Page 63 of The Sinner's Bargain

“Jesus,” he breathed with an exhale that washed over my face. “Christ, love, you look stunning.”

Heat swept up my chest and filled my face. “Thank you.”

He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off me. He traced the hills and lines of my body on repeat with a devoted attention that lit trails of fire everywhere he touched before settling on my mouth.

“I don’t know about that color though,” he murmured.

My hand went to my lips and the deep, red wine shade darkening the folds. “You don’t like it?”

In a motion so fluid I didn’t even notice until his clothes were tangling with mine and his hand was a bracelet around my waist, dragging my fingers away he was in front of me, looming over me.

“I don’t know how I’m ever going to get anything done with it on you.”

It was ridiculous and I felt ridiculous, but I giggled. A sound that was horrible and made me cringe inside, but I couldn’t stop it.

I lowered my gaze in shame and giddy delight.

“Thank you for everything today. I really love my new things.” I dared a glance up at him to find him still fixated on my mouth. The feral glint in his eyes made my knees weak and my stomach erupted into chaos. “Thoran.”

His sharp intake of air collided into my chest. It flared his nostrils even as I found his hands on me. Fingers around my throat. Thumbs wedged under my chin, forcing my face to his.

“Fuck!” he growled, the sound viciously guttural. “Say it again.”

Heart hammering, lungs working overtime, I dampened the lips he couldn’t seem to look away from and watched his eyes darken dangerously.

I obeyed.

I breathed his name with every drop of my own fire burning white hot in the pit of my soul.

His snarl was animalistic.

His fingers flexed, tightening just enough to make me gasp and break out in shivers. The cold hard edge of the doorframe cut into my spine as he pinned me in place.

“I want to ruin you,” he hissed into my jawline with scraping teeth into my skin.

I let the madness coming off him in waves addict me, tempt me. I let it turn my head to his, offering him ... me. But he only carved a vicious smirk of self-depreciation into his mouth and pulled back.

“If I kiss you, Little Blue, I won’t stop there. I will take you and fuck you and mark you until there is no doubt in anyone’s mind who you belong to.”

He gave me no chance to respond when he drew back. The absence of his hands left a cold chill around my throat. I would have touched the spot if he wasn’t watching me so closely.

“Hungry, love?” he asked instead.

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure either of us meant for food.

He took my hand and led me from my room. At the stairs, he guided me down gingerly, giving my heels time to find each step carefully before moving to the next. I offered him a grateful smile when we hit the bottom, and he pulled my hand to his lips. His warm breath skated across the knuckles and red, hot lava rushed up my arm. I bit my lip to keep the moan in check but missed the shaky breath that whispered out too loud in the foyer’s silence.

“We’re really in trouble, aren’t we, sweetheart?” he murmured against my skin.

I drew in a breath. “I think so,” I replied.

The hand not holding mine slid around my middle and I was drawn to him. It wasn’t with fire and desire, but a tenderness that felt equally dangerous.

“Does it scare you?”

I swallowed. “A little.”

He nodded as if that made perfect sense. “Me too.”

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