Page 172 of Kneel Before Me

Kronos remained silent.

Daphne stepped closer, extending her hand and trailing her fingertips through the liquid. Kronos watched the motion hungrily, his pupils dilated. She reached for a goblet, taking it and filling it with liquid. She raised it to her nose. It had no scent whatsoever. Daphne turned to Kronos, who was still watching her. Smoke crawled over his shoulders as she heard the faintest beginnings of a hiss. This was turning him on. She stepped closer, holding the goblet out to him.

“Drink,” she said.

Kronos smiled. “I do not take orders from you either, mén zeseré.”

Daphne didn’t know what that phrase meant. He had never called her a pet name before, much less even said a word in another language. Despite her curiosity, now didn’t seem like the time to ask about it.

“I think you do,” she whispered.

His pupils dilated even more; his eyes were almost completely black. The scent of smoke overpowered her; Daphne could barely draw a breath. Yet she did not pull away. Instead she stepped even closer, placing her hand on his shoulder. His skin burned beneath her touch.

“Perhaps I do,” he whispered back.

“In that case.” Daphne centered herself in front of him. “Drink.”

She raised the goblet, standing on her tiptoes to do so. Kronos angled his head as she tilted it over his lips and poured the liquid into his mouth. Daphne watched his throat as he swallowed. She smiled, lowering her hand.

“Now me.”

Kronos looked down at her. Slowly, with perfect control, he took the goblet from her hand and lifted it to her lips. Daphne arched her neck.

“Only a taste,” Kronos whispered.

Then he tilted the goblet.

The moment the elixir touched her lips, Daphne felt warm. She had already been warm to begin with—Kronos’s proximity and the temperature under the mountain guaranteed that. But now she felt a rush of heat that was undeniably sexual, and before she knew it, she was wet between her legs. Daphne swallowed.

As soon as she did so, Kronos lowered the goblet. Her vision seemed to darken. Her chest was tight; it was as if all the air in the room were moving toward Kronos, pulling her into his body. Daphne closed her eyes, trying to manage the sensation and finding herself wildly unable to do so.

“Daphne.” Kronos’s voice came to her dimly, through a haze of ecstasy. She tried to open her eyes but couldn’t.

“I’m—” she gasped. But she couldn’t finish her sentence. The arousal was almost painful, clenching her center in an all-encompassing ache.

“Daphne,” Kronos said sharply.

Finally, she opened her eyes. He was standing far too close, his beautiful face right in front of hers. There was only one thing she could do when he was this near. Without thinking, she pressed her lips to his. They kissed deeply, drinking each other in, his fingers lacing into her curls. Dimly, she heard the goblet clatter to the ground. Then Kronos was lifting her, wrapping her legs around his waist as he pulled them both away from the fountain.

Even through her rush of arousal, Daphne could sense his restraint. Kronos was still in control, preventing them from going too far. More than once, his hand caught hers when it wandered too low. Daphne couldn’t imagine what it was like for him to hold back like this. She could barely think straight, much less make informed decisions. The next time she reached for his cock, his hand caught her wrist.

“Stop that,” Daphne said.

“Stop what?”

“Stopping me.”

Kronos smiled against her lips. His grip on her wrist tightened. “Stop stopping you?”

“Yes.”

“You do not understand,” he breathed.

“What?” Daphne kissed down his neck. “What don’t I understand?”

Kronos grabbed her face, holding her in front of him. For an electric moment, there was silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Daphne saw writhing piles of bodies. All around them, basilisks were coming together in pairs and groups, all naked, all touching. The sight made her unspeakably aroused.

“You do not understand how much I want you,” Kronos whispered. “You do not understand the things I wish to do to you. You do not understand how long I have wanted to do them. And you do not understand how unbearable it is to have you this close to my cock but not riding it.”