Page 10 of Crown of Thorns (The Initiation #3)

LOUIS

N oah’s back thwacks against the wall with such force that one of the new frames clatters down.

Shards of glass are thrown all over the wooden floor.

His silver eyes glare in rage, and a vein pulses in his throat.

I trail my finger over it, following the dip to where it meets his collarbone. “Let go of me before I call security.”

“You still don’t get it, do you? No one will come. If it’s your word against mine, who do you think they’ll believe? Hmm?”

“You…you…”

“I know.” I smile my shark-like smile, slow and gleaming, loving how his gaze dips as he takes in every second of it. “So, what’s it gonna be? Fight, or give up?”

He wants to fight this so badly. He wants to rearrange my face with his fists, his inner furor begging to be released. To destroy everything in their wake. But he can’t. Because we’re standing here where anyone could walk in. And because, unlike his, my promises bite, and he knows it.

“Let me be very clear on something, Noah.” My fingers move to unbutton his shirt, slowly exposing what treasures it holds.

“I touch whatever the fuck I want.” A sun-kissed skin, golden and warm like temptation.

His chest is broad and defined, smooth and hairless.

Cocking my head, I watch his expression morph into one of bewilderment.

His lips beg to be kissed, pillowy and wet.

“This.” I press a dark nipple between my fingers, and his mouth falls open.

“Or this.” My free hand cups his prominent bulge.

“Tell me, Professor, do you want my mouth around this cock again?”

“You are crazy,” he snarls, pushing me off of him with renewed force. His chest is heaving, looking glorious on full display. My gut aches at the sight, a throb catching low in my stomach like hunger sharpened to a blade.

“I know. That’s why people love me so much.”

“I’m not people . Now, listen. Please.” Wrapping his hand around my throat once more, he keeps me at arm’s length.

This time, his grip doesn’t smother me. “This has been going on for long enough now. I messed up, you took advantage of it, I get it. It’s fun.

It’s exciting. But let me tell you, it’s old news now. So let’s just move on.”

“Aww,” I pout. “You seriously want to ignore our first meeting?”

“Yes. That was an unfortunate event that won’t repeat itself. If it is apologies you want, I?—”

“I don’t want your apologies,” I huff out a laugh. “You tasted divine. All shy and uncomfortable and so very, fucking hungry.”

Noah’s nostrils flare as he glares at me. “What did you say?”

“Was it your first time with a guy?”

“Of course not,” he growls.

“Well, you tasted like a virgin. I would have thought Paris had plenty of entertainment to offer.”

“I was busy studying,” he snaps.

“I know you were. At twenty-six, you were the youngest professor in the country. I would have thought that someone with such status could afford better housing.” As if stung by a wasp, he lets go of me and pushes me with full force against the wall.

“Careful, you don’t want to break any more frames. ”

“How do you know about my life in Paris?” he barks.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? What would you give for that information?”

“What?” His eyes flash. “ Nothing . Is everything a game to you?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, not to me.” He leans forward and presses something cool and very sharp against my throat. A pocket knife. His survival instincts kick in. So my resources didn’t lie. He did live on the streets. Making this a very, very touchy subject.

“How do you know about my life in Paris?” he asks again.

“What do you think?”

“Listen, I just want you to back off.” His hand shakes as he visibly deflates, shoulders slumping and eyes clouding over with something too heavy to name.

The anger drains from his face like a tide receding, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.

Wrapping my hand around his, I keep the blade on my throat.

A shiver runs through my body, making my cock harden even more.

“Not. Gonna. Happen.” Pushing our hands forward, the knife presses closer against my throat.

I close my eyes and shudder. I’ve always loved a little danger, but my usual type of person is a very specific kind of twink—my favorite sex worker—and while his holes perform magic, he’s not paid to be violent.

Now this…to have my otherwise collected professor riled up is a whole different ball game.

Why is he so worked up? Because I know of the shelter he lived in in Paris?

What other skeletons does he have hidden in his closet?

“Name your prize, Louis. And this will go away.”

I roll my hips against his groin, not surprised I find him as hard as I am. His gray eyes widen, and the tip of the knife scrapes at my skin. I hiss at the sudden sting. He watches my blood trickle down my throat with dilated pupils. The room fills with the familiar, metallic scent.

