Page 199 of Kneel Before Me

Daphne had no words. She doubted anyone would. She was quite sure she was the only human alive who had seen all the things she’d seen tonight, in the exact order she’d seen them.

There had to be a limit, even for her. “Don’t ever ask me to do that for you.”

Kronos chuckled softly. “I will not.”

“Because I won’t do it.”

“I would not expect you to.”

“If you enjoy anything even remotely like that you need to tell me right this moment.”

“I do not enjoy anything even remotely like that.”

She squinted up at him suspiciously. “Do you promise?”

Kronos smiled down at her. His grip was firm on her shoulders, holding her in place as he said, “I promise, Daphne.”

Daphne nodded, feeling marginally relieved. Even the thought of what she’d just seen was enough to make her want to run away from here and never come back.

“That is a rare act, even among basilisks. I myself have never done it.”

Daphne could do nothing but shake her head in shock.

“I told you the gatherings would become more intense,” Kronos said quietly.

“You did,” she admitted. But his warning had hardly been adequate. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

“Daphne,” Kronos said firmly, staring down at her in concern. “Are you feeling well?”

She didn’t know what she was feeling, but it certainly wasn’t well. It was too much information to process—too much, too soon.

When she didn’t answer, Kronos said, “If you wish to leave, you can tell me.” His eyes held hers. “We will retire to my chambers.”

Daphne was tempted to take him up on it. Part of her wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and stay there. But the other part of her was tougher than that.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Really. I just…didn’t expect that.”

Kronos was watching her carefully. “You are overwhelmed.”

“I’m fine.”

“I did not say you were not fine. Only overwhelmed.”

Daphne was certainly overwhelmed, although that was the least of her worries. She was also so wet that it was beginning to drip down her leg. It wasn’t caused by anything specific she had seen—and certainly not the last thing she had seen—but being surrounded by so much sex was overwhelming for her.

“Just… Talk to me,” she said.

“Talk to you?”

“Yes. Distract me.”

Kronos sighed. “I am not very skilled at small talk, Daphne.”

“Believe it or not, I knew that already.”

He actually smiled at that.

“I don’t need you to make small talk,” she continued. “Just…talk.”