Page 45 of Ruined By a Devil

She’s panting, her chest rising and falling heavily against mine, her dark eyes flashing with pure defiance. Her core is pressed right under my hips, and even through our clothes, I can feel how wet and hot she is. Her thighs move, subtly opening under my weight, inviting the pressure. It would be so easy to fuck her right here and now, I know she would welcome my dick with enthusiasm. But I’m still not sure that she’s aware what she’s getting herself into.

“You're open,” I tell her, my voice dropping low, thick with heat. “Every time you strike, you leave your midsection exposed.”

“Then stop talking and do something about it,” she whispers, her eyes dropping to my lips.

The sexual tension in the room becomes suffocating and I lean down, my mouth hovering a fraction of an inch from hers, my thumb pressing hard into her wrist.

“You’re provoking me on purpose,” I growl against her mouth.

“Maybe I just enjoy seeing you lose your mind, Malachi,” she murmurs, her hips bucking up slightly, grinding her wet center directly against my hard length.

A sharp growl tears from my throat as I shift my weight, preparing to pin her shoulder down harder to reset the drill. But Jade moves fast. Using my shift in weight, she twists her body sideways, hooks her leg over mine, and rolls us.

She ends up on top of me, her knees straddling my thighs. In the scramble to lock me down, her hand shoots out, grabbing my left wrist and pinning it down flat against the mat, trapping it beneath the full weight of her body.

The second the pressure locks around my wrist, my entire mind goes completely black and the gym around us vanishes. The smell of her perfume disappears and is replaced instantly by the metallic stench of blood, damp concrete, and cold steel. The ghost of iron shackles digs into my skin, my own pulse explodes in my ears, almost deafening, as air leaves my lungs.

My whole body goes rigid as steel and every muscle locks as panic surges straight up my spine.

“Let go,” I command causing Jade to freeze.

She looks down at me, her eyes widening as she catches the shift in my face. For a short heartbeat I’m not sure if I’m making it all up, but I would bet that she sees the sudden absence of heat in my body.

She releases my wrist instantly and pulls her hand back as if my skin burned her, raising both palms into the air, stepping away.

As I start sitting up slowly, my breathing is shallow, and my heart is beating like a trapped animal against my chest. I flex my left wrist, my fingers shaking slightly before I force them into a tight, hard fist to stop the tremor. I stare at the floor mat, waiting for the memory of the chains to fade, waiting for my mind to return to the present.

The silence in the room is almost visible to the eye.

I wait for the questions, the curiosity, the sharp prodding she usually uses to find a crack in my armor. I brace myself to shut her down, to throw up the wall and walk out.

But to my surprise, Jade doesn't ask.

She just sits on her heels a foot away on the mat, and continues to watch me quietly. Her eyes go to my wrist, then to my face, her dark eyes observant, and completely devoid of pity.

She understands.

She might not know the exact details, but she recognizes trauma when she sees it. And it’s surprisingly refreshing to be in front of someone who doesn’t demand an explanation or push for answers.

“Can I come closer?” When she finally speaks, her voice is calm.

I look up at her, my chest still tight, my blood still cold, but the quiet respect in her voice grounds me.

“Yes,” I say, my voice raspy.

Jade slides closer on the mat, sitting right beside me. Carefully, she takes my right hand and guides it to her waist.

She places my palm flat against the warm, soft skin above her hip, letting me set the pressure. She lets me decide, surrendering the control completely.

My fingers curl around her hip, holding her steady and allowing her heat to seep into my palm, surprised at how grounding it feels, how easy it is for her to push the lingering shadows of my past out of the room.

For the first time since we met, Jade doesn't challenge my boundaries and doesn’t meet me with some annoying comment. Instead, she remains quiet and adapts to my boundaries. I find myself feeling comfortable enough to rest my forehead against her shoulder for three long seconds, taking in a deep, quiet breath of her scent, letting my heartbeat finally slow down.

“That's enough for today,” I say in a low voice against her skin.

“Okay.” Her hand remains placed gently over mine on her waist and she doesn’t pull away, letting me decide when to do it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO