Page 21 of Kings of Blood and Ruin

“Umm…” I hesitate.

His lip curls up on one side, his eyes darkening. “I won’t ask you again, Thalia,” he commands. “Sit.”

Not wanting to test his patience, I scramble to do as he says and perch myself precariously on his lap. I curse Drystan silently in my head, because my bottom is still sore. If Weylen notices my discomfort, he doesn’t mention it. Instead, his arm snakes around my waist, and he pulls me into his side, positioning me on the broader part of his leg, not happy with the distance I’m attempting to keep between us.

“That’s better.”

For him. Meanwhile, I’m trying not to name the zinging sensations zipping through my body at how close we are. Or how nice he smells. Like cocoa and spice.

An odd combination.

“Open.” He raises a spoon, blowing on it gently before bringing it to my mouth. The moment my lips part, he feeds me. I moan in appreciation at how thick and tasty the stew is. The meat replacement is tender and melts like butter in my mouth. Nothing like the cheap beefless nonsense the grocery stores make. Weylen’s pupils dilate, and he hums gently. Another small thrill zips through me at his appreciation.

“Let’s play twenty questions,” he says, setting the spoon back in the bowl. I can’t help but pout. “For every question you answer, you get to ask one of me.”

“And what if I don’t want to answer?” I ask him curiously.

“Then you don’t get to ask me a question.”

“And what do you get when you answer?”

He gives me a wolfish grin that nearly stops my heart. “I get to play with you while you eat.”

I take a moment to contemplate what he’s offering. It’s a chance for me to learn more about them. About vampires. And about why they took me. I’m not some protected piece on the chessboard; I’m the pawn. I always have been.

“Okay.” My acquiescence comes out like the whisper of a butterfly’s wings.

He observes me quietly, his eyes holding keen interest as he feeds me another bite. “What have you always wanted to do?”

“Go to college,” I answer without thinking. It was a luxury I never had but still wish I could somehow make come true. “I wanted to be an archaeologist.”

Weylen hums, his head bobbing slightly as he feeds me yet another bite.

“How come you can all walk in the sunlight?” I ask. “I thought vampires were…I don’t know…allergic to the sun or something.”

The man chuckles, his body thrumming beneath me, sending signals of pleasure to my lower abdomen. I clench my thighs against the sudden feeling. It hasn’t escaped my notice how my body responds to the three vampires. It’s a bubbling volcano waiting to explode.

“That is a fallacy made by our kind so that humans feel safe.” He winks at me, bringing the fork to his own mouth and taking a bite. The hand at my waist dips to my upper thigh. “If they believe we can only walk when the moon is high, then they don’t suspect those walking alongside them in the sun.”

Can’t argue with that.

Weylen leans forward and grabs the cup full of coffee from the table, bringing it to my lips. I take a tentative sip, afraid of scalding my tongue. It’s just the right temperature. When he pulls the cup away, I lick the excess foam from my top lip.

“Do you know how hard you just made me?” My eyes widen at his question. “The way you licked your lips makes me want to devour you.”

I don’t answer, unsure of what to say, if there is anything to say at all. No other man has ever talked to me this way. Then again, I’ve only ever been with one man. One of my father’s guards who didn’t mind a little risk, but he never spoke to me like this. The crassness of Weylen’s words causes my pussy to clench, and I shift on his lap, subtly trying to ease the ache.

“Jesus,” I cry out as Weylen’s fingers twist one of my nipples. I try to move away from the pain that sends waves of something I’m not sure I want to identify through my body, but he keeps me in place with his other hand.

“Answer the question,” he says.

My hands push at his, but he’s a wall.

“What question?”

“Do you know how hard you just made me?”

That was an actual question he was asking me? Fuck, I can’t think with his hands on me. I can feel the wetness pooling between my legs at his rough treatment, and I’m mortified at how my body is reacting.

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