Hurt Me Like You Mean It [BL]

[This book contains, explicit and mature scenes—no r*pe. Not advised for viewers under 18, protect thy purity]Lance Dixon is drowning in a debt that isn’t his. His parents’ financial mistakes have fallen entirely onto him, and his life has collapsed into a constant struggle to stay afloat.He has never denied what he is. Lance is a masochist, and most people he’s dated couldn’t handle that truth.Every relationship ended the same way, leaving him with needs no one was willing to meet.Everything shifts on a night he drinks too much and ends up venting to a stranger. In a mix of frustration and alcohol, Lance jokes that he’d sell himself to anyone willing to pay off his debt.The stranger, Ansel Lowell, doesn’t brush it off. He asks how much. And when Lance tells him, Ansel offers a deal: three months living under his terms, in exchange for clearing the debt completely.The deal is straightforward and seems almost like relief. But as the days pass, the dynamic between them deepens in ways neither expected. What began as a simple exchange grows into a connection that is far more consuming, and far more dangerous, than either of them intended.[Excerpt]Lance meant to pull away when Ansel stepped closer, but his body didn’t move. Ansel’s hand hovered near his jaw, just close enough to make Lance’s breath catch.“Do you understand what you agreed to?” Ansel asked quietly.Lance swallowed. “You’re paying off my debt. I stay with you for three months. That’s it.”A hint of a smile tugged at Ansel’s mouth, which made him more dangerous because of it.“No, Lance. That’s the surface of it. I want you to hear the truth.”Lance’s pulse stumbled.Ansel leaned in just enough that Lance could feel the warmth of his breath.“I’m going to take up space in your life. I’m going to have you when I want you. I’m going to learn every weakness you try to hide, and I will use them. I will claim you, piece by piece, until you can’t tell where your choices end and mine begin.”Lance exhaled shakily. “Do you worst Mr. Lowell, I can handle it.”