Page 33 of Blood and Thorns (Twisted Ever After #1)

Sebastian

There was a pressure in my chest, like fire ants crawling beneath my skin. I needed to hit something. Break something, just to ease the fucking storm swirling inside.

Grabbing Arabella, I pulled her back towards the restaurant. Chip stood beside the car outside, leaning against the driver’s door. He straightened as soon as he spotted us, opening the car for us to slip inside.

Arabella went first, and before she could scoot to her side, I’d already pulled her onto my lap. She stiffened a little but didn’t fight it.

Good. She was learning.

The door slammed, the tension in the air growing until a single match could ignite it. But if it did, I didn’t know what I would do.

Tearing the mask from my face, I threw it on the seat beside us, pressing my face into Arabella’s hair. I needed to calm down, probably take those fucking pills just so I could get a single night of sleep.

Uncle was right, I didn’t seem to be in control at the moment. My anger was quicker to provoke, and it took me longer to contain it .

“So, you’re a drug dealer,” Arabella said, her voice breaking the heaviness that surrounded us.

“Careful…”

“You’re literally selling a product that destroys people’s lives.”

“People tend to destroy their own lives without my assistance,” I said, my tone a deep growl that caused goosebumps to pebble along her arms. She reacted so viscerally to my presence.

I couldn’t help but wonder if she hated the reaction as much as I enjoyed it.

“If someone wants to escape their dull lives, who am I to stop them?”

She twisted to glare at me over her shoulder. “You’re creating addicts.”

I scoffed. “They were already addicts. I’m just providing a more sustainable powder to those already wanting it.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?”

I automatically grabbed her throat, my fingers squeezing in warning. “Careful, belle .”

“An addict is an addict,” she argued, ignoring my grip. “You’re supposed to help them resist, not give it to them on a silver platter.”

“Just like you helped your father?”

She tried to wrench herself to the side, but I simply tightened my fingers.

“Fuck you. Don’t ever speak to me about my father.” She swallowed against my palm, and I released her because I didn’t trust myself to not keep squeezing. “You have no idea what I’ve had to do to help him.”

“I’m sure he’s thankful that he’s still alive, and you’re here with me.” My words were cold, hammering down the point. “Your dependency on a man who sold you is concerning.”

“He didn’t sell me. I agreed to this arrangement,” she hissed, but she’d lost some of her conviction, as if she was slowly realising I wasn’t the only monster in her life. “Fuck you, Sebastian. You don’t get to lecture me about something you know nothing about.”

I laughed, the sound alien even to me. I would’ve killed anyone else for speaking to me in such a way, but with her I found I enjoyed her resilience. She had no idea the edge on which she walked, risking being thrown into the abyss as soon as she pushed too far.

The car stopped at a red light, the vibration rumbling the leather beneath us.

“Ask,” I growled, feeling her agitation on my lap. Her head kept turning towards me, lips opening before she lost her confidence and closed them again.

“Did you have to kill Smithy? Couldn’t he just be let go with a warning?”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“But you didn’t stop it.” There was another moment of silence, and I concentrated on every single one of her breaths. “Do you think he deserved it?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation, her skin soft when I stroked up her legs.

Her breath hitched as my thumb brushed higher. “You don’t get to play god with people’s lives.”

“I don’t need to. I already own yours.”

I pulled her so her back pressed tighter against my chest before spreading her legs over my thighs. Her dress strained at the position, so I pulled it up to reveal black lace.

“You disobeyed an order again.”

My fingers brushed the edges of her underwear, and a groan caught in her throat. “I–”

I slapped her inner thigh, her words strangled as she writhed on top of me. “See, your mouth’s going to get you into trouble. ”

Tugging at the lace until it ripped, I tossed the ruined fabric beside my mask.

“Sebastian…” Arabella breathed, her head pressing back against my shoulder when I brushed my fingers through her centre.

“You seem pretty wet for a monster.” My thumb circled her clit, teasing without touching. “Tell me, how’s that reluctance going?”

Arabella gasped. “Fuck you!”

I smirked into her hair. “Sounds like an invitation.” Two fingers dipped inside, her pussy clenching around me when I finally brushed across her bundle of nerves. She wriggled on my lap, rubbing against my growing erection.

Fuck, she was tight, and I’d only gotten two fingers in.

“Stop,” she whispered, and of course I didn’t.

“Stop what? Stop touching you?”

