Zane's POV

The moment my lips touched hers, something inside me snapped, like a dam breaking free after years of holding back. Belle’s lips were soft, warm, and the way she responded—just as hungry, just as desperate—made everything else in the world disappear. All the chaos, the uncertainty, the anger I had bottled up faded away as I lost myself in her kiss. I wasn’t thinking, I wasn’t rational. I just knew that I didn’t want to stop.

Her fingers tightened in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I felt her breath quicken against my lips. It was intoxicating, maddening even, how perfect she felt in my arms. The scent...