Page 131 of Devious Love

Her legs shake as she climbs off me and heads to the bathroom. When she returns, she slips beneath the sheet on her side of the bed. I throw an arm around her waist and haul her to my chest. Rather than pull away like I expect, she snuggles closer to me. So, I pull the comforter up and bury my face in her hair. As her breathing slows and my heart rate settles, I trace lazy patterns on her hip with my fingers.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” she stutters. “I know nothing about you anymore, other than we still have chemistry. That’s all this is. Just a result of being in close quarters.”

I exhale and tighten my grip around her. “Okay.”

Her words hurt, but they aren’t unexpected. They’re absolutely deserved. So I close my eyes, press her even tighter against my chest, and drift off to sleep.

CHAPTER 38

you’ve always been mine

MIA

Age 23

September

I waketo a heavy weight draped over my body. Dominic. I fell asleep in his arms, and this morning, nothing has changed. His head is still tucked against my nape, his hot breath steady against my neck. For a moment, I let myself enjoy how his strong, muscular body blankets mine.

When he holds me like this, it’s easy to forget everything that went wrong between us. All the pain. All the tears. All the stupid decisions.

But the moment I walk out of the room, this illusion will disappear. Unless we sit down and have a real conversation, clear the air, I don’t think anything can be fixed.

Even mind-blowing orgasms won’t change how badly he hurt me.

Carefully, I slip out of bed. He stirs, turning onto his back, but he doesn’t wake up. I grab fresh clothes from my suitcase and slip into the bathroom.

I don’t wait for the water to heat up before stepping in. At first, I gasp when the cool spray hits me, but soon, the water is scalding. I leave it that way, as if the heat will wash away the weight of what I did last night.

This doesn’t mean anything, I told him, trying to convince myself by voicing it. He didn’t argue, but I think he knew I was lying to both of us.

It meanseverything.

I wash my hair, wincing when I discover how tangled it is. Slowly, I work out each knot, and when I’ve gotten rid of them all, my head feels lighter. It’s a weird analogy, but that’s how it feels to be with Dom: pain when we’re not together, lightness when we are. I’ve never been happier than I was when I was with him. It didn’t matter how healthy my last relationship was; I cravedhisdarkness,hisdominance,hisunapologetic possessiveness.

He told me he’d ruin me for all other men, and he delivered on that promise. It’s been four years and seven months since our breakup, and I still can’t deny how much I love him.

How much I wish it was the same for him too.

Steam curls around me as I step out of the shower. My skin is hot and blotchy, yet I shiver as I wrap the towel around me. The temperature outside the shower is much cooler, making me pause. That’s when I realize the door is open, and he’s here. His shoulder propped against the doorframe, Dom watches me. His hair is a mess, his gaze penetrating, as if he sees right through me.

I wipe condensation from the mirror and clear my throat, doing my best to ignore the hammering of my heart. “You could’ve knocked.”

A lazy smile pulls at his lips as he saunters up to me and stops just inches from my back. “I didn’t want to interrupt.” He lifts hishand, fingers ghosting over my skin. “Though maybe I should’ve. You look like you showered under boiling water.”

“Not quite, but close.”

He brushes my wet hair away from my shoulder and kisses it gently. “Why? Wanted to wash away your sins?”

I arch an eyebrow. “Maybe I wanted to get rid of your scent.”

Gaze darkening, he presses his chest against my back, caging me between his body and the sink. He cuffs my throat, his eyes locked on mine in the mirror. When he lowers his head to my ear, a zing of excitement rushes through me.

“You can wash away my scent, brush your teeth to get rid of the taste of my cum in your mouth, but you’ll never get rid of me.” He presses his lips to my temple. “Because I’m here.” His other hand slides down my arm, stopping at my wrist. “And here, injected deep into your veins.” He slides his fingers over my waist and down my hip. “You’re mine, Mia. You’ve always been mine.”

He takes a step back and walks out of the bathroom, finally giving me the privacy I so desperately wanted.

Fuck. I think I need another shower.