Onyx leaned against the wall a foot away, his arms crossed. “Is that truly how you move in a fight? If so, I see why you need so many men by your side protecting you.”
“I can fight,” I said, regaining my composure. Kind of. The shock wore off, but now I had him in front of me in all his glory. Fitted black pants showed off his long legs and his red shirt gave a mouthwatering peak of his toned chest. And his scent… good lord. It was stronger than it’d ever been.
His eyes raked over me. “You shouldn’t wander around this wing of the castle all alone.”
“Why not? Is it haunted?”
“By spiders,” he answered. “Thousands of them. They enjoy swinging down from their webs and gobbling up little birds. Better run along before they notice you’re here.”
“Liar.” But I smoothed a hand over the top of my hair anyway, paranoid by the thought of a spider dropping down on me. “Where were you today?”
“What business is that of yours?” he asked, expression unreadable as usual. I searched for the cracks in his mask and came up empty. “You think because I took you to my bed that you’re entitled to the details of my personal life?”
“Well… no.” I shifted weight to my other foot. “I’m not entitled to anything. I just hoped you’d tell me.”
“Answer me this, little bird.” Onyx lightly pushed from the wall and stepped toward me. More of his shirt fell open, revealing more of the tattoo-like mark. “What if I told you I spent the entire day in bed with someone who wasn’t you? Several, in fact. Three in my bed at the same time, each with their mouths and hands on me. And me inside them, fucking all three of them as I fucked you last night?”
Pain pierced the space between my ribs.
“Ah. You don’t like that answer much, it seems.” He stopped in front of me, close enough for me to feel the heat of his body. “How selfish of you. Having so many lovers in your bed but having the audacity to be upset when I do the same.”
“I…” The pain in my ribs spread to my heart, and my eyes burned. The urge to turn and run was strong, but I stayed in place, refusing to give him what he wanted. “You’re right.”
“About what?”
“It doesupset me,” I admitted, throat burning like my eyes. “Which isn’t fair, I know, so I guess Iamselfish. But my men and I are all honest with each other and talk about everything. I never do anything to hurt them. I got their permission before you and I…”
“Fucked?”
I nodded. A tear slipped free, and I wiped at it. “You made it clear you didn’t want romance or attachments though, so I shouldn’t be surprised that you were…” My throat squeezed. “With someone else.”
Onyx slowly breathed out. “I wasn’t.”
“What?” I wiped at my eyes again.
“With someone else,” he said, reaching for my face. He stopped before making contact and lowered his arm back to his side. “I wished to see your reaction is all. Now that I have, I find myself regretting it immensely.”
It took me a moment to process his words. “You lied?”
“Yes. I spent the day in my study reading. Alone. With the exception of Fane who kept bringing me food and insisting that I eat.”
I expelled a breath. “So you lied about sleeping with other people to… what? Upset me?”
He averted his gaze to the floor.
“Why are you so determined to chase me away, Onyx? Is it love in general or me personally?”
“You,” he softly answered.
Heat tingled in my scalp, and there was a wobble in my chin. “I see.”
“Do you?” When he reached for me again, his palm made contact and rested lightly on my cheek. “Because I don’t believe you do. The truth isn’t always clear at first, often blurred by assumptions.”
“Then tell me,” I responded, heart heavy. “Lay it out for me plain and clear, so I don’t misunderstand.”
Onyx held my gaze for a moment or two, then released a resigned breath. “Very well.”
He enveloped me in his arms before a tingling sensation consumed my entire body. Our surroundings changed. We were no longer in the moonlit corridor and instead stood in the study where he’d invited us for drinks the first night my men came to the castle.
