Page 65 of The Demon Court

“Of course I do. I’m not a monster, I’m…” He paused as he looked down at Affection. “Are you bigger?”

The little spirit was larger than the last time he’d seen it. Affection was usually a mass of mist that could fit in his hands, but now it was more like the size of a toddler. Still smaller than most spirits should be, but much more solid. The golden light inside it spilled out and illuminated the floor, his leg, even parts of the ceiling when he glanced up.

And it had eyes now. Eyes that looked back at him like big golden orbs that blinked up at him with no small amount of innocence. “Am I?”

“Yes, you are much larger.” He reached down and gathered it up. Holding the spirit out in front of him gave him a small sense of shock and satisfaction. “Why? Why are you larger?”

“I think you know.”

He shook his head in denial. “Absolutely not. You are not feeding off me at all, little one. It’s impossible for spirits to feed off each other.”

Just as it was impossible for him to feel any emotion unless it somehow related to lust. He was made simply, just as the rest of the spirits were. But if Affection was growing larger, that meant it was feeding somewhere in his castle.

Narrowing his eyes, he asked the question that burned inside him. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been around you. I just didn’t want to interrupt.” It bounced up and down a bit before settling in his grip again. “I’m always near you.”

“So that means you’re also near Selene?” She was rarely far from him, at least. Even on the days when she’d thought he had left her alone, Lust had never been able to convince himself to go very far from her. Which meant...

“Are you feeding off Selene?” he asked.

Affection’s eyes went wide. “No, I told you—”

He interrupted the little spirit before it could lie. “I know I didn’t want anyone to feed off her or encourage emotions. I set that rule long before I realized what would happen. You are larger because of her feelings?”

He set the spirit down as he stood, stalking back and forth along the room as he continued. “She must be feeling some sort of affection toward me, then. Or this castle? No, it wouldn’t be that. She’s never liked it here, and it’s very different from her home. Perhaps she feels it a bit toward you, but we both know that kind of feeding is more difficult, especially when you are in your spirit form. So that must mean...”

She felt it toward him. Lust.

Slumping, a slow smile spread across his features. “She enjoys my company, then.”

“She does,” Affection agreed, though it was slow to respond. “I think she likes you a bit more than you might think. But I’m not supposed to—”

He held his hand up for silence as he basked in the thoughts racing through his mind. She liked him. She enjoyed his company. Selene didn’t think he was a monster like the others, nor did she pander to him because she thought him to be this all powerful demon.

Perhaps there was something to earning her trust after all. If he was lucky, and continued in the way she’d told him to, maybe she’d see him for something other than what the humans in his court already did.

She might see him as a man. As a real man, like he’d always wanted from the day he took on his form.

No longer a spirit. Just... him.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Selene sighed as she trailed her fingers over warm skin. She had no idea how he looked like a bronzed statue, but it didn’t matter right now. The red welts up and down his back called out to her.

Running her fingers through the grooves between twin marks, she hissed out a long breath. He shouldn’t let himself get hurt like this. And even though he’d said he enjoyed the slight pain, it made her wince to see the welts.

Unlike the first time they’d done this, Selene didn’t feel the need to stop herself.

She stepped closer, her fingers trailing down one line before she pressed her lips to the other. His deep groan was the same as he’d made when he kissed her. The sound echoed through her mind until she couldn’t think of anything else.

His reaction made her entire body turn inside out. Lust didn’t hide what his emotions were. He let her know that he wanted her. He stood there, holding onto a post of her bed, waiting for her to do whatever she wanted with him.

And by the seven kingdoms, she wanted to do everything. His warm skin against her lips encouraged her to move further. She pressed her palm flat against his ribs, holding him steady as she trailed her tongue down the marks. He tasted like whiskey, bitter and biting but oh so warm.

Her fingers skated over his warm skin, too warm, but she didn’t care. His back flexed underneath her touch and he shuddered as though holding himself still for her. Exactly how she wanted him.

Selene hadn’t realized how desperately she needed to be the one in control. He overwhelmed her. Made her feel like she was losing bits and pieces of herself every time he touched her. But now, she was taking from him.

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