He kissed my forehead and held me to his strong chest. “Did you ever have sex with any lover letting him mount you?” He kissed my hair when I flinched. “That was his goal, baby girl. It wasn’t—I promise he loved your fabulous breasts. He was trying to manipulate you to submit.”
I was so stunned I didn’t realize what he was doing until my robe was open again and he was staring at my chest.
“They lied to you,” he said again. “The women were jealous you were so pretty and with these curves. The men wanting you and knowing they couldn’t have you. I swear it.” He shook his head when I tried to argue. “Please,pleasebelieve me. Ask Treena. She will tell you.”
“It’s too embarrassing,” I whispered. “I’m already too different than other dragons.”
“You’re not. People are justjealous.”
Except he didn’t know the truth and I had two dragons. I was different from everyone.
“Sagan, hear me on this. Please, just wear something normal and don’t hide them at the next Alpha meeting after the coronation. Let Treena and your aide Myriam scent how the men there really feel. Just once. Do itjust onceand get the truth. See what he did to you and—please? Trust me and—I swear I’m telling you the truth.”
I searched his eyes and I believedhe believedthat, but… I thought he was wrong.
Still, I ended up nodding.
“Good girl,” he murmured, and that did something to me that I would never admit.
But he seemed to know it, licking his lips as heat filled his eyes.
“What else did he do to you? How else did he put you down?” He pushed when I wouldn’t answer, cupping my face and practically begging me to be honest with him so he could help.
“He hated that we had to use oil,” I heard myself whisper, trying to pull away and hide. “He said things like he didn’t like me for my body and he wasn’t shallow, but it hurt him that I wasn’t attracted to him enough to get wet for him.”
Onyx shocked me by chuckling darkly and rubbing his nose along my cheek before flicking my earlobe with his tongue. “You haveno ideahow fucking happy that makes me, baby girl. Seriously, that thrills me in a way that—gods, that’s the best thing I’ve heard in so long.”
I whimpered when he sucked on my ear. “Why?”
“Because you were with him because he was easy. The bet was true and he was easy and you didn’t really like him.” He chuckled when I flinched. “You aren’t broken or whatever shit he said. This I can easily prove and that Kole was abusing you—lyingto you andhe knew it. He was breaking you down so he felt bigger.”
“I don’t—” I gasped as his hands slid in my robe and settled on my hips as he kissed along my neck. I had been about to say that I didn’t understand… But I did. I knew what people were capable of. I was raised to expect snakes and how to spot them.
Then it hit me.
“I never gave him enough credit to be smart enough to manipulate me.”
“You caught it the moment you were really around him and his mask slipped.” Onyx’s big hands moved over my naked back and I angled my head so he had more access to my neck. “You’re not ready for the full conversation, but I thought of you so many times over the years. You were so gorgeous that day that you’ve haunted me.”
“I thought of you too,” I admitted as he undid the robe and pushed it off me the rest of the way. “I-I can’t.”
“I know. I’m just proving that it was him, not you. Never you.” He leaned back and licked his lips. “Besides, when I have you, it won’t be some quickie. You’re a full fucking meal that I want to lead up to. I want lots of snack servings to whet my appetite, but then it’s going to be an eight-course meal like you’ll never forget.”
I was squirming and wet when he leaned back in and ran his tongue along my neck.
“Dammit. I didn’t even get to cup your lush ass yet,” he grumbled. “Did you get wet for me already, baby girl? So fucking responsive and sexy. See, it was always him.” He growled when I nodded. “What else? What else did that piece of shit try to say was your fault?”
I swallowed loudly. “That I was too cold and basically broken. That I was lucky he really liked me because others wouldn’t put up with my taking so long or sometimes not being able to finish.”
He slowly lifted his head and was actually shaking with rage. “He said that? That it wasyour faultthat you didn’t orgasm withhim?” He chuffed several times when I nodded. “Tell me to show you he was wrong. Tell me, baby girl. Give me permission.”
I wasn’t sure if I agreed because he was so hot, I was turned on, or I was worried he might go murder Kole in my castle if I didn’t.
Either way, I did. I wasn’t sure if I said it or nodded—but I agreed.
My eyes went wide as he dropped to his knees and pulled me to the edge of the dresser. “He wouldn’t do this.”
“What? Why the fuck not?” Onyx’s nostrils flared.
