Page 23 of Ruin (Villains for Hire)

L ira pried her eyes open when Ruin pulled back from the kiss only to suck in a soft breath at the expression on his face. She'd seen him look at her with desire, with affection, even with that soft warmth she now knew was love.

But this… this was different. More.

There was heat and adoration in that gaze, yes, but they were stronger now. Primal. Possessive.

It sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the way her body instinctively responded to him.

Transfixed, she watched as his nostrils flared. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth as though he were holding himself back. Then, his lips parted, and she found herself holding her breath.

“Say it again,” he growled.

She grinned, knowing exactly what he wanted. "You're mine ."

With a low groan, he grabbed her ass and lifted her straight off her feet. In a matter of strides, her back met the soft cushion of the bed.

Ruin loomed over her, that big frame casting a shadow that made her feel small, delicate. It was a feeling she used to hate, but now, with him? Gods, it was addictive.

She reached up and lightly traced the lines of the tattoos on his cheeks, down his throat, to his pecs.

He captured her wrist, brought her hand to his lips, and kissed her palm tenderly, then lightly scraped his fangs across her skin. The breath caught in her throat and she could almost feel her pupils dilating with want.

“Lira,” he growled, her name a rough caress. “D’you know what you do to me?”

She bit her lower lip, half-shy, half-bold. “Show me?”

Lips curled into a wolfish smile, he lowered himself slowly, deliberately, until their bodies were flush. The weight of him pressed her into the bed, letting her feel every hard line of muscle, every ridged contour of his torso against her softness.

But most of her focus was on the erect length of his cock throbbing against her thighs.

Her core pulsed eagerly, anticipating, craving the feeling of his thickness inside her once more.

He claimed her mouth again, this time with a searing passion that left no room for doubt about how much he wanted her. This wasn't just desire—it was need, raw and all-consuming.

She kissed him back with a fervor that bordered on frantic, sliding her hands up his broad back, fingers tangling in the fabric of his shirt. Angry at the clothes separating them, she tugged at his waistband.

She needed to feel the heat of his skin, the solid reality of his body against hers.

At her frustrated moan, Ruin broke the kiss, breathing heavily. Those burning yellow eyes bored into hers, intense and unyielding, as he stood and tugged his shirt over his head.

Her gaze traveled over the intricate web of scars and tattoos marking his pale skin, saliva pooling in her mouth. Gods, he was beautiful.

With deliberate slowness, he reached down to unclasp his pants. She watched, transfixed, while he stripped away the rest of his clothing until he stood before her starkly, magnificently bare.

Pushing up on her elbows, she drank him in. “You're so… ”

“So?” he prompted, a flicker of curiosity in his otherwise predatory gaze.

“Pretty,” she sighed dreamily.

“ Pretty ?” he exclaimed, looking momentarily flabbergasted.

He gave a rough shake of his head as if she’d just completely thrown him for a loop.

Lira just smiled and nodded. “Mmhm. And big.”

She let her eyes wander over him, from his towering height to the broad expanse of his shoulders and chest, down to the thick length of his cock. Everything about him was enormous compared to her, and it excited her beyond reason.

He gave a deep, rumbly chuckle and shook his head again, bemusedly.

“And very scary,” she murmured huskily.

He made a sound almost like a purr. “You like big, pretty, scary things, little bird?”

“I do when they’re you.”

With a guttural sound of approval, he knelt over her and stripped her, one piece of clothing at a time. He seemed to savor every inch revealed, as if committing them to memory.

Once she was bare and laid out before him, he took a moment to drink her in. She could see the thoughts flickering behind his intense gaze. Admiration. Lust. Love. It was a heady mix that made her feel powerful and utterly vulnerable at the same time.

“Beautiful,” he murmured reverently. “Fuckin’ perfect.”

For the next two hours, he worked very hard to show her exactly how beautiful and perfect he found every inch of her body.

Exhausted and thoroughly sated, Lira lay in the circle of his arms, feeling like a blissed out heap of jelly. Lulled by the soothing thump of his heart under her ear and his steady stroking of her hair, she was floating on the edge of sleep when a faint but insistent scratching sound from the front room finally filtered through.

“What’s that noise?”

“Your pet,” he rumbled.

“M’kay.” She started to push herself up, intending to go let it in, but Ruin stopped her before she’d more than shifted an arm.

