I needed a nap. A few hours of unconscious relief to forget about the tug-of-war Kaiden instilled within me. Part frustration and part attraction—all parts messed up. I tossed and turned, twisting the sheets around me like a vise. Sleep didn’t come. My skin felt tight, and the latent anger inside me needed an outlet.
If Kaiden weren’t such an ass, I’d ask him in here to help me out. Probably stumble over my words and make a complete fool of myself in the process, but it couldn’t be that hard. I knew he was on the edge himself—his bossiness came out the more turned on he was. Gods, being horny had never been a problem before he put his hands on me.
It was an emotion I easily pushed aside, but not now. As the heat built within me, I wiggled. Thighs pressed together, I shifted and tried to ease the coil in my gut. What was this crap, and why wouldn’t it go away?
The bedroom door swung open as if answering my silent pleas, but Kaiden stormed past me in a beeline for his desk across the room. He pulled out the chair and took a seat. No glance in my direction, no acknowledgment, not a sign that he even noticed my distress. And I knew I wasn’t being silent about it.
I’d allowed a little heat to escape my side of the bond, hoping it would taunt him to come in here and solve my problem without me having to ask. Well, part of that plan worked. Ignoring me and digging through his bowl of crystals was not what I had in mind for the other part. I knew he had a stick up his ass this week, but didn’t he still want to touch me?
Another blast of heat down the bond, this one harder, and his shoulders stiffened. “I’m busy right now, princess.”
Busy? He practically nailed me to multiple surfaces with his touch and droned on about how much he wanted tofuckme if I’d only let him, but he wastoo busy? Djinn were literally chasing us, and he found the time to finger-fuck me. My ankle might have been broken that one time he slapped my ass and nearly had me screaming, but X-rays could wait. And now?Nowhe wanted to work?
Outrage burned red hot down our connection. I made sure he felt every ounce of it as I clenched the sheets and ground my teeth at his arrogance. Was I only worth touching when it was on his time?
He sighed, placed a blue crystal back in the bowl, and glared at me over his shoulder. “It’s nothing personal, and it doesn’t mean anything, right?” One brow lifted as he met my gaze and held it until I gave the barest of nods. “So, take care of it yourself.”
Did he just suggest I…?
My arousal cooled enough for embarrassment to take over. He wanted me to touch myself while he watched? Or while he was in the room? Either option was not happening. I didn’t even touch myself when I was alone. I’d lived with my parents my entire life, in quarters too close for comfort, and the urge to discover what made my body tick was absent my entire life…until he put his hands on me.
His back was to me once more, but I knew he monitored my emotions and reaction. My outrage, thankfully, still ran strong enough to cover my lack of experience, and I played it off.
“Get out,” I ordered.
He didn’t move an inch. “It’s no different than any other time you’ve done it, and I’ve seen it all anyway. Just ignore me.”
Ignore him. Ha. Fat chance of that. I was highly aware of him even when he wasn’t nearby. Even when I slept.
“From what I can tell, it wouldn't take more than a couplestrokes for you to get off,” he added, still partly focused on his work.
“I-I don’t…” I stuttered and flushed a deep red. I meant to tell him that I refused to do anything while he sat there in the room and played with his toys. Imeantto sound mature and full of confidence when I ordered him to remove himself from my presence, but it didn’t come out like that. “I’ve nev…I don’t…”
Kaiden froze, one hand hovering over the bowl. He straightened in his seat, back going stiff before he turned and gave me his full attention. Those blue eyes speared me with the lust Iknewwas right beneath the surface as his lips split into a devilish smile.
“Princess,” he purred, drawing the word out. “Are you telling me you’ve never touched yourself before?”
twenty
Kaiden
It was inconceivable, but the proof was right in front of me. Her embarrassment and uncertainty were so strong I could taste it. Still blushing red with the lingering arousal she couldn’t shake despite the abrupt turn in the conversation, Eryn stared wide-eyed at the wall just past my head.
Avoiding eye contact.Bingo.
I wasn’t such a pussy that I couldn’t admit how much our last encounter had hurt me. Every time I touched her, it meant something. She could deny it all she wanted; I knew the truth. It still sucked, though, to hear her declare otherwise, which made me a little pissy the last few days. Did that mean I’d let this opportunity pass me by? No fucking way.
“I asked you a question.” I dropped my tone, tapping into that growl I knew she loved to hear.
Right on cue, she shivered and stopped hiding. It was all there on display, her nerves, and her desire. Her rosy blush spread down her neck to the tops of her breasts peeking over therim of her top. Those little shorts had to go, but I took one more moment to admire how long they made her legs look.
I’d sworn to not touch her again unless she admitted that this wasn’t all one-sided, but one more taste couldn’t hurt.
“How have you never touched yourself?” I asked, genuinely curious.
She wasn’t a virgin. I could tell that much, but wasn’t self-discovery several steps before sex?
She shook her head like that would get the words to break free. “T-there’s never been a time to try. I’ve always lived or slept right next to someone.”
