched my inner thighs.

It was indescribable.

He didn’t even expect anything in return.

General Titan had tried to shove his dick into my mouth only once—and he’d learned his fucking lesson.

But I did it for Talon because I wanted to. Because I wanted to show my gratitude? Because I felt indebted after what he did? Because I was just in the mood? I didn’t know. Maybe it was all those reasons.

The next time Talon entered my quarters, I knew what would happen.

He was my enemy, and I vowed I would destroy him the way he’d destroyed me…but I wouldn’t be able to stop it.

I didn’t want to stop it.

How the fuck did I get here?

A knock sounded on the door, and I nearly jumped from the couch. “Yes?”

One of the servants poked his head inside. “His Highness requests your company for dinner.”

The moment had arrived.

“And he’d like you to wear this.” He held out a hanger, and instead of containing a black dress, it was a bra and underwear, lacy and see-through, clothing that had no purpose at all—except to get fucked in.

He didn’t place it on the armchair, his eyes searching my face for wrath. “This was very intricate work for the seamstress, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t burn it.”

All I did was stare at him, wanting to burn it just on principle, but not having the heart to do it.

He crept into the room and placed it over the armchair before he walked back and shut the door.

Once I was alone again, I felt a flush through my body, both from excitement and utter terror. My eyes stared at the flames and ignored the book in my hands. I hadn’t been reading it anyway, just staring at the words on the page.

I knew where this night would lead, and there was no stopping it. Even if I didn’t show, he would come here, and it would happen anyway. I had the power to say no, to stop it, something I’d never had before. But I knew I wouldn’t use it.

It was inevitable.

I showered then did my makeup in the bathroom, something I hadn’t done since I’d arrived here. I’d never worn makeup as an adult because I’d never wanted to be pretty. General Titan asked me to wear it—so I made sure I never did. But now I put it on, outlined my eyes, covered them with dark powder, colored my lips with a red tint that somehow made them plumper. When I looked at my reflection, I almost didn’t recognize myself. My fair skin was unblemished, my eyes looked bigger, my lips fuller. I probably looked like the women he usually bedded rather than the dusty prisoner covered in rags.

I put on the lingerie set he’d asked me to wear and covered it with a long-sleeved dress I’d found in the closet. It was olive green and thick like a sweater, comfortable against my skin and warm. After a couple of minutes of deep thought, I left my chambers and ventured to his part of the castle.

The swarm of guards there stepped aside to let me pass like they knew I was coming.

I moved to his door and raised my fist to knock, but my closed hand hung in the air instead. I lowered it and let myself in since he was waiting for me, had probably been waiting for the last twenty minutes since I’d taken so long.

I turned to the dining room, expecting him to be sitting at the head of the table—but it was empty.

“Wine or scotch?” His deep voice filled the entire room even though he spoke quietly.

I turned the other direction, toward his bedroom, and found him sitting at a dining table that had been placed at the foot of his bed—just for the occasion. There was no head of the table because there were only two chairs. We would be so close together that our hands could touch on the surface.

He sat there, arms crossed over his bare chest, looking at me with those dark, confident eyes.

I swallowed, hating the flash of erotic memories that exploded across my mind. It made me hot and cold at the same time. I crossed the sitting room and entered his chambers, the four-poster bed in the center of the room with an additional sitting area around a fire. A door seemed to lead to his private bathroom.

His unblinking eyes were locked on my face, taking in my appearance with his ruthless stare. He didn’t rise to pull out my chair. Despite our passionate night together, he was just as cold as ever.