Page 85 of Merciless Queen

“Can the Merciless Queen ever be on a level beneath anyone?” His eyes glint with something dangerous. Something I find myself wanting to follow, to chase…toexperience.

Heat blossoms through my sternum, flashing through my core, reminding me once again of the position we’ve found ourselves in, and how neither of us are looking to move despite the numerous red, flashing alarms in my head.

“Well, considering I’m not the one on top…”

Zeno takes a long considerable glance around our position before his stupidly, sexy crooked grin blooms. “How about that,hm.” His eyes dip lower, to my neck, before trailing upwards and back to my face. I feel it all as though he’s physically touching me, and when he pauses on my lips, my breath stalls. An indescribableneedwashes over me.

Bad idea, bad idea!

“So no snipers,” I say the first thing that comes to mind, reminding us both why we’re on the ground.

“No snipers,” he quietly agrees. “Do me a favour the next time you try to escape.” His next words are a whisper over my face, sated with an emotion so deep, I couldn’t begin to understand it if I tried. “Don’t risk your life. Wouldn’t want to see you dead.”

His eyes drop to my lips again.

I don’t move. Don’t turn my head away. Just lie there immobile, stuck between desire and logic. Because for better or for worse, as Zeno lowers himself ever so slightly, enough I feel his weight once more, I don’t push him away. I want this. Him.

Stop, stop, stop right fucking now!

In this instance, I barely remember who I am, who he is, and every reason we shouldn’t do this. Especially when this is probably a ploy to gain my submission. To crumble my walls, and shatter my restraint, because apparently my mental and emotional ones aren’t enough. To bring me to a place where I don’t recognize myself. So he can saycheckmateand leave me with no way to play myself to freedom.

His lips ghost over mine. Once, twice, like he’s seeking permission.

My eyes flutter shut.

I let myself go. Let myselffeel. Let myself stand on the edge of the cliff and jump head first into the cave that’ll very well kill me. Too bad, as my lips part, allowing Zeno into a deeper place inside me, I don’t find the prospect of death and insanity tragic. I follow it. Chase it.

Zeno kisses me faster, harder, like he’s punishing me.

I kiss him back. Faster, harder, hitting him back.

He stops, and I’m so far gone, my responding whimper calls him back to me.

“Mi fai dimenticare me stesso.”

If only I knew what he said. If only I cared. He’s probably thinking what I am: how bad of an idea this is. When he dips back to me, and I’m certain that’s what it is. What else would explain the overwhelming desire to continue, everything else be damned?

As though on their own accord, my hands slip beneath his shirt and trail over his ribs and toward his shoulders. His skin is soft enough, I lose myself in the sensation of touching him.

“You’re going to drag me to Hell,” he mumbles against my mouth before kissing me harder.

Maybe, as long as he takes me with him, so we can burn for our stupidity together.

I cup his face before running one hand over his head, nails dragging through his hair until he releases a groan. “You’re damning me.”

He lowers himself a fraction more and I meet him halfway, my body aching for more. To feel him between my legs again. To erase this hunger controlling me.

One time. One time and I’ll get back to hating him. To remembering I’m the captive in this role.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Why ishedoing this tome?He kissed first…I only followed. Jumped into the cave and let myself be washed under the waves and?—

A dog barks loudly, and Zeno jerks away, his skin turning whiter than sand. He immediately rolls off me, as Venus runs up to us and shoves her nose at Zeno with an invasive sniff.

“Hey, girl,” he murmurs, patting her head as another shadow encompasses us, and I sit up, preparing myself for whoever’s approaching. Somehow, I knew it wasn’t only Zeno and me here—and Serafina—which means whoever this person is has been hiding since my arrival. Zeno’s idea to alienate me, I’m sure.

The newcomer stands over us, staring with eyes the same shade as Zeno’s pool. He spares me no less than a two-second glance before scowling. “Before you two fuck, you should know, you’re being watched.”

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