Page 3 of Toxic

I open my eyes, not realizing I’d closed them. Hawk is watching me, his gaze intense, searching. I’ve seen him before at family events, always from afar. Always watching, never participating. Just like me. But now, here in this opulent suite away from prying eyes, he’s close enough to touch. Close enough to taste.

My first kiss. With Hawk Rivers. The Devil. That’s what everyone in my family calls him. He’s mentally unstable they say. Cold. Calculating. Willing to kill his own family without batting an eye. He’s perfect.

“Hawk,” I whisper, his name a prayer on my lips.

Something flashes in his eyes—desire, possession, something darker I can’t quite name. It should frighten me. Instead, it ignites a fire low in my belly.

“So beautiful.”

His words wash over me, soothing the raw edges left by Regina’s cruelty. For years, I’ve endured her taunts and bullying. I’ve hidden in shadows, made myself small. But now, with Hawk looking at me like I’m the only person in the world, I feel something shift inside me.

I’m leaving for college in a few days. This might be my only chance. For once in my life, I’m going to take what I want.

Before I can second-guess myself, I surge forward, capturing Hawk’s lips with mine. The kiss is clumsy, inexperienced, but fueled with pent-up longing. Hawk freezes for a moment, clearly caught off guard.

Then, gently but firmly, he pushes me back. “Devin, stop,” he says, his voice strained. “You’re not ready for this. For me.”

Hurt and embarrassment flood through me. Of course. Someone like him would never want someone like me. Stupid, awkward Devin. Always misreading situations. I know I’m not right for him. Strong, commanding, and powerful Hawk. I’m just a socially awkward heiress who can’t even get her cousins to respect her.

Yeah, my family comes to my rescue all the time, but I’m tired of it. I don’t want to be that weak person anymore. Why would Hawk want a weakling like me? Why would he bother with me when I can barely stand up for myself?

“I’m sorry,” I stammer, heat rushing to my cheeks. “I thought... I mean, you kissed me, so I assumed... God, I’m such an idiot.”

I start to pull away, wanting nothing more than to flee and hide away and never show my face again. But Hawk’s hand on my arm stops me.

“Devin, look at me,” he commands, his tone brooking no argument.

Reluctantly, I meet his gaze. What I see there steals my breath. Gone is the careful control he’s maintained all night. In its place is a raw, primal hunger that makes my pulse race.

His hand wraps around my throat and squeezes. He’s holding the air in my lungs hostage. I don’t care. If I die at this moment from his hands, I wouldn’t regret a single second. The hand around my throat harshly pulls me close while his otherhand slides into my hair and grips, turning my face up to his. I struggle to suck in a breath. My eyes water but I’m not afraid. I blink away the tears gathering in my eyes.

“It’s not that I don’t want you,” he says, each word deliberate and heavy with meaning. He slides his tongue over my bottom lip. “It’s that once we start, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop. And you deserve better than a rough fuck in a hotel suite.”

His crude language shocks me, but it also sends a thrill through my body. I’ve never been spoken to like this before. Never been looked at with such naked want. He releases my throat and I feel slightly sad.

“I don’t care,” I hear myself say, surprising us both with my boldness. “I want you.”

For a long moment, Hawk stares at me. I can see the battle raging behind his eyes—desire warring with restraint. Then, like a dam breaking, the careful control he’s maintained all night snaps.

In an instant, he’s on me. His kiss is rough, demanding, nothing like the gentle peck from before. His hands tangle in my hair, gripping to the point of pain. I should be scared. I should want to run.

Instead, I feel alive for the first time in my life.

I match his intensity, pouring every ounce of my frustration and longing into the kiss. When we finally break apart, we’re both panting.

“Devin,” he growls, and the sound sends shivers down my spine. “Last chance to back out. Are you absolutely sure about this?”

I meet his gaze, seeing the storm of desire and something darker swirling in his eyes. In this moment, I know there’s no going back. Hawk Rivers has awakened something in me that can never be put to sleep again.

“I’m sure,” I whisper and seal my fate with another kiss.

He takes several steps away from me and then pins me with his gaze.

“Take off your clothes, Devin,” he commands, his voice leaving no room for argument. Not that I planned to.

I hesitate for a moment, but the intensity in his gaze has me complying. I strip down, my dress and underwear pooling at my feet, leaving me bare and vulnerable under his scrutiny. For a second, his gaze stops on my hip and stares. It’s a tattoo I got myself for my birthday. A black snake curled around a moth.

He nods appreciatively, his eyes darkening with desire as he stalks around me. “You’re fucking perfect,” he murmurs, his voice thick with lust. “You’re a damn wet dream, Devin.”

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