Maybe that last comment had been too much. He frowned, climbing off the bed and pulling his clothes back on, still staring at the bathroom door. He waited, but Cullen seemed inclined to stay in there much longer than necessary. Eventually, he sighed and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
What was with this brat? He seethed as he walked through the long hallways. He was a demon now; he really had no business being thisemotional.He was seriously starting to spoil sex for him at this point. Kind of. Even if it was still some of the most mind blowing sex he’d ever had. But the feeling of Cullen using him kept itching at him, bothering him late into the night and making him feel…
He scoffed, pushing the thought away. Or trying to, anyway.
But, really, what had set the brat off anyway? He chewed it over as he walked through the long palace halls. He supposed he’d been a bit of an ass this time. Bringing up Walker and talking about the Diviners… He grimaced. It may even have been the comment about cuddling that had pushed the brat over the edge. It was something he liked, he knew, something he wanted after sex, despite the roughness he craved…
Leviathan had never bothered with stuff like that. It felt unnecessary and too…caring. But, he supposed, Cullen was still human enough to need these things. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling as if it was choking him suddenly. Fine. He would cut back on the sarcastic remarks for now, and show Cullen some actual affection the next time they had sex. He could do that.
But…would Cullen even let him? He frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He needed to find a way to get Cullen to enjoy himself. To not feel so needlessly guilty. But how?
25
Cullen had been absolutely mortified as he'd stood in the shower again. That bastard had hit him and called him a bitch. And he’d liked it. His hand shot forward, his fist slamming into the wall. A little tinge of pride shot through him when the rock cracked under his strike, but it was quickly overshadowed with shame.
This was insane. He couldn't let Leviathan do this shit to him.Whywas he giving in so easily? Why did he fuckinglikeit? He'd always had a thing for dirty talk–not that he’d ever really gotten it before–but Leviathan calling him a bitch had set something off inside him. He didn't want to examine that part of himself too closely, didn't want to admit how into it he had been.
But it wasn't until Leviathan had called him a Diviner that he'd gotten pissed, felt insulted and ashamed. It had made him instantly think of everyone back home and what they would think if they ever found out he liked being called a bitch by a Prince of Hell. He hadn't been able to stand thethought and so he'd run away.
And hearing Leviathan call after him about cuddling had set off something in his chest that hurt terribly. He and Walker had always cuddled after sex. It was something they both enjoyed and that he was used to.
Not having it anymore, not having that comfort…it pained him. He didn't want to feel like a piece of meat, but he knew that was exactly how Leviathan thought of him.
It might have been the part of this he hated the most.
Cullen pushed around the food on his plate with his fork, his stomach twisting. He could feel Leviathan's eyes on him, but he kept his gaze down, not wanting him to see the sadness there, to deal with the questions. After a few heavy minutes of silence, and not being able to force down any food, he set his fork down and stood up with a sigh.
Leviathan caught his wrist as he turned to leave; he froze, keeping his eyes on the dark stone floor.
"I have a proposition for you."
Cullen’s gaze slid down to him in confusion. He looked hesitant, but his fingers were firm on Cullen’s wrist. He stared at him, waiting but not expecting anything that would really be beneficial.
"You try to be happy with me for the next few weeks–justtry–and I'll let you go back to say goodbye."
Cullen blinked slowly a few times. “What?”
A slight flush brushed across Leviathan’s cheeks and his lips pressed into a tight, unhappy line. “I know I…the way you left…it was dramatic. You didn’t get to say goodbye. So I thought…maybe it would help…”
The way he was scrambling for words was…startling. “Help…what? I think it might just make it harder.” He drew his hand away, turning for the door again.
“Hang on!” Leviathan was in front of his face before he could even draw in a breath. He stumbled back in surprise, his heart hammering at the intensity in his gaze.
“What if I offer you something else?” Leviathan asked softly, looking unsure of himself.
He hesitated, unnerved by the sincerity in his voice. “Why do you care about this so much?”
The flush spread. “I…I told you I wanted you to be happy…” He paused, grimacing. Cullen waited, a deep frown pulling at his lips. Leviathan continued to hesitate, his hand reaching forward to curl around his wrist. “Give me…six months.” He whispered finally. “Six months of you trying to be happy with me…and if you’re not happy at all at the end of it…I’ll let you go.”
He blinked slowly. Once. Twice. “You’ll…let me go?”
A muscle feathered in his jaw. “Yes. But…” He drew him closer and Cullen did not object, did not pull away. “But, Cullen…”
“You’ll let me go…” He whispered, his eyes widening at the words, at the promise of freedom. “And all I have to do is pretend to like you for a few months?”
Leviathan’s jaw gave another irritated twitch and his eyes darkened. "I don't want you to pretend, I want you totry. Don’t pull away from me. Don’t tell me to stop when you’re enjoying it. Let me show you you could be happy with me.”
Would he really let him go? Just like that? Probably not but even the chance of it…
