Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance

Breathe. Focus.
I would deal with the Max situation later, when my shock wore off and
my brain cleared. There wasn’t much I could do about it now.
I blinked, forcing thoughts of my ex aside no matter how hard they tried
to claw their way back to the forefront of my mind.
If the Olympics gave out gold medals for repression, I’d win one every
four years.
“You said you were busy tonight.” Josh leaned his forearm against the
wall above my head. His eyes pierced mine.
“I am.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and pasted on an impudent
smile. “Or maybe I just didn’t want to meet up with you. I guess you’ll never
know.”

---

“You trying to provoke me, Red?” His dark warning snaked through me.
Yes.
“I only provoke people I care about.” I blinked up at him, the picture of
innocence. “That doesn’t include you, Joshy.”
Anticipation climbed in my chest when a soft snarl rose in his throat. “It’s
not care I want from you.”
He claimed my lips in a punishing kiss. My blood burned at the
onslaught, and when his tongue forced mine into submission, I yanked a
fistful of his hair in retaliation until he hissed out a pained growl.
“Oops,” I mocked. “Forgot how soft you were. I’ll try to be gentler next
time.”
Josh straightened and licked the spot of blood on his lower lip. I’d nipped
him so hard during our kiss I’d broken skin.
“Don’t worry, Red,” he said, his smile a vicious slash across his face. “I’ll
show you just how soft I can be.”
He closed his hand around my wrist in an iron grip and yanked me toward
an unmarked door across the hall. Surprisingly, it was unlocked.
Josh pushed me in.
It was some sort of supply closet slash overflow room. Paper goods and
utensils crowded the black metal shelves, a fog machine sat in the corner
between a rolled-up rug and a broken-down chandelier, and a mirror hung on
the wall opposite the door above a small table.
The click of the door locking behind me brought my attention back to
Josh. His presence filled every corner of the room, making the small space
feel even smaller, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body across
every inch of my skin.
Or maybe the heat was from the way he looked at me, like he wanted to
devour me whole.
Sparks danced through me.
Blood pounding in my ears, electricity lighting up my veins. Thoughts of
Max already fading into the nether where they belonged.
This was exactly what I needed.
“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to do something?” I
asked in as bored a tone as I could muster.
Josh’s eyes glinted in the dim light. He walked toward me, each slow step
sending another jolt of anticipation and fear down my spine.
It took him only a few strides to reach me, but by the time he did, my

---

heart was ready to burst out of my chest.
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he yanked my dress up and ripped my
underwear off.
I hissed out a protest when the flimsy silk shredded without resistance.
“That was my good underwear, asshole.” 
Josh lowered his mouth to mine. “Ask me if I care.” He swallowed my
angry retort with another bruising kiss while his fingers delved between my
legs to find me already wet and aching for him.
Such a fucking jerk. That didn’t stop my body from craving his, but it also
didn’t mean I had to make it easy for him.
I pushed him off and slapped him. Not hard, but enough for the satisfying
smack of my palm meeting flesh to echo through the tiny space.
Adrenaline lit up my blood when his brief flare of shock morphed into
fury.
Pinpricks of fear fanned my arousal into a white-hot flame. It burned
hotter when he forced me to my knees and undid his belt and pants.
The thinly carpeted floor dug into my skin, and my breaths came out in
harsh rasps when his cock sprung out, thick and angry and already leaking
pre-cum.
“Open your mouth.”
Need pulsed through me like a living thing, but I met his blazing eyes
with defiant ones of my own. I kept my lips firmly pressed together.
The message was clear.