Page 33 of Claimed By the Villain

“Don’t drink yet.”

I walk to the pantry, grab some crackers, and pull a container of fresh cheese spread from the fridge. I smear some onto a cracker and hold it up to her lips. She eyes me warily, and instead of opening her mouth, she says:

“What kind of game is this, Lucifer? I feel like I hit my head and woke up in a parallel universe.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Why are you taking care of me?”

“I’vealwaystaken care of you.”

She crosses her arms in front of her chest, making her breasts nearly spill out of the neckline.

“Yeah, you always have, but not like this. Not the way a man takes care of his woman.”

Now’s not the time to tell her I’ve been giving myself a crash course on how to treat my future wife.

“Eat, Jackie,” I insist.

She obeys, her full lips parting for me, and even though I didn’t plan for it, my cock turns to stone, pressing hard against my jeans.

A bit of her lips grazes my finger, smearing some cheese on it. And then—maybe without even realizing—she licks it.

All I can think about is laying her down on this counter, tearing her panties off, and devouring her pussy before dinner. Making her come that night shattered any lingering illusion I had of her being like a sister.

And then there’s the damn diary, proving my Jackie’s fantasies are far from innocent.

“Sorry,” she says stiffly, realizing what she just did.

I clear my throat and push the wine glass toward her again.

“Drink. But not too much.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re bossy and arrogant, Lucifer?”

“I don’t stick around humans long enough for them to tell me anything like that.”

And survive—I could’ve added, but there’s no point in scaring her.

She gives me a defiant look and takes a big sip of the wine. But like a good girl, she sets the glass down on the counter and grabs the sparkling water, drinking that too.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take that tour you mentioned. I’m guessing we’re having dinner afterward?”

“Yeah. I’ve already started warming it up. Go ahead,” I say, gesturing toward the staircase.

She starts to walk away, and I find myself hypnotized by the sway of her full hips. Suddenly, she glances back, catching me red-handed.

“Can I poke around?” she asks with a teasing smile, like she’s forgotten she walked in here acting like I was the enemy.

“Anything that’s out in the open. Don’t go trying to crack my safes looking for weapons. It’s a waste of time. They’re unbreakable.”

Her mouth falls open.

“You have gun safes?”

I remember Jackie’s long-standing fascination with firearms. Once, I caught her holding one of Martin’s. If I ever had a soul, I’m sure it left my body that day. I came up behind her carefully and took the pistol from her hands. It wasn’t loaded, but that might’ve been the first time in my life I felt real fear.

“Try to find them, Jackie. We both know you’re going to look anyway. But like I said, you won’t be able to open them.”