Page 21 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

Instead, his fingertips brushed against my waist. Slowly. So unbearably slowly.A fraction of a second, but it felt like a lifetime.

Then, just as quickly, he stood up and pulled me with him.

I stumbled slightly, and my back hit the bookshelf behind me.

Zane’s fingers ghosted along my hip, his other hand trailing up my arm until his thumb brushed against my cheek.

My mind blanked.

“I could test it.”

My chest rose and fell erratically as he caressed my throat. His grip was firm but not too forceful, with just enough pressure to make my pulse spike.

His eyes, dark and smoldering, dropped to my lips in a lingering look.“I’ve never wanted to try this with anyone as much as I do with you.” Those words were low, rough, and strained. As if he had been holding himself back for too long.

The heat in his gaze made my knees weak.

I didn’t move, and neither did he.

The space between us was nearly nonexistent. Its weight was suffocating. The tension was so thick and electric that I swore I could hear it crackling in the air.

His scent curled around me, filling my lungs and making my head spin.

And still, neither of us moved.

I could feel the restraint in his body, the tight control, the way his fingers flexed against my skin. He looked at me as if he was waiting desperately, achingly, for me to do something. Like he was silently begging me to end the torture.

And then, his lips crashed onto mine, hot, demanding, overwhelming.

I don’t know if I leaned in first, if he closed the gap, or if we moved at the same time. All I knew was that the moment our mouths met, the world tilted.

Zane’s kiss wasn’t a request. It was a demand.

A sharp gasp escaped me as he bit my bottom lip, his tongue sliding into my mouth, stroking against mine in a slow, deliberate rhythm. My legs went weak. A fire ignited in my veins, making me forget who I was, where we were, and why the kiss shouldn’t be happening.

His hand tangled in my hair to angle my face up so he could kiss me deeper, harder as if he wanted to consume me. And God, I wanted to be consumed.

A deep, primal groan rumbled in his chest as he pushed me against the shelf, his body solid and hot against mine, shielding me from falling books.

He kissed me like he had been craving it for longer than he’d ever admit.

Desperate for more, I clung to him, my fingers curling into his sweater, pulling him impossibly closer.

His tongue teased mine, setting my whole body on fire.

Heat pooled low in my stomach, a delicious ache that spread through my body.

When his lips left mine, they trailed along my jaw and down my neck, sucking and teasing. My body arched against him, a breathless sound slipping from my lips before I could stop it.

For half a second, Zane froze.

His grip, possessive and claiming, tightened as his body pressed even closer, his mouth finding mine again, kissing me harder. It was as if I had just given him a signal he had been waiting for.

He carried me toward the couch without breaking our kiss.

I should’ve stopped him. But I didn’t want to.

Zane’s weight pressed me down onto the soft cushions, caging me beneath him. “If I get greedy…” His lips dragged along my collarbone. “…would you run away?”

My fingers splayed along his chest, feeling his hammering heartbeat beneath my palm.

“I-I don’t know.”

And then, I felt his length pressing against my stomach. Hot and thick.

My pulse spiked.

He exhaled sharply before nipping my neck and ghosting his lips over the curve of my breast.

My toes curled.“This… is my first time,” I admitted shakily.

“Mine, too.”

Before I could process his words, he threw me effortlessly over his shoulder. The trip up the stairs to his room barely gave me enough time to catch my breath.

The moment my back hit the mattress, Zane was on top of me again, his eyes blazing with an intensity that stole that breath back.

He stripped off his sweater in one fluid motion, revealing his sculpted torso in the dim light.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach.

He was beautiful.

Toned. Strong. Every muscle was defined, and every inch of him radiated dominance and control.

Heat flooded my core.

His fingers traced my waist before gripping my shirt and ripping it clean in half.

I gasped.

Pulling back, he tossed the ruined fabric aside as his eyes devoured me.

“Fucking perfect,” he breathed, his voice thick with hunger.

His mouth trailed kisses down my stomach before moving back up to unhook my bra with ease.

My fingers buried in his hair ashis tongue flicked teasingly over my hard nipple.

A desperate sound left my lips, but Zane wasn’t satisfied.

He sucked harder, his teeth grazing over the sensitive peak.

The room blurred, and my body melted.

His fingers dipped lower, undoing my jeans and sliding them off my legs with ease.

His breath caught, and his pupils dilated.

“Look at you, so fucking beautiful.”

He bit the side of my lingerie, dragging it down with his teeth in a deliberate motion.

A shudder wracked my body as his lips touched my burning skin.A hand gripped my ankle, moving it to his shoulder.

His other hand wrapped around my throat, tilting my head upward to meet his lips.

The kisses were rough and messy, distracting me from feeling any shame for being completely naked.

