Page 28 of His Dark Cravings

I can't speak, my mind still reeling from the intensity of what just happened. I feel a mix of emotions—satisfaction, frustration, and a deep connection to this man who has just claimed my body in the most primal way.

But why didn't he let me come?!

Chapter 10

Everly

As I make my way down the hall, my skin prickles, not just from the chill, but from the lingering heat—Xavier’s heat. The air still vibrates with the aftermath of... everything. My thighs ache, a dull throb that resonates with a deeper, unfamiliar longing.

He cleaned me. The warm towel had a strange tenderness I didn’t expect. His touch, usually commanding, had been gentle. Almost hesitant.

The sensation of his hands, rough yet careful, stays with me. He hadn’t just dominated; he’d explored. He saw me, really saw me, in a way no one ever had.

Reaching my door, I hesitate. I take a last look down the hall, at the door to the dungeon. Xavier is in there, still cleaning things up. My chest tightens remembering his gaze—that smoldering green, the possessiveness, and something more. A flicker of vulnerability.

I push my door open with a subtle whoosh, and the dim glow of my room wraps around me. But the silence is ruined the moment I step inside. Sable is sitting on the edge of my bed, one leg crossed over the other, her arms folded across her chest. She looks like she’s waiting for a show.

“Well, well, well,” she drawls with that sharp sarcasm I’ve come to associate with her. “Back from your little date with Xavier? Spill the deets.”

I freeze, the towel Xavier used to wipe the sweat from my skin still clutched in my hand. My cheeks flush, and I quickly cross the room and tuck the towel into the drawer of my nightstand.

“What are you doing in here?”

Sable shrugs, her red hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders. “Just curious. You know how it is down here. Everyone wants to know what the new girl is like in the sack—or out of it, as it were. Xavier’s usually not one to let anyone else in on his private fun, so how about I get the info from you?”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. “You don’t get to ask that. You don’t get to know.”

Sable’s eyebrows shoot up, and she leans back, clearly taken aback. “Oh, really? So now you’re the golden girl? A little too much of that sweet charity work gone to your head?”

I straighten my spine, lifting my chin. “You’ve made it clear you don’t like me, and honestly, I don’t care.”

Sable snorts, standing up. “Oh, this is rich. The saint of charity work has suddenly got a backbone.”

“I'm not a saint,” I say. “I'm respecting myself. Whatever I have going on with Xavier is between me and him. It's not hot gossip for a combative sourpuss like you.”

Sable’s face darkens. I can't tell if that's pain in her eyes. Or regret? But it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. She looks away with a scoff, standing up and heading for the door.

“Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you realize the truth.”

I don’t say anything as she leaves. Let her think what she wants. Xavier’s towel is still in my drawer, a reminder of how he’d gently wiped away the evidence of our connection. It’s something small, something that feels like a start. And for now, that’s enough.

I throw off my clothes and crawl into bed, the mattress dipping under my weight. As I lie there, the exhaustion from everything I’ve gone through today finally hits me. Sleep is a warm, welcoming blanket, and I sink into it without a second thought.

* * *

The next summons comes the following night, two hours after we finish dinner. There's a soft tap at my door, followed by someone’s voice, low and hushed.

“Xavier requests your presence in the dungeon, Everly.”

What? How often do the others get called down there without any warning? A twinge of something hot and unfamiliar—jealousy?—coils in my gut. I push it down, burying it under the still-present thrum of arousal from yesterday. I haven’t... finished. Not once since I’ve been here.

But maybe tonight?

Feeling more excited than I'd like to admit, I open my room door. The doll who passed along the message is already gone. Another weird detail, but I shrug and go down the hall, making the familiar walk.

The dungeon door swings open, revealing Xavier. He stands beside the heavy steel door, his arms crossed over his chest. He’s wearing a black silk robe, tied loosely at the waist, and the sight of his bare chest immediately takes my mind to last night.

But I don't have long to let the memory wash over me.

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