Page 63 of Red King

“And he chose to leave you?”

I nod. “Jim left me when I was at my most vulnerable, when I was a broken mess. When we took our vows, I thought it was for better or worse. Turns out that it didn’t go both ways.”

“We’re both damaged, perhaps beyond repair. Or perhaps we could help heal each other enough to carry on.”

“Through sex?”

“Yes. My proposal is that we fuck. Discreetly, of course.”

“That’s so crude.” My eyes go wide, and my throat feels dry.

“It is what it is, Paisley. It would be fucking, nothing more and nothing less. Two people taking from each other in the most basic of ways. I’m stuck in grief mode and can’t seem to move on. I think you’re stuck there, too. You’re still grieving the end of your marriage. The end of a dream. I can see it in you. I understand it because, in a different way, I feel it, too. We can help each other. I know we can.”

“So, what? You just bend me over your desk once a day for the next week, and we’ll feel better for it?”

He closes his eyes for a moment before opening them. “No, I don’t want a quickie; at least, not for our first time. I want to savor you. I’m glad we were interrupted in that closet.”

My nipples tighten as soon as he says “savor.”

“And yes, I do think we’d feel better for it. I’m a candidate. I’m supposed to meet a human and mate with her. I’m not in a position to do that right now.” He shakes his head. “I’ve come to realize that it isn’t going to happen. Not without a nudge.”

“By nudge, you mean sex with me. So, after sleeping with me for a week or two or five…you’ll what? Get into the groove?” I widen my eyes.

“You’re making it sound cheap. I like you. I respect you. I’m attracted to you, and I want you. I know you feel attracted to me, too. I know you haven’t dated since your husband left you. I’m willing to bet you haven’t had sex since him. You’re just as celibate, just as stuck as I am.”

“It’s none of your business. I think it’s a terrible idea.”

“Let me fuck you, Paisley. Let me make you feel good. Let me remind you what it feels like to be worshipped. I’ll awaken a part of you that you thought had died with your marriage. I’m sure you can do the same for me.”

“Then we move on like nothing happened?”

He nods. “Yes, that’s exactly what we’ll do. I don’t think either of us is in a place where we would start to fall for one another. I know I’m not. I’m not looking for love.”

“I was badly hurt. I doubt I could ever trust anyone again.” The worst part of it all is that I still feel like I’m to blame for the end of our marriage.

“That would be the biggest hurdle,” he says. “Emotions. We’re both attracted to each other, but neither of us is going to fall for the other. That’s a good thing. In fact, it’s fucking perfect. We’ve both been celibate for too long. I suggest we break the dry spell.”

“And in the meantime, you keep dating and hanging out with the Tributes.”

“Yes, but on a strictly platonic basis. I have three rules for this arrangement. One: no one can know about it. Two: we can’t let our feelings get involved. The fact still remains: I have to pick a candidate. I don’t have a choice. And three: if we fuck, we only fuck each other until such time as we call it quits.”

“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “It…it’s tricky.”

“Give it some thought, Paisley. That’s all I ask.”

“It’s a bad idea.”

“It’s an excellent idea. You want me, and you can’t deny it. You need release just as much as I need to push so deep inside you that it would be impossible to tell where I start and where you end. I want to make you come so hard that you see fucking stars.” His voice has turned deep and rough.

Holy fucking shit!

My panties go wet. Heat pools in my lower belly, and my clit starts throbbing. I want to squeeze my thighs together. I want to get rid of this ache inside me.

“I need to put in an order for a large dildo with an extra pack of batteries,” I blurt. “That would be the clever thing to do.”

Arctic laughs. “You don’t need a dildo. You have me. I’ll press every button you have. I’m willing to bet there are a few you didn’t even know you had.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

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