Page 32 of The Enforcer (Damn! #2)

THE HEAT of the night still lingered between them, thick and palpable, like the air after a storm. Zane lay beside Lily, the faint rise and fall of her chest the only sound in the room. She was still wrapped in the aftermath of their connection, her body next to his, their limbs tangled.

But Zane couldn’t shake the tension that pulsed beneath his skin. The calm after their storm was deceiving. Something about this moment felt wrong. The world was still waiting, still moving, even if they both wanted to stop time for just a moment.

Zane’s gaze drifted over Lily’s face, her peaceful expression in the dim light of the room.

But the slight tension in her face, the barely-there flicker in her eyes, betrayed the wariness she was trying so hard to hide.

It was all there, in the way her fingers gripped the sheet just a little too tightly, as though bracing herself for what might come next.

And he knew there was still something, something between them, that needed to be addressed.

As if answering the question he hadn’t dared to ask, Lily’s whisper cut through the silence. “You have to choose,” her voice barely above a breath. “Either you believe me... or you have to kill me.”

The words hit Zane like a slap, reverberating through the stillness. He swallowed hard, the intensity of them settling deep into his chest. It wasn’t just a challenge. It was a demand. And it was the truth. Because that’s what this had always been about: trust.

Zane moved instinctively, his hand wrapping around her throat with a firm, possessive grip. It wasn’t threatening, it was a question. His thumb barely brushed her pulse as he stared into her eyes.

“Do you trust me?” His voice was low, rough with something raw, something dangerous that lingered beneath his calm. His pulse was steady, but his eyes burned into hers, demanding the truth.

Lily didn’t flinch. She held his gaze, unwavering. She’d always been strong, stronger than anyone he had ever known. And it fucking terrified him.

“Answer me, Lily. Do you trust me?” His grip tightened slightly, just enough to remind her of the discipline he maintained, but not enough to hurt.

Lily’s eyes darkened, his words sitting heavy between them. She didn’t look away, didn’t back down. For a moment, Zane wondered if she was going to say something that would rip him apart.

Finally, with a deep breath, Lily nodded. He felt it, almost like a relief, as if the truth had been laid bare between them. She wasn’t going to pull away anymore.

Zane’s grip on her throat loosened, and she pushed past his hold, her lips crashing into his with an urgency that matched the moment.

It was a kiss that wasn’t just about passion, but about securing their connection.

And just for that brief second, the world outside of this room didn’t exist. They were just two souls, clashing and melding together in that kiss.

The kiss broke, the intensity of what had just passed between them still lingering.

His hand drifted up to cup her face, his thumb brushing gently along her cheekbone, a touch that lingered far longer than necessary.

His eyes searched hers, looking for something he couldn’t name, but feeling it settle deeper between them, something primal, fundamental. But Lily wasn’t done.

She pulled away slightly, just enough to meet his gaze again. Her voice was steady, yet her eyes betrayed the storm inside her.

“Does that mean you believe me? Or was that a goodbye kiss?”

Zane’s stomach dropped. The words, spoken so plainly, hit harder than anything he’d experienced.

But the anger in him wasn’t for her. It was for himself.

Because he knew exactly what she meant. This wasn’t just about trust anymore.

It was about something deeper. Something that terrified him more than he’d ever been willing to admit.

He sat up, still holding her. His body ached with the need to solve this, but the pieces didn’t fit. Not yet. Not until he could feel the truth.

Lily stared at him with an expression that could break a man. Her eyes were soft, but the strength behind them cut through him.

She was right, there was still something between them, something unsaid, something they hadn’t dealt with. But maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t about the trust anymore. Maybe it was about something deeper.

And as he gazed back at her, the walls that had always been there, always held him back from admitting things he didn’t want to admit, seemed to crumble.

The truth settled in his chest, undeniable now.

“I believe you, Lily.” His voice was rough, direct, bearing witness to everything he’d tried to fight. “I believe you.”

