Page 77 of Claimed By the Villain

The dimple at the base of her spine.

A tiny callus on her left pinky toe.

The way she bites her lower lip when she’s holding back a laugh.

“Come here,” I call.

She doesn’t obey right away. She takes two steps, leaving the strip of bathroom light behind, and reaches behind her to undo the dress.

“Should I get naked?” she asks.

“Gonna do everything I tell you now that we’re married?” I shoot back, getting to my feet and moving toward her.

I almost smile at how ready she is to argue with my provocation. There’s nothing submissive about Jackie.

She doesn’t answer, but my gut tells me she’s got something planned for tonight.

“Want to be my obedient wife?”

Finally, I see that fire spark in her beautiful eyes.

“In bed. Outside it, we’re equals.”

“In bed sounds like a good start.”

“Obedience in bed is all you’re getting.”

I push the curtain of hair covering her strapless bra over her shoulder and bend to kiss her neck.

“We’ll see.”

I catch the movement of her throat as she swallows after my challenge, and my hand moves there, palm flat.

Her eyes shine like jewels, and I can tell she’s on edge, waiting for what I’ll do next.

“I disappointed you today,” I say.

She tries to look away, but I grip her jaw to make her meet my eyes.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Tell me.”

“I had dreams for when I married you.”

I hide my surprise.

“Your teenage dream was to marryme?”

“Haven’t you figured that out yet? It’s always been you, Lucifer. Always will be. I didn’t care when you said to keep feelings out of it. You can’t order me around on that. No one controls the love I feel for you, not even me.”

My hand slides down her bare thigh, gripping hard enough to feel the silk of her skin, and she shivers.

I’m a fucking mess, her words hitting me like alcohol to fire.

I want to stop her from saying it, because I know in a few years she might hate me, but at the same time, I want to force her to keep saying it. To swear she’ll never take those words back.

I feel her heat against my palm.