Page 42 of The Demon Crown

And she wanted to take.

She leaned her head back until she could feel his chest against the back of her head. He inhaled, and she knew he was dragging her scent into his nose. Delicately, slowly, she turned her head to the side until the long length of her bare neck was available for his lips.

He did not disappoint. Greed trailed kisses up her throat until he growled in her ear, “So, treasure? How much do I need to punish you?”

Of course he would bring that up. Her cheeks flamed even darker red, and she didn’t want to tell him anything, but found herself saying, “No need for punishment.”

He froze, every muscle in his body seeming to seize against hers. Stiff and voice deeper than she’d ever heard it, he said, “Two whole weeks since I’ve seen you, and you tell me not at all?”

“You told me not to,” Varya replied. And because she wanted to see how much power she had in this situation, she added, “I listened to my king’s demands.”

And oh, his entire body shuddered behind her. She felt it travel through him, how he shook beneath her with barely contained need.

She had more power here than she expected. If she was right, then she could put this demon king on his knees at any point, and he would do exactly what she said. Greed wanted to pretend like he was in control. He wanted to order her around and whisper filthy things in her ears, but that was because he wanted her to have all the power in this. He wanted her to command his attention so that when he desired to feast, he could.

Why did that tempt her so?

She wanted to turn around in his arms and wrap herself around him. She wanted to push his shoulders down and force him to finish what he’d started because he had left her in a state of near constant arousal since that damned tomb they’d raided. He had consumed her mind and body and all sense of reason because she wanted him.

Blowing out a breath, she tried to calm her mind and all the desire. Think, Varya, she thought to herself. Why was she even here in the first place?

“Were you looking for me?” he muttered against her neck.

She opened her mouth to answer, but all that came out was a groan as he dragged his tongue up her neck. His lips closed on her earlobe, gently biting and distracting her from whatever she might have said.

“I…”

His hands clenched around her waist, and she thought for a moment he might spin her around. Instead, he growled, “You what, treasure?”

Varya swallowed hard. What had she been thinking? Saying? She couldn’t quite remember, but all she knew was that he was sliding his hands up her sides and it felt so wonderful.

His hands cupped her breasts, and even through her leather armor, she could feel the heat of his palms. He squeezed gently, and then growled again, “Varya, you’re supposed to answer me when I ask you a question. Yes?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “I was following the Horde when I saw you and your riders. I followed you because I wasn’t sure why you were here when the Horde was here as well.”

“Were you going to protect me again?” He walked her forward toward the wall. “What a feral woman you are.”

“Well, no one else was going to do it,” she snapped. Varya slammed her hands to the stone before he planted her face first into it. And though she had thought he was being careless, she realized with his groan of pleasure that he’d put her right where he wanted her.

Hands against the rock, slightly bent forward. Her breath skipped as he kicked her legs into a wider stance. Was that the sound of his belt? Surely not. He wouldn’t take her right here where anyone could find them?

Or maybe he would. Maybe he would press himself inside her, plundering every part of her body and soul before the entire township that he had just saved. Because she asked him to. Because she had said they needed water.

Greed ground against her, but he’d kept his pants on. His stiff cock pressed between her thighs with all the impossible weight and bulk of a demon.

“I told you what I wanted,” he said, leaning over her to nip again at her ear. “But, my treasure, you have to want it just as bad. I want to hear you say it. I want to hear you beg for me.”

Biting her lip, she rocked back against him. The friction was incredible against the leather of her armor and whatever he was wearing. She didn’t care. Right now she just needed him to move, to do something other than press himself against her andnot move.

“You seem frustrated, treasure.” He rocked again, his hips pressed flush against hers. Almost too hard. “You have to ask me for what you want, remember? Ask and I will give you the world at your feet.”

She wanted that. Yes. She wanted the world at her feet.

Spinning around, she turned in his arms to face him. To force him to look into her eyes as he said these wonderful things because she didn’t quite believe him. How could she?

Greed was a demon king. He had left this kingdom to rot on its own while he lived in the only oasis in the entire kingdom that still survived. He couldn’t want her, a wandering adventurer who had never settled down with anyone. And he certainly didn’t want a woman who could only give him a small amount of who she was.

He was Greed. If she gave him an inch, he would take a mile, because he would want everything she had to give him.

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