For the first time in his life, admitting that level of trust didn’t feel like surrender.

It felt like strength. Zane had lived too long in a world where trust was a weapon, something to be used and discarded.

But with Lily, it was different. Trust wasn’t a weakness.

It was what bound them together now, tethering him to her in ways he hadn’t expected.

And as much as it terrified him, he didn’t want to let go.

He stilled, his body molded around hers. Everything that had passed between them pressed into him, stripping away every defense he’d ever built. And yet, here she was, tangled in his sheets, bare as sin, her cheek resting on his chest like she hadn’t just shattered his world.

But it wasn’t just his world she’d changed. It was him. The vulnerability of trusting her settled deep in his chest. His mind should have been racing, preparing for the chaos that awaited them outside this room. But instead, all he could focus on was her, here, now. And for once, that was enough.

His hand moved along her spine, fingers tracing each delicate ridge, but this time, his touch wasn’t possessive.

It explored every inch. He breathed her in, the scent of her skin reminding him that this moment was real.

Need stirred in his gut, but this time, it wasn’t about taking.

It was about holding on to what he almost lost.

She shifted against him, slow and sensual, her thigh sliding over his with no intention of getting out of bed. Zane rolled, pinning her beneath him with a growl. Her smile, sleepy, satisfied, and sultry, dared him to make good on it.

He kissed her, hard. No pretense. Just hunger. But even as his mouth claimed hers, something shifted beneath the surface. It wasn’t just need driving him now, it was something more profound, something that had been building since the moment he’d let her in.

Lily met him with the same heat, her hands threading through his hair, securing him to her. But her movements were slower this time, more deliberate. She wasn’t just matching his intensity, she was pulling him deeper. His body pressed her into the mattress, his soul reaching for hers, connecting.

Zane’s hand traced the line of her body, his touch slowed, savoring the feel of her beneath him.

But it was more than just her body he was holding onto, it was everything she’d given him.

Her trust. Her belief in him, even when he hadn’t earned it.

Truth, beautiful, honest truth making every caress feel like a vow he was silently making to her.

Each brush of his lips against hers was softer now, more deliberate, as if he was afraid to lose this moment too soon.

Lily’s body responded with equal tenderness, her breath hitching as she tilted her hips to meet him.

But it wasn’t just her body answering his.

It was her heart offering everything she was, without hesitation.

And Zane felt her faith wash over him in waves.

Their movements synced, their bodies falling into a rhythm that was as ancient as it was inevitable.

But this time, it wasn’t just physical. It was something deeper, something neither of them dared to name.

When they finally came together, it wasn’t a clash of need.

It was a surrender. First, a slow unraveling, each touch, each kiss stripping away the layers between them.

Then, a merging of everything unspoken between them, a silent vow that neither of them dared to speak aloud, but both felt in their bones.

Zane’s hand explored her, every curve, every dip, committing her to memory as if he was afraid this moment might slip away. Lily responded with equal intensity, her body arching to meet his as if they could draw strength from each other.

Their kiss deepened, shifting from raw need to something deeper.

Zane’s control slipped, his movements slowing, savoring her as if time had stopped.

But in this instance, it wasn’t just about taking, it was about giving.

And Lily… she gave herself without hesitation, her trust evident in the way she yielded, her body and heart fully open to him.

When they finally broke apart, their breaths mingled in the silence. The connection between them became unbreakable. Zane’s touch remained gentle yet possessive. And Lily surrendered, her body speaking a trust that words never could.

There was no rush, only the steady climb toward something inevitable.

Their movements slowed, as if savoring the moment, prolonging the ache that built between them.

Zane lost himself in her, their bodies coming together in a claiming that went far beyond the physical.

This was something deeper, something that echoed in the quiet space between their heartbeats.

Whatever storm waited outside this room, they would face it together. Because she wasn’t just his.

He was hers.