Page 72 of A Twisted Arrangement

“I don’t think so.” He grips my wrist hard enough to hurt and reaches over to his nightstand. His arms are so long he doesn’t have to move his torso as he grabs his phone, turning on the camera so he can see what he’s doing.

“What…what are you doing?” I can’t breathe as he slides his hold upward to cup my fingers in his, then slowly manipulates the blade to cut anSinches below his neck.

I gasp. “What the hell are you doing?”

“You seem to be confused about what’s happening here. I’m just showing you how permanent you are.”

“By what? Carving my name?” I ask, eyes wide.

“Exactly. Now, don’t move around too much. Wouldn’t want to fuck this up.” He’s watching through his phone as he carves theCinto his skin.

“You are out of your freaking mind!” There’s something wrong with me because my core aches to be touched. I rub my wet thighs together, fighting the urge to climb on top of him.

“Help me out before I mess up theA.” The knife slides, and I stop it before he can permanently write it backward.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I take a deep breath when he lets go of my hand, tilting his head up, giving me full access to his neck. He’s so vulnerable to me, in the exact position I neededhim in earlier, but this time, I can feel his gaze branding me. I should slice his thick neck—I should do so many other things, but my hand moves on its own, meticulously carving each letter. The tail of my name follows the path beneath his collarbone.

He watches me, hot breaths brushing my skin, but doesn’t so much as flinch as I finish my name. There’s a twisted sense of satisfaction when I look at the raw letters, blood trickling from them.

He holds his phone up, examining my work. “So much better than your stitches.”

His laugh is contagious, and I press the knife to his throat. “I can still kill you.”

Strong hands cup my ass and shift me until his thigh is pushing between mine.

“You can kill me tomorrow,” he says, then takes my mouth.

I drop the blade, pushing it off the bed before burying my fingers into his hair and forcing him closer. He moans in the back of his throat, flipping me beneath him. I gasp as his hand travels up my side and cups my bare breast. He sucks my nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over the tip before biting. I scream, fingers tugging at his hair as the pain mixes with pleasure. I’m way over my head with this man, and he knows it.

He pushes my shirt higher, then attacks my other breast, teeth scraping the delicate skin as his fingers pinch and pull my other nipple. It feels like a punishment, one that I don’t want to stop. I’m gasping for breath, back arched, mouth wide as he makes his way down my stomach and presses his mouth to my core, blowing hot air. I’m shaking by the time he pulls my shorts off, discarding my underwear with them.

“Beg for it,” he says, mouth grazing my clit.

I shake my head no, and he licks me from back to front.

I moan, scrambling for more when he removes his mouth. “Beg for it.”

“No,” I grit through my teeth. I can’t. Not even when my entire body fights against me, wanting nothing more than his touch. But I can’t. Not after everything. Tears pool in my lashes. I thought there was something truly special between us back when we were kids. Forged in our shared trauma, but he brushed it away like it was nothing. Broke my heart like I meant nothing to him. He’d said I was just a Laurent, putting me in the same bucket as my father and brother. Nothing has ever hurt as much as those words he’d spit out at me all those years ago.

“I still hate you,” I say, fingers digging into the blanket. I wish I was telling the truth. The truth is I’ve never hated him, not for a second we were together or the ten years we’ve been apart.

He kisses my thigh, and it’s softer than I expect. “I know. I just don’t care.”

I look down at him, his dark eyes already on me.

“I won’t make you ask for it.” He nuzzles his nose against my clit. “Tell me no and I’ll stop.”

“That’s not fair. You’re playing dirty.”

He lifts my leg and kisses the side of my knee, eyes meeting mine, but I can’t make the words come out to tell him to stop. His mouth moves lower, driving me crazy.

I want this. Need this. And he’s making it possible for me to pretend that I don’t. Letting me claim I didn’t ask for it. That it’s all him initiating when we both know that’s a lie. I bite back a moan as he runs his tongue along my thigh. Each of his kisses moves closer to my core. By the time he gets to my apex, I’m shaking and can’t stop myself from gripping his hair, pulling him closer. He chuckles under his breath and pushes my legs wider, licking the crease between my core and thigh.

So close, so close.

Tears of need fall down my cheeks as he licks me again. “Hmm? Did you say something?”

My back arches painfully, and I’m barely able to support myself. Matthias wraps his arm around my back, catching my weight and holding me in place so I’m able to rest against him.

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