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The robe I wore last night lays at my feet. I don’t know when I got rid of it; I must’ve been too tired to remember. I pick it up, even though it’s painful to bend down, and my limbs scream like I’ve just run a marathon. I crack a smile at that thought, thinking that I should text Layla about it…and then realizing, once again, that I have no idea where she is.
I grab the robe, getting to my feet and stretching. My stomach grumbles when I do, so I decide to head to the dining room for breakfast after tying my hair up in a loose bun. I probably look like a mess, but I don’t think it matters. It feels like everyone here has already seen me in a far more vulnerable state than just how I look before I get ready for the day.
I’m still getting to grips with the geography of the compound, but the hallway out of Keon’s room is long enough to give me a chance to think about what happened last night. This is getting out of control fast, and I know that. I didn’t come here with the intention of getting into bed with both Atlasandhis second-in-command, and I just had some of the most depraved sex of my life last night.
And for some reason, I feel like there’s even more coming.
Yes, that is a euphemism.
In the distance, I can smell something salty and savory. My mouth waters. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I walk through the automatic door in the dining room, convinced I shouldn’t be here quite yet and wondering if the house has been guiding me around this whole time.
Atlas is sitting at the head of the table. He looks a bit worse for wear, but his back is upright and when he meets my gaze, he flashes me a warm, tired smile.
There are guards everywhere, but they seem mostly uninterested in me. I didn’t expect that, considering the position they’ve seen me in. As my gaze scans around the room, I catch sight of a dark shadow. Corvus stands upright, his body language making it clear that he’s completely uninterested in what’s happening around him. When he meets my gaze, though, his eyes turn a light teal. I don’t know much about what his eye color means, but from the intensity on his face, I don’t think it’s good.
“Good morning,” Atlas says. I can’t keep staring at Corvus. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby,” I reply. “What about you?”
He cocks his head. “It’s hard to sleep when all I can think about is the way you look as you come.”
I straighten up. Fuck, it’s like he knows exactly what to say to get me riled up immediately. “You need to sleep, Atlas,” I say. I mean, if I’m going to kill him, he might as well get good sleep. That makes sense, right? It totally does. “You can watch that whenever you want.”
“Not for the first time,” he replies. His accent is a little more noticeable today, probably because he’s tired. It’s kind of gorgeous—lilting and elegant. “I’ll never get to experience that for the first time again and I wish I could.”
I guess this is a good opportunity to fish for information. Because it’s my job, sure, but also because I’m genuinely curious. “You acted like you’ve shared before,” I say.
“It’s not sharing,” he replies. I’m surprised at how offended he seems at the word. “Keon did what I wanted him to do. It was instructional.”
“Like fucking by proxy?” I ask.
He smiles, his features softening a little. “Look, Penn,” he says. “I’m aware there are things I’m not able to give you.”
I nod. He can't touch me, not yet, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be able to earn his trust. Eventually…I need to have him too. I need to know what he feels like inside of me.
And then, well, fuck, then I guess I'll kill him.
"I'm not just talking about sex," he says, interlacing his hands in front of his face and obscuring his jaw when he does. Before I can think of what to say, someone brings me a plate—cheeses, bacon, ham. It looks fucking amazing, and like the kind of thing that would be extremely expensive on Earth. He really has spared no expense. "Eat, please. I know last night must've been draining."
I take a sip of a hot floral tea and dive into my food. I'm starving and he's in a chatty mood. That's helpful. "This is so good. Thank you."
"Of course. Nothing but the best for my wife," he says. "Like I was saying, I can't provide you with what you need personally, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to make sure you have it. As long as you're here, as long as you're with me, you'll be given everything you need."
I look up at him, chewing my food slowly. It’s perfectly savory and salty, and exactly what I needed.
“I’m not just talking about sex, though of course I intend to keep you sated,” he continues. “When you smell so fucking heavenly, it would be hard not to.”
I take a sip of my tea and swallow. “So what are you talking about?”
“Everything. I understand that you must need physical affection, outside of sex. I’m aware of how hormones work. In preparation for your arrival, I have done a great deal of studying human physiology and psychology. I know your body produces hormones that make you happier, relieve pain, regulate your mood and many other things I’m probably not aware of. I know that feeling loved, being touched, cuddled, cared for…I understand that you need those things, Penn. Just because I can’t give them to you doesn’t mean you don’t get to have them.”
So cuddling by proxy. Fuck. This is getting really intense. “You don’t have to do that, Atlas.”
He smiles at me. “I don’t have to do anything, wife,” he says. “I’m a king. I only do what pleases me. And what pleases me is making you happy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
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