Page 11 of Ruin (Villains for Hire)

A pained groan jolted Lira from a light doze, her body snapping upright with a start. On the bed, Ruin appeared as if he was still asleep, but he was tense and shifting restlessly, muscles twitching beneath scarred skin. His hands clenched and unclenched, and a sheen of sweat covered him.

“Ruin?” she called softly, not wanting to startle him but desperate to pull him from whatever nightmare had him in its grip. She reached out and cupped his face. “Can you hear me?”

The moment her palm touched his cheek, his eyes flew open. Before she could react, he'd grabbed her wrist and nipped at her hand, teeth grazing her skin.

She gasped, a jolt of desire shooting through her core. “R- Ruin?”

Yellow eyes locked onto her. They were usually so soft when he stared at her, but they were wild and unfocused now, pupils blown wide. Gods, he looked ravenous.

Slowly, awareness returned. He blinked and pulled away from her, uttering a string of curses that made her cheeks flame.

“Fuck,” he snarled, voice raw. “Lira, I- shit.”

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

Movement drew her gaze down his body. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of a prominent bulge straining against his pants. Another scan of his expression and she understood it wasn’t pain making him writhe.

“What’s going on? Why… ” she trailed off, unsure how to even word the question.

“It’s the poison,” he gritted out. “It’ll wear off, eventually.”

“You knew it would… do this to you?”

He nodded tightly.

She'd never seen him like this—so undone, so vulnerable, his control hanging by a thread. It both thrilled and terrified her.

“What can I do?” she whispered, aching to soothe him somehow. “Tell me how to help.”

A war of emotions played across his features. Desire. Shame. Need. He reached for her, then stopped himself.

“You can't,” he growled. “Just- just stay back. I'll be fine.”

He was far from fine. Every muscle was coiled tight, trembling with restraint.

She inched closer, despite his warning. “Let me help. Please?”

His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply. “You don't know what you're offerin’.”

“Then tell me,” she insisted, voice stronger now. “I'm not afraid.”

His laugh was dark, pained. “Maybe you should be.”

“Maybe. But I’m not.” She hesitated, but swallowed hard and whispered, “I want you, Ruin.”

A groan tore its way up his throat. “Gods, bird, I wish that was true.”

A flicker of hurt moved through her. “It is true.” At the unconvinced look he gave her, she tightened her lips. “Did last night not prove that?”

“Last night was fuckin’ incredible,” he growled, hips bucking upward in a small, involuntary movement. “But I also know you needed that release, needed that to?—”

She knew where he was going and cut him off. “You’re wrong. Last night happened because I wanted you. Not because I feel obligated, and not because you saved me. I want you , Ruin. All of you.”

His eyes narrowed, his expression a mix of desire and disbelief. There was a long, weighted pause and then he rasped, “Prove it.”

A rush of heat flooded her, making her skin prickle. Every part of her was suddenly hyper aware—of his closeness, of the danger, of how badly she wanted him.

Without breaking eye contact, she reached for his hand and guided it beneath the hem of her skirt. Pulse fluttering wildly in her throat, she gradually drew it up her thigh, higher and higher. They both sucked in a breath when she pressed his palm against her bare pussy. If she hadn’t been sitting, her knees would’ve buckled at the intensity of it.

“Can you feel how wet I am for you?” she whispered, voice trembling with need.

She searched his face, seeking something—permission, perhaps, or a spark of the same desperate hunger that was consuming her.

Ruin groaned, a guttural, animalistic sound that made her clit throb. His fingers twitched against her, sending sparks of pleasure shooting up her spine. She gasped, her whole body tightening as if it might snap from the force of her arousal. It was almost physically painful to keep herself from rocking against his hand.

“Fuck, Lira,” he rasped. “You're soaked.”

She bit her lip, fighting back a moan. “For you. Only for you.”

Standing slowly, she let his hand linger, savoring the rough warmth of his touch. A thrill shot through her when he growled and tried to keep his hand between her legs as she stepped back. Every nerve in her body was alight, her skin tingling where his fingers had traced.

“Enter rest mode, please,” she directed the bot, waiting until its head drooped before turning her attention back to Ruin.

With shaking hands, she began to undress, unhurried and deliberate. He followed her every move, drinking in each inch of exposed skin.

“Gods, bird. You’re fuckin’ beautiful.” The words were rough, strained and dripping with longing.

Naked, she climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside his big body. She trailed her fingertips over the scars and tattoos on his bare chest, excitement zipping through her at his sharp inhale.

“So are you,” she murmured, meeting his gaze.

