Red Thorns (Thorns Duet #1) by Rina Kent

My lungs scream due to the lack of oxygen and my heart rate picks up to an alarming level with every thud of his footsteps behind me.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The fact that he could catch me at any second, that he’s getting closer, douses me with equal parts fear and bubbling energy.

I think I’m going to throw up from the force of it.

The trees clear in front of me and I’m finally in direct view of the car. I’m near the point of collapsing, but I carry on, pushing my burning muscles to their limit.

Then a strong hand wraps around my hoodie and I squeal as I’m wrenched back. I lose my footing and fall down, my back hitting the solid ground.

I wince as my head bounces off the dirt, but my reaction soon freezes like the rest of me.

A dark shadow looms closer until Sebastian’s body hovers over mine. A sinister smirk curves the corners of his sinful lips. “Got you.”

I don’t think as I thrash and wiggle against his wall-like chest. The physique I’ve admired for years could easily be my demise right now. The remnants of my adrenaline-induced energy roar to the surface with a final wave.

Slamming my hands against his chest, I claw, then try to kick him, but he grabs my wrists, easily overpowering me.

If anything, he seems to find it amusing that I’m even fighting, judging by the growing smile on his lips.

There’s nothing fake about this one.

Nothing star-like.

Nothing for show.

Because right now? He’s not even attempting to hide his true self behind it.

He let it loose, allowing me to see what type of deviant he actually is.

One who gets off on chasing.

On catching me.

On making me helpless and at his mercy.

My harsh breathing echoes in the air as I squirm and hit, as I wiggle and arch my back.

“That’s it, Tsundere…keep fighting and clawing. It’s such a fucking turn-on.” As if to prove a point, he lowers himself so that a hard bulge presses against the soft flesh of my belly that’s exposed due to the struggle.

My eyes widen, but it’s not only from his reaction to the chase. It’s also due to the knot that slowly formed at the base of my stomach when I was being chased and has continued to grow while I’ve fought him.

Am I defective?

How could I…be this attuned to this sickness?

Just when I’m contemplating whether I should keep fighting and feed off Sebastian’s depraved side, he releases my wrists and eases off me.

For a second, I remain sprawled on the ground, bemused and shooing the remnants of disappointment scattered deep in my gut.

“Is it over?” My voice is choked, wrong.

“Nah. I won, remember?”

“So?”

“So you have to give me what I want.”

“And what do you want?” At this point, I only wish for this to be done so I can go home, curl up in bed, and have a conversation with my screwed-up head.

Sebastian reaches for the fly of his jeans and slowly undoes the button. “Your mouth on my dick.”





11





Sebastian





The day I dreaded is here.

The day where I can’t keep my mask in check.

The day where I can’t control my sick, twisted cravings.

I’ve gone through a million defense mechanisms to bottle it all in. I played the social game and the diplomatic one. I excelled at maintaining a façade and painting a different image in other people’s heads.

Not once have I let myself slip, despite the countless temptations. Despite the blinding urges and the compelling chances. Not even during my hot-blooded teenage years.

I’ve excelled at self-control. Having learned from my grandparents and Nate that the lack of it would only land me in trouble.

It’d make me end up like my parents. Disfigured in a foreign land.

For someone with a savage command over emotions, I can tell when I’m on the edge.

When my mask, that’s almost become a part of who I am, can no longer remain intact.

Because here I am, standing over Naomi as she lies on the ground. The moonlight and the car’s headlights cast a glow on her delicate features.

But there’s nothing delicate about the stupefaction written all over her face.

She’s on her back, her bare thighs locked in an awkward position, and her hoodie is twisted up at her sides, revealing her belly.

My attention is stolen by the erratic rise and fall of her chest—and her round tits that I felt the fullness of earlier and should’ve had in my mouth.

At the reminder, my dick hardens until it’s fucking pulsing against the confinements of my jeans.

When Naomi stood me up tonight and I decided to ambush her at her house, I didn’t count on it going this far. I only planned to tease her a little, to press her buttons and watch her adorable reaction to losing control.

But then I kissed her again. I touched her. I smelled her scent, some shit with lily and peaches that I wouldn’t usually care about but I now want to take it to bed with me every night.

But most of all, I felt the moment a portion of her guard fell down and saw a hint of vulnerability.

I saw someone scared of the unknown, but curious about it at the same time.

And I had to explore that. I had to keep tonight going and take this to the next level.

One even I didn’t realize I was capable of.