Page 48 of The Female

Despite it, though, I can’t bring myself to offer to feed him.

“What’re you planting?” Gray asks, dropping the topic of me watching Silas.

I point to the packet. He looks over the photo of lettuce with a smile, his teeth on full display.

“I don’t think you’ll have a lot of luck growing human food in demon soil, but I’m excited to see how it turns out.”

“Me too,” I admit, shutting my eyes and tilting my face upward.

The sun feels good on my cheeks.

I have a feeling the seeds won’t work, but I want to give it a try, anyway. Wrath is hot, but parts of the human world are just as warm. What more do vegetables need than oxygen, sunshine, and some water? Nothing that I know of.

I hold back the urge to flinch when soft fingertips graze the exposed skin on my chest. It’s not the first time Gray’s taken it upon himself to touch me, and I’ve grown used to it over the past few days.

Gray must take my lack of resistance as a good sign, as seconds later, his fingertips are replaced with his mouth. This touch is new, and I tense as he slides his lips from the center of my chest toward my collarbone.

They’re soft and warm, and Gray takes the opportunity to lick my salty skin.

My jaw clenches as he releases some of his lust. This must be another one of his attempts to desensitize me to it. The first couple of times he did this, I almost immediately turned into putty, and I pride myself on remaining still as his intoxicating scent hits my nose.

I hold back a moan as his teeth scrape along my neck. It feels so good.

Pushing further, Gray grabs my hands and shoves them underneath his shirt. My breath hitches as I touch his bare skin, visualizing how it looks as I run my fingers over it. I’m scared that opening my eyes will break the illusion, so I keep them shut as I explore the hard planes of his abdomen.

His muscles flex underneath my hands and his breath grows ragged as I wrap my arms around his waist and feel his back. His skin is so soft.

Gray rises to his knees and fiddles with the hem of my skirt, his teeth nipping at my skin before he pulls back and sucks the spot instead. I pant, my movements growing more confident as I dig my fingers into the taut muscles of his back.

“Do you want to feed me?” He groans, finding and pinching my nipple through the fabric of my shirt.

I’m supposed to sayno. I know he wants me to sayno. Instead, I gasp and nod my headyes, desperate for him to continue. He feels so fucking good. I don’t ever want this to stop.

“Use your words.”

I moan. “Yes. Please touch me,” I beg, not caring how desperate I sound.

Gray pulls away, his retreat leisurely as he soaks up the last moments of contact between us. A loud whine slips from my lips as he grabs my arms and takes my hands out from under his shirt.

“That was good,” he purrs. “When you first arrived, you’d have been begging for me before I even touched you.”

I gulp, embarrassed at my actions and how much I love his approval. I push those negative emotions away, though, knowing this is what needs to happen if I’m going to grow strong.

At the end of the day, I’m grateful Gray is taking the time to help me acclimate to his lust. I was under the impression nothing could be done about my response to his scent, and I would wither away until all I could think about was his pleasure, but he’s explained it doesn’t have to be like that.

Most weaker breeds aren’t given the opportunity to build immunity to the power stronger demons emit, and by the time their bodies start to adapt, it’s already too late. Gray’s promised he and Silas would keep it at bay until it no longer has such an intense effect on me.

I didn’t believe him at first, but I can see a real improvement after only three days. Hopefully, after a few more weeks, Gray’s won’t bother me at all. Not unless I purposefully give into it.

My lips purse as I think about what comes next, though. Gray’s strong, but there are two other demons I’ll have to go through the same process with. I’m not so worried about Silas, but the thought of Aziel trying to train me not to submit fills me with dread.

I hope Gray won’t leave me alone with him when the time comes.

“I have a surprise for you,” Gray says, pulling me from my thoughts.

Another surprise?

He grins before bouncing to his feet and holding his hand out for me to take. I stare at it before taking the bait and letting him pull me to my feet. I love surprises.

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