Chapter Fifteen #2
Being eye-fucked all throughout dinner made it hard to actually taste anything. I could’ve been eating packing peanuts for all I knew.
Lord Onyx sat in his usual seat at the head of the table and watched me between drinks from his goblet and bites of food, of which he ate very little. Maybe my presence affected him too. Only the taste of each other would suffice. Everything else remained flavorless on our tongues.
Or maybe he disliked root vegetable stew?
Rowan didn’t have that problem. He ate one bowl, then went for a second, scooping up the stew with thick slices of warm bread. The knight trio were each on their third helping. Good thing Fane and I had cooked a huge pot.
A certain pair of red eyes found me again. Warm flutters mingled with the lust Onyx had awakened earlier in the greenhouse. How he’d pulled me closer and glided his mouth along my throat. How he’d, in not so many words, invited me to his bed.
Damn demon lord.
When it was time to bring out the dessert, I couldn’t hop up and run from the room fast enough.
Escape, really. My heart went nuts in my chest as I found my way to the kitchen, took a few deep breaths, and returned with a chocolate sponge cake that was rolled and filled with strawberry buttercream.
Fane came in behind me with coffee and more tea.
The cake was a hit. Not that you could really go wrong with the combination of strawberry and chocolate.
What I didn’t expect was for Lord Onyx to take one of the sliced strawberries I’d used to decorate the top and slowly bite into it, his darkening gaze pinned to me.
Throat dry, I swallowed to wet it and focused on my plate. Double damn him. He claimed he didn’t want love or attachments, but he was interested in fucking me at least. Surrendering to him in the bedroom might work in my favor.
Sex had the power to bring people closer. Hopefully powerful enough to break through his walls too and make him see the truth. That we were meant for each other. Because I knew he felt our fated mate connection. Fear just held him back.
Not that I could blame him. Love was terrifying. It was like cracking your ribs and prying them open, revealing your beating, vulnerable heart. And hoping the person you showed it to didn’t take a dagger and plunge it in deep.
But before I could pursue the demon lord any further, I needed to discuss it with my men.
Which was exactly what I did as soon as we left the dining parlor and returned to our room. I told them everything Lord Onyx and I had discussed in the greenhouse, right down to him saying all I’d get from him was a hard fuck.
“You killed him,” Lake said, ears perked up as he looked at Maddox, who was slumped on the small couch in front of the fire, eyes shut.
“He’s not dead.” Rowan pointed to our captain. “Look at his temple. That vein’s bulging.”
I went over and knelt on the floor in front of Maddox, taking his hand in mine. “Hey, big guy. Talk to me.”
He grumbled something under his breath.
“Use your words, not cavemen sounds.”
“Tell me again,” he said, finally opening his eyes. “This plan of yours.”
“Well.” I softly cleared my throat. “Just like our favorite redhead whom we love so much, Lord Onyx is in denial about his feelings for me. So I formed a plan of action. I’m calling this mission: How to Woo a Demon Lord.”
Maddox pinched his brow. “Why must you woo him? He’s one of us, so he should be drawn to you as you are to him.”
“Because he’s stubborn. Like you.”
He lowered his hand and scoffed at me. “I may be stubborn, but not even I could deny my attraction to you. Nor could I stay away from you once realizing the depth of my feelings. Our love was inevitable.”
Only Maddox could say something so freaking swoon-worthy and romantic, yet keep such a sour look on his face. Enough so that I hung my head and laughed.
“I’m pleased you find this so amusing.” Some of his snarl faded, revealing a tenderness in his eyes.
“I understand your desire to pursue him, sweetheart. I see how much your soul aches for him. But what if this is beyond your control? What if he remains set in his aversion to love? I’m worried you’ll be hurt. ”
“Oh, my sweet, sweet man.” I cupped his face in both my hands. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“I always worry over you.” Maddox closed his eyes and rested his hand over mine, holding it to his cheek. “When you love, you love deeply and give every piece of yourself, holding nothing back. More so, when it comes to your fated mates. I wish to protect your heart.”
“Ev is a mighty muffin lord,” Callum said, dropping down on the cushion beside Maddox. Their muscled bodies barely fit together on the love seat. “He’s defeated thorn bushes and tamed a damned Fenrir. I think he can tame a demon lord too.”
Oreo had followed him over to the chair and started attacking Callum’s boot laces, making the cutest puppy growls.
“Tame him?” I asked, scratching Oreo’s ears.
“Aye.” Callum bent forward and ruffled my hair in his familiar way. “Get him in bed and he’ll have no choice but to love you.”
“Not everyone is a virgin like you, rabbit,” Rowan told him. “It may take more than once to break past Onyx’s walls. Speaking from experience here.”
“I regret to be the bearer of bad news, love, but…” Briar smiled at me. “If you and Lord Onyx do become intimate, you’ll need to—”
“No. God, no. Please.” I groaned, knowing exactly what he meant. “The flower juice.”
And just like that, both Maddox and Callum started laughing. Rowan smirked before sipping from his flask, while Lake came over and sat beside me on the rug, patting my back.
“The sex tonic is to help keep you safe,” Briar said, visibly fighting his own laugh. “I’ll be sure to add a generous amount of honey.”
“Probably a good idea for me to take it,” I admitted with a sigh. “I get the feeling Lord Onyx has had a lot of people in his bed. The last thing I want to do is put any of you at risk.”
“A lot, huh?” Maddox frowned. “Do you find this upsetting?”
“Why would I?” I asked.
“Must I remind you of Captain Isabella Stone?” He lifted his brow in a disbelieving look. “When you learned that I first met her in a brothel, you became so angry that you marched home and pummeled dough.”
“Made bread,” I corrected. “So what if I imagined said dough to be a tart-faced brothel wench?”
Maddox smiled. “A temper tantrum that was all for naught, for I slept with none of them. I was merely there because of my knights forcing me out of the barracks.”
“Because you worked too much,” Callum reminded him.
“You were always buried in paperwork or too busy arranging patrol schedules and planning expeditions to look after yourself. I was not there that night, but I heard the story of how you drank too much and stumbled around the brothel trying to escape.”
Rowan nearly spewed his rum.
Conversation stayed light for the rest of the evening, never venturing deeper than playful taunts toward each other and discussing our day. When we turned in for the night and slid into bed, each of their lips met mine for a goodnight kiss.
And I, much to my relief, broke my two-night cycle of no sleep and went out like a light, no sleeping tonic or sacrifice to the coffee gods needed.