Page 188 of Seeking Shadows

I hold my breath for a second before slowly exhaling. Then, tapping my hands lightly on my knees, I flash a small smile. “So… can I go before you all change your minds?”

Giulia rolls her eyes, Andi sighs in exasperation, and Livia’s smile widens.

“Yes, Mia. You can go.”

CHAPTER 31

ZANE

The air thickens, charged with something electric, as Mia approaches. My pulse, already erratic, jolts in my chest, each beat hammering against my ribs. There's something about the way she moves—slow, deliberate—that coils heat in my gut, an instinctual warning that something is coming, something I won’t be able to stop.

I react before I can think, stepping toward her, tension rolling off me in waves.

"Mia." My voice is low, edged with urgency. "What happened?"

She stops, those wide, striking eyes locking onto mine, and for a moment, my breath stutters. Then, with a dramatic sigh, her expression falters, lips parting just enough to pull me in.

"Zane…" She hesitates, looking down, her shoulders curling inward like she’s bracing herself. "It all went wrong."

Something sharp and cold knifes through my chest. My body moves before my mind catches up—I close the distance, fingers wrapping around her wrist, my grip firm, possessive.

"No." My voice is dark, final. "I won’t let anyone touch you."

But then I see it—the flicker in her eyes, that mischievous glint, too wicked for someone in distress.

And then she smiles.

My stomach turns, my jaw clenching as understanding dawns.

"Are you kidding me?" Relief crashes into me, too hard, too fast, for me to be angry.

Mia laughs, the sound soft and teasing, as her fingers skim up my chest, slow, deliberate, her touch featherlight but burning. She plays with the collar of my shirt, her lips hovering just inches from my skin.

"I just wanted to see your reaction."

I close my eyes, exhaling through my nose, trying—failing—to regain control. But the second I look at her again, I’m already gone.

"You drive me fucking crazy." My voice comes out hoarse, raw with everything I feel.

Her pupils dilate, and she tilts her head, lips parting as if she’s about to say something—but I don’t give her the chance. I pull her flush against me, my grip firm, my body pressing into hers, letting her feel exactly what she does to me.

Our noses brush, our breaths mingling, hot and ragged. My desire for her has always been an untamed, vicious thing, clawing at me from the inside out, impossible to control.

"I love you," I murmur against her lips. "As easy as breathing."

She exhales, a quiet, shaky sound that snaps what little restraint I had left.

I crash my mouth against hers, devouring her, the kiss deep and slow at first, but quickly unraveling into something fierce, hungry. My fingers slide into her hair, tightening, tilting her head back so I can take more, taste more. She clings to me, her hands fisting in my shirt, her body pressing against mine like she’s desperate to crawl under my skin.

I walk her back until she hits the wall, caging her in with my body, my hands roaming lower, exploring every curve that belongs to me.

"You’re trouble," I rasp against her mouth, biting down on her lower lip before trailing my lips along her jaw, her throat. I feel the way her breath hitches, the way her body shudders against mine, and it only fuels the fire already consuming me.

"Do you really think you can scare me like that and get away with it?"

Mia hums, her nails scraping against the back of my neck, her fingers threading into my hair as she tilts her head, giving me more access.

"You love me," she whispers, smug, breathless. "That means I can do whatever I want."

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