Chapter 110

We didn't speak as we moved to the bedroom. The silence between us felt different tonight—less like a wall, more like a truce. Although we didn't say a word, our bodies understood each other better than our voices ever had. He turned to me under the dim lighting, his eyes scanning my face—no mask, no lies. Just me. Just Zane. His fingers brushed my cheek, soft and lingering. It wasn't possessive like before. It wasn't a command. It was a kind of hesitation I wasn't used to seeing in him. I leaned into his hand, giving him the answer. He kissed me slowly, not with hunger, but with weight. It was the kind of kiss that tasted like memory, like he was trying to memorize the shape of my lips, the rhythm of my breath. I let my hands slide up his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt, grounding myself in the feel of him. His scent, his warmth, his steady exhale against my mouth—it all sank deep into my skin like ink. When we undressed, it wasn't rushed. His fingers grazed down my spine as h