Page 72 of Sin Like the Devil

Her mouth is swollen and red. “What are you doing? Why are you kissing me?”

“Why are you kissing me back?”

Pupils dilated, she licks her inflamed lips. “You… This… What the fuck, Nox?”

I’m practically dizzy with the adrenaline and desire pumping through my system. Confusion only adds to the blur of emotions causing my control to falter. I wanted to provoke her. I didn’t expect to want to fuck her too.

Scrambling for an excuse, I plaster on the smirk I know she detests. “I just wanted to see if you’re as much of a whore as everyone says.”

Before I can react, her knee collides with my still-hard cock. She knees me dead centre in the bollocks, easily shoving me off her body as I choke out a wheeze. I crumple onto the ground, panting through tightly gritted teeth.

“I will never be your whore, Lennox Nash.” Ripley sits up and brushes herself off. “This changes absolutely nothing between us.”

All I can do is lay here in the dirt while she stands up, casting me a final derisive look. Watching her stalk off, those devilish hips swaying and tight ass shaking with each step, I wonder when the fuck this parasite invaded my brain.

We’re sworn enemies. She’ll destroy me, my family, the life I’ve tried to create since taking that plea deal to avoid prosecution. I thought I’d be safe in Priory Lane. Even in Harrowdean. Better than prison, right?

But nowhere is safe.

Not with Ripley Bennet around.

CHAPTER 13

RIPLEY

HERO – DAVID KUSHNER

Picking at the dry flakes of paint on my hand, I cast a final look at my wet canvas. It’s a pathetic effort. My mind is unfocused, agitated. With each swoop of the paintbrush, I get more and more frustrated

“Stupid fucking thing!” I hurl it across the art room.

Storming out of the room, the door slams shut behind me. I’m dead set on stomping back to my bedroom and scrubbing myself in the shower to remove the ghost of Lennox’s touch. His hands. Lips. Roughened stubble. Hard length grinding into me.

But no amount of angrily showering multiple times a day has diminished the pure ecstasy that him pinning me down and forcibly inflicting his rage on me created. It’s all I’ve been able to think about.

The anger. Mutual hatred. Battling for control. Power. The right to punish. Even admitting it in my head is fucking unbearable, but I was getting off to a literal monster paying me even an ounce of attention.

I’m a piece of shit.

Holly would be ashamed.

“Ripley? You good?”

The sound of Raine’s gentle, melancholic violin halts. I’m tempted to rush past the half-open door to the adjacent music room, but I know he already heard me. He’d only follow. I asked him to practise in there today, needing some headspace.

“Yeah,” I shout back.

“What’s going on?”

Stopping in the doorway, I study his slim but well-honed frame. He’s dressed in light-washed, grey jeans today with a loose, V-neck, black shirt that shows off his razor-like clavicles.

His soft blonde hair is smoothed back like usual, round glasses in place. He looks as tempting and mysterious as ever, but as I spot the empty plastic bag peeking from his jeans pocket, my inner contempt intensifies.

“Rip?”

I clear my throat. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

His head cocks. “Are you staring at me?”

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