He wasbroken.
Still.
Maybe forever.
Milonia scrambled off his lap, wiping her mouth, her gaze everywhere he wasn’t. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Guilt sank like a stone in his stomach. “This wasn’t you. I— Forgive me.”
“I should—” Milonia straightened the drape of her himation and started for the exit.
Dimitrios stood and turned, tracking her every step. Wishing he had the words to explain.
Broken.
Too much.
And yet…he wanted her.
She vanished before he could call her back. Maybe that was mercy.
Maybe that was punishment.
The heavy wood door slammed shut behind her. Milonia threw her back to it. Breath sawed from her chest. Heartbeats hurled toward her ribcage. Her cheeks burned beneath her trembling fingertips.
Gods. She could still taste him.
Pomegranates. Sweet. Dark.
Forbidden.
She scraped fingers across her mouth, ashamed.
Ravenous.
Her body tingled where his hands had been, his mouth, his tongue. Still.Still.
She wasstillaching.
The way he’d pulled her across his lap—gods, she’d wanted that. And more. She’d wanted all of it.
Milonia pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes and groaned.Stop it.
Caius was asleep.Shouldbe asleep. She could never predict the state inwhich she’d find him. The palace was new and exciting. The pups didn’t help, either. And the king… Caius’s loyalty toward Dimitrios might very well be eternal.
Maybe, one day, Caius would forgive her.
Hot tears sprang to her eyes. Her ragged breath broke into a sob.
He’s a threat. To me. To you. To Caius. I raised you to be unshakeable. Unflinching.
Milonia clenched her fists.
Ruin him. Bury his name. Unmake his line for good.
She shook her head. It wasn’t right. Dimitrios didn’t deserve this. His own grandfather damned him for his name. They all had.
But they didn’t see. He wasn’t selfish or cruel.
