Page 134 of Where Broken Wings Fly

Swiping a hand through his hair, Zach sighs. “There’s a difference between needing space and hiding from us. Trust me, I know after living with Micah.”

The fight is knocked out of me. Pain radiates in his forest green eyes, and in that moment, all I can see is his brother’s anguish filtering through into Zach. The two are indistinguishable to my exhausted mind.

“He’s spent most of his life hiding,” Zach continues, inching closer. “It wasn’t until you came along and showed him what bravery looks like that my brother came back.”

“I’m not brave, Zach.”

“You’re the bravest person I know.” He stops an inch in front of me. “I just wish you could see yourself like I do. I wish you’d give yourself the credit you deserve.”

Tears sear the backs of my eyes. “Please stop.”

Shaking his head, he slides his palm across my cheek and cups the back of my head. My breathing hitches, and his lips near, those damned green eyes freezing me in place.

“I need you to know that I’m falling in love with you.”

“Y-You… are?” I stammer.

His nose brushes against mine. “Head over fucking heels, babe. I don’t give a shit about whether I have to share you. All I want is the privilege of owning a piece of your heart.”

Lips parted on a shocked breath, I lose all sense of control. My arms wind around his neck, drawing us flush together. I’m drowning in the malachite depths of his gaze.

“I’m not worth loving, Zach.”

His lips tease mine in a brief whisper. “Then I’ll make it my mission to spend the rest of my life convincing you otherwise. I don’t care how long it takes.”

When his mouth imprisons mine, I know fighting is futile. I can run from them until I have no strength left in my body, but it won’t prevent the inevitable recapture of my heart. It doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Zach tilts my head up and his lips move against mine is a slow, torturous dance. Our tongues touch, and I push my breasts into his chest, seeking relief from the slow-burning ache of need setting my core alight.

He walks me backwards, his kiss deepening into a ravenous wrestle. I squeak as my back meets the still-wet wall, covering me in paint. He doesn’t care. His body aligns with mine, our hips pinned together.

The steady rub of his hardness against my belly reveals his intentions. I’m caught in his web, the sacrificial prey awaiting its doom. Zach is going to consume me, and I’ll happily be his long-awaited meal.

“Babe,” he gasps into my mouth. “I need to feel you around me.”

I hook a leg up on his hip, letting his cock push in between my thighs. Every part of me is humming, welcoming the rush of endorphins after weeks spent awash with grief.

“Me too.”

His teeth nip my bottom lip, becoming more demanding. I moan loudly when his mouth travels along my jawline to the shell of my ear, and he bites down on the lobe. Each graze of his teeth floods my core with more heat.

“I’ve spent months dreaming about the feel of your perfect pussy clenched around my cock,” he says gruffly. “It’s taken all of my self-control not to bend you over and fuck you senseless.”

Grabbing the hem of his t-shirt, I pull it up over his head. “Prove it then.”

“Prove what?”

I ball up his shirt and toss it aside. “Prove that I’m not some broken doll you like to look at. Prove that you aren’t scared to touch me, or kiss me, or take me as your own.”

He grabs me by the throat, a delicious darkness in his eyes. “You want me to prove it? I’ll fuck your tight little cunt until you scream so loud, all of Briar Valley will hear.”

He strips off my loose t-shirt, disregarding the paint soaking into the material. I clasp his shoulders as he drags my leggings and panties down together, too impatient to begin another slow tease.

My pussy is exposed to him, and I can feel how wet I am already. There’s an invisible clock ticking down in my head, creating a sense of urgency. Months of tension have driven us to this primal moment.

“Look at this gorgeous pussy,” he purrs, kissing over my pubic pone. “Fuck, Willow. I need to taste your sweetness again.”

Grabbing fistfuls of his caramel hair, I throw my head back and bite out a moan of pleasure. His mouth lands on my mound, tongue flicking across my clit. I tug on his hair, silently begging him for more.

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