Page 62 of The Demon Crown

ChapterTwenty-One

He had one chance. One.

He’d already seen the thought in her eyes. She was a wanderer, just as he’d been when he was first birthed into this world. Greed remembered the desire to see and touch and take, to do as much as he could before the very world bent to his ways. They were kindred spirits in that way.

She’d only give him a single moment to prove to him why she should remain in this oasis while the rest of her people were subjected to the sands. And he intended to tantalize her senses until there was nothing else for her. She’d never return to those tiny villages when she could be here with him. When she could live in luxury and opulence.

So he’d brought her back to his room, ignoring the look of disappointment on her face when she realized where he was bringing her. Because he had plans to make. The entire oasis had to be on the same page as him, and they would give her their best.

He spent most of the morning ordering the kitchens around. Then he turned his attention to his own collection.

Greed had a thousand years’ worth of treasures to choose from. So much wealth and beauty that he could lay out at her feet, but he wouldn’t. Not yet. She would be terrified of all the gemstones and the beauty that he wanted to give her.

But he knew the dress he would place upon her. The dress that he’d been dying to see her in since the beginning. And perhaps gifts of jewels while he indulged all her senses tonight. That would be enough, he was certain of it.

He arrived back to his private quarters hours later with a dress over his arm and a plan to enact. Ivo was back in front of the door, and he gave the other man a little frown as he approached.

Ivo bowed and started off. Apparently, even his guard understood that he was not to interrupt tonight. Word traveled fast around here.

Clearing his throat, he knocked on the door as though he were a gentleman. As if he was ever a gentleman at all.

Varya opened the door, still wearing her ripped up sheet, and already rolling her eyes at the sight of him. “What is this, Greed?”

“My lady.” He bowed low and deep, then glanced up at her with a quirked brow as she laughed. “I am here to dress you for the evening. The Lord of the Oasis has sent you a gown for this evening and bid you to humbly accept his invitation.”

“The Lord of the Oasis, huh?” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door. “So who are you?”

“Your servant for the evening.”

“Ah.” She nodded, her eyes going over his shoulder as she exaggerated her attempts to look past him. “Is there a lady servant who can dress me? I’m quite certain that it would be rather... indecent to have a man dressing me.”

A flash of jealousy burned through his chest. “Absolutely not.”

“No one else touches me but you?”

She’d caught him. Damn it. The woman was too quick for her own good.

His jealousy wasn’t a good quality to have. He understood that. And it wasn’t quite jealousy, anyway. He just didn’t want to share her with anyone else.

Was that so bad?

Pushing her back with his body, he moved into their quarters and ignored her look. He strode into the center of the room and then gave her the gown to put on. “This is for you.”

“This is...” She held it out to look, and he knew what she saw.

Molten gold. The entire gown had been made to look like metal poured into a sheet of fabric. It was beyond beautiful, and only three of them had been made. One burned in a horrible fire that had destroyed an entire town. The other he’d gifted to one of Sloth’s queens. Greed could safely assume it had been destroyed when Sloth had found something disappointing about the woman.

Turning her back to him, Varya unhooked the gown she’d made of the sheets and let it fall off her body. The silk slithered onto the ground, trailing down her curves like he wished to do. His mouth watered as she revealed the long lines of her body, the muscles in her back that flexed and moved with her, and the round muscles of her ass.

Oh, he wanted her. He wanted her more than anything else in this realm, and he would have her tonight. That’s what all of this led up to. One final moment to convince her that he was what she needed.

She stepped into the gown, drawing it up all those lovely curves. Molten gold poured over his treasure, just as she was meant to be seen by all who were lucky enough to bask in her beauty. He stepped closer, his fingers brushing against her spine as he tied it at the back so it would stay on. The dress clung to her ribs, just barely, and hung off her shoulders so her graceful neck and collarbone were bare.

He couldn’t resist. Greed skated his lips along that line of warm skin, smiling against her as she let out a little shuddering breath. He trailed the backs of his fingers down her bare sides, tying those strands as well. The fabric covered her front entirely, but the sides were left almost bare other than four strands at her ribs, waist, hips, and just around her thighs.

Sighing, he fell to his knees as he trailed his lips down to each one of those ties until they were all knotted closed. Then he followed the same line on the other side of her body, dressing her as she’d always meant to be dressed.

Staring up at her, he looked up at a goddess who deserved to have an entire kingdom at her feet.

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