Page 41 of Ruined By a Devil

When I get to Jade’s room, I turn the handle and push her bedroom door open without bothering to knock. The room is dim, lit only by the faint light entering though the windows from the outside.

Jade is sitting on the edge of the mattress, her still wet hair clinging to her shoulders. She snaps her head toward the door, her dark eyes flashing with immediate, defensive pride as she sees me.

“Don’t you ever knock?” She asks.

“I don’t knock in my own house,” I say, stepping into the room and shutting the door hard enough to echo in the silence of the room. I stare down at her as I add. “I hear you were questioning my men about security overrides and perimeter rotations.”

Jade doesn't flinch. She stands up, lifting her chin, refusing to look intimidated even as I loom over her.

“I like to know my options,” she says, her voice steady. “If Nolan comes through those doors, or if you decide this alliance isn't working for you anymore, I need to know if I can get out of this place alive.”

The brutal honesty of her words hits me with the realization that she doesn't trust me. And why would she? Her own father traded her like currency, and I backed her into this marriage to ruin Nolan. She was raised by monsters, surrounded by men who use women as pawns.

“There are no blind spots in this house, Jade,” I say, my voice low and quiet. “Nothing gets past my guards, so you don’t have to worry about Nolan when you’re in here. And if you try to run, I will find you before you reach the gate.”

She holds my gaze, her jaw set, refusing to offer an apology.

Neither of us says anything and I stare at her for two long seconds, feeling the dangerous heat rising between us, before I turn on my heel and walk out, slamming her door behind me.

I head to my bedroom, and I tear off my suit jacket and toss it over the back of a leather armchair. I unbutton my shirt with rough, impatient fingers, the residual anger from the confrontation still boiling in my veins. I’m halfway through unbuckling my belt when my bedroom door opens without a knock.

When I turn around, I see Jade standing on the threshold. Her dark eyes sweep over my bare chest, tracing the line of my collarbone down to my waist, before rising back to my face.

“Where is my phone? I asked you to hold for me in the bridal store,” she asks. “You put it in your jacket earlier.”

“Top drawer of the nightstand,” I say, not stopping as I pull my belt from the loops. “Take it and get out.”

I watch Jade as she walks over to the nightstand beside my king-sized bed and she grabs the brass handle of the bottom drawer instead of the top, pulling it open. The moment she opens it, she freezes. As her gaze lands on the contents inside: neat rows of leather restraints, sleek black cuffs, a silk blindfold, and several polished, high-end silicone vibrators.

A deep flush instantly creeps up her neck, painting her cheeks a dark, gorgeous red. She goes entirely still, staring down into the drawer as if she’s stepped into a trap.

“That's the wrong drawer,” I say, stepping up behind her until my bare chest is inches from her back.

“I... I can see that,” she stammers, her usual sharp composure completely shattering. She goes to shut it, but I reach past her shoulder, placing my hand flat against the wood, keeping the drawer wide open.

“Are you curious, Jade?” I whisper near her ear.

She swallows hard, her chest rising and falling heavily. “I don't... I haven't used things like that before.”

I frown slightly, catching the subtle hesitation in her voice, followed by the genuine, unpracticed nervousness in her posture. I tilt my head, studying the flush on her skin, the way her eyes dart away from mine.

“You've never used a toy?” I ask, my voice low.

She doesn't answer. Instead she bites her lower lip hard and avoids looking me in the eyes.

“Jade,” I say, my hand wrapping around her hip, turning her around to face me. “Have you ever been with a man?”

The silence stretches between us, heavier than I would have expected. She raises her chin, trying to muster her pride, but the dark blush on her face gives her away completely.

“No,” Jade’s voice is a whisper, her dark eyes locking onto mine with the familiar fierce and stubborn defiance. “Of course, not.”

A dark jolt hits my stomach as soon as she utters the words. She’s a virgin. Raised by the Italian mafia, courted by Nolan Devlin, and she’s never let a single man touch her. Which is something expected in our world, and yet…

“Do you want to learn?” I ask softly, my thumb dragging across the sharp curve of her cheekbone causing her breath to hitch.

She looks at me, then down at the drawer, her thighs subtly pressing together beneath her pants. “Learn what?”

“How to lose control,” I say.