Page 38 of The Forbidden Bride He Stole

“You’ve been going out most nights, it was completely reasonable to assume you might have taken a lover.”

“Oh, dear. You were wrong,” she said, knowing she sounded cheerful enough to make him grind his teeth.

“Why?”

“Were you wrong? I suspect because you’re a mortal like the rest of us and just not always correct.”

“No. Why were you a virgin?”

So did she go for honesty or continue being flippant? It was a tough call. But she remembered his moment of honesty with her in the kitchen this morning and she felt some of her rage drain away.

“Do you really not get it?”

“Do I not get what?”

“You can just say no, Apollo. You can say you don’t get it. You don’t have to engage in questions on questions to avoid admitting you’re out of your emotional depth.”

“You’re a child. I’m not out of my emotional depth with you.”

“That’s so insulting. Also I know you don’t believe it.” She took a breath. “So, let’s try again. Have you not figured it out yet?”

“No,” he bit out.

“I’m a cliché. You’re my guardian and I had a massive crush on you for years, which I’m sure a psychologist would argue has to do with childhood trauma and displaced daddy issues, who’s to say? Either way do you really think I offered to give you a blow job in the streets of Athens because I just had the bright idea to do it as payment?”

He was staring at her, his eyes dark and fathomless. He did think that. It had never occurred to him that an offer of sexual contact might come from somewhere emotional. That was...a lot.

“Did you think I asked for a wedding night because I was hot and horny for Rocco and thought you’d be a good replacement?”

Two slashes of color darkened his high cheekbones. His rage was visible, even as his expression remained stoic.

“You did, didn’t you? You thought I was using you as a stud?”

“I didn’t say that,” he said.

“But you think it, on some level. It never occurred to you that I’d wanted you before? That this wasn’t a whim for me, or something random?”

“No.”

He looked out the window and she saw a muscle in his jaw jump.

“Did it bother you?” she asked.

He turned to her, his expression fierce. “No. I told you what bothered me was the idea I might have taken advantage of you.”

“Is it? Or were you afraid I was using you?” It was, perhaps, a crazy accusation to throw out. But she was feeling wild and a little reckless, and tearing off strategic strips of her pride seemed to be an interesting study in gaining some control.

You had to give some to get some, and all of that.

“You seem intent on pushing immaterial issues.”

“That isn’t a no.” She cleared her throat. “So if you were wondering, I wanted you. I always did. I couldn’t make myself want other men, and believe me I tried. It’s one reason I wanted to get away from you. But that all got turned on its head so I decided to take what I wanted.”

“And that was me?” he asked.

She looked at him, his expression utterly inscrutable. “Yes. I thought you must want me too, at least physically. And you know, I did think of what you said. About how cheap male desire is. But knowing what you told me this morning, it’s making me rethink it. I thought I could make you want me and it would cost you nothing. It did, though, didn’t it?”

He made a low, male sound. “I don’t know what you want to hear,agape.”

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