Page 9 of Toxic

I feel her shudder against me, and it takes every ounce of self-control not to press my body fully against hers. I pull back slightly, meeting her gaze. The desire I see there mixedwith a calculated gleam that mirrors my own sends a rush of excitement through me.

For a moment, we’re suspended in time, the air between us thick with tension and unspoken promises. Then, slowly, deliberately, I lower my head, my lips hovering just above hers. “Devin,” I breathe, her name a prayer and a curse on my lips.

And then we’re crashing together, all pretense abandoned. The kiss is fierce, hungry, years of pent-up desire unleashed in a single moment. Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, and I groan into her mouth. Her nails scrape at the back of my neck, leaving claw marks I can’t help but love. My body presses her against the wall, every point of contact sending sparks of pleasure through me.

As we lose ourselves in each other, a small part of my mind remains alert, observing. The way Devin moves against me, the little sounds she makes—it’s all filed away, pieces of a puzzle I’m determined to solve. Because even as I give in to this moment of passion, I know it’s just the beginning.

Devin thinks she’s the one in control, but she has no idea this has been a long time in the making. This is more than desire, more than obsession. When she looked at me with her innocent grateful eyes the night I took her virginity, she became mine. And I don’t give away what belongs to me.

We finally break apart and she helps me back onto the sofa.

“Mr. Rivers,” she says, her voice slightly strained. “You should rest.”

I reach out, my fingers brushing against her hand. The contact sends sparks racing up my arm, and I have to bite back a groan. “Stay,” I say, the single word laden with meaning. “I don’t want to be alone.”

She hesitates, and I can see the internal struggle playing out behind her eyes. For a moment, I think she might refuse. Butthen she nods slowly, sinking down beside me on the couch. “All right,” she agrees, her voice barely above a whisper.

The air between us thickens even further, charged with unspoken tension. I can feel the heat radiating from her body and smell the subtle aroma of her natural scent. It’s intoxicating in a way that has nothing to do with the drug in my system.

“Devin. My Devin.” Will she admit to who she is? Admit to us?

Her eyes widen slightly, a mixture of caution and something darker—desire, perhaps?—swirling in their depths. “The drug making you confused,” she suggests, but there’s an undercurrent to her words, a tension that belies her calm exterior.

“No,” I insist, leaning closer. Our faces are inches apart now, and I can see the rapid pulse beating at the base of her throat. “I know you’re my Devin.”

For a moment, we’re suspended in time, balanced on the knife’s edge between restraint and abandon. I can see the war raging behind her eyes, the same battle I’m fighting within myself. Then, as if a switch has been flipped, we’re crashing together.

And once again, all control is gone. Our lips meet in a fervent kiss that ignites every nerve ending in my body. It’s like a dam breaking, the earlier kiss only laid the foundation for this one. Devin responds with equal passion, her fingers tangling in my hair, and her moans making me so hard, I can barely think. She pulls me closer, her nails digging at the back of my neck. I growl low in my throat, the sound more animal than human.

“Devin,” I breathe against her lips, tasting her name like a forbidden fruit.

Grabbing her by the arm, I drag her toward my bedroom but she stops me by the walls just a few steps away from the sofa. Without a word, I grip her throat, my fingers wrapping aroundher delicate neck. She stumbles, her hands clawing at mine, but I don’t let go.

I shove her against the wall, my body pressing against hers. Her breath hitches, her eyes flashing with anger and something else. Something darker. Something that calls to the devil inside me.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I murmur, my voice low and dangerous. She squirms, trying to break free, but I hold her tightly, my grip unyielding. “Don’t you want this?”

“You’re drugged. Let me go,” she hisses.

I laugh. “Never,” I growl, my free hand shoving the skirt on her dress up and bunching it at her waist. Then I yanked down her thong, exposing her to me. I run my hand through her slick folds, a smirk playing on my lips as I feel her wetness. “Look how wet you are for me. Your body knows who it belongs to.”

She tries to fight me, her hands pushing against my chest, her legs kicking out. But I’m stronger. I always have been. I slip a finger inside her, then another, my thumb circling her clit.

She gasps, her body tensing, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and desire. “You’re going to have to fight harder,” I murmur, my voice thick with lust. “Otherwise, I’m going to make you come all over my hand right here.”

I continue to finger fuck her, my hand moving in a steady rhythm, my thumb applying just the right amount of pressure. And between my words and my ministrations, she finally gives in.

She melts against me, her body softening, her breath coming in short gasps. I lean in, my lips brushing against her ear. “That’s it, sweetheart,” I growl. “Give in to it. Give in to me.”

She comes with a cry, her body convulsing, her pussy clenching around my fingers. I hold her tightly, my hand still around her throat, my body pressing against hers. She’s mine. She’s always been mine.

And now that I have her again, I’m never letting her go. Not again. Not ever.

I reach down with one hand, undoing my pants, freeing my cock. Devin’s eyes widen, her body tensing, and she starts to fight again. She pushes against my chest, her legs kicking out, trying to dislodge me.“You’re not in your right mind.”

I laugh, a harsh, mocking sound. “This act is pointless,” I growl, my hand gripping her thigh, feeling the slickness of her arousal. “Your thighs are soaked. You want this. You want me. So just part those pretty legs and let me in.”

Her eyes flash with defiance, her nails digging into my arms. I smirk, wrapping her legs around my waist and positioning myself at her entrance. With one swift thrust, I slam into her, burying myself deep inside her tight, wet heat.

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