Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“I don’t care where it comes from—I love it when you dominate me. And I love you,” Phoebe repeated. Her voice was getting softer as her thoughts slowed down, but she barely noticed. “I don’t care if you love me back or not. No, that’s not true—I wish you would love me back, but I know I can’t expect to get…to get everything I want.” She paused as a yawn caught her by surprise. “Oh, why am I so sleepy all of a sudden?”
“Maybe it has to do with the drug you took,” Sirex rumbled. “It’s all right if you’re tired, baby. You can relax now and sleep if you need to.”
“As long as you promise to hold me all night,” Phoebe said.
A low rumble of laughter vibrated through his big body.
“I promise.”
“Good. Now give me a goodnight kiss,” Phoebe demanded sleepily.
“If that’s what you want.” Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers in a warm, gentle kiss.
Phoebe kissed him back eagerly—she could taste her own special flavor on his lips. But a moment later, Sirex broke the kiss.
“Sleep now, sweetheart,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Just relax and let yourself sleep.”
“All right. Good night—I love you,” Phoebe murmured.
She didn’t hear what he replied because a wave of sleep washed over her and she drifted off, contented and safe in his arms.
23
SIREX
Long after Phoebe drifted off, Sirex held her close. He loved the feeling of her soft, curvy body nestled against his own larger, harder frame. He studied her lovely face, relaxed in sleep. Her long dark lashes lay like fans across her cheeks and her curly black hair cascaded over the arm he had wrapped around her.
Is it possible? Does she really love me? Not in spite of what I am but because of what I am?
All his life, ever since his manhood ceremony when his uncle had told him the truth of his birth, he had felt nothing but shame for his dominant tendencies. He had hated that part of himself—the Scourge part—and tried his best to eradicate it. But if he had heard her right, Phoebe was saying she loved that part of him—that she wanted to be dominated. Maybe even tied up and punished occasionally…
No—stop thinking that way! the voice of guilt that had been with him since his manhood ceremony ordered. You can’t give in to these urges—you must suppress the Scourge half!
But what if Phoebe really loved him—and loved his Scourge half too? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to give in to it if the female he was with actually wanted him to…
I’ll wait and see what she says in the morning, Sirex told himself. It’s possible that everything she said was just because of the influence of the drug she took—she might not really feel that way at all.
But he couldn’t help savoring her last “I love you” and remembering the soft press of her lips to his as he allowed himself to drift off into sleep.
24
PHOEBE
Phoebe woke up with a pounding headache and a vague feeling that she had made a fool of herself the night before. What had she been saying? And what had she been doing?
As she cracked open her eyes, she saw that she was pressed up against Sirex. In fact, she was draped all over him with one leg thrown over his and both her arms around his muscular waist. She had her head on his chest and both of them were completely naked.
The realization made her come fully awake.
Oh my God, what in the world did we do last night?
“Good morning,” The low, rumbling voice made her look up to see Sirex looking down at her. He had one arm around her shoulders and the other was behind his head. There was a thoughtful look on his face and Phoebe wondered how long he’d been watching her as she slept.
“Oh, uh, good morning.” She made a move to sit up, trying to cover her breasts at the same time. But she had forgotten the non-con bracelets she wore. They gave her a nasty shock and she yelped and nearly fell off the bed.
“Careful!” Moving faster than she would have thought possible, Sirex threw an arm around her waist and swept her back onto the large, round mattress before she could fall. “Are you all right?” he asked, giving her a worried look.
“I’m fine.” Phoebe gave a self-conscious laugh and tugged up the sheet to cover herself, being careful not to touch her breasts with her hands. “Just, uh, trying to figure out how we ended up in this position,” she added, indicating the way the two of them were naked and in bed together. “Did we, uh, sleep together?” she asked uncertainly.
“If by ‘sleep’ you mean did I hold you in my arms while we both rested, then yes,” Sirex told her. “But if you mean did we have sexual relations well…the answer is both yes and no.”