Page 108 of The Villain

I ignore him to watch the light.

“I have your backpack, baby. Open up.”

The gentle tone draws my attention around to see him holding it up in offering. I turn back to the light and clasp the hand holding the panties over the steering wheel where he can see. I shift until my knees spread on the seat.

He sucks in a sharp breath. “Take it. I’m done. Game over.”

His surrender is sweet, a victory that sings through my veins.

I look at him again. The grin he has is just as heady. He isn’t a sore loser, which makes it even better.

I roll down the window and gently take the backpack from him. As I twist to set it on the seat next to me, he leans in for a better view. With my legs spread, he can see how wet I am.

“Can I touch?” He asks in a strained tone.

Look at that. He’s being a good little statue without prompting.

“No,” I smile while his jaw clenches. He doesn’t take his eyes off the apex of my thighs. “But, I will give you these.”

I brush the panties along his cheek. His eyes dart to mine as his lips curl into a slow smile. He takes them in his teeth and walks back to his car with light steps that make me laugh.

The four lane becomes a two lane quickly after that. The rest of the drive out of town he pulls up alongside me and catcalls. The road is basically deserted so I laugh and leave it alone.

I slow for the turn off onto the gravel drive that smooths to concrete halfway through. I’ll have to trim back the trees before long. The branches are reaching over, almost touching the sides of the truck on the single lane.

Or I could let them grow over and settle into the life of a hermit.

I glance at Shade in the rearview and decide against it. His mask is off and he’s looking around with curiosity.

The clearing opens up and the lane turns to a concrete drive that loops towards the single story house. The fence is in better condition than when I last saw it. The lawn is trimmed now, too. No wonder it took so long to get into the place. They were fixing the things I noted during the walk-through.

I slow to park under the awning and frown. It has room for one car, not two. I glance at the open space to the left and wonder how much it would be to add on to it. Shade won’t be happy if his pride and joy gets caught in the rain.

I’ll discuss it with him. He can park under the awning instead.

I hop out of the truck, pulling my bag toward me to grab my clothes and dress.

“Baby,” he gives me a throaty growl as he grins. “Don’t get dressed now.”

“Tera will be here,” I remind him as I slide into my panties and sweatpants. They end just below my knees. I don’t bother with a bra as I pull the white tank top over my head.

“And you’re going to wear that while she’s here?” He asks in a strained voice. He’s staring at my peaked nipples.

“Untuck your shirt,” I suggest with a smirk.

“Jesus,” he mutters but he does it.

“Feel better about it?” I ask and sling the backpack onto my shoulder.

“No,” he answers in a grumpy tone.

I huff a laugh and open the gate, walking up my walkway as a homeowner for the first time.

The key goes in easily and the door opens smoothly. The hinges got oiled, too. They earned the extra money at this point. I’ve been planning all the things that need to be fixed since I laid out my offer. If this trend continues that will cut that list down considerably.

I walk in and drop my backpack on the couch. My shoes get set by the door. Everything smells fresh and aired out.

Shade follows me and takes a look around the furnished living room before setting our drinks down on a side table. It’s empty without personal touches, but a million times better than where both of us have been living.

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