Page 122 of Celestial Combat

“Come on.”

He pulled me to my feet, his body still half in front of mine like he could absorb whatever came next, until we reached the back exit.

And even in the dim light, with chaos still echoing all around, I could see it in his eyes–

The same look he had that night I first moved into his loft.

Like nothing in the world could touch me.

Except him.

The night air hit like a slap – cool and wet with storm promise. I barely had a second to catch my breath before Zane grabbed my wrist and spun me toward his car. My back hit the cold metal door with a muted thud. His hands planted on either side of me, trapping me between steel and fury.

“When I sayget down,” He growled, voice low but vibrating with heat, “You. Get. Down.”

His chest was rising and falling, suit jacket half unbuttoned, tie slightly loose – like the violence from earlier still clung to him in waves.

“You don’t hesitate,” He snapped. “You don’t freeze. You don’t argue.”

I stared up at him, heart racing for a different reason now.

“When I tell you to jump, you fucking jump. You don’t ask me why. You don’t talk back.You. Fucking. Jump.”

I flinched – not from fear, but from how hard those words landed. His face was close. Too close. His eyes were fire and gravel and storm.

“I’m sorry I have trust issues with men,” I muttered, bitterness curling around my tongue like smoke. My eyesburned, but I blinked fast. He didn’t get to see me cry. “Get in line.”

His jaw tightened.

“You could’ve gotten killed,” he said, quieter now – but the rage didn’t leave. “I’m here to make surethis,” – his hand came up and pressed flat against my chest, right over my heartbeat – “Never stops.”

I scoffed. “Because my brother would kill you next.”

He grabbed my face, gently but firmly, and tilted it until I had no choice but to look at him. His thumb brushed the line of my cheek. His eyes were dark, intense, and closer than they’d ever been.

“No. Because I wouldn’t be able to keep breathing… Knowing I’d never see these gorgeous brown eyes look back at me.”

Something inside me cracked wide open.

I should’ve pushed him away.

But my fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt.

And then–

The space between us vanished.

His lips crashed into mine like a lit match to gasoline – explosive, wrong, right, inevitable. My body responded before my mind could catch up – hands in his hair, pulling him closer; his arms caging me like the world might try to steal me again.

The city blurred. The night vanished.

There was only his mouth on mine, his hand still over my heart, and the quiet truth neither of us could hide from anymore.

We had just broken the only rule that ever mattered.

And I didn’t care.

His lips tore away from mine like he was breaking a fever.

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