Page 16 of Sugar & Dragon Act I: Temptation

Without stopping the massage, he started playing with her nipple again. She struggled so much with the tension that her whole body began to tremble. Eventually she leaned harder on the table, as if she was running out of strength. By doing this, however, she increased the pressure with which their hips touched, and Dago had to reach for his deepest reserves of self-control to contain his own desires.

One minute more and he would push her on the table. He would lift her dress and plunge into her with one thrust, squeezing her soft, shapely buttocks…

Dago went still. He took a deep breath and cautiously moved away from the woman, letting the folds of her dress fall. When she turned toward him, confused, he held out his left hand, showing fingers glistening with moisture.

“I think,” he said, trying at least tosoundcontrolled, “this might be taken as proof that my touch didn’t repulse you. Am I wrong?”

Judging by her expression, he had thrown her off balance. He suspected that if her face wasn’t already flushed, now there would be an explosion of color. He was tempted to ask what she had expected—or hoped—but he felt it wasn’t the best idea. It was a delicate moment.

When she raised her gaze, he knew she forced herself to do so. She fought with pride and desires. She tried to control her body and emotions…

Her face betrayed all her thoughts. The woman gave him the keys to her weaknesses, and she didn’t even know that. It wassweet.

“You aren’t wrong,” she said.

She looked at him with a dose of shyness, but he also saw vigilance deep in her hazel eyes. He lowered his hand but didn’t change his expression. “So, am I to understand that you agree on my plan and that we will soon start appearing in public places together?”

She lowered her gaze, wrapping the fingers of her hand around her other wrist in a nervous gesture. A long moment passed, but his patience was rewarded.

“Yes,” she said. “I agree to your plan.”

X Hera

Hera’s mind had difficulty coming back to reality. When Dago suggested that they go to the living room, she agreed, hoping that the change of scenery would help her regain clarity of thought, but as she descended the stairs, she realized that it might not be enough. She barely registered her surroundings. Instead of watching her step, she moved her gaze over the figure of the man walking in front of her, unable to believe that a moment ago his arms were embracing her tightly. And his fingers…

Hera took a deep breath, trying to wall her thoughts off the wetness between her thighs. She needed to remember who she was dealing with. It was Dago Midais. An arrogant businessman who cared primarily about personal gain. An unpredictable schemer who was ready to get married just to secure a promotion. An incurable womanizer…

“If my wife will satisfy my needs, why should I seek contact with other women?”

Hera swallowed, trying to reconcile her contradictory thoughts. The memory of care with which the man had treated her simultaneously jarred and fitted in with the memory of the hardness rubbing against her buttocks, but both were unanimously opposed to her beliefs about Dago…

When the man came down the stairs, Hera tore her gaze away from his naked skin and moved it to his face, trying not to look guilty.

“The living room is here,” he said, gesturing to the door nearby. “If you need to use a bathroom, you will find it at the end of the corridor on the right.”

Caramel dream, how does he do it?she thought, admiring the cool composure painted on his face.How can he be so calm after—

Her train of thought was broken by a sudden realization. It wasn’t the first time for him.

For him, it was a transaction.

“I’ll take the opportunity,” she said and started in the direction he’d pointed.

She tried not to look like she was in a hurry, though the longer she walked down the seemingly endless corridor, the harder it became. She felt as if the dragon sculptures along the walls were mocking her.

What are you looking for here?they seemed to ask, baring their teeth in predatory smiles.Not tenderness, right?

When she finally saw the bathroom, Hera struggled with the urge to run toward it. Her heart stung and her cheeks were burning.

Something was wrong with her. Midais’s calculation should have repulsed her, not wake in her some strange, primitive excitement…

She pulled the doorknob, but instead of turning, it detached from the door. Noticing a lump of sugar in her hand, she hurriedly put it back, changing her left hand to her right. By some miracle, the doorknob became a golden whole and Hera rushed inside the spacious bathroom.

Another one?she thought, stunned, staring at the enormous white fountain with a four-headed dragon that served as a bathtub.Does he have any other interests than strange bathrooms and golden doorknobs?

Okay, he collected books.

And he liked sex…

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