“Stay. I’ll let it in.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then rose from the bed, stark naked and unashamed. Rolling onto her back, she watched him go, admiring the way his muscles moved as he walked.

She heard the quiet hiss of the door sliding open, then the unmistakable whirr of Beep’s wings as it zipped into the bedroom.

Its once-damaged casing now gleamed, the silver exterior shining and whole. It made a beeline for her side of the bed, antennae waving in a concerned manner.

“Szzrr tpeep!”

“I’m okay,” she hummed, patting its side. “And you look very handsome.”

It gave a preening flutter of its wings and twisted a little to show off its new tail. Then Ruin strolled back in. Beep turned and trilled in a distinctly censorious manner, as though berating him for making it wait outside.

He cut it a look, but said nothing. Apparently satisfied its point had been made, Beep turned and climbed up the wall.

Positioning itself directly above her, it affixed itself to the ceiling somehow and appeared as though it were settling in to sleep.

Ruin climbed back into bed and pulled her against him. “Your pet bot is weird as fuck, bird.”

“Its not weird, it’s just… quirky.”

Okay, so it was a little weird. It was also adorable and protective, and she loved it.

He snorted. “Mmhm. Sure. C’mere, love.”

Smiling, she wiggled closer, then sighed, happier than she’d ever been. “I love you, Ruin.”

“I love the fuck outta you, female. Forever.”

The next morning, Lira woke to the steady rise and fall of Ruin’s chest beneath her cheek. For a long moment, she just lay there, savoring the warmth of his skin and the quiet comfort of his breathing.

When she finally shifted, he tightened his arm around her and kissed her forehead, murmuring something unintelligible before drifting back to sleep.

It was strange, but she could feel the difference in him now that they were safely on the ship. That constant readiness was still there, but only barely. Nowhere near the hair trigger he’d been while on Skeldra.

Slipping out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake him, she padded naked into the cleansing room. With the press of a button, she activated the sonic shower, letting the harmonic frequencies cleanse her skin and soothe her muscles.

As she stepped out, she realized she felt… calm.

It was a strange sensation, this sense of peace that settled over her like a warm blanket. She couldn’t ever remember feeling like this, not even in the early days with her mother. There was always some underlying worry, some gnawing fear in the back of her mind.

But now…

She had a home. A real home that wouldn’t be taken from her, one she didn’t have to worry about people breaking into in the middle of the night. She had Ruin, who loved her, and who she loved with a fierceness that still surprised her. She had Beep and Hush, and maybe even Thrill, to call friends.

Leaving the cleansing room, she saw Ruin sitting on the edge of the bed and paused in the doorway, taking a moment to drink in the sight of him.

He cocked his head to peek up at her with one eye, the other squinted shut. “Mm, c’mere, beautiful.”

Closing the distance between them, she stepped into the circle of his open arms and pushed up on tiptoe to wrap hers around his neck. Her stomach picked that moment to let out a demanding growl.

He chuckled, voice still husky from sleep. “Hungry?”

She shrugged, not wanting to admit that the thought of eating with the crew made her more anxious than hungry. “A little.”

“Gimme a minute to shower an’ we’ll head to the mess.”

“Okay.”

Standing, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then went into the cleansing room. He left the door open, same as she had. He knew somehow, without having to ask or be told, that she wasn’t ready to have a barrier between them. That small, thoughtful gesture warmed her to her bones.

Gods, he was perfect.

That warmth lasted right up until she heard the commotion coming from the mess. Numerous voices overlapped, all talking and laughing.

Steps faltering, she tightened her grip on Ruin’s hand.

On her other side, Beep fluttered its wings and made comforting noises.

Leaning forward, she glanced inside and found what looked like the vast majority of the crew gathered for first meal.

Straightening, she tipped her head back and grimaced up at Ruin. “I’m nervous.”

“I know, my sweet, but there’s no need to be. They’ll love you.”

“But what if they don’t?”

He winked. “Then I’ll sic Hush on ‘em.”

Oddly, that actually made her feel a little better.

Lira held tight to Ruin's hand as they walked in. The noise hit her first—clattering utensils, the hum of conversation, bursts of laughter. She flinched, her grip on his hand growing white-knuckled. He squeezed back, a silent reassurance.

