Page 35 of Virgin Lust

“Oh, that.” Prudence hesitated and then said, “It’s the mark of Lust.”

“I’m cursed, too?”

She shrugged her shoulders and wouldn’t look me in the eyes. “That’s one way to look at it.”

My mate left things unsaid, and so did I. I would leave it for the moment.

“Listen, I have work to do…”

“We’ll accompany you. You’re not supposed to be alone, right?” I arched a brow.

Her shoulders sagged. “Payne will find me soon enough.”

My mood darkened. “Who is he to you?”

“Friend of the family. A big brother, you could say.”

“So he’s never helped you with your curse?”

Prudence laughed. “He’d never succumb to my lust.” Now that she said it, I thought about how unbothered he had seemed when her scent clouded the cave earlier. “He already belongs to someone else although he won’t admit it.”

My forehead wrinkled before I finally processed her words. He was unavailable and like a brother to her. Not a competitor for her affections. Still, I didn’t like him being around her so much. How could I change that?

"I don’t like him,” I said.

Her brows knitted together. “The soul reaper gets all caveman just like that. Is it that easy for you to accept what’s going on between us?”

“There’s nothing easy about obsessing over you. If I had no self-control, I would have gone directly to you after you entered my memories. It’s incredibly difficult to take my mind off of you, especially when you’ve come to me more than once.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Prudence curled her arms around her middle. When I said nothing, she tapped her temple and waited. “I didn’t mean to go there. I wasn’t even—”

“I’m not upset, but don’t dig anymore. There’s not anything redeeming there. I have the same love for my kind as Reapers do.”

Prudence scoffed. “Please. I’ve seen much scarier monsters down here than you. Can’t get much uglier than your gremlins, though.”

I chuckled. “Say that to them. Break their hearts. They’ll only worship you more.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means welcome to my world. Can I be a part of yours?”

Nine

Prudence

The soul reaper continued to surprise me.

When I thought of his kind, I recalled how many we’d destroyed over the years. They were ruthless and uncaring about humans or any soul other than their own people. Plus, they were hard to talk to because of their superiority complex. I killed one a few decades ago and still remembered how he thought I was beneath him. The guy had been devouring souls every second of the day before he hit our radar, yet he considered me dirt. His words, not mine.

So Shepherd threw me for a loop. Without an ounce of shame, he told me what was happening to him. Or maybe it was a warning in case he lost control. Shepherd was a mystery that flustered the hell out of me. At first, I thought my growing interest might have something to do with the demon giving me orgasm after orgasm as he stroked my pussy all night. After seeing him again, I didn’t think that was the case, especially after I peeked into his past. I felt guilty for seeing something he clearly didn’t want me to know. At the same time, I wanted to wrap him in my arms and comfort him. My impassive mask was partially off. I had no way to put it back on around him.

“You’re very straightforward,” I said, averting my gaze.Did he have to look at me constantly?I wanted a chance to ogle him.

“You’ll prefer me this way. If I try to deny what I’m feeling, it might become a bad thing for you.” He shrugged nonchalantly but kept his fierce gaze on me. Despite how casually he spoke, I had a sense he wasn’t bullshitting me.

“I’m not worried about you stalking or hurting me.” I’d never searched into a soul reaper’s lifestyle, so I had no clue what troubled Shepherd. My goat on his chest marked him as my soulmate, and his soul bonded to mine. Our fate decided we needed to be connected in two different ways. My heart skipped a beat, and it was like butterflies took off in my stomach.Connected. Tied together. Understood.It sounded beautiful, and out of the realm of possibilities with my curse.

And he hadn’t look revolted in the least bit when I behaved wantonly.

---