Page 93 of The Demon Crown

But that feeling in his chest hadn’t gone away. The fear. The tension that, no matter how long she stood alive in front of him, wouldn’t go away. All he saw playing in his mind was her risking her life over and over again. Choosing to do so. Ignoring the fact that he’d be so messed up if she died and he wasn’t there to at least try to save her.

The tiniest amount of that fear slipped out. His voice hoarse, he met her gaze and said, “You risked everything.”

And though he didn’t want her pity right now, he could see the thoughts flicker behind her eyes. She understood what she’d done. That in risking her life, she hadn’t just threatened her own. She’d threatened him, because his damn heart existed inside hers now and he didn’t know how or when or why that had happened, but she was important.

More than anyone else had ever been. And that terrified him.

Her gaze flicked to the flogger in his hands, to his tail, to the set of his shoulders, before returning to look back into his eyes. “What do you want from me, Greed?”

“Everything.” He repeated the words as though it could explain what was happening in his chest. He knew it didn’t. She couldn’t read his mind, and even if she could, it would be nigh impossible to untangle the thoughts in his head.

“You’ve said that before.” She took a step closer to him, another, walking so close he could smell her scent that unraveled some of the fear. She was here. Right in front of him. He’d gotten there in time.

And then his hand tightened around the handle of the flogger again. Because he’d remembered that she’d been in danger. A-fucking-gain.

Her hand joined his, her long fingers still so small against his hand. And he couldn’t stand the sight of it because she’d almost...

“What do you need?” she asked, heat back in her voice that he’d thought he would never hear again. “Tell me.”

It was the question he’d asked her, in some form. She’d accepted this. Accepted him. Knew that he needed her to give him the only thing that would make him feel calm, to know that she was right fucking here and that no person or monster was taking her from him.

A shudder of pleasure traveled down his spine and he nodded at the chair he’d had custom-built in the corner. It was smoothly cut, cushioned, all comfort and swells that would present her body to him if he wished, and in any position he wished.

“There,” he grunted, waiting to see what she would do.

Her eyes skated over the cushioned chair and she seemed toknow. As if she was in his head and knew what he needed. And that pressure in his chest that had been building since the moment they stepped into the tent, it got worse. He hadn’t thought it could.

But it felt like someone had taken hold of his throat. He couldn’t even swallow as she turned her back to him and made her way over to that chair. She stood in front of it, eyeing it for a few moments, before moving in front of the highest peak and then gracefully folded over it.

And oh, the sight she presented made him groan. Ass in the air, like a pretty upside down heart. He wanted to run his hands all over her, mark her as his, make it so no one would ever question who she belonged to, or who protected her.

He wanted the world to know that if they touched her, he would find them. He would kill them. And then he would hunt down their families and kill them, too.

Greed didn’t recognize this feral side of him, but he kind of liked it.

Striding behind her, he smoothed his palm down the globe of her ass, squeezing gently while he ran the flogger up her arched back. “Are you going to enjoy this treasure?”

“I don’t know.” Good, she didn’t sound afraid. Only curious.

He pushed her shirt up, revealing long lines of muscle on either side of her spine. The valley between those ridges would look so pretty with his cum running between them, and he intended to paint her long before he ever let her go.

“Ach, I think you will.” He leaned over her, blanketing her in his heat and strength as he whispered in her ear, “I want you wet for me, Varya. You will make a mess of yourself before I give you what you want.”

And there it was. That pretty little moan that came from the back of her throat. Exactly what he’d wanted.

He rocked against her, letting her feel how hard he was. Sliding his hand down her side, not touching anything that she would beg him to touch soon enough. And then slowly, ever so slowly, he pushed her pants to her thighs. Not taking them off. She hadn’t earned that yet. But she would. Soon enough.

Because for all the risks she took when she was in this room with him, she was his good girl.

Greed leaned back, staring at the slick, glistening core of her that was already as wet as he’d hoped. She flattered him, so ready when he had barely even touched her. But she remembered just as well as him how they fit together. How everything was better than it had ever been before.

Testing her, he flicked his wrist, and the flogger struck her with a little smack. Not hard, not even enough to leave a mark. Still, she arched into him so prettily with a little gasp.

“No more risking your life,” he snarled, another snap punctuating his words. A little harder this time. “Not without me. You hear me?”

“I hear you.”

Snap. Little red stinging lines appeared on her left cheek. Just seeing them settled something deep inside him. “You will not run from me again. No?”

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