ZANE.

The driver pulled the car to a stop in front of the Atlas building. The same one they had bombed recently. "Guess where they are?" Damian said, pointing to the map of the building, which he spread over his lap.

"The roof?" I said, half believing my eyes as I fixed my eyes on the spot he was pointing at. My pulse pounded in a high rhythm as I lifted my eyes to Sienna's. She couldn't hide the way her hands trembled at her sides. The rooftop was such a tricky spot to fight. Damian leaned against the seat, his usual smirk replaced by a taut readiness, his fingers twitching toward his knife. Liam and Ethan were sitting across from us, their hands already on their guns.

"Remember, we are not engaging," I said, "We can only win if we take this fight to them on that rooftop."

Sienna's eyes searched mine, a flicker of hope warring with her fear. She nodded, but her hands still trembled. I hated seeing her like this and wanted it over already.

"Damian, back exit," I ordered, "Liam, Ethan, sweep the feeds. I need every angle."

They moved out of the car without a word, Damian slipping into the hall, Liam tapping a tablet for camera feeds, and Ethan checking his gear. I grabbed my jacket, sliding a second Glock into the holster at my ankle. Sienna followed me. I wanted to tell her to stay in the car in order to keep her safe, but I knew she would never listen. She was in this, whether I liked it or not.

We slipped out through a service exit and headed up the staircase. My mind was a battlefield, already trying to figure out how to find a way to save Belinda without losing anyone.

The cartel's method was psychological; they had chosen a rooftop because it was open and exposed, knowing my public life would shackle me. I couldn't call in an army without risking exposure. The world saw me only as Zane Calloway, the tech investor who brokered deals with a smile. They couldn't know the man who had spilled blood to keep The Atlas on top. So, it was just Damian, Liam, Ethan, and Sienna against a gang that thrived on breaking people.

Sienna's hand brushed mine, a fleeting touch that sent a jolt through me. I glanced at her, her face pale, and her eyes stared back distantly. She was thinking of Belinda. We moved silently up the stairs until we got to the door that led to the open roof.

Sienna stepped forward, pushing the door open. Belinda sat in the center, bound tightly to a wooden chair. Her mouth was sealed with duct tape, and her head slumped forward, eyes closed. I could tell she had been sedated heavily, seeing how her chest was rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Next to her was a desk, and on it were new rummy cards, pinned to the spot to keep them from flying out.

But what bothered me most was the silence. It felt wrong; there was no movement or gang members. Just Belinda and the desk.

Sienna gasped in front of me, "Belinda!" She started forward, but I grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Her eyes burned into me, wild with panic. She was trembling.

"Don't," I said in a whisper. "It is a setup."

Her lips trembled. "She's right there, Zane! We have to..."

"Quiet," I snapped, my eyes scanning the rooftop. Glints flickered at the edges, and I saw them, snipers, perched on the buildings around the rooftop.

My stomach twisted in disgust at the cartel's game to draw us in, make us vulnerable before they strike. My double life was their weapon. They knew I couldn't risk a full-scale war, so the world would see my true face. We were exposed, outmaneuvered, and every second we stood there, the noose tightened.

"Zane, what the hell is this?" Sienna's voice shook, her gaze locked on Belinda.

I didn't answer, my mind racing with questions. I needed to out-think them.

"Zane," Liam whispered. "Snipers, northeast and southwest. At least four. We're pinned."

"I see them," I muttered.

"We can't just stand here," Sienna said. "She's my sister, Zane! Do something!"

Her words cut deeply through me. She didn't understand the stakes and was too emotional to see the trap closing around us. The cartel wanted us to act, to make a mistake. I needed a way out, a way to save Belinda without losing everyone else.

"Zane, we're out of time," Ethan said. "We move, or they do."

"Move how?" Sienna snapped, yanking her arm free. "You're all just talking, planning, while Belinda's sitting there! What's your brilliant plan, Zane? Stand here and wait for them to kill her?"

"Sienna, I'm trying to keep her alive. You think I don't care? You think I'm not tearing myself apart over this? The cartel wants us to rush in. We do that, we're dead. She's dead."

Her eyes blazed, tears spilling over. "Then what? Zane. I'm not losing her because you're too scared to act!"

"Zane, she's got a point," Damian growled, his hand on his gun. "Screw the snipers. We rush the chair, grab the girl, and get out."

"Bad idea, brother," Liam cut in. "We move, they open fire. We need a play, not a suicide run."

