Page 136 of Hidden Echoes

He closes his eyes for a moment like he's bracing himself for the worst. It makes me smile even more. I love how patient he is with me sometimes. He always knows when I’m about to push things, and he just… waits.

I keep going, my hand accidentally smearing a little orange across the sun hiding behind one of the tattoos. I’m so into it that I don’t notice when Zane grabs my wrist, his fingers wrapping around me with just the right amount of pressure.

“You really like it,” he says, his voice a little quieter now, like he’s trying to figure me out.

I meet his eyes, and something stirs in my chest. There’s a heat there, something intense. And all I could think about was the way he looked at me while he was fucking my pussy with his tongue. I want that again. Heat pools low in my belly as the memories flood back, each one hitting me like a spark to dry kindling.

“I like the colors,” I whisper, my voice softer than I intended.

He doesn’t answer right away. He just keeps looking at me, as if weighing my words, considering something. And then—without releasing my wrist—he slides his fingers down to the back of my hand, pressing lightly.

It’s a small touch, but it feels like a question.

My heart stutters, and suddenly, I’m not sure if I’m breathing anymore.

The marker in my grip trembles slightly, leaving a crooked line of purple across the perfect outline of his tattoo.

I hold my breath.

Before I can react, Zane’s hand moves to my waist, his fingers tightening with a firmness that makes me gasp. In an instant, he pulls me closer, and before I know it, I’m sitting on his lap, held tight against him.

"Go on,” he teased.

I keep going, but now it’s not about the tattoos anymore. My hand trembles slightly, the marker nearly slipping out of my grasp as I feel the way he’s responding to my touch. His skin is warm, taut, and it’s like every inch of him isalive.

Zane’s breathing changes. It’s deeper now, slow, almost like he’s trying to control himself.

I can’t focus on the tattoos anymore. I can’t focus onanythingbut the way his body feels under my hands, the way the heat between us thickens. I look up at him again, and this time, I can’t look away. His gaze is so intense, sodirectthat my whole body tightens in response.

I take a shaky breath, my marker slipping from my hand.

But I don’t care.

I lean closer to him, our lips almost brushing. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I can’t seem to stop myself. His eyes are darker now, filled with a question I know I need to answer.

I give him that look—thatlook, the one that says it all without me having to say a word. It’s permission, it’s a request, it’s everything I’m too scared to ask for out loud.

Without missing a beat, Zane nods. He doesn’t need anything else.

And before I can even process what’s happening, his lips are on mine.

My body reacts immediately, the rush of heat and sensation flooding me. I can feel him—all of him—against me, and I don’t want to pull away.

His cock presses into me, making everything feel impossibly intense, the pulse of it against me sending shocks of pleasure through my body.

“Watch what you do to me, Mia,” Zane growls, his hands pulling me tighter against him. “If you don’t stop with those fuck me eyes, I’m going to slide those shorts off and fuck you right here.”

“Yes, do that,” I breathe, my voice barely above a whisper, lost in the moment.

“Only when it feels real to you, my sweet chaos,” he murmurs, his voice thick with desire. “I want you to want me.”

I look at him, my heart twisting in a way I can’t describe. “Zane, you are the most real thing I’ve ever felt. I’ve wanted you every day since I met you. You’re what keeps me sane.”

There’s a shift in his expression like he finally understands something he couldn’t put into words. And then—he smiles. A real, soft smile, and for a moment, it feels like everything’s in its place.

“I’ve waited so long for this,” he says, his voice soft but filled with something I can’t even put into words.

“No more waiting,” I murmur, pressing my lips to his neck as I slide his shorts down just enough to feel the heat of his skin on mine.

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