Page 35 of Forever Touched

“Is that so?”

I was suddenly on my back in the middle of his gigantic bed. A sharp gasp escaped me as his body settled on top of mine, pressing me into the mattress. We lined up perfectly from chest to pelvis, and my core immediately lit on fire at the intimate contact.

To play off how strongly my body had just responded to his, I gave him a sardonic smirk and cooed, “Yes. I’m very good at my job.”

“I agree,” he rumbled, dipping his head to breathe in my ear. “But you’re not pretending right now. I can smell how aroused you are.”

As he paused to inhale my scent, more of that delicious heat unfurled in my belly. Silently cursing, I replied, “Fine, I admit that you make me feel things.”

He chuckled quietly, reaching up to slide his fingers into my hair. I felt the contact all the way to my toes. “You make me feel things too. Naughty things. Things that I want to feel again right now.”

At his confession, the heat spread to every inch of my body. My breaths grew shallow and a touch needy. “Do you plan to keep me here as your own personal whore, then?”

“Maybe I will.” He brushed his nose up the column of my throat. “And would that be so awful? That way, no other males could touch you.”

I immediately perked up at the idea, thrilled at the thought of being free of all the groping hands and leering gazes. But reality chose that moment to knock some sense into me, to remind me of why I’d accepted the job in the first place. Pursing my lips, I shook my headand forced out, “I like my job. It gives me purpose.”

Undeterred, Everett inhaled my scent again and whispered, “I can give you the same purpose. And with me, you’ll actually enjoy it.”

My eyes fluttered shut as pleasure skated through me, making me grow wet.

Spirits save me, what was happening right now? It felt like he was seducing me, something I’d never experienced before. Even worse, Ilikedit. I should be offended that the crown vampire prince was offering to make me his little play thing, but my body was thoroughly enjoying the proposal.

His other hand cupped my cheek, the thumb stretching along my jaw toward my mouth. Mylips. He really needed to put himself out of his misery and just kiss me already. Despite his distaste for it, I could sense he wanted to.

Before I could encourage him to do that very thing, he asked, “Why did you resist drinking my blood?”

My eyes popped back open. Oh, yeah. He’d forced me to drink his blood so I wouldn’t die. I’d had no choice, despite the command in my head telling me to spit it out. I’d tried, but Everett was so much stronger than me. At the reminder that his blood was now flowing through my veins, the heat vanished. It was like a bucket of ice water had just been tossed over me.

Knowing I couldn’t tell him the truth, I lamely said, “I’m not a vampire. My body doesn’t naturally want to consume blood.”

As if sensing the lie, he pulled back to search my face. “You were bleeding out. Would you rather I have let you?”

I didn’t respond right away, and that told him far too much.

His gaze darkened, and he opened his mouth again. Before he could say anything, though, a knock came at the door.

“Father wants an audience with you, Everett.”

Everett’s body tensed over mine. “Now?”

“Yes. He wants to meet her.”

Now it wasmyturn to tense. Everett felt it and focused back on me. “I won’t let him harm you.”

He was gettingwaytoo good at reading me. The sooner I left this place and put my mask back on, the better.

Before I could respond, he lifted off me and stood. “Come on. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

As he adjusted his clothing, hiding how turned on he’d been moments before, I glanced down at my own clothing. Cringing, I scooted off the bed and hurried to the gold floor-length mirror in the corner.

One look and I turned to vehemently shake my head. “Nope. No way am I letting the vampirekingsee me like this. It’s bad enough that you have.”

He paused to lift an eyebrow. “None of that matters. He’ll see right through any mask you put on anyway.”

A nervous laugh burst from me. “Was that supposed to make me feel better? Because it didn’t. I still havebloodon my sweater.” Not on my skin, though. Everett must have cleaned it off while I slept, which didn’t fill me with revulsion like I thought it would. Not even a little. Something was definitely wrong with me.

“He just wants to meet you, Star. I’ll find you fresh clothing afterward.”

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