Chapter 41

• Valerie's widened eyes mirrored her own shock at the blatantly possessive proclamation. Where had that come from? They'd been strangers a mere three days prior, bound by the most unconventional of arrangements. Yet here she sat, staking an unequivocal claim on this devastatingly handsome man as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
• Michael, for his part, looked utterly delighted by her assertion of ownership. Those piercing eyes danced with a heady blend of masculine pride and undisguised desire that caused a fresh blush to tint Valerie's cheeks.
• Rather than dismiss her outburst, he merely inclined his head in a regal nod of acceptance. "Well said, Mrs. Donovan," he rumbled in that sinfully rich baritone. "I am indeed yours, as you are most thoroughly mine."