Page 61 of Rule

“Sorry, what?” I stared at him. Did hejust say what I thought he said?

“I will have sex with you,” Court said. “Branshared with me what you told him last night.”

“What I told him last night…” I soundedlike a parrot.

“Yes.” Court’s other hand rubbed slowcircles on my lower back. “That you have never been with a Draax before and areafraid you will not please the king in bed. I will have sex with you, show youwhat it is like to be with a Draax so you will not worry about pleasing theking.”

“Oh, um… that’s very generous of you, butwe can’t,” I said.

He scowled, his big body stiffening. “Whynot?”

“I’ll probably get pregnant,” I said.

Court relaxed beneath me. “I have those rubbersheaths.”

“Condoms,” I said.

He nodded. “Yes, I have plenty of them.”

“What about Bran?”

“What about him?” Court tensed again.

“Will he be upset if you sleep with me?”

He shook his head, but I saw the doubt inhis eyes. It was my turn to cup his face and make him look at me. “Bran toldme that you used to share women but now you don’t. Why?”

“It does not matter,” he said. “We nolonger share our women and we are both fine with it.”

“Are you?” I studied him a little closer.

“Yes.”

“Have you slept with a woman without Branbefore?”

He looked away and I used gentle pressureto turn his face toward me again. “Have you?”

“No,” he admitted.

“Then why are you offering to sleep with me?”I asked.

“Because Bran will not sleep with you and Iwant you very much.”

I hoped he didn’t see the disappointment onmy face. I was pretty sure that Bran didn’t want me, but to have it confirmed,weirdly upset me.

I wanted to laugh at myself. Not even amonth ago, the idea of sex with two Draax at once had terrified me. Now, I wasupset that I only had the chance to sleep with one. I was losing my mind.

“Evie?” Court said. “Will you accept myoffer to help?”

“You really are okay with sleeping with awoman without Bran?” I said.

“Yes.” His voice was sincere enough, but Icould see the truth on his face. After years of being terrorized by Alex, I hadlearned to tune in to other people’s emotions. Knowing exactly what kind ofmood Alex was in from nothing more than the look on his face or the way he heldhis body, had saved me from a beating more than once.

Once the gallberry juice had healed me frommy beating and I was no longer distracted by the pain, I’d found it easy toread Court’s emotions. They washed across his face like water over sand. Branwas difficult to read. The only time I was certain of his emotional state waswhen he was with Bella. The happiness and love practically radiated from himand couldn’t be hidden.

But Court? He might not want to admit it,but his emotional armour was not nearly as thick as Bran’s. Even now I couldsee the guilt and the anxiety on his face. I could feel it in the stiffness ofhis body, see it in the way his tail flicked back and forth, the end of itthumping out a steady rhythm against the rungs of the chair.

He wanted to have sex with me, but he wouldbe wracked with guilt afterwards. I couldn’t do that to him.

---