Red Thorns (Thorns Duet 1)

My space is filled with his nefarious presence. I’ve never been this close to Sebastian before and now that it’s happened two days in a row, I can feel a part of me disintegrating, almost as if I’m going through some sort of an internal crisis.

His face inches impossibly closer to mine as he coos seductively, “I didn’t come here so I could leave, Tsundere.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Why? Does it hit too close to home?”

I huff, ripping a bag of chips open and hitting Play on Netflix. “It’ll get gory. You better go.”

“I like gory.”

“No, you don’t, Mr. Prim and Proper.”

“Just because I’m prim and proper doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the exploration of the dark side.” He steals a chip from my bag, his fingers brushing against mine for a second too long.

I hold my breath until he retracts his hand.

Swallowing the saliva that’s gathered at the back of my throat, I steal a peek at him. At how illegally perfect he is, like a Roman god with all his sharp angles.

“What are you doing here, Sebastian?” I ask in a barely audible voice.

“Watching the life of some serial killer because you stood me up.”

“Ever think that I stood you up because I’m not interested in you?”

“Or you stood me up because you are interested in me and scared of acting on it.”

“You’re delusional.”

He breaks eye contact with the TV and focuses on me. “Want to make a bet?”

“What type of bet?”

“The type where if you win, I’ll leave you alone. If you don’t, you’ll give me something I want.”

I don’t like the sound of that, but at the same time, I know this is probably the only way he’ll end whatever sick fixation he has on me.

“Fine. What’s the bet?”

“When I kissed you yesterday, you didn’t moan.”

My temperature rises a notch at the reminder of last night. I don’t know why I thought he

’d pretend it didn’t happen like I’ve been trying to. Of course, Sebastian is the type of person who’d hit me over the head with it if for nothing else than to rattle me.

I clear my throat. “S-so?”

“That’s the bet. I’ll kiss you again. If you moan, I win. If you don’t, you win.”

I open my mouth to protest, but it ends on a gasp when his lips claim mine.

9

Naomi

Any objection I could’ve made crashes and dies against the liquid heat of Sebastian’s tongue.

There’s no gentleness behind his kiss. If anything, it’s deeper than yesterday’s with a sinister meaning lurking in its depths. For a second, I feel hunted, followed, just like last night on the forest road.