“We all gamble, Noah. It’s called life. By choosing an option, you automatically eliminate all others. I’m curious about your choices. Why did you move to Paris when you were only sixteen?”

“That’s none of your business.” The knife breeches me once more. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I don’t care. Not when I can see the craze reflect his inner turmoil. It looks fucking glorious. “What do you want from me?”

“Other than tasting your cock again?”

“Stop this madness,” he grumbles. He sounds desperate.

Releasing my throat with a heavy sigh, he pulls away and walks to the window, throwing a punch at the bag on his way.

“I’m an honest man, Louis, a good teacher.

My intentions are right. You caught me at the wrong moment, for which I apologize from the bottom of my heart.

If you’d like to hear it again, I’ll tell you again.

But I will not be blackmailed. I won’t be your victim.

If you don’t drop this after today, I’ll go to your father and tell him the truth about you. ”

“The truth about me?” I give him a puzzled look, genuinely curious. “Did you search the internet for me, Professor? If you want, I can give you my links to social media.”

“Stop it, Louis. I’m serious.” But his face flushes. Hmm, interesting. Taking off his glasses, he rubs his eyebrows and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“And what is the truth about me?” I ask.

“That you like…That you like…”

“That I like you ?” I grin when he flinches.

He lets out a swear and grunts. “That you’re into men.”

“That I’m into men,” I drawl. This is the anti-climax of the fucking century.

I thought he’d come up with that one time I burned down that club in Marseille—which was an accident, by the way—or that time I fucked my ex’s boyfriend just to watch him cry.

Yeah, of all the things he could have on me, he comes with that .

But I play along, because I’m a good sport.

And because I’m curious where he’s going with this.

“You would tell my father ?”

“If you don’t drop it, I will.” He swallows, Adam’s apple bobbing. “I don’t want it to come to that.”

“You’re right. Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?” Noah stays facing the window, shoulders rigid, breath uneven.

He hasn’t turned since I started talking, but he needs to.

He has to. If he keeps his back to me much longer, I’ll think he’s actually afraid.

He’s still staring outside the window at the darkening forest, but I don’t miss the hope in his voice. Poor baby really thinks I’ll go away.

“Yes. Let’s say, a secret for a secret.”

“Explain yourself, Louis.”

“You don’t tell my father that I dance in a gay club. And I won’t tell anyone that I danced for you in that same club. Swallowed your cock and had you trembling in my arms.”

“Trembling,” he scoffs, still not looking at me. I grin. If he wants to pretend that never happened, I’m okay with it. As long as he accepts my next offer.

“You want to change the world. Beat inequality? Have some champagne.”

That has him turning around, looking suspicious. “Champagne? What’s that?” He glares at the bottle in my hand.

“This? Champagne. And that is a fridge. If you ever want to surprise me, it’s my favourite everything. And blackberries.” I toe the mini-bar closed with my shoe. “Don’t worry, I also got you freshly pressed orange juice. You seem to love that.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

I shrug. “I have my ways.”

“You…you…” He gulps, shaking his head, forcing back his calm. “What about this secret?”

Ahh, now we’re talking. I pop the cork and take a long sip, moaning against the bottle.

His attention on me is unwavering. At my mouth, to be precise.

He doesn’t seem to realize it, so I won’t call him out on it.

It’s kind of cute. Wiping it clean with the sleeve of my jacket, I put the bottle back onto his desk and sit down next to it.

“You majored in the impact of group behaviour in the modern world.’

“So?”

“What is it about inequality that fascinates you the most, Professor?”

He blinks, clearly not expecting such sharp questions out of my mouth.

“I believe people deserve a second chance. We are still so young when we have to make big decisions and don’t realize that those can affect the rest of our lives.

It shouldn’t be like that. The poor should be given access to education.

The rich—” Our eyes meet and he licks his lips, hesitating, “Let’s just say I’ve been trying to incorporate more rights for equality. ”

“And, have you been successful?”

“It takes time to make such a difference in life.”

“That’s a no.”

“I’m still working on it,” he snaps, but the words have no bite.

“Well, you’ve entered the lion’s den, Professor.”

“What do you mean?”

I shrug. “The world of the ultra-rich. This is where the future is prepared, where business deals are being signed.”

He looks genuinely surprised at that, his face looking sinfully handsome. “Do students sign off deals, you mean?”