Page 27 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

“Where are we going?” Suspicion crept into my voice, and I tried not to panic.

He kept climbing. “My chambers.”

My throat tightened. For all my bravado, I recognized how precarious my power was here. He wanted me compliant—not physically forced, perhaps, but he was certainly capable of coercion. My pulse pounded in my ears.

“Our agreement,” I managed, “specifically mentioned no sex. I sleep in my chambers, you sleep in yours.”

He paused on the steps, so close that I nearly stumbled against him. “We agreed to nosex,” he said in that infuriatingly patient tone. “You said nothing about sleeping arrangements.”

“That was implied.” I kept my voice even and my tone strong, but in a debate of technicalities I had the losing argument.

He pressed a hand to my hip, thumb digging lightly into the top of my bone, not hard enough to hurt but distracting enough to spike my pulse further. “I don’t operate on implications, Lady Blackrose. You asked for no sexual contact, and I agreed. Youdidn’task for separate quarters.”

Heat gathered under my skin—anger tangled with something far more embarrassing. “Well, I’m stating it now.” I placed a hand on his chest to push him back, only to realize I’d just made the mistake of touching him. He felt disturbingly solid beneath my palm. “I want my own bed, in my own room.”

His expression hardened even as he leaned in. “That won’t be possible.”

A chill ran through me at the quiet menace in his voice. My hand remained where it was on his chest, torn between pushing him away and curling my fingers into the fabric of his coat. “Why not?”

“You’re my wife.” He said it with such finality, such ownership, that my thighs clenched traitorously.

I tried to cling to reason. “Yes, I am,” I said. “And I played the part of the willing bride, as we agreed. But I won’t be your plaything. Our terms are clear. If you want me to keep cooperating, you’ll uphold them.”

He exhaled, more attempt at patience than frustration. “Fine. But the Dark Lady sleeps in the Dark Lord’s chambers. All eyes here are keen. If you refuse my bed outright, the court will sense weakness. They’ll question my control. Whispers become daggers at times like these.”

I narrowed my eyes.”So this is about survival.”

“Yes, mine, and by extension, yours. My position is maintained through a careful balance of fear and respect. Anything that undermines that balance puts us both at risk.”

I wanted to argue further, but his explanation rang true. I’d grown up in a noble household; I understood how quickly whispers could corrode authority.

“Fine,” I said at last, trying to ignore the tightening in my stomach. “No sex, though.”

“As agreed.” He inclined his head. “But perhaps we should clarify whatsexentails.”

My breath caught. “I think it’s fairly self-explanatory.”

“Oh? Does it include kissing? Touching?” His gaze dropped to my lips. “We’ve already broken that barrier, wouldn’t you say?”

I swallowed. “That… was for show,” I insisted, wincing at how uncertain I sounded.

“And yet,” he said softly, leaning in, “you didn’t seem to find it entirely unpleasant. Or was I misreading the way your body trembled against mine?”

“You were,” I lied.

He didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push that point. “So, behind closed doors, I keep my distance.” He outlined an imaginary boundary in the air between us. “But in public, Iwilltouch you as needed.”

“For what, exactly?”

“To keep up appearances,” he said. His eyes tracked the line of my throat. “A hand at your waist, a kiss to claim you.Allfor show.”

“I don’t belong to you,” I retorted. Yet my pulse fluttered dangerously at the idea of that mouth on my skin.

“But in the eyes of my court, you do.” He shrugged. “Unless you’d prefer a far more explicit display? They’d find that highly entertaining.”

The scorn in his eyes told me exactly how far he’d go if pressed. My traitorous body flushed with unexpected heat at the thought of him possessively claiming me before his entire court. Gods, what was wrong with me? That I could find something so humiliating somehow... irresistibly arousing? I swallowed hard, blaming the wine for these unwanted fantasies. “Fine,” I bit out. “In public, brief touches are allowed—for the act. But beyond that?—”

“Let’s beveryclear,” he interrupted quietly, stepping so close I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. “No touchingyou between the legs, no mouth on your body, no removal of clothing?”

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