"Then what's the play?" Sienna demanded.

"Sienna, I need you to trust me. I know what she means to you. I'm fighting for her and all of us. But we have to be smart."

Before she could respond, a voice cut through the silence, "Now let us play a game, Zane Calloway, your folks can stay back and watch you gamble away at Belinda's life."

Sienna's scream tore through the night, raw with fear, as she recognized the voice. " It is him," she said.

"Who?"

"The same guy at the warehouse. The scarred-faced man," she said as she started to run towards Belinda.

֍ ֍ ֍

"Sienna, don't," I tried to grab Sienna's arm, but she was already moving. She tore free and ran forward.

"Damn this girl," Damian yelled just as a sharp gunshot rent the air. I followed the direction it came from, Sienna. They had shot at her, intentionally missing her. That was a warning to stop her from walking closer.

Dust kicked up near Sienna's feet. She paused for a second, but then she took another step. Another shot rang out, closer this time, the bullet grazing the ground inches from her toes. I saw her body jerk with shock as she stumbled to a stop.

"Sienna, get back!" My voice was a growl cutting through the haze of her panic. My eyes flicked to the snipers perched on nearby buildings, their scopes trained on us. My brothers stood next to me, all tense, but had their weapons ready.

Sienna turned her gaze, locking it on Belinda. Tears streamed down her face, but she backed away to join us, getting the cue that the two shots fired at her meant.

"What's the game about?" I asked, screaming into the empty space.

The scarred-faced man stepped forward, his grin a twisted slash across his pockmarked face. His eyes gleamed with the expression of a predator savoring his prey.

"I changed my mind. Not you, Calloway," he said. "Her." He pointed at Sienna, his pistol dangling loosely in his hand. "Since she betrayed my trust. Now she gets to play the game. Now listen"

He paused, then continued, "You have three chances to pick the number three from those cards." He gestured to the desk, his grin widening. "Fail, and your sister gets a bullet in the heart."

"Please," she begged. "Don't do this. Let her go. I will do anything but this." Sienna wailed out in fear.

The man's laugh had a heartless tone, and it made me angry. He raised his pistol, and before I could react, he pointed it towards us, firing a shot.

"What the heck?"

The shot grazed Sienna's cheek, and a thin line of blood welled up. She gasped, letting her hand fly to her face in shock.

My blood boiled, my hands clenching, but I forced myself to only reach for Sienna. I held her until I felt her shocked shivers reduced to a few shakes.

"Sienna," I said. "You have to play. We will figure this out. Together."

Her eyes were wet with tears. "I can't," she whispered. "What if I choose wrong? I am not good at gambling. She will die, Zane."

"You won't," I said. I wasn't sure if I had made the right choice or if the game was rigged. "Go. Try."

She nodded and slowly stepped toward the desk. Damian's hand twitched toward his gun, his fingers tapping as he scanned for signals, for anything that could give us an edge. Ethan and Liam's gaze was fixed on the snipers' positions.

Sienna reached the desk, her hands trembling as she picked up the first card. Her breath caught, her fingers shaking as she turned it over. A five. Her face crumpled, a sob escaping her lips.

The scarred-faced man laughed hysterically. "Two chances left, princess. Better make them count."

My chest tightened, my mind racing for a way out. The cards were a distraction, a way to keep us focused while the snipers waited. I needed to turn this against them.

"Enough!" Damian snapped. "You want to cry about it, or do you want to save Belinda? Pick the damn card, princess."

"Damian, shut up," Liam hissed, his eyes still on his tablet. "Zane, we've got movement, northeast corner. They're repositioning."

"Snipers?" Ethan asked, his gaze fixed on the shadows.

"Likely," Liam replied. "We're running out of time."

Sienna picked up the second card as her tears started to fall onto the desk. She turned it over... "A four," she said through sobs. It was louder this time, as she dropped the card, her hands covering her face. "I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't."

"Tick-tock," the scarred-faced man taunted, pacing slowly while he swung his pistol. "One more try, or your sister's heart stops beating. You should have known better than to cross me, Sienna. You thought you could hide behind Calloway? You're nothing but a scared little girl."

Her head snapped up, her eyes blazing through her tears. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Just stop! There has to be another way!"

The man's grin vanished, his face twisting with rage. "Another way?" He raised his pistol, aiming at her chest. "Pick the damn card, or I'll shoot her now!"

