Page 181 of The Sinner's Bargain

“Thoran?”

He flicked a tongue over my lips. They parted eagerly and his smirk darkened.

“I don’t remember much about last night, but...” he slid his arm around my middle and bowed my body into his. Grinding his dick into the soft flesh of my belly. “I remember cumming in your pussy, Naya. I remember holding you down deep and filling you.”

Hot arousal blazed through me, expelling a flood of liquid heat I only just realized was Thoran’s. My eyes widened as it saturated my panties.

He must have seen it on my face because his smirk was predatory. “Is it trickling out?” he taunted with teeth nipping at the slant of my jaw. “Are your panties soaked?”

I nodded. “It’s so much,” I breathed.

Thoran groaned, an almost sound of pain. “I never had a breeding kink until you.” He gave me no chance to ask what a breeding kink was when he kissed me violently and viciously. The hand at my throat tightened until my lips tingled and my head swam from loss of air. Just as unexpectedly, he jerked back. “Breakfast before I forget we’re in the middle of the foyer and replenish your cunt.”

Oliver was absent from the table, much to my disappointment. Without him, Vance only wanted to talk about work, and I normally blocked out the chatter until he mentioned a name that brought me back to the conversation.

“Ripken?” I blurted without thinking.

The two stopped their talk to glance at me.

“Do you know him?” Thoran asked.

I had to dig deep to pull up the conversation I’d overheard. It seemed so long ago.

“I think my father does.” I watched my fork chase a piece of sausage across my plate. “He was the one Father was telling about you and Jarrett.”

I glanced up in time to catch the glance Thoran shared with Vance.

“What is this?” Vance asked and I realized Thoran hadn’t told him. “How does Miss ... Mrs. Lacroix’s father know Brixton?”

Thoran looked to me, asking silently if he could repeat my connection with Jarrett. He didn’t have to. I hadn’t expected him to keep the secret.

At my nod, he told Vance about my connection with the Brixton family. That was all he knew, and I realized I would have questions to answer once he finished.

I was right when Vance immediately pivoted harsh, dark eyes in my direction. The accusation was clear. I could almost hear him thinking he’d been right not to trust me.

“You’re engaged to Jarrett Brixton? Were,” he corrected when Thoran shot him a look. “You didn’t think that was mildly important...?” He cut himself off when Thoran sat back in his chair and set his cutlery down with a calm but a deadly air that sent a chill wafting through the room. Vance cleared his throat. “Why don’t you start from the top? The more I know, the more I can help.”

I wasn’t sure what he thought he could help with but one encouraging nod from Thoran and I agreed. There wasn’t much else I could tell them. Nevertheless, I followed them to the office after breakfast with Thoran’s hand in mine.

Vance hurried to the desk and rummaged while Thoran sat me on the sofa and took the spot next to me.

“Vance is right. We do need to know what we’re dealing with, especially if Jarrett somehow knows Ripken.”

“Who is he?” I asked.

“A thug. A messy one.” Vance hurried to the armrest and sat with a pad and pen. They were placed on the coffee table. “Mainly he rigs games. He used to oversee one of Mr. Lacroix’s gaming halls until he was caught skimming. He was charging people double on their bill and pocketing the other half. He was let go ... with some warning, but he had other ideas.”

“He tried to attack me when I went to collect the money he owed,” Thoran finished tightly. “We were ... friends. I had my guard down.”

Horror tightened in my chest as I realized what he was saying.

“He gave you those scars?”

Thoran nodded. “He thought if he killed me, he wouldn’t have to pay back the money. I didn’t think he would be so stupid. We were ... friends. I trusted him.”

I touched his face, smoothing my thumb over the faint line over his lip. “I’m sorry.”

He turned his head and kissed my palm.

---