But I couldn’t. Not anymore.

I slipped off his lap, his hard cock sliding out of me, my pussy clinging onto it, betraying me as I tried to get away. The sudden emptiness between my thighs as a harsh reminder of what I’d just given away. My legs moved before my mind could catch up, carrying me out of the room, down the hall, like I could outrun the heat of his touch.

“Mila!”

His voice was sharp, commanding, but I didn’t stop. I stumbled into my room, slamming the door behind me with shaky hands. My chest heaved, my pulse racing as my back pressed against the wood.

This was wrong. All of it.

I pressed my palms to my temples, trying to silence the war inside my head. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want him. But my body… my body craved him in a way that made me sick to my stomach.

The sound of heavy boots on the stairs jolted me. My heart slammed against my ribs as the footsteps grew louder before the door flew open with a deafening crack, the lock snapping like a twig. Cipher stalked into the room, his presence suffocating, demanding. His dick was still hard as anger shone in his face. Those dark eyes locked onto me, and I froze.

I backed up until my knees hit the edge of the bed, my breath coming in shallow gasps.

“Running won’t save you, angel,” he said, his voice low and gravelly, a dangerous edge to his tone that sent shivers down my spine.

“Stay away from me,” I snapped, but my words were weak, trembling, betraying the lie.

Cipher smirked, closing the distance between us. “You don’t want that.”

His hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging me forward with ease until I was flush against his chest. His lips hovered over mine, so close I could feel the heat of his breath.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his voice like a caress.

I should have. God knows I should have. But I didn’t.

Instead, I tilted my head, exposing my neck to him in silent surrender. A part of me hated myself for it, but the rest of me burned for him, craved him in a way that left no room for reason.

Cipher pushed me back onto the bed, his weight pressing me into the mattress as his hands roamed my body, claiming every inch of me all over again. His lips found mine, and this time, there was no hesitation, no teasing. He kissed me with a hunger that matched my own, his tongue sweeping into my mouth like he owned it.

And then he was inside me, filling me with a brutal tenderness that made my head spin. My nails dug into his shoulders as he moved, his pace relentless, every thrust driving me closer to the edge.

“Don’t fight me, Mila,” he murmured, his voice softer now, laced with something raw. “You’re not broken. Not beyond fixing. I swear to you, I’ll make it right. You’ll get your life back.”

Tears pricked my eyes, blurring my vision as his words hit me harder than they should have.

“This isn’t what I want,” he continued, his lips brushing against mine in the softest kiss. “Not like this. But I won’t let you go until I know you’re safe. Until I knowyouknow you’re safe.”

I clung to him, my walls crumbling as his promises wrapped around me like a cocoon. For the first time in years, I let myself feel.

Cipher kissed me again, slower this time, deliberate, like he was sealing his words into my skin. And when he finally pulled away, his forehead resting against mine, I realized the truth I’d been denying all along.

I didn’t hate him.

Not even close.

His forehead pressed to mine, and for a moment, the world outside the bed faded. All that existed was Cipher—his weight on top of me, the steady beat of his heart against my chest, and the fire his words lit deep inside me.

“You’re mine, Mila,” he murmured, his breath warm against my lips. “Whether you want to be or not.”

Something inside me cracked. Maybe it was his voice, low and gravelly, or the way his hands gripped me like he was afraid I might disappear. But when he pulled back and started to move inside me again, it wasn’t panic that surged through me—it was need.

Raw, desperate need.

“Cipher,” I gasped, my hands clutching at his shoulders as he drove into me.

He leaned down, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss, his tongue tangling with mine. His movements were relentless, each thrust pushing me closer to the edge of reason.