She whimpered, so I pinched her clit.

“Doesn’t sound like you want me to stop.” My fingers moved lazily, the slick sound of her arousal obscene, and utterly addictive. “No, it sounds like my slut is enjoying this.”

“Sebastian,” she moaned, rocking her hips.

“Use your words, belle. Do you want me to stop?” I whispered.

She shook her head, her breath coming out in pants as I teased her to the edge of release. But this was supposed to be a punishment, so just before she came, I stopped.

She cried out, her body tensing at the loss, but before I could comment my phone rang. Reaching over, I clicked the button that would connect it to the car’s speakers.

“Answer call,” I said, the following click letting me know it had connected.

I brushed my lips against Arabella’s ear, my voice dropping to a whisper .

“You’d better stay quiet.” I continued to languorously tease, not giving her enough pressure to come. Keeping her on the very edge even as my cock strained painfully against my zipper.

“Bas?” Caden’s voice echoed around us. “Who the fuck is this Enchantress?”

“I have no idea.” I answered, using Arabella’s pliant body to calm my anger.

“So what’s the plan?”

Arabella threw her head back, her lips parted as I teased a third finger and pulled her dress down.

“We need to take this slow, so we don’t scare her,” I said, squeezing Arabella’s breast before tugging at her left nipple. Her cunt clenched, and she barely strangled her moan, so I did it again.

“Langdon’s laughing, in case you hear an old man’s wheeze.” A thump. “Ow, what the fuck was that for? Be fucking careful, I’m driving!” Another thump, followed by feedback through the speaker. “Okay, don’t get your knickers in a twist. Lang said it’s not exactly your style.”

Arabella finally let me in, three fingers thrusting slowly. “That’s three, do you think we can fit a fourth?” I whispered, making sure my voice couldn’t be picked up by the phone.

Arabella was mine, and I wouldn’t share a single fucking sound.

Caden continued, “He’s not wrong. Patience isn’t one of your virtues, Bas.”

“I think if we put on too much force, we’ll scare her away.” The last thing I wanted was the Enchantress to run, not unless I could give chase.

“Hmm.” Caden switched to French, knowing he was on loud speaker. “You think your toy’s a spy? Pretty suspicious that she gave herself to you around the same time. ”

I gave my attention to Arabella’s right nipple, the skin hard as I tugged it roughly.

“The thought had crossed my mind,” I replied in the same language, keeping Arabella in the dark. Not that she could really concentrate while I was trying to stretch her to accept a fourth finger. “But no.”

“You sound confident in that.”

“Doesn’t mean I trust her.” I could feel her pulse beat in her clit, her moans getting more frustrated each time I brought her to the edge and then pulled her back.

“Yet you brought her tonight.”

So I did.

“I’ll allow you to take the lead on this. You’re right, you have more… patience than me,” I continued in English.

Caden barked out a laugh, luckily loud enough to muffle Arabella’s whimper until I placed a hand over her mouth.

“We need to be subtle,” I added, her cunt resisting the stretch to take the fourth . “Put feelers out for this Enchantress. I want to see how deep her influence runs in this city.”

“You know where to go to ask about rumours,” Caden said, clearly not aware how close Arabella was to coming apart on my lap. “Who better to ask than the Mistress of Whispers herself?”

“Set up a meeting.” I released Arabella’s mouth to click off the phone and then immediately quickened my ministrations, making sure my fingers angled to brush against her G-spot. “Couldn’t even keep quiet for me, could you?”

I pinched her nipple at the same time I pressed her clit, able to feel how close she was by how she gripped me.

“Beg me, Arabella.”

“Please,” she whimpered, strangling my fingers. Her entire body was tensed, ready to snap .

“Please what? Use your words.”

“Let me come.”

I didn’t stop, her cries filling the cabin of the car as I forced the pleasure from her body. “Come for me,” I demanded, biting down on her throat, just above her choker.

Arabella screamed, soaking us both as she was finally allowed to orgasm. Her body rocked, and I had to pin her to me with a forearm. My cock ached, testing the zipper of my trousers as I gritted my teeth.

“Couldn’t even fit four fingers,” I commented, brushing my lips over the bite mark. “How disappointing.”

Arabella’s chest heaved, her skin coated in sweat. She was like a ragdoll on me, her body exhausted. She went to roll to the side, but not before I tightened my grip.

“Where do you think you’re going? Your punishment’s not finished.”