Page 63 of Claimed By the Villain

I can feel the effect my words have on her. Her pupils dilate, and she licks her lips without even realizing it.

“Fine. I want a honeymoon.”

“Jackie, it’s not going to be a…”

“Real marriage?Yes, it is. Or no deal. You want to put an end date on it? Fine. But I’m going to enjoy our time together my way. It’s five years ofmylife, Lucifer. When we split, I’ll already be thirty-one.”

I look at her seriously.

“I don’t want kids.”

“Because you don’t want ties. We’re temporary. I get it,” she says, stepping toward the en suite bathroom.

I follow her and stop behind her. Jackie’s facing the mirror above the sink.

“I’d be the worst father in the world.”

I have no idea why I’m justifying myself, she should be able to figure out, given the terms of this temporary agreement, that building a family makes no sense.

“I wouldn’t want kids with someone whose relationship has an expiration date,” she says, and I almost believe her, but I know she’s not being entirely honest.

“You can only file for divorce after the fifth year,” I say, knowing full well I’m being a selfish bastard.

“What? That makes no sense. I agreed to stay married for five years. Why would I ask for a divorce before then?”

“I changed my mind. Five years is the minimum. Could be longer.”

Yeah, I’m completely fucking up my own proposal, but the talk about kids put the image of Jackie pregnant with someone else in my head, and that mental picture flirted dangerously with my sanity.

“This isn’t a one-sided negotiation. You can’t just change your mind.”

“It’s not a negotiation. And yes, I can.”

“Go to hell,” she says, trying to slip away, but I plant my hands on the counter, trapping her.

“Let me go.”

“They say women like to talk about the relationship.”

“And since when do you know anything about relationships? I’m giving you five years of my life, years when many of my dreams will be put on hold. You’re insane if you think I’ll be stuck in a life without love and without kids forever.”

“I’ll make a lot of those dreams come true.”

“Yes, I got that part already. We’ll have dirty, sweaty sex like rabbits, if last night is anything to go by, but after five years, I’ll still want the family I’ve dreamed of. I’m not living more than sixty months under your terms.”

I don’t think she’ll want a divorce, so I see no problem in giving in.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

Chapter 33

I press our bodies together, sliding my hands up over her ass, covered only by a thong.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice tells me I shouldn’t seduce her to avoid a fight, but in my defense, Jackie is like some kind of addictive drug.

I strip her bare, leaving her naked for me, then turn on the shower.

“What… are you doing?”