Page 27 of Renascence

***Emily***

Venom’s eyes narrow, his hand leaving my neck. He takes a step back, shock overtaking his features.

“What the fuck, Emily? You don’t think you should’ve told me that before?” he demands.

“It’s not like that. We’re separated… getting a divorce. That’s if James ever signs the papers.”

He takes a deep breath in, expelling it through his mouth in relief. His relief turns to scrutiny, and I can almost see the wheels turning in his head.

“He the reason you think I’m trying to flatter you?”

“Part of it. He was a shitty husband. Always made me feel like I was never good enough for him.”

“Babe.” Venom steps closer. “He’s the one who’s not good enough for you.”

“Thanks.” I drop my gaze.

“How long were you married?”

“Ten years.”

“And how long you been separated?”

“Six months. Although it seems like longer. We stopped being a married couple long before that.” I chuckle, but only to keep myself from breaking down. “When he started getting sex elsewhere, I was actually relieved. He even blamed me for his cheating, saying I was no good in bed. He hadn’t touched me for over two years before I found out he got one of his women pregnant. That was the last straw. I moved back in with my parents and served him divorce papers.”

Venom’s hand returns to my neck, his thumb brushing my skin in comfort. It gives me the strength to continue. “He keeps sending them back without his signature, though.”

“Maybe he’s realized what he’s losing.”

“Hardly.” I fold my arms across my chest, tears pricking my eyes. “You know what he called me? Miss Piggy. Said I disgusted him and he wouldn’t touch me if I was the last woman on Earth.”

“Motherfucker,” he growls, pulling me into his arms. “He’s a cocksucker who deserves to swallow a bullet for spewing that bullshit to you.”

I wrap my arms around Venom, breathing in his scent. It’s calming yet arousing at the same time. He’s so strong and confident, not needing to put others down in order to feel better about himself. So different from James.

“He wants money.”

“Money?” He pulls back, brows furrowed as he stares down at me in confusion.

“I’m not rich or anything like that,” I clarify. “A couple years ago, I found out James had been hiding more than his cheating from me. We split the bills. He had the bigger ones, mortgage and electric, and I had food and the other utilities. He was behind, and we were facing foreclosure on the house. I sold my car, workedtwofull-time jobs to get us out of the hole. After school, I worked as a waitress to supplement my income.”

“Fuck, Em….” Venom shakes his head.

Taking a deep breath, I continue. “I kept both jobs, but started putting money away in a separate account. When I left, some mail came for me at the house, and that’s how he found out. I don’t think he knows how much is in the account, but he probably thinks it’s a lot. It really isn’t. The day we met, the reason I was such a bitch to you? I got a message from him saying he won’t sign the divorce papers until I pay him. It really pissed me off.”

Venom pulls me back into his arms, gently rubbing circles on my back. He kisses the top of my head, his lips slowly moving down the side of my face and toward my lips.

“You’re beautiful, Emily. Trust and believe me when I say that.”

I relax, letting him claim my mouth like he did earlier. I’ve never been kissed like this.

Passionate.

Hungry.

Moaning, I slide my hands around his neck and up into his hair. As his tongue dominates my mouth, a hand squeezes my breast. He grunts, pressing his erection into my stomach. I let him kiss me within an inch of my life, massaging my breast and pinching the nipple through my dress. It was never like this with anyone else. The sensations running through my body are so new to me, I want to prolong them for as long as possible. Before Venom loses what little interest he seems to have in me. There’s a danger in him, in his touch, his kiss. It’s in his blood, pumping in his veins. I know I’ll be its victim eventually, but my pleasure now is worth the pain later.

My body shivers as the hand on my breast glides down my side, slipping under my dress and into my panties. A long groan of approval leaves my throat when his fingers swipe over my lips.