Page 8 of Sugar & Dragon Act I: Temptation

Her eyes widened. Was he trying to bribe her?

“I’m not trying to bribe you,” he said. “If you marry me, I will wantourbusiness to prosper.”

Oh. Right. That was understandable.

“And what with…” Hera trailed off, looking for a diplomatic term for Dago’s condition. “What with yourneeds? I doubt people will respect you if they find out that you regularly commit adultery.”

This time it was he who fell silent, watching her in shock. When his pupils narrowed, Hera tensed, bracing herself for a wave of unbridled pleasure. But instead of a pleasant tingle, a cold shiver ran across her skin.

“Are you saying,” Dago said slowly, pressing on each word, “that you’re planning to cheat on me after the wedding?”

V Hera

“Me?” Hera asked, confused. “Cheat on you? But it’s you who will be cheating on me!”

“What makes you think I want an open relationship? Just because I currently have a varied sex life doesn’t mean I’ll want to share my wife!”

“We aren’t talking about me! We’re talking about you and your wanton needs!”

“So according to you, a faithful wife is a wanton need?”

“A faithful wife won’t stop you from seeking satisfaction with other women!”

“And how do you know that? You said you didn’t want me to become a nightmare, and you already treat me like someone who can’t control his desires. If my wife will satisfy my needs, why should I seek contact with other women?”

Hera blinked. A part of her felt ashamed, because she was indeed acting as if Dago was already a nightmare. The second part of her froze at the words “if my wife will satisfy my needs,” not sure what to think about them.

“So,” she started cautiously, “you don’t plan on cheating on your wife as long as she pleases you?”

“Nyx Nemesis, Galenos! I’m not going to cheat on my wife at all!”

“Even if your wife… doesn’t satisfy your needs?”

Hearing this question, Dago calmed down. “So this is what worries you?”

He examined her carefully, running his gaze first over her face and hair, then over her neck and cleavage, her bare shoulders and the outline of her figure, down to her ankles and feet. Hera didn’t react with indignation, only because there was no lecherousness in his behavior—Midais looked at her like a banker examining gold to judge how many carats it had.

“You are feminine enough for me,” he said, though he seemed surprised by this verdict.

Should I be grateful or outraged?Hera wondered.

“And what if you aren’t masculine enough for me?” she asked, deciding ultimately on an unsentimental tone.

Dago’s face took on the expression she must’ve had when she’d thought he nightmared. “Not masculine enough? You had a better view than I, and you still dare to say that I’mnot enough?” Then he looked down and surveyed his harmoniously sculpted body. He frowned as if something had dawned on him. He pinned her with his gaze. “You prefer beefy treeuprooters like Herkules?”

Hera shook her head. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. “Midais, are you joking? Why do you assume I want to sleep with you? We don’t even like each other.”

“People don’t have to like each other to have sex. I haven’t liked half the women I’ve slept with, and the sex with most of them has been great.” He must have realized from her expression that the statement didn’t impress her, because he added quickly, “Everything depends on communication.”

Hera crossed her arms. “Interesting words for someone who ignores half the messages directed at him.”

The man clenched and relaxed his jaw. “You will tell me about your needs, and I will try to satisfy them. I will tell you about my needs and you will try to satisfy me. An equal exchange.Reasonable. Why do you resist?”

Hera considered this question.

“I don’t love you,” she said finally.

“Shocking.” His gaze told her that he found her level of nightmarishness suspiciously high. “What does love have to do with sex and marriage?”

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