Chapter 73 073

Chapter 73 073

Rayna
I hadn’t stepped back far. No, if I was being honest, I hadn't stepped back at all, or that was what it looked like from here. Whatever space that seemed to exist between us was barely an inch, barely enough to call it space, and for the life of me I couldn't bring myself to determine if that was a good thing or not.

It probably didn't make things better, but I had bigger fish to fry than the amount of space between us. Like trying, and failing so woefully to get a grip on myself.

I tried to control it, I tried to act normal, but my mouth still tingled, my pulse still skidded wildly under my skin, and Zero was still there, solid, unmoving, and inevitable, like his second mission for the night was to make sure I didn't forget the kiss anytime soon.

Like that was actually a possibility.

I wasn't sure how long passed between us, but we didn’t separate. We just… hovered.

His forehead rested close to mine, our breaths mingling, with the air between us charged and tight, like the moment before a storm breaks. I could feel him, not touching me, not yet, but present in a way that made my nerves sing and scream all at once.

If I had the chance, I would have kissed him again.

The thought hit me sharp and reckless, and I didn’t try to stop it. I didn’t try to deny it either. I wanted his mouth back on mine, wanted to see if he would still let me, wanted to know how far this silent permission went.

My gaze lifted to his eyes, and that was when everything shifted.

They weren’t guarded anymore. They weren’t restrained or distant or carefully neutral the way I’d learned to expect. His eyes blazed, dark, intense, and lit with something raw and dangerous that stole the breath from my lungs.

I felt my heart drop immediately, not because I was scared or anything, but because I recognized what that look meant.

Hunger.

It wasn't vague, not was it imagined or cooked up by the delusional part of me that was always haywire in times like this. This time, the hunger was there, unmistakable and feral, like he’d been holding it back with both hands and was seconds away from losing his grip.

My defenses didn’t shatter all at once, they crumbled. Piece by piece, quietly, a d utterly completely. But the worst part? I wasn't sure I would have wanted it any other way.

I was still staring at him, still trying to fit in pieces that probably didn't need fitting before an idea popped up at the back of my head. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.

“Did you enjoy it?” I asked softly, my voice steadier than I felt. “Did you enjoy our kiss, Zero?”

He didn’t answer. Of course he didn’t, but his eyes didn’t leave mine, and that felt louder than words.

“How did it feel,” I continued, emboldened by the way his jaw tightened. Prior to this moment I was actually second guessing doing this, but not anymore. Whatever doubt I had had been erased just by staring at his plump lips and imagining them on mine again. “when I kissed you?”

Still nothing.

I tilted my head slightly, watching him closely now. Watching the way his chest rose and fell a fraction deeper than before. Watching the way his control strained, subtle but undeniable.

“Have you been craving it?” I asked, my tone lighter, teasing, even though my heart was racing. “Because it felt like you have.”

His mouth tightened, and then, slowly, just when I wasn't expecting it, hell, maybe even deliberately, he bit down on his bottom lip.

The sight sent a shiver straight through me, and believe me when I said I heard my pussy whimper and groan in want. Like that wasn't enough, I watched his hands curl into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening as if he were holding himself back by sheer force of will.

That did something to me, something reckless that only seemed the fuel my agenda for the night.

“What would you do,” I whispered, stepping just a breath closer, so close I was practically breathing in the same air as him. “if I kissed you again?”

His eyes flared. I felt it like a spark catching dry air, but I only smiled, soft and dangerous.

“You could pull away,” I added quietly. “You should, really.”

I waited. Zeo didn’t move, didn’t retreat, and he didn't stop me. Instead, the silence stretched, thick and heavy, until it felt like a challenge.

So I took it.

I kissed him again.

The kiss wasn't frantic this time, nor was it desperate. It was slow and deliberate, and I reveled in the fact that I was savoring the way his breath hitched as my mouth found his. The way he hesitated, just for a heartbeat, before giving in again, letting the kiss deepen without ever touching me.

His restraint was maddening. His hunger was worse, nd as I kissed him, fully and without apology, I knew I was standing on the edge of something I wouldn’t be able to undo.

Whatever line existed between us?

I had crossed it, and Zero hadn’t stopped me. Not yet, and honestly, I didn't want him to.