Page 120 of Kneel Before Me

She leaned in. “You broke my trust tonight, Kronos. You lied to me. That is not something I take lightly.” She glared at him for a long moment.

To his credit, he didn’t look away. “It was a mistake,” he said quietly. “It will not happen again.”

Daphne held his gaze for another moment. She believed him.

“Good,” she said finally, releasing the tension in her body with a sigh. The silence lingered. Daphne was painfully aware of how close they were, how she was still straddling him, how he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. She couldn’t see his cock, but she could certainly feel it, stiffer than stone between her legs.

Daphne straightened, creating some distance between them.

“I will leave,” Kronos said softly. “If that is what you wish.”

Daphne shook her head. The last thing she wanted was for him to walk back to the caves with Caspenon still out there, possibly looking to finish the job. Her cottage could provide no real protection, but at least it was nowhere near the basilisks.

“I want you to stay.”

There was a beat of silence, and Daphne looked down at herself. She was still in her dress, which was now covered in his blood. “I just…need to change.”

But there was nowhere to change. Daphne’s room was not connected to a bathroom, and she did not want to risk waking her mother by crossing the hall.

Kronos smiled. “Shall I turn over?” He was collapsed on her bed; making him turn over would be silly.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said sternly. “Just… Close your eyes.”

His smile widened. He didn’t need to say a word; both of them knew there was nothing under her dress that he hadn’t seen before. Privacy was not something the basilisks understood or coveted. Yet somehow this felt significant. Daphne was a human, and Kronos was in her space. He had to follow her rules.

“As you wish,” Kronos said, still smiling.

How easily he acquiesced her demands. Daphne couldn’t imagine Maximus would grant her the same courtesy.

Kronos closed his eyes slowly, and Daphne took the opportunity to assess him as she stood. He looked peaceful lying there, despite the blood all over his torso. She couldn’t deny that he looked good in her bed. Then again, he would look good anywhere. Before her thoughts could run away from her, she busied herself with her dress, unfastening it and letting it fall to the floor. Once only the lingerie remained, Daphne stared down at the shimmering piece, still in awe of its intricacy. Somehow, now that Kronos had his eyes closed, she felt a courage she’d never felt before. She might as well take advantage of the moment.

“Kronos?”

His eyes remained closed as he answered. “Daphne?”

“Why did you give me this?” She didn’t specify, and she knew she didn’t need to.

Kronos shifted on the bed but didn’t open his eyes. He took a deep breath before saying, “I thought you would look beautiful in it.”

Daphne’s breath caught in her chest. She’d expected him to remain guarded, to say something neutral like I thought the prince would like it or I thought it would fit you. Instead he’d spoken with what she suspected was complete honesty. With a response like that, it stood to reason that he wanted to see her in it. Before she could stop herself, Daphne said, “Well… Do I?”

A deep silence fell. Then, in what felt like slow motion, Kronos opened his eyes and looked straight into hers. They held eye contact for a small eternity before he allowed his gaze to drop to her body.

Daphne stood perfectly still as he looked at her, drinking in every detail of the garment, noticing the way his face changed as he did so. His pupils grew, dilating until his entire irises were black. A muscle in his temple twitched, and she knew he had clenched his jaw. This was everything he wanted from her—to see her in something he thought she would look beautiful in. Daphne couldn’t imagine what this moment must feel like for Kronos. All she knew was that it felt like heaven for her.

“Daphne,” Kronos rasped. “Please.”

She went to him, crossing slowly to the bed, stopping only when she was a foot away. She wanted to prolong this moment, to enjoy how it felt when he was just looking at her. When she was ready, she climbed onto the mattress, settling herself once more in his lap. It was the same position she’d been in a moment ago, only now she was nearly naked, her exposed center perfectly placed on the bulge between his legs.

Kronos brushed his fingers gently over the pearls, following a single strand from her hip to her waist. A shudder went through her as he did it. “I did not think I would get to see you wear this,” he whispered. It was impossible to miss the awe in his voice.

“Then why give it to me at all?”

To her surprise, Kronos smiled. “So that I could imagine you wearing it.”

“That’s hardly the same as seeing me in it.”

His smile widened. “That is true.”