Page 182 of Celestial Combat

“You okay?” I asked, only half-watching her.

“Yeah,” she said quickly. “I just… I didn’t realize how real it was. I’m sorry.”

Fuck. I should’ve been more considerate. She didn’t even ask to see his face.

I shrugged, brushing it off. “It’s over. I’m fine.”

But Maria wasn’t really looking at me anymore. Her eyes had drifted back to the table, the others, and then settled onZach at her other side – who was laughing about something with Trevor and Carmen. Then, she turned back to me and gave me a smile, like nothing happened.

Something in her expression made my heart ache.

She never talked about her past but I could tell, behind the strong exterior, it still hurt her.

I mean shit. I still had my PTSD and anxiety off what had happened to me. I couldn’t even imagine how she felt.

This time, it was me who squeezed her hand before we both smiled and turned back to the others.

The night was too beautiful to start digging through shadows.

My nails dug into Zane’s back as he rolled his hips, slowly stroking into me, hitting my perfect spot and grinding his pelvis into my clit every time.

“Oh, my God…” I moaned, my lips a couple inches from his. “How are you so good at this?”

He smirked, fucking me slow. “I know your body.”

I closed my eyes as euphoria took over my senses. It was one of those moments when everything felt amazing. For some reason, Zane’s size finally felt completely comfortable inside me. He was still huge, and I could still feel it as he stretched me out, but it was all comfort and pleasure now. No pain, not even the good kind. Just… Pleasure.

“Fuck, I love this…”

“I loveyou, baby.” He murmured against my lips, making sure to bite my lower one.

“I love you more,” I moaned, holding onto the sides of his face and keeping eye contact as he stroked inside me.

I felt his dick jump before he regained his control, and a soft amused breath escaped me.

“Damn. I love you the most.” He opened his mouth wide, biting into my neck like a tiger and dragging his teeth down towards my collar bone, an amused breath leaving him. “How ‘bout that?”

A giggle escaped me through the intense sex. “Shut up”

The rest of my words were forgotten on my tongue as he went in deeper, making my eyes roll to the back of my head as I held onto him with everything I had.

The golden hush of early evening spilled through the sheer curtains, casting honeyed stripes across Zane’s hotel bed and the bare skin of his chest beneath me. Outside, the breeze carried the scent of salt and hibiscus, fluttering the edges of the balcony drapes like slow, lazy waves. Inside, the room was dim and still – a pocket of calm before the inevitable chaos of departure.

I laid on Zane, my cheek against his shoulder, fingers drawing lazy patterns over his sternum. His other hand was resting on the curve of my lower back, thumb brushing in slow, absentminded circles. It felt too quiet to be real. Too perfect. Like the world had hit pause and, for once, we weren’t watching our backs.

“We’re leaving in a few hours,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Mhm.”

“Everyone’s staying another week,” I added, lips brushing the slope of his collarbone.

“I’d rather be back in New York and actually be allowed to kiss you like I want to.”

That made me smile.

“I’ve missed being like that with you,” I said, even though we’d been together every night.

He smiled too – that small, rare smile that made his eyes crinkle at the edges and made something flutter traitorously in my chest.