Page 48 of Paramour of Sin

I froze, staring at his fingers in shock.

The shirt had been one thing.

The pants...

Zane chuckled against my back, the sound rumbling through me. “Stop tormenting the poor girl, Zebulon.”

Lord Zebulon undid the silver buckle, his face expressionless, apart from the glitter in his gaze. “Would I do that?”

“You absolutely would,” Zane replied wryly.

“Hmm.” Lord Zebulon’s belt dropped to the floor.

His gaze dropped to my face, and I made a small sound in response. Completely unbidden and unwelcome. A tiny moan of desire that left no room for misinterpretation.

“She does look hungry,” he added, his tone radiating sex.

I shook with restrained need, caught between the two men I wanted more than anything in the world.

Zane’s touch drifted upward to my belly, then downward toward the dangerous territory between my thighs. “She didn’t have an adequate meal at the club.”

“I can help with that.” Lord Zebulon popped the button on his pants, then put a single knee on the bed beside me. He reached out, tracing the backs of his knuckles over my cheek. “Assuming you want me to help with that, darling Guinevere?”

I sucked in a breath, suddenly lightheaded by his touch. By his proximity. Zane’s heat and Lord Zebulon’s delicious minty aftershave combined with devastating effect. I was a mess of overwhelmed senses and exquisite need.

And if I didn’t do something soon, I’d combust.

So I nodded.

Compelled.

Lost.

And entirely undone.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, please.”

Chapter Fourteen

Zebulon

Guinevere’s scent wrapped around me in a sensual caress, her presence a drug I never knew I craved. There was something just so innocently appealing about her. As though she were a fragile female locked inside the body of a goddess.

She wouldn’t break.

And yet, Iwantedto break her. To force my darkness inside her. Snuff out her light. And bury her in my fiery embrace.

It was a dangerous craving, one that called to the demon inside me, urging me to flay her alive with the intensity of my strength.

Zane was familiar with that side of me. He took it. Accepted it. Cultivated it.

But Guinevere, sweet, darling, Guinevere… I wasn’t sure she could handle all that. My poor little lamb would be eaten alive by the lion inside me.

I needed to tread carefully. To indulge in this yearning just enough to cool my flames. Then once we finished this case, I’d set her free for good.

Because Zane was right. She’d likely been targeted as a result of her connection to me. And I couldn’t allow that to happen again, couldn’t allow for her to be perceived as a weakness, and couldn’t allow myself to make her truly mine.

We’d feed this mutual attraction.