Page 113 of Beautiful Venom

Swallowing, I face him, my tone lethargic. “What else are you hiding from me?”

“Possibly as much as you’re hiding from me.”

I lift my chin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure thing, wildflower. If you say so. But at any rate, whatever we’re hiding doesn’t matter. We’re only using each other’s bodies because we share the same depraved fantasies.” He smiles, his voice dropping an octave. “Correction.Iam using your body because you love being used.”

“You—” I stop myself from calling him names.

It’ll just backfire. And it’s not like he’s wrong. I ghosted him because I was terrified about how much I loved the sex in the maze.

I was horrified about how much I was turned on.

I contemplated therapy for real and spent days reading articles upon articles about rape fantasies and primal play and only came up more confused about how much I wanted it.

How much Istillwant it.

And the only person who knows my sick tendencies is the equally sick man standing beside me.

He smiles with unmasked cruelty, showing me the side of him that got off on hunting me down. “I’m what? A pervert? An asshole you hate but still fantasize about his cock?”

“Oh please. It wasn’t that impressive. I’ve had better in my day.”Lie, lie, and more lies.

“Dahlia…” The warning spreads across my skin in a sheen of goosebumps. “Don’t make me bend you over the car and use that cunt. We’ll see if any of the other dicksyou’ve hadare impressive when you bounce on my cock.”

I step back.

Jesus. I was only trying to provoke him.

A smirk touches the corner of his lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t fuck you. When I do, you won’t see it coming.”

Damn Kane Davenport.

He has a way of keeping me on my toes. And why the hell am I overrun with both excitement and dread?

He leans back against the car, his gaze fixed on the town below. There’s a calmness in him, a dangerous sort of ease, and the air between us feels charged, the small space separating us almost nonexistent.

I’m being pulled into his orbit, I realize.

Another star that’s drawing too close to the sun.

But this star will crash before I let him consume me.

So what if Vencor’s membership is off-limits? I still have the hockey team that he insisted I join.

And most importantly, I havehim.

I’ll use him fully to get my sister justice, even if my chest starts to tighten at the thought.

After I’m introducedto the team, I fill out the paperwork and speak with the medical staff about my new intern position. The team doctor tasks me with paperwork and with watching the players and detecting any possible injuries.

Kane doesn’t like the last part.

Honestly, he doesn’t seem to like any particular part.

I wouldn’t say I’m accepted with open arms. I can see the doubt and even downright hostility from Gavin, Jude, and some other players who are also part of Vencor. The rest are mostly unaffected or don’t even notice me.

I’m sure they’re resistant to an outsider in their midst. Someone like me who doesn’t belong to their high and mighty social standing.

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