Page 177 of Craving Venom

Her hands tangle in my hair, gripping tight as my mouth trails along the curve of her neck again. A low growl rumbles in my throat, drunk on the scent of her, the heat of her skin, the way her body presses back into mine, already surrendering even if she refuses to say it out loud.

“Zane,” a soft sigh escapes her lips.

Her mouth curves around the syllable like a love song I never asked to hear but never want to end. I want her saying my name with that same breathless need, again and again, until it’s the only thing she knows how to say.

I don’t stop. My mouth trails lower, feeding on the taste of her sweat and perfume, a mix so intoxicating it scrapes against every last thread of my restraint. My hunger for her grows by the second. I want to devour her. Every inch. Every gasp. Every drop of whatever it is she’s made of that’s undoing me.

Give me one more minute and we’ll be on her bed with our hips locked together, missionary cliché be damned, and I’ll be fucking the soul out of her while losing whatever’s left of mine in the process.

I bite back a growl, pull myself back before I slide completely off the edge.

“I should go,” I barely mean it. My lips hover at her throat. I still can’t stop kissing her.

“Yeah, you probably should,” she breathes, while her body settles closer, dragging the lie behind it.

I begin to turn, the muscles in my back tensing with the effort of walking away, but then her voice calls out.

“Zane, can I give you a hug?”

Her tone sounds sweet, almost innocent, but I know better. That’s not just a hug she’s after, and we both know it. I shoot her a look, the kind that says I see through every inch of her act, but hell, I’m not about to turn down another excuse to feel her body pressed against mine.

“Sure,” I smile deceptively.

She wraps herself around me with her arms sliding tight across my back as her body tenses. She’s up to something, but I don’t stop her.

A sting flares between my shoulder blades, not just piercing but leaving something behind, something meant to slow me, something meant to claim me. It’s surgical, but the weight of it burrows deep.

She pulls away, but my blood’s already on her hands. Literally.

It drips down her palm, staining her skin. I smirk, because of course this is how it ends. Because this is us—seduction laced in betrayal, blood on fingers instead of rings on them.

Faith stumbles back a step with her eyes wide as words begin to spill out in a rush.

“There’s... there’s a lot of blood. God, you need a bandage,” she blubbers, spinning toward an escape she’ll never make.

I lunge forward, grip her hair, and yank her head back with a twist that forces her body to follow. She gasps as I spin her around, my hand still tangled in her strands.

One tear slides down her cheek and traces a path down the center of her chest, slicing between those perfect tits. With my free hand, I grab her bloodied one and bring it up to her mouth. I drag her thumb across her bottom lip, painting her with it.

“What I need,” I growl savagely, “is for you to get on your knees.”

And just like that, the air between us turns to fire.

I bend down and drag my tongue across her cleavage, licking that tear clean off her skin. Faith glares at me, no longer playing the good girl. That act’s long gone, she’s done feeling sorry for shit.

She drops to her knees with her pride intact. I yank at my pants, undoing the button with one hand while the other stays close to her face, just in case she tries something.

“What now? Is that all you’ve got, Zane? Planning to force yourself on me again?”

I crouch just enough to get close, so close she can feel my breath graze her lips. A smile curves across my face. “Baby, I didn’t want to do that. Just know I came here to watch you tonight. But I’m convinced you like it rough.”

Faith’s glare sharpens. That look? It screams,Fuck off, asshole.

I drag the zipper down all the way.

“Let me tell you, I’ve been told before that I’m an embarrassment when it comes to sucking a dick. I tend to use my teeth more, and with you, I’ll do just that.”

My cock twitches.

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