Chapter 9 Mr. Calloway's fiery kiss

Zane.

I wasn't sure what had woken me. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in years, I wasn't alone in my house. I ran a hand over my face, exhaling slowly before pushing off the edge of my bed. The digital clock on the nightstand glowed at 2:17 a.m., but sleep wasn't happening. Not when my body was wired tight, every muscle coiled with tension that had nothing to do with the threat lingering outside these walls and everything to do with the one inside them. I left my room, padding down the hall toward the kitchen, where I picked up the sound of clattering wares, but the moment I stepped inside, I stilled. There she was. Standing barefoot in front of the open fridge, bathed in the soft glow of its light. Wearing my shirt. Dammit. It hung loose on her small frame, the hem barely skimming the tops of her thighs, the neckline slipping off one delicate shoulder. Her hair was tousled from sleep, her hips swayed seductively as she reached for a bottle of water. She hadn't noticed me yet. Good. I leaned at the wall wondering what I was supposed to do. Walk away or pretend like seeing her like this didn't send a bolt of heat straight through me? Definitely not, we have to finish what we started. I cleared my throat. Her body went rigid against the marble she was resting on. Slowly, she turned, her gaze locking onto mine. "Jesus, Zane," she breathed, pressing a hand to her chest. Even in my big shirt, her breast still fills it out. "You scared the hell out of me." I didn't respond. I couldn't. Not when I was too busy waiting to cross the room, back her up against the fridge, and do to her all the things I jack off to in the shower. Her brow furrowed. "Why are you just standing there?" Because you look like sin incarnate and I'm one second away from indulging. Instead, I jerked my chin toward the fridge. "You hungry?" She let out a soft huff, twisting off the cap of her water bottle. "Not really. Just... couldn't sleep." I nodded, stepping further into the room "What about you?" she asked, tilting her head. "Shouldn't the all-powerful Zane Calloway be sleeping soundly in his big, fancy bed?" I leaned against the counter, arms crossing over my chest. "Shouldn't my pain-in-the-ass house guest be wearing her own damn clothes?" Her lips parted, eyes flickering with something unreadable before she recovered. "My wet wears are in the dryer," she said simply, taking a slow sip of her water. "Convenient." She shrugged. "Your closet was closer." I exhaled through my nose, dragging a hand through my hair. "Sienna." "Relax, boss," she interrupted a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "It's just a shirt." It was not just a fucking shirt. It was my sanity hanging by a goddamn thread. She stepped closer, propping her hip against the island. "Are you always this grumpy in the middle of the night?" I narrowed my eyes. "Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?" Her smirk widened. "You make it too easy." Damn! She was playing with fire, and she had no idea. Or maybe she did. Maybe that was the problem. I turned, yanking open a cabinet and pulling out a glass, needing something and anything to keep my hands busy. "So, your friend Liam never showed?" she asked. I caught the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the way she shifted on her feet. She must have heard the conversation I was having on the phone with Liam. "No." I filled the glass with water, lifting it to my lips. "He got held up." "And your sister? Still on vacation?" I was going to call her out on eavesdropping before realizing she actually was my assistant who literally plans every trip my sister Ava made. "Yeah Sienna, it is just us in here. Only us" I replied winking at her. She nodded slowly, eyes flickering with an understanding of what I meant. "I see" I lowered my glass, setting it down with a quiet clink. "You're smart" Silence stretched between us and clearly not the comfortable kind. It was the kind that felt like a match waiting to be struck. If I wasn't already imagining fucking her on the kitchen table right then, maybe it would have been easier to walk away and turn on my heel, go back to my room, and lock the damn door behind me. But then I moved closer to her. The next second, I reached out, brushing my fingers along the curve of her jaw. It was soft and inviting. She sucked in a breath, her lashes fluttering and I kissed her. Hungrily feeding off her mouth, sucking her lips like a man starved of it. She gasped against my mouth, her hands flying to my chest, but she didn't push me away. She pulled me closer, fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt like she needed something to hold onto. I groaned when she moaned softly, sliding my hands down her back, gripping her waist, and pressing her against me like I could somehow burn this into my memory. Her taste and scent. The way she fit against me like she belonged there. And fuck, I wanted more of her. I backed her against the fridge, deepening the kiss, my fingers slipping beneath the hem of my shirt, desperate for the feel of her bare skin. She made a soft, desperate sound, arching into me, and just like that, reality came crashing down. I wrenched back, breathing hard, my pulse hammering through my veins. Sienna blinked up at me, lips kiss-swollen, eyes heavy with something dangerously close to need. Then she pushed me away. "Why?" "Because this can't happen again" Her voice was husky and strained. "And you sure as hell can't have me." I stared at her with disbelieving eyes for a few seconds, then softly asked, "Says who?" She exhaled sharply, stepping back. "Go to bed, Zane." She hesitated for a second, then pushed past me, her shoulder brushing mine as she disappeared down the hall. I let out a harsh breath, pressing my palms against the counter as I poured some whiskey into my cup, my body still thrumming with heat, my mind still reeling from the taste of her. The smell the lingering scent of her shampoo in the air. I swore under my breath, tossing back the last of my drink before setting the glass down with a sharp clink. I never lost control. Not in the boardroom. Not in the underground dealings that kept The Atlas Group running in the shadows. Never in my personal life. And yet, Sienna Carter had cracked something in me with a single kiss. If she thought she was getting away, she was dreaming. I wanted her badly and I was going to have her.