Page 70 of The Reaper's Vice

Reaching behind my neck, I find the clasp and work quickly to unlock the contraption. A softpopsounds, and the collar falls from my neck. Breathing a sigh of relief, I reach up and massage the two red marks left on my skin from the metal prongs, a frown creasing my brow.What a dickhole.

As I glare at Orion’s sleeping face, a plan forms in the depths of my mind. With a smirk tugging at my lips, I pick up the collar and inch it toward his neck, biting my lip to stop the devious chuckle that wants to spring free.

Sliding one strap through the space between his neck and the mattress, I pull the other side over the top and force the clasp together, having to use far more force than I thought due to the thickness of his neck.

Orion’s eyes spring open at the sensation, but it’s too late. Snapping up the remote from his bedside table, I skitter backward off the mattress before he realizes what’s happened. My ass hits the floor with a bang, but there’s so much adrenaline coursing through me that I barely feel it.

Orion reaches up to the collar, a frown carving a path down his face as he watches me retreat to the other side of the room. He reaches to the back of his neck to undo the clasp, and I press the little red button, causing him to jump.

“Fuck!” He jerks his eyes to me, and I can’t help but shudder at the raw malice brimming there. “What the fuck are you doing, Seraphina?”

The way he says my name sends a shudder down my spine—but it’s not a good feeling. Steeling my shoulders, I wave the remote in the air, forcing a haughty expression onto my face.

“It seems I’m in control now.”

Instead of the anger I expect, Orion tips his head as a teasing smirk replaces his frown. “Are you? And what would you have me do?”

My pulse pounds in my ears as I take in the challenge in his eyes.Fuck… I didn’t actually think I would get this far.

Swallowing hard, I point a finger at the floor. “Crawl to me.”

A devious smirk tips my lips as I raise the remote above my head, getting high off the murderous sheen in Orion’s gaze. Without a word of dissent, Orion pushes off the bed, his chest heaving as he crouches down to all fours. And slowly—oh, so slowly—he does as I request. His forearms strain as he moves toward me, eyes dark and unblinking and causing my thighs to clench. The leather strap around his neck strains with each beat of his pulse, and I know if I look between his legs, I’ll find his cock hard and ready. The sight of Orion crawling to me shouldn’t be as hot as it is—yet it has me melting into a puddle on the floor.

When he reaches me, he rises to his knees, slowly sliding his palms from my ankles to my hips and resting there. He looks up at me through impossibly long lashes, a sharp canine bared as he bites the corner of his lip.

“You have me now, Seraphina. What are you going to do with me?”

“I… I don’t…” My brain is mush as I stare down at him, numb to everything but the warmth spreading from my inner thighs.Fuck me,is what I want to say—the only two words I would be able to form—but there’s no way I’m going to say it. Not when I’m finally in control.

Orion chuckles, the sound dark and sinful as it rolls off his lips. “What is it, dove? Someone lose their nerve?”

He snaps a hand up to his neck, ripping the collar off in one swift movement. I barely have time to blink before he’s standing, pulling me from the floor and tossing me to the mattress. His thighs hit the top of the bed, and that same dark look from earlier returns to his eyes as he crawls toward me.

He climbs on top, his tattooed forearms straining on either side of my head, that dark smirk still pulling at his sinful mouth. He leans low, his breaths coasting over my neck and causing my skin to prickle, desperate for his touch. His kiss.

“Orion,” I moan, closing my eyes tight as a shudder runs through my body. “Orion, I need to come.”

“I know.” He takes a deep breath of me and takes my skin between his teeth. I let out a pained hiss, but pleasure blooms all the same. He sucks and kisses the spot, reaching a hand down and cupping the chastity belt covering my clit. His fingertips work under the edge, an appreciative hum rumbling from his chest at the slick arousal he finds.

“Too bad you haven’t learned how to be good.”

A choked sound falls from my lips as Orion pulls away, a devious smile curving his mouth. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly.” He stands from the bed, sparing me one last appreciative glance before moving to the dresser and finding me a fresh pair of clothes. “Put these on. I want to show you something.”

I shove the clothes on and follow Orion into the living room, finding him with a smile and a pair of hiking boots in his hands.

I raise a brow. “What are those for?”

“Just put them on.” He tosses them along with a pair of socks to the floor at my feet. “Then meet me outside.”

The tang of cypress sap assaults me as soon as I step into the small clearing, squinting my eyes against the sun that breaks through the sparse canopy. As soon as he sees me, Orion takes off, disappearing into the brush, and I have no choice but to follow him. We walk for a good half an hour before we reach the end of the forest. I step past the tree line, surprised to find Orion standing at the edge of a cliff, his arms spread wide and his head tilted back as the violent breeze whips through his hair.

“Come on!” he calls, ushering me closer. “It’s beautiful over here!”

Stomach twisting, I do as he says. I stop a few feet from the edge, leaning forward so I can see past the edge, and my heart drops when I realize how high up we are. Waves crash against the pointed rocks below, violent and white-capped and waiting to claim the life of whoever falls to its depths.

Shuddering, I try to take a step backward, only for Orion to grip my wrist and haul me to the edge. My mouth opens in a wordless scream as he positions me in front of him, my toes hanging from the ledge. I lean as far back against him as I can, the warmth of his chest seeping into me, easing some of my anxiety.

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