Toxic Echoes

Chapter-15

The next afternoon, the house was dead silent. Leo had left early for a site visit downtown, completely ignoring Lee’s texts and calls. The emotional exhaustion left Lee feeling hollowed out, moving through the rooms like a ghost. A shadow fell over the frosted glass of the front door. A spare key—the one they kept under the flower pot for emergencies—turned smoothly in the lock.

Lee bolted upright from the sofa as the door swung open. Graham walked in. He wasn't wearing his usual crisp suit; he wore a dark cashmere sweater that molded to his broad shoulders, his hair slightly damps from the mist outside. He looked devastatingly handsome, sharp, and entirely in control.

"What are you doing here, Graham? Leo isn't home," Lee said, her voice trembling as she backed away into the living room.

"I know," Graham murmured, closing the door softly behind him. He didn't lock it, but the deliberate way he slid the key into his pocket made the room feel instantly smaller.

"I didn't come to see Leo, Lee. I came to see you."

"Get out. You’ve done enough. You ruined everything last night."

Graham walked toward her, his movements slow, deliberate, like a predator cornering a prize it had hunted for miles. Lee backed up until her spine hit the stone mantel of the fireplace. There was nowhere left to run.

Graham stepped into her space, his physical presence instantly overwhelming her. The familiar scent of his expensive cedar cologne filled her senses, triggering a wave of hot, suffocating adrenaline. He placed his hands on the mantel on either side of her shoulders, trapping her between his arms.

"I didn't ruin anything, darling. I’m just accelerating the inevitable," Graham whispered, his dark eyes dropping to her lips before rising back to lock onto hers with a burning, possessive intensity.

"Look at him, Lee. He’s weak. He’s fragile. One little push and he completely unraveled. He doesn't know how to handle a woman like you. He doesn't know how to love you with the kind of dirty, destructive passion that you need. That we have."

"I love him," she gasped, her chest heaving against his.

"I love the peace he gave me."

"Peace is a lie you told yourself because you were scared of how much I consume you," Graham growled softly.

He leaned down, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of her jawline, sending a terrifying, forbidden jolt of electricity straight down her spine. His hand came up, his fingers gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Admit it, Lee. When he touches you, you think of me. When he looks at you with those pathetic, innocent eyes, you miss the fire. Confess it. Tell me you want me back."

"No," she sobbed, but her voice lacked conviction. The proximity, the history, the sheer toxic magnetism of his obsession was a vortex, pulling her back into the dark waters she had spent years trying to escape.

"Soon, darling," Graham smiled, a slow, hot, victorious curve of his lips as he slowly backed away, releasing her.

"He’s already halfway gone. And when he leaves, I’ll be the one who picks up the pieces."