kiss that he pressed to her lips was a pure and open claiming. There was nothing shy or gentle about it. Instead, this was something raw and primal. This kiss said that she belonged to him, and that was the way it would be forever, as if he were marking her.
The last thought made her tear away from him.
“No!” she cried. She knew she sounded as if the heart were being ripped from her chest, but she didn't care. “You will not do this to me! I have come too far and worked too hard...”
“You have worked so hard to deny the woman who cries for passion at the core of you?” demanded Zayn. “You have worked so hard to bury the fire that lives at your heart?”
“I don't care,” she said hotly. “This is not who I am. I am not a woman who can live with being loved and cast aside, don't you see? Are you truly so rich and powerful that you never see the people who grovel at your feet?”
“Grovel-”
She wasn't sure what he would have said after that because her phone rang. The electronic tones were almost obscene in the charged air of their fight, the call of a bird from another country. Leah cursed and dove for her small purse, pulling her phone out with a quick motion. Anyone would have been a welcome distraction from the strange grief of what was happening to her right this moment, but when she saw the name, her eyes widened.
“Grant? It's—”
“It's not even seven, I know. Believe me, I'm not so happy with this myself. Listen, you need to get ready.”
“What do I need to get ready for?”
Grant laughed, and she could hear a ragged note to it as well. Whatever had happened, it had woken him up from a dead sleep. “You stepped on some toes last night, Montgomery. Ice Fields is roused up, and they just came up swinging. They're trying to file for creative rights to their story, and if you want to stop them, you're going to be ready to meet them at eight sharp.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. You need to be at their offices to touch base with them, or I'm pretty sure they're going to roll right out.”
Leah cursed, making Grant laugh again.
“Are they looking to negotiate?”
“Hard to say. You want my take on it? They want to get a look at you and see how serious you are. Batter up, Montgomery, they came for you and you better be ready.”
“I am,” Leah said grimly. “If they're going to pull this kind of nasty crap now, I have plenty of things I can do. I'll be over there at eight sharp, and I'm not looking to take prisoners.”
“I knew you had it in you. Let me know how it goes.”
She ended the call, turning decisively to Zayn. “Did you hear that?” she asked softly.
“I did,” he said, unable to keep a note of admiration out of his voice. “When you said that you would serve, you meant it.”
“Damn straight I meant it,” Leah said. “I have work to do. For the love of everything that you hold dear, please don't stop me from doing it.”
He studied her, taking her measure from head to foot. She knew that she was wearing ridiculous heels and a silly party dress, but despite that, she could see that he found worth in her, something to respect, a weapon.
“I would never stop you,” he said softly, “but neither will I allow such passion to pass me by. Go get ready for your battle, Leah Montgomery, and I will get ready for mine.”
She wondered what he meant by that last part, but she didn't have time to think about it. If she moved fast, she could run back to her apartment for a quick change and shower, collect some materials that she needed for the day, and be out to the Ice Field offices with plenty of time to spare.
She wanted to touch Zayn again. She wanted to tell him that she would do everything she could to take his parents' story away from Ice Fields. She wanted to tell him that she would treasure the things they had done together.
She did none of those things.
Instead, Leah marched out the door with her head held high, and when she was alone in the
The last thought made her tear away from him.
“No!” she cried. She knew she sounded as if the heart were being ripped from her chest, but she didn't care. “You will not do this to me! I have come too far and worked too hard...”
“You have worked so hard to deny the woman who cries for passion at the core of you?” demanded Zayn. “You have worked so hard to bury the fire that lives at your heart?”
“I don't care,” she said hotly. “This is not who I am. I am not a woman who can live with being loved and cast aside, don't you see? Are you truly so rich and powerful that you never see the people who grovel at your feet?”
“Grovel-”
She wasn't sure what he would have said after that because her phone rang. The electronic tones were almost obscene in the charged air of their fight, the call of a bird from another country. Leah cursed and dove for her small purse, pulling her phone out with a quick motion. Anyone would have been a welcome distraction from the strange grief of what was happening to her right this moment, but when she saw the name, her eyes widened.
“Grant? It's—”
“It's not even seven, I know. Believe me, I'm not so happy with this myself. Listen, you need to get ready.”
“What do I need to get ready for?”
Grant laughed, and she could hear a ragged note to it as well. Whatever had happened, it had woken him up from a dead sleep. “You stepped on some toes last night, Montgomery. Ice Fields is roused up, and they just came up swinging. They're trying to file for creative rights to their story, and if you want to stop them, you're going to be ready to meet them at eight sharp.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. You need to be at their offices to touch base with them, or I'm pretty sure they're going to roll right out.”
Leah cursed, making Grant laugh again.
“Are they looking to negotiate?”
“Hard to say. You want my take on it? They want to get a look at you and see how serious you are. Batter up, Montgomery, they came for you and you better be ready.”
“I am,” Leah said grimly. “If they're going to pull this kind of nasty crap now, I have plenty of things I can do. I'll be over there at eight sharp, and I'm not looking to take prisoners.”
“I knew you had it in you. Let me know how it goes.”
She ended the call, turning decisively to Zayn. “Did you hear that?” she asked softly.
“I did,” he said, unable to keep a note of admiration out of his voice. “When you said that you would serve, you meant it.”
“Damn straight I meant it,” Leah said. “I have work to do. For the love of everything that you hold dear, please don't stop me from doing it.”
He studied her, taking her measure from head to foot. She knew that she was wearing ridiculous heels and a silly party dress, but despite that, she could see that he found worth in her, something to respect, a weapon.
“I would never stop you,” he said softly, “but neither will I allow such passion to pass me by. Go get ready for your battle, Leah Montgomery, and I will get ready for mine.”
She wondered what he meant by that last part, but she didn't have time to think about it. If she moved fast, she could run back to her apartment for a quick change and shower, collect some materials that she needed for the day, and be out to the Ice Field offices with plenty of time to spare.
She wanted to touch Zayn again. She wanted to tell him that she would do everything she could to take his parents' story away from Ice Fields. She wanted to tell him that she would treasure the things they had done together.
She did none of those things.
Instead, Leah marched out the door with her head held high, and when she was alone in the
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