The air in the library was thick with quiet desperation. Derek was jealous, and he was angry, and he didn't quite know why. It wasn't like he had any right to feel possessive over Adeline, not really. But there she was, laughing at something some other guy had said, her head thrown back, her long, dark hair spilling down over her shoulders. Something inside him snapped.
Without another thought, he lunged forward, pinning her against the bookshelf with a strength that took her breath away. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted in surprise, and for a moment, Derek was lost in the depths of those eyes. He knew he should probably let her go, but he couldn't help himself. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear, and whispered, his voice low and rough with desire, "Should I remind you who you belong to?"
Her breath hitched, and for a fleeting instant, he thought he saw a flicker of something in her eyes - desire? Fear? Maybe it was both. And then she murmured, her voice husky with emotion, "Amore." The word was like a match to dry leaves, igniting a fire in his chest that threatened to consume him whole. He bent his head, his lips finding hers, and with a growl of possession, he claimed her mouth, kissing her harder, deeper, until she moaned into his mouth, and her hands were tangled in his hair, and he knew without a doubt that she belonged to him.
He swept her up in his arms and carried her through the library. He kicked open the door to one of the study rooms, and there, beneath the harsh glare of the fluorescent light, he laid her down on the table, her legs spread wide, her lips parted in anticipation. With a groan, he pressed his hips against her, feeling her wetness against the fabric of his pants, and for a moment, he just looked down at her, taking in the sight of her eyes dark with desire-
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]