Ruin's expression suddenly clouded with doubt, brow furrowing. He caught her wrist gently, halting her exploration.

“Why? Why do you want me?” The genuine confusion in his voice made her want to cry.

“Because you're you,” she whispered fiercely. “Strong, brave, kind. You make me feel safe. Cherished.”

“I'm a monster, bird. A killer.”

Lira cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. “Yes. You're my monster. My protector. My killer.” She leaned in, lips brushing his ear. “And I want you to fuck me until I can't walk straight.”

A low growl rumbled through his chest. “Lira?—”

“Please, Ruin,” she begged. “Let me have you.”

He hesitated, the conflict in him palpable. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, weighing his desires against his doubts, his needs against what he believed was best for her. This was her chance to show him, to convince him that her feelings were real.

She kissed his neck, softly at first, then with more urgency. Her hands roamed over his chest, his shoulders, his arms, memorizing the contours of his body. He was a wall of muscle, built for strength and survival. She loved that, loved how solid and unyielding he was.

“I need you,” she whispered against his skin. “I need all of you.”

He sucked in a breath, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders, not to push her away but to hold her steady. “You don’t understand what you’re askin’.”

“I do,” she insisted, pulling back to look him in the eyes. “I understand, and I’m asking anyway.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy with unspoken words. Her heart pounded in her ears, each beat a painful thud of anticipation. She waited, hoping, praying he would believe her, that he would take the leap.

His resolve crumbled. With a groan, he surrendered, his body relaxing beneath her. “I'm yours, bird. Do what you want with me.”

Trembling with desire and newfound power, Lira explored his body. She traced the hard planes of his chest, marveling at the contrast between her small hands and his massive frame. Her fingers danced along the ridges of his abdominal muscles, feeling them quiver beneath her touch.

“So strong,” she murmured, almost to herself. “Does it feel good when I touch you like this?”

“Fuck yes,” he groaned.

Emboldened, she trailed her fingers lower, then paused at a particularly nasty scar on his ribs. Every scar told a story, and she wanted to know each one. How many lives had he saved or taken? How many times had he come close to death?

“What's this one from?”

His eyes fluttered open, hazy with lust. “Voragon. Tried to gut me.”

Lira bent to press a soft kiss to the raised flesh. “I'm glad they failed.”

She continued her journey downward, trailing her lips along his body, tasting the salt of his sweat. She could feel the tension coiled in his muscles, the immense restraint it took to lie still and let her have her way with him. It excited her, knowing that he was holding back for her sake.

Straightening, she removed his boots, then undid the clasp of his pants. With his help, she drew them down his strong legs and let them fall unseen on the floor.

“You're so beautiful,” she breathed, drinking in the sight of him sprawled beneath her, all the very many inches of him gloriously bared.

Ruin's laugh was dark and full of disbelief. “I'm a lot of things, but beautiful ain't one of ‘em.”

She leaned down, pressing a reverent kiss to a starburst scar on his hipbone. “You are to me.”

Unable to resist any longer, she shifted lower, positioning herself between his thighs. Her mouth watered and a rush of heat pooled between her legs at the sight of his cock, thick and hard against his stomach.

“Can I taste you?” she asked, voice breathy with want.

His reply was a choked, inarticulate hiss.

“You're so disciplined,” she marveled, nipping at his hip bone. “Such control.”

She wanted to break that control.

His hand fisted in the sheets. “Lira… ”

“Yes?” she asked innocently, her breath ghosting over his straining cock.

“Don't tease,” he gritted out.

She grinned wickedly. “But I like teasing you.”

To punctuate her point, she darted her tongue out, giving his length a long, slow lick from base to tip. The taste of him exploded on her palate and her eyes rolled back in pleasure as she savored it.

“Oh gods,” she moaned. “You taste incredible.”

Ruin's hips bucked involuntarily, and then he was surging upward.

Between one blink and the next, she was on her back, pinned beneath his huge body. He loomed above her, eyes wild, breaths harsh. A heady mix of excitement and anticipation coursed through her veins.

His chest heaved as he struggled for control. “Fuck, Lira. You don't know what you do to me.”

She bit her lip, heat pooling low in her belly, thighs slippery with want. “Show me.”

“You sure about that?”

“I want all of you, Ruin. Every scar, every shadow.”

He searched her face. “Even the parts that scare you?”

She swallowed hard, pulse quickening. “Especially those.”

He dipped his head, nuzzling the tender spot behind her ear. His voice was low, dangerous. “Last chance to back out, bird.”

She arched into him, gasping at the friction. “Not a chance in all the hells.”

Ruin's grin was all sharp teeth and predatory intent. “Good.”