AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I-I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
He drank his wine again.
“And what about the other uses…?”
“Sacrificial. Religious. Some people eat them—”
“What?”
“The world is a dark and twisted place, sweetheart.”
And to think I’d slept with that man. No amount of money was worth that. “And that’s your family business…?”
His eyes lacked all remorse. “Yes.”
“I thought a family business was supposed to be upholstery or carpet cleaning.”
His only response was a shrug.
“I’m glad that you sell diamonds.”
“If my mother hadn’t been killed, I would probably be in that line of work now.”
The thought was sickening. “I choose to believe otherwise.”
“A lot of people volunteer themselves as candidates.”
“Why on earth would they do that?”
“Money.”
“What’s the point of money if you’re dead?”
“Support their family.”
I shook my head in disgust. “There are other ways—”
“Like their daughter sleeping with men for money? A lot of men would prefer this over that.”
“Was that an insult?”
“Just saying. And if they’ve been diagnosed with cancer or some other disease, wouldn’t they want to make some money before they go? They may have lung cancer, but that doesn’t mean their heart isn’t in perfect condition.”
This conversation was making me sick. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
He fell silent.
Tension infected the space between us. It made it humid, made it hard to breathe. “So, he won’t kill you because he feels bad about what happened?”
“There’s a lot more to our relationship than that, but yes. He was always jealous of me, jealous of the love my father showed for me and not him. He would steal my toys, fuck the women I’d already fucked to make me jealous, take my Christmas presents from under the tree and hide them so it looked like I had fewer gifts than him. I know he wanted me gone, and I think he had a hand in my assassination attempt but got cold feet at the last second.”
I asked the obvious question that he hadn’t answered. “Then why haven’t you killed him?”
A long stare ensued. His eyes were locked on mine, but I wasn’t the recipient of his stare. He was in another place, in another time. After a lifetime of silence, he spoke. “Because I can’t.”
Our time apart made him want me more than usual. Not long after he was sheathed inside me did he release with a loud groan, but his dick remained hard as ever and he continued on. On top of me with my body folded underneath him, he took me over and over, his eyes locked on mine with that possessive edge.
Anytime I dropped my gaze or closed my eyes, his commanding voice pulled me back. “Eyes.”
I obeyed, watching this man claim me as his over and over. Lean and muscular, his body was like a heavy blanket that trapped the heat right next to my skin. Slick with sweat, his body rubbed against mine and made me slick too. All I had to do was lie there and feel the man ravish me like he never had me before. My job as a courtesan had never been easier, had never been more pleasurable.
He lay beside me when he was finished, his powerful chest rising and falling deeply with his breaths. His hair was a bit sweaty, and his handsome face was still hard from his exertion. He looked at the ceiling before he ran his fingers through his hair.
I lay beside him, my fingertips resting against his ribs. “You missed me.”
He cracked a smile, a small one. “You missed me too.”
“Well, I always miss you.” I wore my heart on my sleeve, said things too fast to take back. Every other lover I’d had felt like work. I put on a production every moment we were together, checking his reaction to make sure it was exactly what he wanted. But I dropped that whole charade with Cauldron and chose to be myself. I didn’t have to fake the climaxes. I didn’t have to pretend to be interested in what he had to say. I didn’t have to do anything at all.
Did his other girls go through the same thing? Did they fall for him just the way I had?
Cauldron continued to stare at the ceiling, unaffected by my affection. After a minute, he prepared to leave.
“Does it make sense for us to have separate bedrooms?” It flew out of my mouth like a cannon that couldn’t be returned to the barrel.
He sat up against the headboard and looked at me. His expression was always enigmatic.
“I mean, we’re always together.”
He continued to stare.
I suspected I’d pushed things too far.
“I told you something I’ve never told anyone before. Don’t ask for more.”
I did appreciate his confidence, but I was still disappointed.
“I assumed that story would help you understand my need for space.”
It was like a boot to the stomach. “You think…I’d ever hurt you?”
