Page 58 of Dangerous Devotion

I grinned and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her blunt assessment was so her. And her honesty was refreshingly endearing. And she was right. I had been all those things, could be all these things.

Well, maybe Anti-Christ was a little mean, but with everything else, she was mostly spot on. “I can’t believe you married me, thinking about me like this.”

“I can’t believe I married you either,” she murmured, her breath tickling my neck. “But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you. What did you think of me in the beginning?”

My chest tightened, then expanded at her words.

Love.

Not a concept I ever thought I’d invite into my life.

It still felt surreal to hear her say it. I traced lazy circles on her lower back, savoring the warmth of her skin against mine. Then chuckled, thinking back about the opinion I’d built of her before even meeting her. “I thought you were a spoiled mob princess who needed some disciplinary action.”

Jemma’s hand on my chest stopped for a second before she continued her soft strokes. “Disciplinary action? How old are you, fifty?”

“Well,” I said, my hand sliding down to cup her ass, giving it a playful squeeze. “Old enough to have some experience under my belt. And I can think about a thing or two I want to do to you that would fall under disciplinary action.”

Her fingers trailed down my side, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. “You’re really kinky, aren’t you?” Her voice sounded pensive.

I pulled her closer and inhaled the scent of her hair. “I prefer open-minded.”

“So you were open-minded about me?” Jemma’s voice held a hint of challenge.

I chuckled, remembering my initial impressions of her. “Hell no, I hated you and everything I thought you stood for. When some of the data pointed at you, I couldn’t believe it. Ithought you were an airhead. And that and hacking into our system didn’t quite gel.”

It was actually pretty amazing how far we’d come in such a short time. From enemies to lovers, from mutual suspicion to mutual trust.

“I don’t know if I should be insulted or not.” Jemma’s voice vibrated against my chest, a hint of amusement in her tone.

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and grinned into the darkness. “Not. I didn’t know you then.”

She trailed her fingers across my collarbone, then settled on my pulse point. “And you think you know me now?”

My heart swelled with affection. Despite everything we’d been through, there was still so much to learn about each other. I tightened my arms around her, relishing the feeling of her softness against my hardness. “Well, I’m getting there. I know you’re fierce and loyal. I know you’re considerate. My dog likes you. My siblings love you. I know you’re wicked smart, and you will keep me on my toes for the rest of our lives.”

Her breath hitched slightly, and she pressed her lips against my skin. “Well, that is a very positive view you have of me.”

I chuckled, the sound rumbling in my chest. My hand moved to cup her face, and I gently stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Oh no, I know you’re a pain in the ass, cuss like a sailor, call me out whenever, have a wicked right hook, and are able to lie in my face without losing sleep over it. You’re also a bit of a bully and a brat.”

Her body shook with silent laughter, and she nuzzled closer to me. “Well, I’m your brat.”

I smiled and pulled her tighter against me. “That’s why I’m looking forward to that disciplinary action I mentioned before.”

Her body tensed slightly against mine, and she remained silent for what felt like an eternity. “Not sure I like violence,” she murmured, her breath warm against my skin.

My grin deepened. I pulled on my arm, then scooted down until I lay face to face with her, our noses almost touching. “I love you, Punk, and trust me, violence will have nothing to do with it.”

She sighed, her body relaxing into mine once more. Then suddenly, she stiffened again. “How did your meeting go?” Her voice held a hint of concern.

I chuckled. We hadn’t even had time to talk about anything after what had happened earlier. After fucking her bent over the conference table, I’d carried her upstairs where she’d promptly fallen asleep in my arms after our joint shower.

The memory of her coming with my finger in her ass sent a wave of warmth through my body and would forever live in my head, rent-free. I couldn’t wait to fuck her in the ass for the first time, couldn’t wait to watch her suck me off for the first time, either.

So many firsts to look forward to.

“Vince?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Hmm?” I responded, running my hand along her side.

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