Page 168 of Kneel Before Me

Ella shook her head and took another gulp of wine. “So… How is it?”

“How is what?”

“You know…the sex.”

“We haven’t had sex yet. At least…his cock hasn’t been in my pussy. We’ve done pretty much everything else.”

Ella frowned. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I told you I wanted to be in love the next time I slept with someone, remember?”

“I remember. But I kind of figured you’d abandon that within an hour or two.”

Daphne gave her a playful shove. “Well, I didn’t. Kronos and I are…waiting.”

“Until you’re in love.”

Daphne nodded.

Ella leaned in. “Daphne,” she said. “You’re telling me that you’re going to be with him for three days and you don’t even love him?”

Daphne pursed her lips. “I just have to do this, Ella. It’s…important.”

Ella shrugged. “If you say so. But he better be worth it.”

Daphne’s response came easily—the same response she knew Kronos would give about her. “He is.”

She heard nothing from Maximus.

He sent no more gifts—no bottles of wine, no bouquets of flowers. The ball where he would select the final three women to move into the castle was the day after the Ranking, and Daphne doubted she’d get an invite. The thought of their conversation still felt like a knife in her chest. The prince had declared his affection for her, then withdrawn it when it was not reciprocated. It was not the behavior of a man.

By the time she reached the caves, Kronos was already waiting for her with his arms outstretched. She ran into them gladly, smelling his familiar scent. They went first to his chambers, where he said, “If you are willing to undress, now would be the time.”

That didn’t surprise Daphne; she’d been under the mountain before, after all—she’d seen how the basilisks were naked at all times. Yet undressing here, right in front of Kronos, was somehow terrifying.

When she didn’t move, Kronos said, “I have seen you naked before, Daphne.”

“I know,” she said. “This is just…strange for me. I’m not used to being naked in public.”

“We are hardly in public.”

“But there are about to be people around.”

“They are not people.”

“You know what I mean.”

His smile widened. It was not a cruel one; Daphne knew he was right there with her.

“You may take as much time as you need,” he said. “We have all night.”

Daphne didn’t want to take her time. She was eager to see what the evening had in store, and whatever it had in store could only happen once she was naked. So she took a deep, calming breath and said, “Try not to enjoy this too much.”

Kronos gave her a small smile. “Impossible.”