Dryas makes a simple dinner for the two of us, a salad and roasted fish. I devour everything he puts in front of me, including a huge glass of white wine. Afterward, we sit and watch an old movie in one of the living rooms, on a screen he wheels in. We lie on the same couch, gradually floating together until my head was in his lap.

He strokes my hair just the way he did when I first arrived here when he forced a bath on me. Now, though, I don’t seem to mind it nearly as much. When his touch turns into a massage, I let my eyes close halfway, breathing softly.

His hands are magical. They trail down to my shoulders, working out every little knot, leaving me spineless as a jellyfish. Part of my relaxation is the second huge glass of wine, which makes everything seem happy and glowing.

When I ask for a refill, though, he shakes his head. Leaning close, he whispers in my ear.

“No tonight, little bird. I want you to be clear-minded.”

I gaze up at him. His dark hair is tousled, his brows dark low over his beautiful chartreuse eyes. He hasn’t shaved in a few days, and my fingers itch with the desire to feel his stubble.

He looks at his watch, pensive. “It’s eleven thirty, little bird. Time to become mine.”

Little Bird. I swallow. He only uses that nickname when he’s in a perverse frame of mind. My heart starts clattering, beating at the cage of my chest. I blush, but I don’t look away.

If this is the devil tempting me, I don’t care. Who could’ve ever told me that the demon would be this sensual?

Dryas turns on the most wicked of smiles, crooking a finger. “Come here. Kiss me first.”

I’m so jumpy, so anxious to please him. I suck my lower lip in between my teeth, looking at his full lips.

I want to kiss him.

I want to do more than that.

I want… I want to feel what I’ve felt with him before. The toe-curling, fist-clenching, floating free forever sensation.

More than that, I want him to feel it too. I wish I knew more, that I’d been with other men so that I would know just how to please him.

But it’s too late for that now.

Cheeks staining pink, I lean in, closing my eyes. My lips find his, kissing him softly. It feels momentous like I’m officially giving myself to him. An offering before a god. A whispered plea in a sea of moans.

Take me, but please don’t shatter me.

Just like that, my self-sacrifice is accepted. He grips my jaw, kissing me hard. Raking his tongue against mine. Punishing me with his mouth.

I’m ashamed to admit that I only moan in response, my fingers finding purchase in his shirt. Making half-moon impressions in his skin I want him so badly.

He breaks the kiss, biting my lower lip. Like the kiss itself, there is no ease about the bite, no gentle nibble. Dryas bites me hard enough to leave the faint taste of blood in my mouth.

Already he has moved on, leaving a trail of bright red marks all the way down my neck. Sucking hard, biting too.

Yes. Yes, this. This is what I want.

When he moves his attention down to my breasts, ripping and shredding my pretty pink dress down the middle, I only encourage him. Bringing my hands up, I cup my breasts offering them to him. Needing him to use his lips, his tongue, his teeth on my already-hard nipples.

When he puts his mouth on my body, I cry out. His mouth is so hot, like a fiery brand, burning my skin forever.

At this moment in time, that seems reasonable. That Dryas could sear me so hotly, his touch charring my skin. There will be no path back for another man to climb.

“I love that you’re wearing nothing but the necklace that I gave you, little bird.” He whispers it against my skin, his words almost an incantation. He has put a spell on me, that is for sure.

That has never been more acceptable than now. I clutch at Dryas’s shoulders as he rakes my nipple with his teeth. My core is ablaze with the ripples of sensation that he’s causing. And it is only spreading, the fire treating to consume me.

Yes. Oh god, yes.

Too soon, he pulls back. I look into his jungle cat eyes, my heart jumping at the ferocity I see there.

“Your first time should be in a bed,” he whispers, his voice hoarse.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I shake my head. “I have everything I need right here. Please, Dryas—”

With a growl, he rips my lacy pink panties from my body. When he pulls away to take off his own shirt, showcasing nothing but rippling muscle, I push the tatters of my dress off my arms.

Dryas grabs me and pulls me down onto the floor, on top of him. He grabs at my breasts, squeezing them hard, pushing them together. For a quick second, I get his mouth on my nipples again, which makes me draw my legs tighter on either side of his body.

He looks at me, totally serious. “I have been dreaming about the taste of your pussy, little bird.”

Then he picks my entire body up, setting me down so that my… my pussy is right over his mouth. I struggle a little, but he’s so much stronger than me. He pulls my thighs down, his tongue delving up and down my slit.

“Oh, god!” I hiccup, surprised. His mouth feels so hot and wicked when his tongue circles my clit. My eyes close, overwhelmed by the intensity. I murmur it again, for good measure. “Oh, oh god…”

I feel him chuckle against my flesh, but there’s nothing I can do about that. His mouth presses against my pussy. I feel exposed in a way I never have before. Raw, electric energy rushes through my veins. I lean back and close my eyes, enjoying the sensations.

I might as well because I am definitely going to hell for this. There is no way that his mouth feels so good without it being so illicit and forbidden. That’s the way the devil gets you, by offering you what you want so badly.

And this demon knows exactly what I want. I grind against his mouth, wanting more. Needing more.

All too soon, he pushes my body away. My eyes fly open as he pulls me down with his big hands, kissing me once more. I’m half blind with lust. I must be because my hands are creeping down to the bugle in his pants. I don’t know exactly what he wants, but I press against his cock, moaning.

