Then sanity returned.
Lara's hand shot up—a hard shove, nails scraping his forearm as she twisted free. Zain didn't let go immediately, but she landed a sharp hit to his ribs, perfectly placed. He grunted and staggered back two steps.
The glint in his eyes sharpened—not anger, thrill. He liked this version of her way too much
He moved again but smooth, deliberate, meeting her blows with controlled counters. Every step she took back, he matched. Every strike she threw, he parried. Neither of them yielded. Ice clashing with fire—and neither melting, neither freezing.
A final, sudden shift—Lara grabbed his shoulder and used his own momentum against him, dragging him down and flipping him onto the mattress. For a heartbeat, she was on top, breath ragged, tied hair was let free, eyes blazing with triumph.
Zain laughed—low, breathless, not mocking… impressed.
In the next heartbeat, Zain shifted his weight and reversed their positions, coming over her with effortless dominance. His hands held her wrists, his body caging hers, his legs locking her in place.
"Honey, let's make a third child who's a combination of us. What do you say?" Zain teased, pressing every button he could.
"Dream on," Lara muttered, twisting her hips and shoulders to throw him off. She almost succeeded ...almost, before Zain caught her by the waist and pulled her crawling back, her spine hitting his chest.
"Little rabbit, you can't escape from me that easily," he murmured against her ear.
It got her fired up, desperate not to lose. She spun around to face him, Zain's arm still firm around her waist. His other hand shifted off the pillow, unintentionally giving her a place to rest her head but the moment was anything but soft.
"Zain, before I scream out loud… I want you gone. I'm serious," she warned.
Zain, tempted instead of threatened, leaned in closer. Her chest pressed against him, causing her breath to hitch. His eyes flicked to her lips; hers flicked to his—both of them tracing the same triangle: eyes… lips… eyes.
"Go on," he said with a wicked half-smile. "Scream. People will think you're doing it out of pleasure."
"You!!" Lara stepped back, heat flushing through her with anger, disbelief but Zain leaned in, his cologne, warm and familiar, pulled her in against her will.
Zain's breath enveloped her, and her chest rose and fell, making Zain feel the heat. He wrapped his other hand around Lara's head, pulling her closer, nose to nose—neither of them willing to be the first to break.
Finally, irritated by the waiting, Lara grabbed him by the collar and crashed her mouth onto his. It was fierce, demanding, not a request but a challenge.
Zain froze for a fraction of a second, eyes wide at her boldness but before she began to pull away for breath.
He didn't let her.
Zain leaned in again claiming her lips with an intensity that matched hers and then doubled it. One hand curved protectively around the back of her neck, the other held her waist steady, the kiss deep and consuming—raw possession meeting raw defiance.
It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't sweet.
It was them—the cold learning to burn, and the flame learning to freeze for the one who matched it.