Page 37 of The Demon Court

“Cherries,” he muttered. “Of course you’d like a food difficult to find this time of year.”

ChapterTwelve

Lust sat in his office, running a finger over his bottom lip as he mused on his afternoon with Selene. It had been a rather lovely afternoon, although not an ounce of it had been sexual in nature, which was frustrating to no end. Every time she’d sipped her wine, he had wanted to run his tongue down her throat. And every time she’d popped a grape into her mouth, he’d wanted to whisper how lucky it was to have her tongue upon it.

Of course, he didn’t say any of those things. They were working on building trust with each other, and everything he’d read in his books stated that sexual advances were not helpful during this period of growth.

If anything, those philosophers had mused that sex did the opposite of build trust. Without trust, sex was more likely to drive a person away.

Which was ridiculous. He’d seen many people who were drawn together by sex. So who were these philosophers to say a word about how damaging lust could be to a relationship?

The door to his office opened and Lara walked through with a plate of food. Apparently, they’d already reached lunchtime, and he’d wasted almost an entire day thinking about an afternoon that had happened a week ago now. A waste of time. But also he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Sighing, he looked over at Lara as she put his lunch out on the table. She worked efficiently, and never once interrupted him from his thoughts. She’d been with him long enough to know that there were times for her attention and other times for her to remain in the shadows.

Most days, he didn’t even see her walk in. He was busy enough with his own work. The last thing he needed was for someone to break him out of his train of thought.

But right now, all he could think about were those damn books and how sex ruined trust.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose as she scurried away. “Lara.”

She paused in front of the door. “Is there anything else you need, my lord?”

The faint sound of hope in her voice used to annoy him. Now, it just made him feel a little guilty, and he couldn’t understand why. “Yes, I have a question for you.”

She folded her hands at her waist and waited for his question. Lust took his time planning what he wanted to say. Instead, he looked over the curves of her breasts, barely contained in the sheer gown she wore. How her hips had grown over the years and there were faint wrinkles around her eyes that he didn’t remember. Lines on her forehead that showed she wasn’t the young woman he’d brought underneath his wing all those years ago.

She’d been his favorite then, and was still his favorite now. Of all the women in this castle to serve him, she was the only one who had done so simply because she liked him. Or at least, that’s what he’d always assumed.

If sex ruined trust, then she was the one to prove that wrong.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

Her jaw dropped open before she could catch it. Stammering, she forced herself to pause, cleared her throat, and then said, “With my life.”

“I knew it.” Lust slammed his fist onto the table to punctuate his words before realizing how strange that sounded. “My apologies, Lara. I’m still musing over something that was said a few days ago.”

“Was it perhaps the young woman you’ve brought to the castle?” Lara knew better than to pry, but she could tread the line easier than others.

Sighing, he shrugged. “I suppose I can admit it. She seems to think that trust cannot be grown when one is embroiled in lust.”

“That’s silly. I have no question you will do whatever you want to my body, and that you know exactly what I want. Even if I cannot tell it to you.” She made her way over to his desk, skirting the edge to sit down in front of him. Her legs gracefully parted, offering him what he normally would have taken. “I’ve known you long enough to be certain of that.”

It was the last sentence that made him pause. If she hadn’t said it, he might have indulged both of them in an afternoon distraction.

And yet... “So you agree it takes time?”

“What?” Her eyes went wide. “What takes time?”

“To build trust.” He glared and kept his hands to himself. “She seems to believe that trust requires not only time to grow but also knowledge about the other person. You seem to agree with her.”

“I... I don’t...” Lara shook her head. “Trust should be freely given. I trusted you the first time you had my body, and I continue to trust you now.”

But was that the same kind of trust that Selene wanted between them? He pinched his lower lip, lost in thought for a moment, before another bloomed. He met Lara’s confused stare and promptly asked, “If I wanted you to give me your daughter for a few nights, would you?”

All the blood drained out of her face. “She’s only eight, Lust.”

“Yes, that doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in children. But if I asked for you to give her to me, would you?”

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