Page 29 of Ruined By a Devil

I sigh, looking down at my hands. For a few seconds, neither of us speaks. Everything that happened tonight keeps replaying in my head in tiny fragments. Nolan's hand around my wrist. His voice in my ear. The cold water closing over my head.

Then Malachi hitting him.

“Thank you,” I swallow before speaking.

His eyes lift to mine again. “For what?”

“For defending me from Nolan,” I try smiling but I’m too tired for my facial muscles to function properly.

“You don't need to thank me for that.” His expression changes briefly and I almost miss it in the low light. “You’re going to be my wife and no one gets to fuck around with what’s mine.”

His.

“Speaking of,” I remember the wedding announcement and the annoyance returns. “How come I need to find out at the same time as everyone else at that party that we’re getting married in one week?”

“I don’t see a problem with it,” he shrugs. “It’s a business deal that we both agreed on, so it doesn’t matter. The sooner we get it done the better.”

I look out the window, watching the streetlights blur past us, streaking gold across the dark glass. I’ve known all along that was the deal, so then why does it affect me to hear him refer to it as a business deal?

“I think it’s safe to say Nolan won’t be invited,” I say dryly but all I get from Malachi is a stare. “You could have killed him.”

“I should have.” His face remains calm and unreadable as he speaks.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” I pull his jacket closer around my body.

As soon as we get to the house, I rush upstairs to my room, desperate to take this thing off of me. I realize I should have said something else to Malachi before leaving him alone in the living room, but he’s a grown man and he’ll manage without a goodnight.

I try to peel the wet dress away from my body only to realize that the fabric is sticking to my skin and the clasp at the back refuses to cooperate entirely.

“Come on!” I shout as I try reaching behind, twisting my fingers around the tiny metal hook.

I keep trying, the irritation starting to boil in my veins. After everything that happened tonight, all I wanted was to take a hot shower and get into the warm sheets of my bed.

“Fuck!” The curse escapes my lips when I pull a muscle in my right arm during one of my attempts to get it off.

“What is going on here?” I turn around to find Malachi standing at the door, his eyes wide as he studies me.

“The stupid clasp is stuck and I can’t get this damn thing off…”

“That’s why you were shouting?” He raises an eyebrow, taking a careful step closer.

“You would shout too if you were the one stuck,” I sigh.

“The dampness probably messed with the clasp,” he speaks, taking another step closer. “When that happens, you need to be gentle and patient with it, otherwise you’ll break it and really get stuck”

Before I get to say anything, I feel the warmth radiating off his body as he steps behind me and somehow manages to work the hook loose, the metal finally giving in. He unzips the dress in one easy, elegant move.

As the dress falls slightly away from my shoulders, I inhale sharply. Suddenly, I’m aware of Malachi’s fingertips brushing the bare skin between my shoulder blades and my breath catches.

Is it an accident?

It sure doesn’t feel like one as his fingers continue to move slowly down my back, barely touching me, following the line of my spine. Every nerve in my body is awake and despite my better judgment, I close my eyes when his hand settles on my waist and he pulls me back against him.

His chest presses against my back and its warmth and firmness feel like the most appealing place in the world. I have to remind myself that this is just a business deal, as he said it himself earlier, and not allow myself to get pulled into it.

When his mouth comes close enough to my ear that I can feel his breath against my skin, neither of us moves for what feels like forever, even though it’s probably not longer than a handful of seconds. My heart is beating so hard, I worry he might be able to feel it.

His fingers tighten slightly around my waist, teasing over my lower stomach but never going lower than that.