“Fuck,” he gasps, pulling my hands away.

My cheeks flame red. I’ve hurt him somehow, done some sort of damage. But he just growls and surges up to kiss me, as invigorated as ever.

Dryas flips me over, rolling on top of me while he unzips his pants. We are two mad creatures, driven forward by a desire for one another, a passion and curiosity that has built for weeks now. He pulls back, getting buck naked, his legs hairy and his cock bobbing proudly.

I look at his cock, licking my lips. I wonder what it tastes like.

What he tastes like.

I don’t get to find out just yet, though. Dryas leans down and takes my nipple in his mouth again. I reach for him, writhing, wanting…

I want him to put his cock inside my pussy, his hard length rubbing against the inner walls of my softness. He keeps teasing me though, teasing my clit with his fingers. I make a face; I want more of him, but he’s making it very hard to complain.

Then he feels the wetness at my core, slipping two thick fingers inside me. I spasm at the unexpected invasion, biting my bottom lip. His fingers feel good, but…

He makes a come here gesture, his fingers probing the sensitive inner wall of my pussy. Then he leans down and takes my nipple in his mouth again, using his tongue and teeth. Lightning travels through the core of my body, flashing down my arms and legs, curling my toes. My fingers curl in his short hair.

He has to do that again… I need him to do it again.

“Dryas,” I gasp, choking to get the word out.

He stills. “What’s that, little bird?”

“Dryas, please!” I beg, feeling manic and desperate. My fingers turn to claws against the back of his skull, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He leans down and takes my nipple in his mouth again for a second, then releases it with a wet pop.

“Please what? Are you begging me to fuck you, my little bird?” He wiggles his fingers, his hand soaked with my juices.

Tears sting my eyes. “Yes!”

He kisses my breast lazily, his eyes alight with the same need I’m feeling. How is it that he can be so cool about it?

“I am going to need you to say the words, karthoula mou.”

I stare into the depths of his yellow-green eyes. “Please, Dryas. Please fuck me.”

The male satisfaction that flickers in his eyes is almost more than I can bear. But he presses my knees up and fists his cock, biting his lip and he looks down. He looks like a pirate that’s unlocked a treasure chest to find it filled with gold.

“I’ve wanted this since the moment I laid eyes on you, my little bird.” He notches the plump end of his cock against my body, tormenting us both. His gaze jumps from my face to where the place our bodies begin to join, oh so slowly.

I’m ready for him, my pussy slick with excitement. His cock is long and thick, and a little bit of white fluid leaks from the tip.

I’m familiar with the white fluid, of course. With a pang, I think of Father Derrik. It seems totally out of place, but he’s the only other man that has touched me so intimately.

No, not as intimately as Dryas. I’m choosing Dryas, I’m the one in control.

Flustered, I push thoughts of Father Derrik aside.

I wriggle against him, pulling at his back with both hands. He sinks into me to the hilt, a low noise escaping him. It seems to come up from somewhere deeper than his chest. My eyes water as I’m stretched so completely until I swear, I can’t take another inch of his cock. It’s uncomfortable if I’m honest about it.

“Fuck,” he moans. Dryas is quick to look at me. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. Or… I don’t know,” I say, shaking my head. “Please, Dryas. Please, make me feel good. I know you can.”

He starts to move, leaning back to watch his big cock plunge in and out of my tight, flushed pussy. After a few thrusts, he moves his hand down low, his fingers slipping between our bodies. When he finds my clit, circling the tight bud, I close my eyes and focus on the pleasure. He stretches me out, fills me up in a way I can’t quite put words to.

So, I just moan a little, the sounds breathy.

“Open your eyes, koukla mou,” he whispers. “Look at me.”

My eyes open. His face is truly something to behold, intense and sexy and focused solely on me. He makes me feel like the center of the universe when he fixes his gaze on me like that.

Soon his thrusts become something I anticipate. There is a coil winding inside of me, fired mainly by his fingers but also by his cock. He starts moving faster now, more forcefully. I encourage him, winding my legs around his torso. I move to meet every thrust, growing wilder by the moment.

Yes. Yes, this… this is exactly what I wanted. What I’ve wanted since the day I woke up in this castle, really.

Zaps of electricity are running down my spine. My heart beats wildly. I can’t breathe, or I don’t need to, I have lost the ability to do anything but feel.

“Oh god…” I say. Then a little louder, “Oh my god!”

“Fuck, karthoula mou,” he groans, his voice gravelly. His accent is thick as he spits out the words, breathing hard. “Your body is made for mine, is it not? It gives me such great pleasure…”

His whispered words push me over the edge. My core spasms, clenching his cock over and over. I’m only vaguely aware because I’m falling so beautifully down, down… The energy seems to flow back and forth between us, rapid-fire.

I feel his cock start to twitch. Suddenly, he pulls his cock free from my body, releasing his fluid all over my pubis with a growl. He collapses beside me, half of his big body blocking mine in. For a full minute, he just closes his eyes and tries to catch his breath.

If I wasn’t beneath Dryas, couldn’t feel his breathing, I would actually worry about him. But even he opens those chanteuse eyes, kisses me softly, and moves from me.

He gathers me close, turning onto his side. He’s silent, either lost in thought or unable to think.

I feel thoughts creeping back into my own head, which is unfortunate.

That’s when things get a little hairy.