Page 62 of Claimed By the Villain

“I have conditions.”

I study her, suspicious.

“If this talk about me not having free access to your body means we’ll have a sexless marriage of convenience…”

“No,” she says, averting her gaze. “I think as far as that part goes, we… um…”

I almost smile at her embarrassment.

I like that she can’t deny she gave herself to me all night, not because we’re entering a marriage of convenience, but because she can’t resist me any more than I can resist her.

I close the distance between us again, grab her hair, tilt her head back, suck her neck, then bite it and whisper into her ear,

“I promised I’d fulfill every one of your fantasies.”

She doesn’t try to pull away, but I can tell she’s fighting her arousal, still simmering with anger.

“You’re so arrogant. Like I said before, I have conditions.”

I release her, my expression neutral.

“I’m listening.”

“I’ll decide when to tell Taylor about our marriage. Don’t take over like you did before, announcing to my friend that I’d be moving in here without even consulting me.”

I shrug.

“It’s not somethingyour worldreally needs to know, only mine.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ve explained this before. It’s important for the people watching me to know you’re mine. There’s an unspoken agreement among the organizations about not harming wives or daughters. Married to me, they’ll never touch you.”

“So, we won’t have to be so careful?”

“We will, until the man who wants me dead is taken care of.”

“Taken care of?”she asks, one brow arched.

“Don’t ask me for details about my work, Jackie. You know I can’t give them to you. Don’t force me to lie to you. All you need to keep in mind is that I won’t stop until I neutralize whoever’s trying to send me to hell ahead of schedule.”

“You said these men from the organizations won’t hurt me, but they could hurt you?”

“Living is risky,” I say.

I dodge the question because she needs to understand I could walk out one day and never come back. I’ve lived with death since I was a kid, and I have no doubt that at some point, it’ll come for me. If I have a say in the matter, I’d rather it not be anytime soon, but still, I know it’s always close.

She opens her mouth like she’s going to argue, but I raise a hand to stop her.

“They won’t get to me, Jackie. Not without a good fight. But you… you’d be my weakness. My Achilles’ heel.”

“Yes, I get it.”

“Keep going with your conditions.”

“I demand fidelity.”

“I demand sex every time I’m home. Several times a day.”