Chapter 33

‎Edward kept stealing glances at her while he ate, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth more than once. He realized with a quiet frown that he didn’t actually know anything about her, aside from her name. Claire. That was all. And yet, here she was, sitting across from him like some kind of puzzle he hadn’t been given the pieces for.

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‎His eyes drifted to her again, lingering on her small frame, her quiet posture. She looked so young. Almost fragile, like she might disappear if he looked away too long.

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‎How old is she? he wondered, his curiosity getting the better of him.

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‎“How old are you?” he asked suddenly, the question slipping out before he could second-guess it. He studied her face, noting the smoothness of her skin, the youthful softness that reminded him of a nineteen-year-old girl. Maybe she was nineteen.

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‎But even if she is nineteen… so what? he thought shamelessly, doing the math in his head. He was definitely older, how much older, exactly?

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‎Claire blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. Her fork hesitated in her hand as she turned to glance at him, eyes narrowing slightly with suspicion. Why would a demon care about her age?

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‎“Twenty-four,” she answered simply, almost defensively.

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‎Edward raised an eyebrow in surprise, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Hmm… not bad,” he murmured, his tone more amused than anything else. He returned to his food, chewing thoughtfully while the number repeated in his head. Seven years. He was seven years older than her.

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‎Claire, noticing the smug expression still dancing on his face when she glanced his way again, felt a twinge of unease settle in her stomach. She had seen that same smirk the very first time they met, and it hadn’t sat well with her then, either.

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‎She looked away, trying to ignore the way her nerves flared. I really hope today goes well… she thought silently, her fingers tightening around her fork.

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‎They both finished eating, the silence between them more loaded than any conversation could have been. Claire stood up first, gathering the plates with mechanical precision, her mind racing. It’s really hard eating with the devil, she thought, not even sure if she was referring to his unnerving stare, his commanding presence.

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‎With a faint sigh, she walked toward the room and headed to the small kitchen nestled in the corner of his office room. The air inside still held the scent of his cologne, but also something colder—something distinctly him. She reached the sink and turned on the water, letting it run for a few seconds before placing the plate under it. The warm water was grounding, a small moment of clarity in the storm of her nerves.

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‎Edward, still seated on the couch, frowned slightly. His eyes drifted toward the room, brow furrowing. Why is she taking so long? It wasn’t just putting a plate in the sink, this was something else. Something unnecessary. He didn’t like unnecessary.

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‎Rising smoothly to his feet, he moved toward the room and headed to the kitchen, his footsteps quiet on the polished floor. As he approached, the sight of Claire scrubbing the plate caught him off guard. He paused at the doorway for a moment, arms crossed. She was focused, her back to him, sleeves rolled up, oblivious to his gaze.

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‎He stepped forward slowly, deliberately, like a predator in no rush. When he reached her, he leaned in until his mouth hovered near her ear.

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‎“Did I tell you to wash the plate?” he whispered, his voice low and intimate.

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‎Claire jolted slightly, the plate slipping in her grip before she caught it. Her breath hitched at the sudden closeness, his words slithering into her ear like smoke. Before she could respond, he wrapped an arm around her waist from behind, his touch cold and unyielding. He pulled her gently back against him, his body firm and warm against her spine.

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‎"Oh, you scared me," she breathed out, her voice trembling, whether from surprise or something else she couldn’t name. His breath brushed against her skin, sending goosebumps down her neck. Both of his hands were now on her waist, anchoring her in place. Her body stiffened instinctively, muscles locked in confusion and unease.

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‎“Ease up,” he murmured, his voice silk wrapped around steel. “I’m not eating you.”

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‎She felt her heart thudding in her chest, as if it were trying to tell her something her brain couldn’t grasp fast enough.

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‎“You… What are you doing?” she asked, barely above a whisper. Her body refused to obey the scream rising inside her, her arms twitching with the desire to push him away, to put space between them, but they didn’t move. She hated how her limbs betrayed her, how his presence seemed to steal her will.

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‎She wasn’t sure if it was fear, confusion, or something darker blooming in the pit of her stomach.

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‎Edward turn her body around now facing him as he claim her lip savouring every bit of her mouth, and she also respond to the kiss making Edward body feel excited as he deepened the kiss. He grabbed her ass pressing it and spanking her making her gasped in his mouth, after what feel like forever, he finally release her lips letting her breath, still holding her in his arm.