Page 71 of In Love with a Ruthless Man

“But it’s alright.” The prince’s lips touched her forehead. “I don’t plan to touch you tonight.” He rolled away the second time, saying levelly, “I want you too much.”

Just when she was about to feel rejected, his last words made her heart skip a beat, and Fawn winced at the realization of how much power the prince seemed to wield over her. He only had to say a word, and her mood would be swinging like a pendulum.

“Is that a bad thing?” she whispered. “Wanting me?”

“Right now...it is.” She felt the bed dip as the prince turned to lie on his side, facing her. A shaft of moonlight touched his face, and she saw the way his emerald green eyes were focused on her completely.

“In this case, it’s pretty easy to understand how your mind works,parthena mou.The moment I let myself touch you, I won’t be able to control myself. But if something happens between us tonight, you’ll wake up hating yourself tomorrow.” The prince paused. “Won’t you?”

Oh.She squeezed her eyes shut. “Shouldn’t I?” If something did happen tonight, it wouldn’t be rape. She swallowed. “I’m just like them, aren’t I?”

“No. You’re not.” The prince’s tone was succinct.

“How do you know—-”

“Because if you were, then we would have been fucking for months now.”

“Prince.” His words made complete sense, and yet – did really he have to put it that way?

“Just relax and go to sleep,parthena mou.Nothing will happen, much to my...conana’sdismay.”

She cringed. “Will youneverlet me hear the end of that?”

“It depends.” The prince’s tone was lazy. “Do you think you’ll be able to say the wordco—-”

“No!” She knew she was being downright silly, but she didn’t care. Something told her that if she allowed herself to say the word—-

It would becompletelyover for her.

“Are you certain? It’s just one word,” the prince cajoled. “C-o-c-k.”

“I just can’t.” But she was laughing this time. At the same moment, the prince reached for her, his fingers twining with hers, and Fawn stilled.

“What?” the prince bristled.

“You’re holding my hand,” Fawn said dumbly.

The prince’s teeth gnashed together. Trust Fawn to say what was embarrassingly obvious.

“Why are you—-”

“Stop saying it,” the prince cut her off irritably. “You’re just making me feel more juvenile.” His fingers tightened around her. “It’s all I can let myself touch.Okay?”

Silence.

Then—-

“You’re so sweet,” Fawn blurted out.

The prince’s grip started to tighten painfully.

“I mean, sweetly...cruel?”

Ah, if only he could kill her without hurting her.“Just stop talking,” the prince said grimly. “You’re only going to make it worse every time you open your mouth.”

A full minute of silence passed.

“Prince?”

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