He did it for me. “When it comes to others, love inevitably brings pain, which we both suffered immensely during this last year.”
I pointed at him. “Exactly.” Placing my hands under my head, I glanced at him where he stood like a huge helping of all things brutal and wild, fanning the flame of attraction and arousal low in my gut. I scowled, not appreciating where my thoughts continued taking me. “Maybe you could wear a sack over your head or something.”
His nostrils flared, and he blinked before he crossed his arms, making his shirt fabric pull tight, muscles showing plainly thanks to the golden sparks that contrasted shadow and light on his body. A purely carnal grin etched his features. “I can help you with that itch.” His gaze roamed my features, sliding down my body. “Because I have to tell you, now that I know why I was mind raped, and seeing some of my past I don’t remember, I’ll shortly be in the right place mentally to have sex.” He saw how my lips thinned even if I tried to hide it, the man appearing not to miss much, and his attention lifted from my mouth to my eyes. He bent slowly until his hands were on either side of my shoulders as he stared down at me. “And as you stated before about loyalty, the same has always held true for me. I am extremely loyal to those I care about, and fidelity in a committed relationship is a quality I have always respected in others.”
His head cocked as he watched me. “I hold no respect for those that cheat on their spouses, and I believe they should be held accountable for their actions…and not nicely.” He bent slowly, speaking softly, being blunt and honest. “So, with that said, and the fact you and I cannot divorce, when I want sex — and believe me, I will — I will be coming to my wife for it, even if I don’t particularly like or trust her.”
I tried not to show I had been holding my breath, so I breathed out shallowly, and stated just as bluntly and honestly, “I’m not a damn blow-up doll, King Zeller,” asshole, “as much as you may wish I was, so I seriously hope you have enough intelligence in that brain of yours to realize that sex unavoidably leads to stronger emotions, which will lead to us taking that same damn path to the same mistakes…and risk another spelled mind sweep and separation. All of those things are unbeneficial to Isa and ourselves.”
His grin was predatory as he lowered his face to a few inches from mine, his heat now surrounding me even if he had no weight on me, his feet still on the floor and upper weight on his arms. “Ah,” he chuckled, the sound cruel, “you’re forgetting something,” a slow drawl, “sweetheart.”
My gaze narrowed further. “And what is that,” I flashed my teeth, “baby?”
He rumbled quietly with forbidding humor, the sound oddly…comforting and nice. “It’s what you’ve already stated. We’re no longer those idiots from a year ago. Both of us have learned many manipulative skills and evasive tactics.” He bent his head, brushing his bristly, warm cheek against my own soft cheek to place his lips against my ear, and I felt his shadow of a beard. “Even if feelings become involved — and you’re correct, they might eventually — who better to hide an affair than the cruel, jaded, and merciless?”
My nostrils flared, and I scented he was already turned on. “Not that I don’t agree with your thought process, but I still believe it unwise for us to be involved sexually.” This was about self-preservation, an absolute must. “Why risk it?”
His chuckle was still soft, even with his lips still at my ear. “One question: do you want to spend our very long existence together thinking about your spouse, your husband, me, fucking other women?”
I know I froze under him. Something inside me — not my wolf and not my Vampire, just a primal part of my soul, possibly pride or greed — revoked at the thought that what was mine, and he was mine even if chosen by the young and inexperienced me, being touched by another woman, or him touching someone else. And the feeling was strong…so strong that my wolf woke and growled quietly. It was the sound of death stalking back and forth, waiting to pounce on anyone who so much as glanced at the asshole King. Miraculously, I loathed him, but I wanted him all for my own because…he was my husband, and he would be forever. A Mystical’s life was extremely long.
His Vampire responded in kind, his growl just as soft and deadly as mine, and it wasn’t a threat. It was more of an understanding of predators, a basic harmonized necessity to guard what was our own. Pushing back his Vampire, he lifted so he could meet my gaze, and he specified, “You hadn’t thought about this yet.” It was a statement.