Red Thorns (Thorns Duet 1)

“Oh, you do.” He jerks his chin in my direction. “You’re trembling with excitement.”

“Maybe I’m trembling with anger.”

“Not with your pupils dilated and your cheeks blushing.” He reaches a hand to my face and I flinch at the last second, so he only grabs air.

I have no clue how I’ll react if he touches me and I’d rather not find out.

If it were up to me, I’d be running away from here, even in my half-naked state. But still, my legs won’t move.

My heart won’t stop thumping, grinding in remembrance of the last time I was trapped alone with him.

In the darkness.

On my knees.

I shoo those thoughts away as I keep out of his reach. But if I thought that would save me from his clutches, I thought wrong.

His hand shoots out in my direction and before I can think of what he’s doing, he wraps it around my throat. His fingers press against my pulse point until my breath is nearly cut off.

“Stop fighting it, Naomi.”

“Fighting what? You?” I try to hold on to my venom, even if his hold around my throat blasts a strange sensation through my limbs.

“No, you.”

“Me?”

“It’s not me you’re fighting right now, Tsundere. You’re going up against yourself, trying to erase the part that let go in the forest. You dislike succumbing to your carnal desires, even if a part of you is trembling for it right now. Even if your eyes are screaming at me to fuck you from behind like a dirty little slut while your coach is next door. And guess what? That part is the truest thing I’ve ever seen of you.”

Something dark and sinister drops to the bottom of my stomach along with his words, but the last thing I want is to get lost in them or the meaning behind my reaction, so I blurt, “I don’t want you to fuck me.”

“The fact that you focused on that part proves that you do. You just find it hard to let go. As it happens, I like that about you and I intend to bring you out and have you own that sexuality, baby.”

“I’m not your baby.”

“You are now. So how about you release that towel and let me see you?”

“No. And if you force me, I’ll fight.”

“I do like your fight, your squirming, and how you make me fucking hard, but it’s not your reluctance I’m after. When I do see you, it’ll be under both our terms.” He strokes my pulse point, a hum ripping from his chest. “Do you hear your heartbeat? The excitement in it? That’s what happened in the forest, you know. The chase and the wrestling made you hot and bothered, and being on your knees added fuel to your fire. Tell me, did you touch yourself as soon as you got home?”

“No…” My voice is too weak, too embarrassed.

“I did. One orgasm wasn’t enough and I had to jerk myself off in the shower to the memory of your hot little mouth.” He glides the pad of his finger over my bottom lip. “My dick misses your lips. I think it was love at first sight.”

“Shut up.”

“The only way for me to do that is if you get on your knees again.”

“Never.”

“Never say never, baby.”

I slam both hands against his chest, exasperation getting the better of me, but my voice is still breathy, abnormal. “Why me?”

“Because it’s you.”

“That’s not an answer.”