She was about to pick one when I felt the weight of the moment crash over me. The cartel's game was rigged. I knew it in my bones. The cards, the snipers, the scarred-faced man's glee, it was all designed to break her. I couldn't let her make that choice for the weight of Belinda's life.

That was it. I couldn't watch the shit show anymore.

I stepped forward. "Wait!" My eyes locked on the man wanting to draw my Glock and empty it all on him, but I knew it would be suicide.

The scarred-faced man turned to face me. "Scared your little girl has no luck."

Sienna's hand hovered over the remaining cards with trembling fingers. I stepped forward, placing my hand on her shoulder, "No, I will pick up the last card."

SIENNA.

It wasn't the first time that Zane Calloway would be my timely knight in shining armor, yet it was the first time I doubted his ability to save the day. This situation was tricky, and a misplay could mean that this would be the last few minutes I spent with my best friend.

"Zane... No." I whispered, feeling his hand settle on my shoulder. His touch was firm, but it didn't calm the storm raging inside me.

My eyes stung with tears, blurring the sight of Belinda's pale face, her hair now a mess, brushing against her forehead. I had already failed her twice, and had just a chance left to save her. One card to pick the number three, or Belinda would die. My heart pounded in a frantic drumbeat as I stared at the remaining cards, knowing they held the key to my friend leaving the rooftop alive.

Zane's grip tightened. "I will pick up the last card, trust me."

I turned to him and felt a conflicting wave of awe and fear as I studied his face. His dark eyes burned with a confidence I couldn't fathom. How could he be so sure he would pick the right card? My stomach churned with doubt. What if he chose wrong?

Damian's voice cut through. "You sure about this, Zane?" He stood to my left, his hand hovering near his gun. "This whole thing's a setup. I don't trust these folks."

Liam joined them, "We all know this whole card thing is a distraction. We need to move, not gamble, Zane."

Zane's eyes didn't leave the desk. "We do not have a choice. We stand here, they shoot. We rush, they shoot. I pick, we buy time."

"Time for what?" I snapped, trying to follow up on their conversation.

His gaze snapped at mine. "Just give me the chance to try."

The scarred-faced man's laughter broke the moment. "Touching," he scowled, his pistol swinging as he paced around. "But the clock's ticking, Calloway. Pick, or I choose for you both."

As Zane stepped toward the desk, my heart lurched with fear, choking me. I wanted to believe in him, yet the scarred-faced man's grin made my legs go weak and give way. I had to hold onto the edge of the desk to balance quickly.

Zane was reaching for one of the cards when hell broke loose. It happened in a split second, and I almost didn't see it start. A gunshot went off, echoing across the rooftop, and men in dark gear rushed in, aiming their guns at us. Damian spun around with his gun drawn, firing at them.

A scream tore from my throat as Liam and Ethan dove for cover behind a rusted vent. Their shots rang out in defense.

I snapped out of my momentary shock and turned my attention to Belinda, still slumped in the chair, oblivious to the surrounding madness. The scarred-faced man vanished behind the men, and it hit me. He had never intended to let her go. The game was at a standstill until his men could trap us and outnumber us.

"Sienna, stay down!" Zane called out while he pulled a phone from his pocket. His fingers moved fast over the screen as he dialed, "Get here, now," he barked into the phone, then dropped it, sprinting toward Belinda. I wondered what that call meant, but didn't dwell on it. We needed to save Belinda before a flying bullet pierces her heart.

I stumbled forward to join him as bullets whizzed past, and one grazed the desk, splintering the wood. Zane reached Belinda, and he fished for a knife to cut the duct tape binding her wrists and ankles. When she was cut free, her body sagged forward, and he caught her before he turned to me. "Sienna, hold her and stay low."

I nodded at him and reached for Belinda with shaky hands, letting her body rest against mine. Tears burned my eyes as I cradled her cold, pale body and under-eye. I brushed my fingers through her hair. "I've got you," I whispered, "I've got you now, Belinda."

Zane had joined the fight, rescuing Damian, who was grappling with a cartel thug. Damian's knife found its mark on his arm, and Liam fired from behind cover. Ethan wrestled another thug. He shot him in the jaw, and the man went skittering across the rooftop.

My stomach revolted in fear at the rawness of the bloody fight. Zane and his brothers were putting up a good resistance, but the cartel's men kept increasing in numbers.

A bullet grazed the desk, and I tightened my grip on Belinda. I ducked lower, shielding her with my body. A mechanical thrum filled the air, it was so low that it shook the rooftop. I looked up to see a helicopter descend, its blades slicing through the chaos. I saw the pilot, and hope filled me at once.

