She exhaled.“Looks that way.”
“That’s insane.”
“Welcome to corruption at its finest.”
Zayn looked down.Griffin had fallen asleep mid-bottle.“Let me put him down.I want to hear the rest.”
She watched as he carried their son into the nursery.Alone in the silence, Azlyn turned around and muttered under her breath, “You’re dodging the real issue.”
“What issue?”Zayn’s voice came from behind her.
Azlyn jumped, spinning around.“I thought—” She glanced behind him.“You already put him down?”
He smiled.“You had that determined look.I knew better than to stall.”
“You never stall,” she shot back, laughing despite herself.
Zayn stepped in, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.“Okay.I’m here.What’s actually bothering you?”
They stood there for a beat, eyes locked.Then Azlyn took a breath.“Us,” she said, voice quiet.“Well—me, really.”
“What about you?”he asked, gently guiding her toward the sofa.He sat down next to her, and she immediately felt his warmth.His scent.Her heart gave a flutter it had no business giving.
She shifted slightly, needing space to think, then pulled her leg up so she could face him.“When you left…” She looked down at her hands.“I was wrecked.I knew I didn’t want to be your mistress, but I didn’t realize how much I still wantedyouin my life.”
Zayn’s voice was low, firm.“I felt the same way, Azlyn.I was angry at first, but then… all I could think about was you.How much I missed you.”
She looked up at him, startled.“Really?”
He nodded.“Really.”Then, reaching for her hand, he asked gently, “What are you trying to tell me?”
She stared at their fingers, laced together.The moment stretched between them, heavy and tense.
Then, as if a dam had cracked, her words tumbled out in a rush.
“I missed you.More than I should have!But instead of dealing with any of it, I buried myself in work so I wouldn’t have to think or feel anything.When I realized I was pregnant, I should’ve told you.I carry so much guilt about that.And Iknowyou’re going to say you should’ve called me too—and you’re right, you should have.But I shoved it all down and threw myself into eighteen-hour workdays.”
Zayn raised an eyebrow.“That’s… not healthy.”
“Iknow!And it gets worse.Because I’m doing it again.I’ve latched onto this investigation like it’s oxygen.And yeah, itisimportant—and the rush I felt when I realized I was right, that Lucy had been murdered too—that was real.But it was also a distraction.”
She paused, trying to catch her breath.Her voice dropped.“I’ve been hiding in research and clues and interviews so I wouldn’t have to face the truth.”
Zayn’s eyes stayed locked on hers.
“I’m falling for you,” she whispered.“Or really—I was falling for you a year ago.And now, I’mreallyfalling for you and—oomph!”
She gasped as Zayn scooped her up without warning and dropped her into his lap.
“That’s all I needed to hear,” he said, voice thick with emotion.
Then he kissed her—hungry and gentle all at once, a contradiction of fire and tenderness.One hand cupped the back of her head, guiding her closer, while his lips moved over hers with fierce purpose.He angled her slightly, deepening the kiss until she melted against him.
Someone made a sound, but Azlyn was too intent on readjusting so she was straddling him more perfectly.When his hands cupped her butt, she moved even closer.Just like it had a year ago, their passion exploded all over again.Clothes went flying and, once his shirt was out of the way, Azlyn explored every inch of him.She was frantic, afraid that he might stop her, afraid that he might want to keep talking.And yes, she knew that they should probably talk more.But this…feeling him pull her close, his hands on her breasts and…damn!His mouth was hot!
He bent her backwards on his arm as he suckled her nipple.Azlyn’s hands dove into his hair, holding his head in place while his tongue flicked against her nipple.When he bit down lightly, she gasped, curling her body forward to watch as his mouth teased her nipple.She loved it when he bit down, then saw his tongue flick against the tip, soothing her.With a whimper, she directed his mouth to her other nipple, watching as he teased that one before taking it into his mouth and sucking.Hard!
She felt that suction all the way down to her core.In fact, while his mouth teased her breast, Azlyn rolled her hips against his throbbing shaft, feeling her body tighten.With that pressure against that bundle of nerves while his mouth bit and nipped and sucked on her nipple, she exploded with her first orgasm in far too long.
