Page 16 of Married to the Devil

“Do not touch him.” Stoneheart’s words come out as a hiss, and I freeze. He rolls his shoulders, but the tight air in the room doesn’t dissipate.

I pull my hand away. This rule is loud and clear. He will abide by the fact I called on Ben. He will allow us to even be in a room together without destroying the demon, but he will not allow this.

Ben’s hand flexes as if remembering where I’d already touched him tonight. The game we’re playing is so much more dangerous than I’ve let myself believe.

I shouldn’t have summoned Ben.

Stoneheart exhales slowly. His expression is impassive, but the sense that he’s close to the edge doesn’t vanish. “I suggest we move to the Firefly. Tonight.”

I tighten my grip on the jacket and sheet around me, and he continues, nodding to himself.

“My most trusted people are there. Leonids and Council members won’t cause us more trouble. Get changed,” he orders.

I hesitate, not wanting to leave Ben and Stoneheart alone together. But Ben gives me a nod. I pick up my bag and shuffle to the bathroom, the sheet trailing after me making me take my time.

Once the door closes, I collapse to the tiled floor. I try and keep my gasping quiet. The gargoyle probably has inconveniently good hearing. Bathrooms have always seemed like good places to fall apart. Too bad I can’t take the time to run a shower and hyperventilate as much as I want to.

I need to stay away from Ben for his own safety.

It had feltrightto call on him, but Stella the charm maker made that decision, not Stella the bride of the Devil. The comfort he gives me will only make everything worse for both of us.

It takes some silent breaths, but finally I pull myself together and I clothe myself. I’d carefully chosen the deep blue dress cut in a classic silhouette for the fact that it’s understated but classy.

People are judgmental creatures no matter if they are shifter or human. Dressing for the part of territory leader is the only thing I feel confident about in this new life.

I put the charm that kept the dress wrinkle free back in the bag and focus on preparing myself to join the melee again.

Ben is out there with my husband. I don’t want him to get in a fight because Stoneheart decides to treat me like he can’t stand me one moment and wants me the next.

I shake my head to keep from psyching myself out.

Ben has probably already left. That would be the wisest course of action.

It’s not Ben who is gone when I exit my haven.

“What happened?” I ask Ben, handing him the suit jacket he’d wrapped me in and glancing around the empty room as if my husband is going to arrive in another dramatic fashion to startle us again.

Ben’s hair is slightly more mussed than before, but I see no damage to his person as he puts his jacket back on. There’s a short halting moment where he inhales, but it’s over before I can question it. He gathers my ruined petal strewn wedding dress and pins, handing them to me. I hesitate before stuffing them in my bag, not wanting to leave the garment for people to gossip about.

“Stoneheart will meet us at his penthouse,” he says. “It will be more comfortable for you to travel by teleporting with me rather than him flying you there.”

I almost threw up the last time Stoneheart tried to fly me anywhere. I didn’t think I was afraid of heights until he’d taken me away from a dragon destroying my father. We’d been witnesses, but the situation turned dire quickly.

It had given me romantic notions that he cared for my safety.

“He wants you to teleport me?” I ask. What about the no-touching rule?

Ben nods, and I don’t have to voice the question. “He’s given his permission for me to touch you over clothing.”

“That makes no sense.” When I was going to touch Ben, it was through his shirt.

He shrugs. “I don’t think logic matters. He’s possessive of you.”

I wish that didn’t make a deep part of me giddy. It would be so much simpler if I was unaffected by my husband now that he’s turned our marriage into a battle.

It would also be simpler if that same part of me wasn’t looking forward to Ben taking me in handthrough my clothingto teleport me.

Emotions don’t matter. I’ll need to be made of sterner stuff if I’m to carve out a place for myself in my new territory.

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