Noah.

The chopper dipped low with its side door open, letting out a rope. The cartel thugs shot at it, firing wildly when they realized it was our ride out of their chaos.

Zane was back at my side, his face streaked with sweat. "Sienna, move!" he shouted, grabbing my arm, pulling me and Belinda toward the chopper. Damian appeared, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead, his grin feral. "Go, Zane! We'll cover you!"

Liam and Ethan were still fighting, holding back the thugs. I clung to Belinda as the chopper approached until Noah's face became visible in the cockpit. Zane pushed me forward, his hand on my back, "Climb, Sienna! Now!"

I grabbed the ladder but felt my hands slipping on the ropes. As bullets whizzed past, I became frightened when one grazed the ladder's rung. I was terrified we would never make it out alive.

The helicopter's rotor roared above me, drowning out the gunfire but not my fear. I gripped the rope tighter until the coarse fibers were biting into my palms. The ladder swayed wildly under our weight as I climbed rung by rung, each step a battle against the surrounding terror.

"Sienna, keep moving!" Zane said, and I felt his hand on my back as he climbed behind me. His breath was hot against my neck, but his presence kept me from doubting our escape.

Below, the rooftop was a blood-soaked nightmare as the brothers kept fighting back against the thugs. A bullet whizzed past, grazing the ladder's rung above me and the metal twang. I gasped as my grip slipped, causing my body to lurch backward. Zane's arm shot out, wrapping around my waist,

"I've got you," he said. His eyes met mine for a split second, and I saw it...fear, not for himself, but for me and Belinda. It was gone as fast as it came, replaced by that unshakable resolve that both awed and infuriated me.

"Climb, Sienna!" he shouted, his hand pushing me upward. The helicopter's spotlight swept over us. The ladder twisted, causing the wind from the rotors to whip my hair into my face, stinging my eyes.

Below, Damian roared; He buried his knife in a thug's shoulder as he shoved the man to the ground. Another cartel thug lunged, but Damian was faster. He sent him sprawling with a punch. Liam crouched behind a vent, firing shots at the thugs, yet the men kept coming.

Noah called out to us. "Don't stop, you're almost here."

Almost. The chopper's open door loomed above, a promising safety, but it felt a world away.

"Sienna, move!" Zane shouted as a cartel thug jumped on the rope too, clutching his leg. My muscles screamed with pain as I forced myself higher.

Noah leaned out the chopper's door, extending his arm. "Sienna, give her to me!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the rotors. With Zane's other arm holding me up, I pushed Belinda upward. Noah grabbed her, pulling her limp body into the chopper. Relief flooded me, but it was fleeting, as Zane and his brothers were still fighting below.

I scrambled into the chopper, collapsing onto the metal floor. I heaved a deep sigh. Noah secured Belinda to the seat. He checked her pulse carefully. "She's alive," he said, his eyes flicking to the chaos below. "But we need to move. Now."

"Come on, Zane, we have to go," Noah yelled.

I leaned out to watch Zane on the ladder as he covered his brothers while firing back at the man running after them.

"Zane!" I screamed, gripping the chopper's doorframe. "Get up here!"

He glanced up, "Not yet!" he shouted, firing again, dropping a thug who had aimed at Liam. He was protecting them.

Noah called out again. "Zane, we can't hold this position! Get your ass up here!"

Zane nodded and started climbing. Damian broke free from the thugs, sprinting for the ladder. Liam followed closely, still firing his gun to cover Ethan as he shoved off his opponent.

A scream tore from my throat as a bullet grazed Damian's shoulder, his body jerking, but he didn't stop, his grin feral as he hauled himself higher. Liam and Ethan climbed next. Zane reached the chopper, pulling himself inside. He turned around, grabbing Damian's arm to haul him in. Liam followed, collapsing beside me, his blood staining the floor. Ethan was last, his hands slipping on the ladder.

"Move," Zane called. Noah didn't wait to lurch the chopper upward while the ladder swung wildly as the cartel's gunfire chased us.

I clung to Belinda, my arms wrapped around her, my tears falling onto her hair.

Zane knelt beside me, his hand on my shoulder. "Sienna, she's safe. You did it."

I looked at Zane, his face streaked with blood and sweat. His eyes were tired. "No, you did. You promised to get us all out alive," I whispered. "Thank you, Zane," I managed to say just before the world went gray around me.

ZANE.

