Page 40 of When the Woods Go Silent

His slight pause makes me wonder if maybe Arlo isn’t into the sort of domination I love most - woman on top - but then he surges into action. His hands push my skirt up far enough to grip the sides of my panties, and he tears them down my legs, tossing them to the side before propping my knee back on his shoulder.

“I know exactly what you need,” he rasps, wrapping those long fingers around my thick thighs from beneath, widening them until my pussy is on complete display for him. I shift to the side a bit and recline on the chaise, popping my nipples free from the lace of my bra and twisting them over the low neckline of my sweater. Arlo’s eyes follow the movements of my fingers greedily before traveling up to meet my challenging gaze.

My breath catches as I note something feral in those icy depths.

Something almost... animalistic. Hungry, even. He’s going to devour me, and I’m going to enjoy every second.

Arlo’s lips spread into a teasing grin, and then he bends and buries his tongue in my naked folds.

My back arches and I forget how to string sentences together as the pleasure descends in a heady rush. He’s taking hard andfast as a mission, and my mind spins with the bit of power he’s turned on me.

A moan rips from my throat and my body grinds against his face as he laps at me, sucking my clit between his lips and spinning my mind into the stars. He pushes two fingers deep inside, curling them into the perfect spot as though he’s been here a thousand times. My thighs begin to tremble almost too soon, and he pushes them wider with his other hand, holding me open like a vise as he has his filthy fun.

My chest is heaving and I’ve forgotten all about playing with my nipples, caught in the perfect storm of sensation that he’s creating so easily. A cry that might be his name rips from my throat, but he just keeps going, drawing out the orgasm to the point of tender pain as he claims his dominance in the moment too easily.

“I could make you come again, just like this. It would be so fucking easy,” he growls, holding me down as I writhe beneath his tongue. I’m so goddamn sensitive, and all I can think of is how empty my pussy is. I’m clenching around empty space, my hands gripping the edge of the chaise, and I breathlessly beg him.

I want his fingers inside me again. I want his cock - hell, I want him to fuck me into the cushions until I can’t remember my own name, much less his.

But he’s slowing down now, damn him, resisting my direction, tasting and teasing instead of devouring. The frantic pace he set before slows to an excruciating crawl as he swirls his tongue lazily across my pulsing core. I whimper and arch against him, growing impatient for the next act of our little play, but all he does is drag his teeth against my sensitive skin.

“More,” I say, my voice throaty and full of need, as I feel his lips nibbling my inner thigh. I don’t want to beg, but I’m not above it right now. I’m too ready - I don’t want this feeling tohave a chance to dissipate. His mouth is so close to giving me more.

Suddenly, my eyes fly open, and I yelp in surprise. Shoving up on one elbow, I stare down at the man in disbelief, my skin throbbing with a new, very unpleasant sensation.

“Did you... did you just fuckingbiteme?” I ask, scrambling higher on the chaise, creating distance between us. My mouth drops open as a telltale bead of blood trails down my inner thigh, the delicate skin pulsing with a coming bruise. His bottom lip is wet with my blood, a flash of sharp white tooth against the bright red. My disbelief grows as his tongue swipes at the blood on his lips, his pale eyes darting down to my thigh like he’d love to lick up the rest of it.

He leans closer, but I catch his shoulder with my hand, lowering my knee and snapping my thighs together. My skin throbs, and there’s an uncomfortable, slick wetness that shouldn’t be there. How fucking hard did he bite me? Skin doesn’t just tear with a little nibble.

Arlo’s lips pop open like he’s going to say something, but no sound comes out, and he finally sits back on his ass, his brows drawing together halfway between confusion and anger. Something dangerous flashes in his pale eyes, and I suddenly feel like a cornered animal. I need to get out of here. I glance around for my panties, deciding I don’t even care as I stand and shimmy my skirt back down.

“That was not cool, dude. I don’t mind a little kink, but a bite like that requires more consent than I gave you.” I bark out the words, every bit of desire dissipating as he stares up at me in shock. What did he think was going to happen?

My hands adjust my sweater quickly, covering the rest of my nakedness, and I press my thighs together harder against the swell of pain on my tender skin. It’s not far from my femoralartery, and my nerves jitter with unease as I realize I know nothing about this man.

He’s blocking my exit, too, but thank fuck he doesn’t try to stop me as I edge around him and back toward the front door.

“I... I had no idea,” he finally mumbles as I grip the handle. I’m so fucking confused by the turn the night has taken. This was a bad idea. I should have trusted my gut.

“I’m not saying don’t call me, but, wow. Let’s maybe take a step back and discuss some hard limits.” Part of me - the people-pleasing girl who was raised by the patriarchy - says I’m overreacting.

Plenty of people use teeth during sex. His nibbling on my thigh wasn’t even a problem. I could give him the benefit of the doubt - maybe he got carried away and bit harder than he meant to.

But the bigger part of me knows that’s bullshit. To fucking draw blood from a girl right after an orgasm, without warning or permission? And then lick your lips like you want more?

Yeah. No. There’s something seriously off about the energy between us now, and my inner alarm bells are not going to be quieted enough to salvage anything with Arlo. I gave him the chance Ruby asked me to, and now I’m done.

His redemption arc is over.

“Thanks for... the dinner.” It’s all I can manage as I head out the front door, purse clutched in one hand. Arlo still hasn’t said another word, and I’m actually not sure he’s capable of it yet. He seems frozen in disbelief, still right where I left him.

His hair may be all tousled and sexy, and his lips all pouty and full, but his jaw is slack like just another clueless asshole.

Seriously. What the fuck did he expect?

Even beautiful men need approval for a kink like blood play, and consent has levels.

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