Page 84 of Snitches and Serpents

Kneeling on the floor, she looks from side to side, as if there is some piece of clothing that she has overlooked. There isn’t. And when she realizes that, her face falls. Then desperation floods her features as she turns to me.

“You have to let me go,” she says, sounding utterly distressed as she stares at me from halfway across the room.

“I don’t have to do anything.”

“The first exam week is next week! It starts tomorrow.”

“I know.”

She shoots to her feet. My heart does a ridiculous flip as her perfect body once more comes into full view. She’s still completely naked.

As if she suddenly realizes that too, she whips her gaze down to her own body. Her cheeks flush. Then she snaps her gaze up and starts looking for her clothes.

Her panties are lying shredded by the bathroom door. But her bra and her dress are still lying at the foot of the bed where she put them earlier. She starts towards them.

And because I fucking can’t help myself, I take two quick strides and put myself between her and the bed, blocking her path to it.

She made me lose my mind and forget my mission, so it’s only right that she suffers for that now. After all, she is the one who started it by taking off her clothes. So if she wants to have this conversation now, she’s going to have to have it naked.

Surprise pulses across her face and she jerks to a halt when she finds me blocking the way. Standing there in front of the bed, I stare her down with hard eyes. She licks her lips.

And my composure almost shatters again.

Fucking hell, does she have to lick her lips like that?

Flexing my hand, I try to dispel the heat that coursed through me at the sight.

Thankfully, Elle doesn’t seem to notice, because she’s too busy trying to calculate whether she can get around me and grab her clothes before I can get to her. She apparently realizes that it won’t work, because she sweeps her glance around the room instead.

Light pulses in her eyes.

I follow her gaze to see what caused it.

My boot knife is lying on the floor by the desk.

“Go for it,” I taunt as I meet Elle’s eyes again. A cruel smile curls my lips. “See what happens.”

For a few seconds, it looks like she’s actually considering it.

But in the end, she just heaves a frustrated sigh and stomps her foot in a way that somehow makes her look both petty and adorable at the same time.

“Exam week starts tomorrow,” she says once more, her voice full of pent-up anger.

“I know,” I repeat. Cocking my head, I flash her another vicious smile. “And what do you think will happen when you miss it?”

Fear and panic pulse across her features. She swallows. “You can’t do this.”

“Of course I can.”

“You son of a bitch!” Lightning flashes in her eyes as she takes an angry step towards me. “I will fucking end you! I will ruin your life so?—”

“You already have,” I cut off, my voice harsh. “Remember?”

She flinches. Regret flits across her features, but it’s quickly drowned out by another wave of anger. “If you don’t release me right now, I will have you arrested for this.”

“This whole thing started because you ratted me out. Do you really think that threatening to do the same thing again is your best move here?”

That shuts her up. Licking her lips, she closes her mouth again and then swallows. She must realize the truth in my words. No matter what she threatens me with right now, it will only make me less inclined to release her.

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