Page 20 of The Devil's Embrace

While he was distracted, someone snuck up from behind and shoved him. He stumbled, forehead whacking against the tree he’d been staring at. Stars instantly sparked as his visionwinked, and he felt a trickle of blood roll down the bridge of his nose.

Strong hands took advantage of his dazed state, shoving him harder against the bark and capturing his wrists. His arms were twisted, hands pinned at his narrow back. Cal fought, but there was a good chance he was dealing with a mild concussion or…something else.

Something that was causing his heart to flutter oddly.

He froze, realizing with a start that there was something wrong. Had hitting his head messed with his wiring? Sure, he liked pain, but he had no idea who it was behind him right now, or what they intended.

So why were his nipples suddenly hypersensitive to the way the fabric of his shirt rubbed against them when the man at his back pressed in close?

“You have a bad habit of following people into secluded places, Calix.” The voice was low, not entirely unfamiliar, but not one he could place either.

“Heathe?” Cal had followed him to the art room, was that what he meant? This had to be Heathe, right? “Wasn’t once enough?”

“Doubtful.”

He swallowed. “I won’t let you get away with it a second time. Consider the first as payment for what I’ve done. But that’s as far as it goes.”

“Payment?” he chuckled, and even though he had to be Heathe, Calix felt like maybe he was wrong.

But he couldn’t be.

Could he?

It didn’t matter who this person was, they were a clear threat.

“You dropped this.” The man at his back held up Cal’s gun just within view and clicked his tongue at him chidingly.“You should be more careful with your things. Wouldn’t want to get into trouble again, now would we? You’ve barely managed to survive through your past mistakes.”

“Heathe, enough.” Was he going to shoot him? It was a very real possibility.

“You’re the one who followed me, remember? I was minding my own business, keeping a safe distance.Controllingmyself.”

“You were spying on a crime scene,” he corrected.

“I love it when you’re like this, hot and bothered. Unsure of yourself but insisting otherwise. When you put on that front that everything is fine? It’s endearing. You have no idea how badly I want inside of you,” the man breathed, hot breath gusting across Cal’s nape. “Unfortunately, there’s only so long I can keep your officer friends at bay, so we’re going to have to settle for what we can get.”

Calix’s nerves spiked when the man went quiet, but when he tested the hold on his wrists, the grip held firm. “What are you doing?”

“If I can’t get my cock inside of you today, I’ll get another part of me in there instead.” He reached for Cal’s front, and when Cal bucked and struggled, tsked at him. “Now, now. You can’t act like that. Let’s get you in the proper mood, shall we?”

“Get—” Calix felt a rush of heat course through him so suddenly it effectively shut him up. Tension coiled in his gut, blood rushing lower until he felt his balls twitch and his dick stir. “No. Shit.” He set his forehead against the rough bark of the tree and willed the hard-on away even as his body betrayed him and it grew.

“Look at you,” the man pressed his face against Cal’s in a way that prevented him from turning to see him, “already so thick and needy. You’re straining in your pants. Let me help you.”

“Don’t.” Calix ground his teeth together as his pants were undone, internally struggling with himself. He wanted to resist, but his hips flicked forward as if seeking the man’s touch, and his mind was growing foggy with each passing second. “Did you drug me somehow?”

He went over everything he’d consumed that day, but couldn’t find a moment where he’d left his food or drink alone long enough something could have been slipped into it.

“It’s no drug,” the man explained, settling Cal’s tight jeans over his thighs so his front and back were exposed to the cool summer breeze. “It’s pheromones.”

“What?” It felt like he was about to burst out of his skin, like there was a heavy weight tied to the parts between his thighs, and the only way to relieve himself would be to come. No, it was more than that. He needed— “Stop it.”

“Should I be kind and open you up properly this time?” the man purred.

“Fuck off.”

“Wrong answer.” He hit Calix’s ass with the blaster, though it didn’t really hurt because it was the side of the gun. Another silent moment passed and then he kicked Cal’s legs as far apart as the restraints of his pants would allow, and lowered the weapon.

“Stop!” Cal’s nails dug into the man’s hand still encircling his wrists as he felt the blunt tip of the blaster jab against his puckered hole.

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