Page 7 of Nidev and Lyric

He took that hit directly in his cock. “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 had no 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.”

“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 dumped a barrage of images involving masturbation and 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 as the war raged in his mind and body.

“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?”

She nodded with a wince. “Everybody’stalking about the…batbite.”

Fuck. “And what did you hear?”

This wince came with a layer of embarrassment. “Just that it uh… had an… effect on all thecelibateKings.”

Holier fuck. “It’s been quite the interesting project,” he said casually.

Her brows rose with her constant little nods. “I bet. How are you holding up? Was thinking you might cancel our meeting. Not that you’d be tempted by me but because you wouldn’t wantmeto worry. Which I wouldn’t,” she assured, making her curls dance with the shake of her head. The onslaught of delectable cues she gave off put a steady hum in his cock.

“Glad to know that.”

“Which part?” she wondered, chewing on her lower lip, and waving her hand. “Never mind.”

“That you trust me,” he said, not wanting her to think he couldn’t lust after her. He surely could and surely was.

“I just heard you seemed to be steering clear of people. I’m glad you don’t feel the need to do that with me.”

“I feel the need to fight through whatever problems I encounter and do my job,” he said.

“Absolutely,” she agreed, appearing half worried, but about what, he wasn’t sure. “So is it like… something you can’t control or… we’re all curious about what actuallyishappening. Unless you can’t say,” she hurried with both hands up.

By the time he finished explaining how the bite works, her eyes were huge. “So, all your gifts are… tripled?”

He chuckled, eyeing her as he took another swig of water. “Why would this worry you? Unless you’re hiding things from me.”

Adamant head shake as she stared at him wide-eyed. Fuck, she was beautiful. And he wanted to know what those silky curls would feel like in his fists.

“Are yousureabout that?” he gently pressed, wishing she’d confess whatever she was still hiding.

Her hands flew up and covered her face. “It was you I had a crush on! I’m sorry, I was young, and I got over it, but I don’t want you toseeit in my head somehow and think I still have it.” Her hands fell away, and her wide eyes were back on him. “I don’t have it still. I mean I care about you, and I like you as a person but that’s it,” she swiped the air sharply. “You taught me how to overcome and master my emotions and I did. And I must’ve done well, or you would’ve known all this,” she realized.

He put an arm on the back of the couch and his ankle on his knee to hide what her confession did to him. “I’m not bothered by a student’s crush, Lyric. It’s not that I couldn’t see them, I chose not to see them. That’s what my job requires.”

Had she always been this sexy and adorable? Those expressive eyes were busy connecting dots before she loweredthem to her clasped hands in her lap. “Okay,” she said, the word breathless. “Good.”

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