When Zane takes a step forward, I shake my head. “The cameras, remember?”
He smiles at me like the cat who got the cream. “You don’t have to worry about the cameras anymore, darling.”
“You disabled them?”
“Even better. I have them playing on a loop. From now until your father gets home, you—Willow Allegra—are the invisible woman.”
“Really?” I breathe.
I dare to stand, unrestricted by prying eyes or the thought of bearing the brunt of my father’s wrath. My hands shake as I rise to full height, sucking in a deep breath until my lungs can’t take it anymore. A million and one thoughts race through my head. I could run, jump, dance, do a freaking cartwheel if I feel so inclined. But the first thing I want to do…
I go to him.
I all but throw myself at Zane and wrap my arms around him, clinging to him like a lifeline on stormy seas. I’m so starved for touch that the mere graze of his hands down my back and the warmth of his breath against my cheeks makes my eyes water. Before I know what’s happening, I’m openly sobbing against his chest. Zane—bless his soul—doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest.
He gently strokes my hair and holds me a little tighter, whispering, “It’s okay, I’m here.”
“I’m sorry,” I rasp. “I don’t know why I’m crying. This is so silly.”
“Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for.”
I’m quick to dry my tears. I’m determined to make the most of my few days of freedom, and I don’t want to spend the majority of it weeping. “Zane?”
“Yes, darling?”
I tilt my chin up to look into his deep green eyes. Every lingering touch, every glance shared… It all feels like a luxury I can only now indulge in. The air around us is electric, singing with a sudden and overwhelming desire. It’s just the two of us now. There’s nothing holding us back.
I’m not sure who makes the first move. It doesn’t matter. I find Zane’s lips on mine and there aren’t enough words in the English language to describe just how right he feels against me.
I adore the roughness of his stubble and the demanding presence of his lips. I want to swoon with the way his arms easily circle my waist and lock me in. I can’t get enough of his cologne and the way his lips taste or the way he growls possessively against me, awakening an intense heat deep within my core.
An all-consuming need suddenly takes hold of my body. I don’t think I can get enough of him. I feel like I might go crazy if he decides to pull away. Thankfully, Zane appears just as eager to have his way with me. He easily lifts me off the floor, my legs wrapping around his hips instinctively as he starts towards my bed.
“What about the other guards?” I ask between heated kisses.
“On patrol.”
“Heath?”
“Doing his rounds.”
“What about the maids?”
“They’re busy with their chores.”
“What about—”
“Willow.”
“What?”
Zane sets me down on the mattress, quick to pull off my jeans and slip off my shirt. I lie there in nothing but my bra and panties, my hair spilling around my head onto the soft sheets. My cheeks warm, not because I’m lying here exposed, but because Zane looks like a starved man ready to eat me whole.
He wastes no time settling between my legs, pushing my knees apart so he can press kisses to my inner thighs. He strokes me slowly with his fingers over the fabric of my panties, a shaky breath bubbling past my lips when he brushes the cotton aside. The warmth of his breath hits my sensitive skin, sending a shiver racing through my core.
The first brush of his tongue against my sensitive bud almost sends me flying. I grip the sheets, barely able to hold back my languid moan.
“Z-Zane!”