“Just like a thousand needles slamming into my flesh,” he bit out. “Dammit, Anya, you know I wouldn’t touch her willingly.”
“What about before?” She stared back at him furiously. “She was an informant within the Council. She was part of your network even before I came to you, wasn’t she?”
She watched his jaw bunch. “Yes.”
“You already knew about the facility, and you still waited?”
“Sofia wasn’t in a position to do anything but get information out to me. We couldn’t have breached it without your help.”
“Too bad for me.” She smiled tightly.
God, that bitch had been right, she was jealous. So jealous it was eating her inside. She wanted to push him into a shower and wash the touch of that woman from his flesh.
“Because you really wouldn’t give a damn if I were f**king someone else, would you, Anya?”
“Should I?” she retorted. “Yeah, it was really pleasurable. Mounted, f**ked and knotted, then left to figure out what the hell was going on by myself. I’m really anxious to repeat the experience. Can’t you tell?”
Del-Rey stilled.
He couldn’t believe the words that came from her lips. She had refused to discuss that single night they had been together. She hadn’t spoken to him afterward. In the intervening months she’d only spoken when she had no other choice.
He could feel a curl of shame in his gut.
“It’s not always like that.” He stared at her, feeling the lash to his pride as it seemed to shrivel beneath her withering glare.
It would bounce back easily enough. Del-Rey had immeasurable pride and he knew it. Simply because he knew himself.
“It would never be like that again, Anya.” He would damned well make sure of it. “Do you think that was enough for me? That it was anything close to what I needed?”
She smirked. “Well, you were the one that flipped me on my stomach and decided on the position. Have you learned something since then?”
He snarled silently. “Mate, you’re pushing my temper.”
“Oh come on, Del-Rey.” Dampness glittered in her eyes. “Tell me, those years Sofia was helping you, did you ever f**k her?”
He wasn’t going to lie to her. He couldn’t lie to her, not about this. Something unimportant, something that got him what he knew they both wanted, that was different. Harmless. This wouldn’t be harmless.
“Briefly.”
Her chin lifted and he could smell the tears that sparkled in her eyes. “Did you spend more than a few thrusts and grunts with her? Or was I just the anomaly?”
“Anya.”
“Answer me, Del-Rey.” Her voice was calm, though it throbbed with pain. “Come on, Coyote Man. Tell me. Did you spend hours with her or minutes?”
“What I did to you was unconscionable,” he stated heavily. “And I regret it, Anya, with every fiber of my being.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Her lips trembled before she firmed them quickly. “Hours or minutes, Del-Rey?”
“Hours.”
She was breathing roughly. Pain emanated from her with a scent that was mixed with more than just pride.
“Well, can’t call you a liar now, can I?”
“Anya.” He shook his head. “I would give my life to go back and make that night what it should have been. I lost control, and when it was over, I had no idea how to deal with it, or what I felt coming from you. The mating heat cheated us, together. I tried to explain that to you afterward, after we arrived here. It would never be that way again.”
She stared at him accusingly. “I was a virgin.”