Page 91 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

This wasn’t him. He didn’t lose control. He needed to pull himself together.

He blinked, looking over her shoulder at his wrist. “Such a good girl, to clean my skin so thoroughly. Not a single drop wasted.”

She huffed against his skin, tongue finishing its work. “Can I have more?” The whispered question was so innocent. It caught him off guard. His dick twitched painfully.

He brought his lips close to her ear again. This time, she stilled. He inhaled her arousal, thickening in the air around them. “That would ruin your appetite, no? I spent two hours preparing tonight’s treat. Just for you, little flower.”

Her chest rose and fell, panting.

“All right.”

He let her go, though he hated to do it. Casually, he strode around the coffee table and sat down. After fussing with the sleeve of his button-down, he replaced the cuff over his wrist. Lily watched the action. When her eyes darted to the bulge in his pants, he angled his hips to make sure she saw it.

Let her see what she did to him. He would hand her this victory. Even if she might not understand how monumental it was.

Her eyes were round, but she didn’t say anything. Was his little flower shy? He couldn’t wait to find out.

She came around and sat down. A satisfied flush coated her skin, her eyes bright and alert. He’d done that to her—for her. The spicy scent of her arousal continued to seep into the room, better than the most expensive perfume in the world. His muscles only coiled tighter. He adjusted himself, attempting to get comfortable, wiling his dick to relax.

“Is something the matter?” she asked with feigned sweetness.

His low chuckle was pure amusement. “I’m fine, little flower.”

“You’re lying.”

“All right. I’m lying.” He reached out and snatched up a slice of the lemon blueberry bread, taking a bite. She watched him, waiting, until it was clear he had no intention of saying more.

Finally, she grabbed a slice and did the same. “It’s good,” she said through a mouthful. He pretended her praise didn’t affect him. Pretended he didn’t seek it every night. He licked his fingers clean, enjoyed the pleasure of her gaze on him as he did.

“Did you get a chance to talk to your friend today? Ania?”

“Yes. She’s having a good time on her trip.”

He’d only asked about her twice, mostly to make conversation. But it was clear that Lily enjoyed talking about her so it was an easy topic.

“How do the two of you know each other?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Are you asking because you actually care?”

“I do,” he said, voice quiet.

She stared at him for so long, he didn’t think she’d answer. “I ran into her at the transfer student orientation. She was volunteering. We hit it off.” She shrugged. “Turned out she was moving out of the dorms and needed a roommate.”

“I get the impression you’re glossing over a lot.”

“I am.”

He sighed, picking his words carefully, always so carefully. He’d rehearsed them earlier like a fucking novice. But he was—a novice, that is. He never did this sort of thing. “I misjudged you, Lily. Quite badly. I made an assumption the day I took you based on your designer gown and the party you attended. After that, I did not bother to correct it.”

There. Easy enough. He could set his pride aside, as he’d done the last time he’d apologized to her.

“Oh? Figured it out, have you? Don’t think I’m a spoiled party brat anymore?”

He winced. That was deserved. Her ire was better than her fear. He’d rather have her sharp tongue anyway.

“Yes. I owe you an apology for that. I’ve lived a long time and found that humans have tarnished my view. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

She glared at him, her brows pulled low. “I’ve fought to get where I am, Laurent. Every day of my life has been a struggle. Nothing was ever handed to me. When I started at the university, I skipped parties, skipped social events, so that I could study, or volunteer, or participate in extra circulars to improve my chances of getting into a good Ph.D program. Do you have any idea how challenging it is to get into a mathematics Ph.D program?” He shook his head. “Really fucking hard. I didn’t get to experience the whole college experience.” She made air quotes with her fingers. “Nothing was ever easy.”