His warm palm moved from my ankle to between my legs. It began as a teasing stroke, a slow torturous rub against my clit that tore a sharp gasp from my throat.

Every time he kissed me, his fingers moved, coaxing pleasure from my body with agonizing precision.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think at all. I could only feel.

My mind went blank as a finger slipped inside me. Pain, pressure, and heat.My body arched unconsciously, and tears pricked my eyes.

Zane added another finger, stretching me. His movements were slow but deliberate, and his jaw was tight as he scrutinized my face.

“Amelia.” He licked a tear away and kissed the tip of my nose. “You’re mine.”

I whimpered as his fingers pumped into me, rough and relentless.

I surrendered. Completely.

A strange sensation coiled in my stomach. I wanted to sob. I wanted to shatter.

Zane watched me intently, his cock pressing hard against my thigh.“I need you.”

His thumb flicked over my clit, making my thighs clench. My whole body tensed, and my eyes slammed shut against the devastating sensations.

I heard a zipper.

And when I opened my eyes again, Zane’s cock was free. It was thick, hard, and leaking at the tip. Panic shot through me. If his fingers felt overwhelming, how would that feel?

He must’ve seen the fear flicker across my face because he leaned in to brush his mouth against mine. “Don’t be scared. It will be fine.”

His lips traced the curve of my collarbone as his fingers continued their torment between my thighs, coaxing my body into a feverish state of readiness.

His breath was ragged against my skin, his muscles taut, veins popping along his forearms as if he was barely restraining himself.

Zane was fighting against the primal need wrecking his control. A need to claim. To possess. To ruin.

I gripped the sheets beneath me, my entire body trembling with anticipation.

He withdrew his fingers from between my legs, replacing them with his brutal, thick length.

His eyes locked onto mine, asking for permission.

I was only able to nod before he thrust into me in one smooth, deliberate stroke.

A sharp cry caught in my throat as my body stretched around him, the sting making me tense.

His fingers threaded with mine, pinning them against the mattress as he let out a deep guttural moan.

“Fuck…” Zane’s voice was wrecked, full of unfiltered pleasure and restraint.

His grip around my hand tightened as he held himself still.

I could feel every inch of him stretching me beyond anything I had ever known.The burn slowly melted into something else. Something hot.

He exhaled shakily, his forehead brushing against mine, his lips pressing soft, grounding kisses to my temple and cheek.

“Amelia…” He said my name reverently like he couldn’t believe this was real. “This is a thousand times better than the books described.”

A breathless laugh almost escaped me, but he pulled back and thrust in again.Deeper. Harder.

I gasped, my back arching as the sensation shifted from intense to unbearably good.

He groaned, his head dropping against my neck, his lips and teeth dragging along my skin as his movements became rougher, more desperate.

It was as if something inside him had snapped, as if all the tension and hunger that had been building between us had finally shattered, and nothing was holding him back.

His grip on my waist was tight, his pace fast. Each thrust pushed me higher and sent pleasure coiling hot and tight in my core.

I was burning, melting, unraveling.

He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder again, angling himself even deeper. I cried out, my hands clawing at the sheets as he hit something inside me that made my world explode.

He leaned down for another consuming kiss. It stole what little breath I had left.

The way he moved inside me, the way he owned every inch of me, the way he worshiped me with his mouth, his hands, his body… I could only feel.

“Touch me, Amelia,” he commanded against my ear.

I was already falling apart, drowning in the heat of him, but I reached up weakly, wrapping my arms around his neck.

A deep moan vibrated from his chest.

His hips snapped forward, harder, faster, each movement sending me spiraling toward the edge.

“Zane—” My voice broke off as my entire body locked up, pleasure hitting me like a tidal wave.

I shattered. I came with a breathless, helpless cry, my walls clenching around him.

Zane groaned against my skin, his hips moving in frantic and erratic jerks, and with one final deep thrust, he buried himself inside me as he found his release.

But he didn’t stop.

His mouth swallowed my gasps as he kept moving, chasing another high.

His fingers slid between my legs, teasing my already sensitive bundle of nerves, his body never once leaving mine.

He was hard again, and the realization made something flare inside me.

He smirked against my lips, his hands gripping my thighs as he thrust into me deeper without a warning.

My body jolted, overstimulation sending shocks of ecstasy through me.

“You feel too fucking good.” His voice was raw, possessive.

I couldn’t do anything but take it and let him ruin me completely.

And when he came again, I followed over the edge. Limp, wrecked, and utterly consumed by him.

Finally, he pulled out, his warmth replaced by cool air against my overheated skin.

He collapsed beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me against him.

He planted a lingering kiss on my shoulder, his breath coming out in uneven pants. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”