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Her head hurt again. Out of habit, she covered her eyes and reached for her sunglasses, only to find she was still naked. Still in the bed with him . Actually, they were both still naked. Renee snapped her eyes shut as the night replayed itself in her mind. His words. Shit. Shit. His hand caressed her breast in a lazy, possessive way.

She clenched her jaw, feeling relieved at not looking at herself in the mirror anymore, she would never be able to stomach her face now. She was literally sleeping with the enemy. Why couldn’t he have been like every other man she’d ever been intimate with? He hadn’t even had sex with her, but she knew he wanted to. It was all backwards and made her stomach roll.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped open. He was sleeping? Next to her was the undead king, Zane, with his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face. Like that, he seemed almost human. Had he always slept and switched shifts with Brie before she woke up? Her brain screamed at her dumb heart to remember that he does in fact, sleep. Has left himself vulnerable. It could be important later if she avoided being distracted by his sharp beauty or the way he’d made her feel.

Should she try to run now? It was quiet outside. She’d promised Zane and Brie she wouldn’t. However, if she didn’t, it made her the worst example of a human possible. But the things he’d said, the way he’d touched her, cherished her, he couldn’t be evil. Not entirely. Her idiotic heart rallied for her to stay, to solve the mystery of why he seemed a cold-hearted prick one minute and switched to a gentle, considerate, loving creature the next.

Almost as if he had read her mind, his hand slid from her breast and covered her heart. With the pulse quickening, his eyes opened. Renee’s breath caught in her throat. The adoration in his eyes made hers watery. All her thoughts of running evaporated as Zane’s hand slid down to her stomach and over her scar, then rested there.

“Renee.” Her stomach fluttered at the sound of her name on his lips. He moved until he hovered over her. “Mine.” He brought his lips to hers.

She swooned. Fucking swooned while lying down in a bed, being kissed by a zombie that tasted like citrus and sunshine. It was almost better than anything she’d ever read in her books. Too soon, he broke their kiss.

“I have to leave.” Zane’s words seemed to distress him.

“Okay. When will you be back?” She wanted more of his kisses. Wanted him to touch her again. If that’d been an orgasm, then she wanted more, many more.

“I’m not sure.”

Her brow furrowed. She licked her lips, needing water. His eyes flicked to her lips.

“I don’t… I don’t want to leave.” He sounded sincere and looked distraught at the idea of leaving.

“Then don’t.” Her fingers trailed down his muscled chest to his taut stomach until they reached his shaft.

He made a sound that resembled pain and put his forehead on hers. “I don’t have a choice. It won’t let me stay. It must consume.”

Her brow wrinkled with worry. He’d said that before. It was almost like he didn’t want to eat people. Perhaps he didn’t, but he had said zombies were the superior species, so that didn’t make sense. She removed her hands from his sex and cupped his face.

“But you’ll come back?”

“Yes.” He kissed her. “Yes. You’re mine.” Another kiss. “I’ll always come back to you.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

“Always?” Why had she asked that? Stupid, stupid heart. Shut up.

“There’s nothing that will keep me from you, my heart.”

He sealed his promise with a kiss that shattered her. Destroyed her. She didn’t need to be torn apart by the undead because he’d done it with words instead. She was utterly and wholly screwed because she wanted him to return to her. Zane, her king of the dead.