Page 45 of The Villain

I took a slow sip of my coffee. “Yeah?”

Devlin tilted his head to the side before reaching out to press the back of his hand to my forehead. I shook him away. “What’re you doing?”

“Checking for a fever. What’s with you today?”

“Nothing’s with me,” I snapped.

He caught his tongue between his teeth and squinted. “Liar.”

Devlin stepped closer, still naked, and without thinking, I reached down and squeezed his ass. I tugged one cheek to the side, and his face pinched into a wince.

“Sore?” I asked.

“Sensitive,” he amended.

I’d have to wait to take him. And even then, I’d have to take my time with him first. He was small and tight, and my dick wasn’t for beginners.

I touched a finger to his hole, and he sucked in a breath. He placed his hands on my chest as he pressed closer. “Cian…”

I loved the way he said my name like that—a breathy whisper filled with submissive deference. I brushed my nose along his temple, inhaling his scent, before dropping my hand andstepping away. He swayed for a moment before bracing himself against the counter. A flush reddened Devlin’s cheeks, and when our gazes met, I saw the same confusing desire reflected back at me.

I had to pull away. I had to get back to work, to what was important: my business and my crew.

This morning was a wake-up call. No more sharing beds. No more pulling him from nightmares. What the actual fuck had I been thinking?

Oh, right. With mydick.

Devlin Walsh was absolutely a temptation I could control. An addiction I could ration. I could own him without falling under his spell, take from him until there was nothing left. When he was gone, I wouldn’t miss his smile, or his eyes, or his big, stupid mouth. I wouldn’t miss anything.

I was Cian O’Shea, and no one owned me.

Devlin

Something was off with Cian, and suddenly the floor felt like quicksand beneath my feet. I didn’t know where to step. I’d thought I could read him fairly well, but now I was back at square one. I had no idea what had changed. He always waffled between indifference and anger when it came to me, but every once in a while, I’d find him staring in a way that made my breath catch. Like he was readying himself to peel off a layer of my skin.

After I showered, Cian made me sit in the bathroom while he washed too. Through the frosted glass, I could just make out theshape of his body and the way his tattoos shifted as he ran the sudsy cloth over his skin.

I should have been paying closer attention, watching for Cian’s cues. I bit my thumbnail ragged while I dissected the entire morning. We’d both gotten off. I’d made coffee. I’d chattered like an idiot about burgers and paint colors like we were boyfriends…

He didn’t touch me again the rest of the morning. He wouldn’t even get close to me, and every minute that passed just added to the tension in my body until I wanted to scream. Cian had been easier to deal with when all he’d been interested in was forcing me onto my knees. But this version was something else.

The questions he’d asked about Conrad and Jeremy made me wary. Nothing good would come of Cian trying to get to know me better. I wasn’t some puzzle to figure out. There was nothing decent at my core. All he’d reveal was rotten layer after rotten layer until there was nothing left.

Maybe he was bored with me? Did I disappoint him last night? I tasted copper in my mouth, and I lowered my thumb to find I’d bitten through the skin. Fuck, I was a mess.

Cian stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He wouldn’t look at me as he dried off. He wouldn’t look at me as he stood in front of the mirror, completely naked, shaving his face. And when he walked out the bathroom door, he left me there without looking back.

My legs shook where I stood. The tension in my body shifted into an ugly anger I recognized all too well. Rejection and avoidance had always been my worst triggers. And I hadn’t magically developed healthy coping skills in the last year.

When I stomped into the main room, Cian was pulling on a pair of jeans, his cell phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. “Yeah. I’ll do it.” he replied, then he ended the call and tuggeda T-shirt over his head. After snatching his keys and jacket, he barely slid me a glance.

“Gotta run an errand. Stay here.”

Stay here?Stay here?Without him?

My skin prickled. “Guessing that means the chain is back?”

He looked at me then. Sort of. His gaze skittered somewhere behind my shoulder. “No. I’ll set the alarm and have Rhys come check on you.”