The mess was a large, open space with long tables and benches bolted to the floor. A serving line ran along one wall, where a mix of different species stood, waiting their turn.

She counted quickly. Twenty beings. It wasn’t even the whole crew, but it felt like a sea of bodies.

They joined the serving line, and she tried to tell herself she couldn’t feel at least half a dozen curious gazes on her back.

She took the tray Ruin handed her gratefully, the weight of it giving her something tangible to focus on. The line moved quickly, and she loaded her plate with a variety of foods, not really paying attention to what she grabbed.

Reaching the end, she finally looked down at what she’d selected and blinked. Not only had she gotten enough to feed three people, she’d selected some kind of wiggly purple… things that were actively trying to squirm off her plate.

“ Bur’ak fighting larvae, hmm? Bold choice,” Ruin rumbled softly, the amusement in his voice unmistakable.

“I wasn’t really paying attention,” she admitted, still watching the things work their way ever closer to the edge.

“C’mon, love,” he chuckled, guiding her with a hand on her lower back.

They hadn’t gone more than two steps when a familiar voice called out, “Hey, little sister! C’mere.”

Jerking her head up just as the first purple wiggler landed on the floor with a splat, she caught Thrill waving them over.

“Here, sit, sit.” After they’d done so, he nodded at a male Quicksilk with pearlescent, olive green skin and bronzy orange chitin sitting on the other side of the bench. “I was just telling Sway about you repairing your pet, Beep.”

Sway dipped his chin to her. “Hello, Lira. It is very enjoyable to meet you. And your Beep, of course. May I ask, how badly was it damaged when you found it?”

“I, uh, it was nonfunctional.”

She glanced up at Ruin. At his encouraging nod, she kept going.

When she finished, Thrill grinned and pointed his dining sticks at her. “See? Told you she has skills. All that while under memory suppression, too.”

Her cheeks heated at the praise. She wasn’t used to this—people being kind, recognizing her efforts. Even before her time with Vargot.

Sway tilted his head at her. “So, Lira, I can smell you’re bonded with Ruin. May I assume that means you intend to stay?”

Her brows shot up. He could smell that she and Ruin had…

Shaking off that train of thought, she nodded. “Yes, he’s mine. And yes, Captain Muru said I could stay.”

“Most excellent. If you have interest, I would love you to work with me in engineering.”

She blinked a little owlishly. “I- really?” At his nod, she grinned. “Yes, I would love that.”

“Tomorrow then, hmm?”

After agreeing, the conversation moved to other topics. Relieved, she picked up her dining sticks, stealing glances at the crew while she ate.

Their interactions were easy, familiar. Even when they ribbed each other, it was with a warmth that spoke of deep bonds.

Slowly, she began to relax.

She remembered the early days with her mother, before things got really bad. The way they'd eat dinner with their neighbors, laughing and sharing stories. This felt like that. Like a family.

The crew continued their banter, occasionally pulling her into the conversation. Each time, she responded a little more confidently, a little more comfortably.

After a while, she even laughed.

He watched Lira as she laughed, the sound light and tinkling, like chimes catching the wind. It was a stark contrast to the boisterous cackles and guffaws of the rest of the crew, but it fit somehow.

She fit.

He’d known she would, but still, seeing it made his chest ache in the best possible way.

He thought back to when he’d first taken her from Vargot, how small and fragile she’d seemed. How beat down. The woman sitting beside him now was still delicate, still bore the scars of her past, but there was a new strength in her. A resilience.

Peering around the mess, he took in the familiar faces, the camaraderie, the sense of belonging that filled the room. These people were his family—dysfunctional though they may be—and now Lira was a part of that. A part of him.

He squeezed her thigh under the table, a silent gesture of pride and encouragement. She looked up at him, green eyes sparkling with a happiness that was once so distant, and something else—an emotion he couldn’t quite name but knew he shared.

Something deeper than love, more profound than gratitude.

“Welcome home, my love.”

He thought about his life before her: the endless contracts, the unrelenting violence, the cold detachment. He’d thought he was doing fine. That he didn’t need anyone.

He’d been right, in a way.

He hadn’t needed anyone. He needed her .

His beautiful, delicate, unbreakable little bird was the only one who’d been fearless enough to try and touch his heart.

And she was the only one who ever would.

The End