The helicopter's roar was a relentless pulse in my ears, but my eyes were fixed on Sienna, slumped against me on the chopper's cold metal floor. Her hair fell across her face as she took shallow breaths. Her grip on Belinda loosened as her eyes fluttered shut. I had caught her as she passed out, my arm was wrapped around her waist, stirring up my desire.

Belinda lay beside her, sedated, her face pale, her lips had a blue tinge from the cartel's drugs. Even though I had pulled off the duct tape, her breaths were faint,

Noah's voice crackled from the cockpit. "ETA to the penthouse, eight minutes. Hang tight, guys."

I nodded, though he couldn't see. I tightened my hand around Sienna's waist. Her cheek was smeared with blood. She had been reckless in an admirable way, climbing that ladder with Belinda despite how bullets were raining around her. The way she had fought for her sister back on the roof gave me the strength to fight harder. Because even if I was fighting it, the glaring truth was that I was in love with Sienna Carter and couldn't bear to lose her out there.

Damian leaned back. "Hell of a night, huh?" His voice was rough, his eyes flicking to Sienna, then me, a knowing glint in them.

Liam, clutching his arm, glanced up from his tablet. "We're not clear yet. They could still be out there."

Damian tapped on his seat. "Step on the gas, brother."

I listened to their talks but was too tired to attend. I merely nodded when they directed any questions to me. The chopper descended on the penthouse's rooftop pad, and Noah brought us down with a jolt, slowing the rotors.

I lifted Sienna, resting her head against my chest, while Damian and Ethan took Belinda. We stepped onto the pad and walked off the helicopter. A medic was there waiting to receive us. He rushed forward, leading us through the glass doors into the penthouse's foyer. "This way," he said,

I carried Sienna down the hall. I fought the urge to hold her closer and let my hands explore her beautiful body. She was vulnerable, and I was supposed to be her protector, not a man losing himself to desire. I loved her, and every moment I held her made it harder to hide.

The medic directed Damian and Ethan to a guest room and laid Belinda on a bed. The medic moved fast, hooking her to an IV. He checked her vitals, muttering about sedatives and recovery times. I watched for a moment, ensuring she was in good hands, then turned down the hall, carrying Sienna to my bedroom. I needed her close to know she was safe.

I laid Sienna down in the king-sized bed when I got to the room, her body sinking into the white sheets, her hair fanning out. I let my fingers linger on her arm, tracing the curve of her skin to her cheek. My chest tightened with want, the sight of her stirring that fire I couldn't douse.

Damian appeared in the doorway, his shoulder bandaged now. "We're heading out," he said.

"All of you?" I asked as Liam and Ethan joined him.

"Yes. We need to patch up and lie low. You good here?" he replied.

I nodded, my eyes still on Sienna. "Yeah. I have got this."

Liam's eyes flicked to Sienna, then back to me. "Lock it down, Zane. They will come again."

"I know, go. I will handle it," I said,

Ethan clapped my shoulder, "Watch your back, brother."

"You too. Thank you for today," I said.

They nodded silently at me before they left the room. I listened to their receding footsteps until the house was silent.

I stood over Sienna, my hands itching to touch her and smooth the hair from her face. I wanted to feel her warmth under my fingers. I sat on the edge of the bed, brushing my hand over her arm. My pulse quickened as my body came alive with want. I forced myself to pull back. I stepped away from the bed and began pacing the room to distract myself from the growing desire I felt. But my eyes kept returning to her slightly parted lips.

I kept staring at her until her eyelids fluttered, and a soft moan escaped her lips. I was at her side in an instant.

Her eyes opened slowly, searching the room before landing on me. "Zane?" Her voice was weak, but it sent a jolt through me, igniting the fire I had been fighting.

"You're safe," I said, "You're in my penthouse."

She sat up slowly, wincing as she touched her hand to her cheek, "Belinda?" Her eyes widened in panic, flaring, and she tried to stand.

I caught her, "She's in the guest room. Medics have checked her. She's stable but not yet awake. She will be okay."

Her breath hitched with relief, flooding her face, but her eyes stayed on mine. "Thank you, Zane."

My hands lingered on her waist. She was so close, her fragrance filled my senses. I couldn't hide it anymore, especially the need that burned through me.

She stepped closer, her hands brushing my chest as her fingers curled their way into my shirt.

My body tensed with every nerve alive with her touch. "Sienna," I murmured, lifting my hand to cup her face. Her skin was warm and soft,

"Zane," she whispered, her body leaning into mine. I slid my hand to her neck, tangling her hair with my fingers, and she tilted her head, parting her lips open.

