Page 50 of Swamp Kings 1

That brought a dozen need to know answers. “George ticked off all the boxes that made him a thousand percent husband and father material.”

“And I’m not saying he isn’t going to make a great father and husband, just not to me. And I’m willing to say thatIwas the wrong pick forhim.”

He was only puzzled more. “What did you mean when you said he was too weak for father material?”

More guilt came as her gaze meandered. “Mr. Nidev, I didn’t even know at the time how to put it into words. Writing isn’t my strong suit and I sure as hell wasn’t going to voice it.”

His cock was officially fascinated. “Everything that’s said here, stays here. Legally,” he reminded, ready for every detail.

The worry on her face wavered a little. “You can’tevertell him I said this.”

He acknowledged with a single nod, and she took a deep breath.

“I realize now that poor George was doomed from the start with the way the whole class was set up to disregard women’s feelings and needs. The ones that go beyond being a prodigy factory.”

The crude yet accurate description of timeless hours and planning for that promising empire stung.

“I literally was not allowed to want more than what I was told I should so that’s one reason you never heard a word about it. For the first two years, I strived tobewhat the curriculum outlined a wife was to be. And when needs arose that didn’t line up with the curriculum, I mostly kept it to myself.”

“Mostly?”

“I made the mistake of telling George and of course he saw me as flawed but also wanted to help me because he’s really a sweet man.”

“So, he helped meet this… mysterious need?”

Head shake. “If he had, I might still be with him. He tried to help me getridof theneed since it was deemed by the curriculum to be secondary which amounted to unnecessary.”

What the hell was she referring to? “Exactly what is this need?” he gently asked.

She was suddenly at the edge of some cliff, and he’d just asked her to jump.

“You don’t have to answer,” he reminded.

“Pleasure,” she forced out. “I wanted pleasure in prodigy production.”

He was truly confused and aroused out of his fucking mind that they were speaking such words. “Coitus is pleasurable for male and female.”

Shame flashed over her face before she lowered it. “Which meant something was wrong withmeand I didn’t want that getting out either. So, I just… pretended I enjoyed it for as long as I could, until I couldn’t.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he assured, despising his stupidity more than ever. “The program was faulty. If anybody was flawed it was the Kings. We know this now.”

She aimed sympathetic dark eyes at him. “We can all claim ignorance in that regard. I for one hadno idea that every woman has different needs and different ways of getting them met. I especially didn’t know that if these needs aren’t met in a woman, she dies inside and yet goes on living.” The look of pure shock and dread on her face matched his own while he wonderedwhotold her that?

“Have you spoken to the Belle Eveque?”

She gave a slow nod. “I did. She helped me understandso much. And you’re right, there’s nothing at all wrong with me, I’m completely normal and it’s okay to want pleasure and there are so many other ways of getting it besides coitus.”

This news came with a fresh round of brand-new chemicals. All of them obsession worthy. What sort of ways was she referring to? Masturbation? Deliciously prolonged borderline sadistic foreplay?

“I know that the Kings all meant well with the prodigy program Mr. Nidev, please don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“Youdoknow me well,” he said, oddly not bothered.

“And I’msohappy you’re all letting Belle Eveque help with it. How could you possibly know something you havenoexperience in?” she reminded, her coddling only arousing him more. And why was he aroused? He’d forgotten to keep track of his little demons.

“Soooo, what about you?” she suddenly said, officially disarming him.

“Me?”

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