(21
I hesitated, thinking maybe I’d misheard him–that he hadn’t actually shouted. Maybe he just needed me to repeat myself, to make sure he’d understood.
I bit my lip, forcing my voice to steady. “I. I said I want a div-”
Before I could finish, a gust of icy wind whipped past me and the next thing I knew, strong arms yanked me backward into a solid, freezing embrace.
“You scared the hell out of me!”
C
Zane’s grip on me was crushing, his entire body trembling against mine. His voice–usually controlled, always composed–was anything but. It was raw, uneven, like he was barely holding it together.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he rasped. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Do you have any idea how terrifying it was to see you standing that close to the edge?”
I finally understood. He thought I was going to jump. I opened my mouth to explain, to tell him it wasn’t what he thought. But before I could form the words, his hand tilted my chin upward-
And then he kissed me.
“I don’t care, Liv,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Your past. It doesn’t matter.”
For a second, I couldn’t move.
Then, as if something inside me finally shattered, I threw my arms around his waist and kissed him back just as fiercely
I didn’t care if this was temporary, if it was just the heat of the moment.
Because right now, this was enough.
Right now, I wanted to hold on to this–to this feeling, to this moment–because even if it didn’t last, it was mine
The city lights blurred around us, neon colors flickering against his stormy eyes. The distant hum of traffic, the occasional honk of a horn–all of it faded into nothing
For the first time in so long, my heart didn’t feel heavy
For the first time, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, I could be wanted for who I was. I didn’t know how long we stayed like that. By the time we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my head spinning.
Zane brushed his thumb across my cheek, his lips hovering over mine.
“Are you gonna say divorce?” he murmured, voice hoarse.
I barely had time to react before I was lifted off the ground.
The world blurred as he carried me to his car and the next thing I knew, I was in his bed, tangled in his arms.
That night, I felt like a boat lost at sea–drifting, rocking, drowning in the waves he created.
And when the morning sun finally broke through the curtains, its golden light spilling across the sheets, I found myself tucked against his chest, his voice husky in my ear.
“We’re not getting divorced,” he murmured. “You’re not leaving me, Liv. Not now. Not ever
Later, as we lay in bed, Zane finally told me the truth about his supposed blindness.
A couple years ago, he he was in a car accident.
At first, he assumed it was orchestrated by a business rival, but eventually, he discovered it had been someone from inside his own company working with outside forces.
To smoke out the traitor and mislead his enemies, Zane had played along–pretending he had lost his sight.
He handed control of the company over to his younger brother, a reckless playboy with zero interest in business, making it seem like the Kensington Corporation was crumbling
As for the man who had jumped from the rooftop–Zane never forced him to his death. That man had embezzled
billions and when he realized there was no way to cover it up, he had taken his own life.
And the reason he hadn’t told me any of this sooner? Because he was mad at me. I had braced myself for something serious, something complicated and deep–rooted.
But no.
The man who had pulled off an entire masterstroke of deception to fool the world had been sulking.
And, of course, he refused to tell me why. His lips were sealed tighter than his stupidly defined abs. In the gave up trying to pry it out of him.
In the days leading up to my departure, Zane barely let me out of his sight.
If he could’ve stopped me from leaving altogether, I think he would have.
He held me close, reluctant to even let me go to the bathroom alone–carrying me there himself on more than
one occasion
And yet, despite his obvious reluctance, he still sent me off at the airport, watching as I boarded my flight abroad.
In the days leading up to my departure, Zane barely let me out of his sight.
8:45 AM
1 De Love You Like I Did Yesterday
If he wasn’t holding my hand, his arm was around my waist. If he wasn’t carrying me to bed, he was finding some excuse to keep me close.
He even started escorting me to the bathroom himself.
And yet, despite how much he didn’t want me to go, he still drove me to the airport.
“I’ll come to you as soon as I finish handling things here,” he promised, his hand warm against mine. “There will be someone waiting for you when you land. Take care of yourself, alright?”
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “If you don’t trust me, call me anytime. Video chat,
even
And with a teasing smirk-
“I promise I won’t let my abs disappear. You can check whenever you
you want
His voice dripped with playful innuendo, his dark eyes glinting with amusement
And just like that, a flood of memories came rushing back. Of his hand guiding mine across the firm ridges of his stomach. Of the way his breath had hitched, his muscles tensing beneath my touch,
Heat crawled up my neck, my face burning
I hated how easily he could make me blush
“Can you not?” I muttered, shoving his shoulder.
Zane chuckled, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
His touch lingered
“Alright, alright” he said, grinning “Just call me when you land, okay?” I rolled my eyes but nodded.
