His lips part. “He does. But he also knows me better than the rest.”
I’m unsure what he means by that but decide not to dwell too much on it. “I just mean, he thinks talking about your relationship with Auren would bother me because he thinks we’re together.”
“So, it didn’t. It didn’t bother you?”
I shake my head, but the bitter taste of the lie settles on my tongue.
“And it wouldn’t matter to you to know that we dated.”
I meet his gaze, controlling my expression as tightly as I can imagine. “You can tell me if you want. It’s helpful to know the dynamics during our ruse.”
There’s a flash of disappointment in his eyes. Barely there before his features smooth back into his mask of indifference.
“We dated,” he says, voice bare of emotion. “For a few weeks, freshman year. I was exploring my newfound power. She’s the kind of girl I thought I should want. She cured me pretty quickly of those notions.”
“Was she mean?”
“She was exactly as she is now. Vain and superior. It became very clear she only liked me for the way it elevated her status.”
I watch the fire flicker and pop. “Have you dated anyone else?”
“No.”
I frown. It’s been three years. In the time since we were friends, he’s only had one very short-term girlfriend he didn’t even really like. Or maybe he did like her, and that was the problem. “Not all supernatural girls are like that, I’m sure.”
“Maybe some are less obvious about it, butallsupernaturals are like that. The wolves, the fae, the lesser demons, even Manuela. The only ones who care some are Trevor and—well, I suppose Laithe is an exception.”
I resist the urge to tell him that I care. I did once, but now—now, I’m using him just like everyone else. “Well, mortals aren’t much better.”
He shrugs. “I have limited experience with humans, so maybe I’ve just been lucky.”
His heavy gaze settles on my neck, and I still, not daring to turn in his direction.
“Or maybe you’ve just been unlucky in your experience with supernaturals. Or maybe you need to seek out a different sort.” I force myself to look at him again. “You surround yourself with the most powerful, the most ambitious. Aren’t those the most likely to use you?”
“That’s the conundrum, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“I need a strong partner. It’s not only expected but a requirement for me personally. To keep my interest, I need ferocity in a partner. I admire ambition and drive.”
A random thought crosses my mind, and I smirk.
“What?” he asks, noting my expression.
Ignoring the flutter in my stomach, I meet his stare with a taunting challenge. “Are you secretly a submissive?”
Jarron’s eyes flare dramatically, and I chuckle.
“Did I just make the prince of the Under World blush?” I nudge him with my elbow. I would not be surprised to learn that demon sex life includes chains and whips, but I would be surprised to learn the demon prince is the one who prefers being chained.
A strange expression crosses his face, and he takes in a long deep breath, eyeing the ceiling. He’s tense, something warring in his mind. Then, he rolls his shoulders and the tension drains away.
“I want a matched partner,” he says, forcing a calm tone. “If I must be submissive a time or two, that wouldn’t bother me.”
This time, I cannot ignore the flutter as it drifts lower.
“You’re a switch. Got it.”
