But maybe that just means I have nothing to lose.
If the Strigoi King has decided he’s done with me, then I may as well give him a piece of my mind.
“There are much better uses for your mouth, Ms. Dalca,” King Negru informs me. “Perhaps a lesson on your knees will remind you who and what I am.”
“I’m staring at you right now,Ciprian,” I say, using his first name mostly to piss him off, but also because I happen to like the way it sounds. “I know exactly who and what you are.”
“Yet you speak to me as though we are equals,” he returns.
“If we were equals, you would be as naked as I am right now. Not dressed in a freshly pressed suit while I shower in front of you,” I point out, then step back to rinse the conditioner from my hair while he watches.
I can’t see him since my eyes are closed, but I can feel his gaze on me like a burning caress against my skin. It’s both a welcome sensation and a chilling one. Because I can’t tell if he’s thinking about devouring me again or outright killing me.
Perhaps a bit of both.
Turning, I go to find a shower gel or something to clean off my skin. I meant to focus on the area between my thighs, but I hesitate now.
Will that be too much?I wonder, frowning.
Then I give myself a mental shrug.Nothing to lose, remember?
King Negru growls again, the sound echoing through the oversized shower as I use a soap bar—I couldn’t find any gel—to start cleaning myself.
“Are you trying to tempt me, pet?” he asks.
“I didn’t invite you in to watch,” I return. “So no. I’m merely trying to get rid of the aftermath from last night.” I face him again. “Which is another thing I don’t like—I don’t like waking up with dried blood between my legs. It’s uncomfortable.”
He leans against the glass—there isn’t a shower door, just an open space large enough for him to walk through with his wings. But he doesn’t do that. He stays about five feet away from me, only further highlighting how large this shower is.
“Anything else you want to tell me?” he asks, and I can tell by his flat tone and his bored expression that he’s not actually interested in what I have to say.
Which naturally only makes me want to talk more.
And more than that, I want to surprise him.
“I enjoyed your tail between my legs,” I admit.
His nostrils flare in response, breaking his stoic countenance. It’s a minute change, but enough to encourage me to continue speaking.
“I think asking for permission next time might be a good idea, though,” I add.
“Permission?” he echoes.
“Yes.” I trail the bar of soap along my lower stomach and downward to my shaved mound. “Acquiring my consent ensures my enthusiastic participation, Ciprian.”
“You were more thanenthusiasticlast night, Viviana.”
I shiver, the way my name rolls off his tongue resembling a seductive purr. “Was I enthusiastic after nearly bleeding out on the table?”
His brow furrows a little. “You’re healed.”
“That’s not the point.” I set the soap bar aside and rinse myself off, then saunter toward him, uncaring that I’m completely naked. “Wouldn’t you rather I be a willing participant while you fuck me?”
“I didn’t fuck you last night.” He straightens to tower over me as we square off in the shower threshold. “I want to hear you scream while I use you, pet.”
“Then ask me for consent so I can give you what you want.”
He arches a brow. “You’ve already given me consent, Viviana. You’re in my castle. My world.My nest. Marius offered you a chance to leave, and you refused. Therefore, you have chosen to remain here as my toy, thus making your intentions clear.”