Our lips met in a slow kiss that burned through every lie I had told myself. Her hands roamed my chest, and I pulled her closer. I used just one finger to expertly tilt her shirt to explore the ripeness of her swelling breasts. She wasn't wearing a bra. She mused distractedly; she waited, breathless with anticipation, as I trailed my fingers patiently down, drawing inexorably towards the throbbing mounds. When my fingers finally scooped up the shirt to cup it, she let out a little gasp, unconsciously egging me on for more.

Her nipples instantly hardened at the sweet tenderness of my touch. I played with one, lazily tracing its tip with my forefinger. My left hand came down as well, first lowering the other strap and then caressing her other breast, gently rubbing the rosebud peak until it hardened too, resulting in similar pleasurable sensations coursing through her.

I looked into her eyes, which had clouded with arousal. My gaze dropped to my own hands, now cupping her breasts.

"Exquisite!" I exclaimed.

She closed her eyes, trying to shield herself from the brilliance of my gaze.

"Please." That one single word escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Kiss me, Zane."

As I lowered my head to take one of the tumescent peaks into my mouth, my tongue flicking it expertly, she sighed with pleasure. The wetness of my mouth assuaged the heat I had caused, my tongue now lapping at the engorged tip. When I raised my head momentarily, she groaned her protest.

I laughed delightedly and moved to her other breast, taking it into my mouth to bestow the same treatment I had on its twin. She traced the hairs on my head, ruffling them gently, gasping with each movement of my mouth.

Delicately, I played with the taut peaks, drawing them into my mouth again and again, alternately bathing them with my tongue and blowing gently on them with my warm breath. She whimpered as her arousal grew, soft sounds of pleasure emanating from her lips.

She cradled my head in her hands, unconsciously guiding it in response to her body's yearnings. When I stopped kissing her breasts, she moved her own hands over me to keep them in place, cupping the now tender mounds. My fingers still toyed with our tips, replacing my lips and tongue, the rhythmic rubbing of my thumbs ensuring her arousal remained unabated.

"You are something to die for, Sienna," I said huskily.

Without thinking, she began to giggle as they both ripped off each other's clothing as quickly as they could until they stood before each other completely naked.

I lay her down gently onto the bed, between the pillows, and as her back touched the mattress, she smiled at me.

She winked as I parted her legs until they were wide enough to accommodate my head. I stared at her navel and kissed the soft curls until I was at the edge of her wetness. She was already wet for me, and I was happy,

"Hmmm, don't ever stop, poke me harder," Sienna whimpered over and over as I sucked at her clits selfishly, just like she wanted.

Sienna's moans jostled me to the task at hand. She continued to moan aloud, calling my name randomly when she could not hold the cries. She would chuckle, scream, and pull at my hair, but I continued to eat the juicy flesh. After a few minutes, I stuck out my tongue until it was over my chin, flat and wide, then I put it at the tip of her vulva, making sure it was wet. I started to move my head up and down, pulling my tongue over her vagina slowly until my tongue was over her clit. I did this for a few more minutes, then made a small "o" shape with my lips, the perfect size for her clit. I poked my tongue inside her and gently started to suck, then I increased the pace, sucking as fast as I could, wildly. I used my tongue to massage her clit. She clings to my head in reaction.

Her cries grew louder, and I felt the urge to keep going at it, not getting tired.

"Zane, I want you inside me. Now."

"Gladly," I said. My fingers found their way to her thighs. I was not surprised to discover she was slick with thick wetness. I rolled her onto her back and thrust her in one quick movement, and she cried out with pleasure. My hands were rough on her breasts as I pinched lightly at her burgeoning nipples, holding them roughly between my thumb and forefinger. She cried out again. "Please, yes, oh my. Oh, please. Faster!"

I obliged readily, thrusting into her as hard as I could, the rhythmic movements mimicked by the synchronized arching of her hips, matching him stroke for stroke. When it rose to a crescendo, I couldn't help letting out a guttural cry of triumph, matched by her moans of satisfaction as she called out my name repeatedly. We climaxed together. I lay on top of her, reluctant to move away. I didn't want to say anything either, careful not to ruin the magic between us. When I glanced over at her, she stared at the ceiling, a dreamy look in her eyes.

Just then, the IV machine rang off, and we sat up at once, staring in the direction of the door as it dawned on us what that sound meant. Belinda was awake.