Before she could finish, Zhong Lin lifted her into his arms.

Startled, she clung to his neck. As he carried her, she felt a nervous flutter, anticipating the possibility of a servant appearing at any moment, and a flicker of fear for what might happen next.

"Where...where are we going?" she asked.

He glanced at her. "Didn't you say you didn't want to be in the living room?"

He was already halfway up the stairs.

Thinking of the predatory gleam in his eyes, the way he'd looked at her like a starving beast upon finding its prey, sharp and dangerous, a tremor ran through her.

She gripped the fabric of his shirt. "I...I haven't had breakfast yet."

He didn't stop. "Neither have I. I'm very hungry now."

His strides were long and quick, and they soon reached his room. Knowing there was nowhere left to run, Jiang Yi instinctively tightened her legs around his waist. But even that slight movement made her acutely aware of his arousal pressing against her.

"Don't move, or I'll fvck you right here in the doorway," Zhong Lin muttered, his voice strained as he scanned his fingerprint to unlock the door.

"Ah," Jiang Yi gasped softly.

The sound of her gasp coincided with the click of the door unlocking.

And at that very moment, someone appeared in Jiang Yi's line of sight.

Her eyes widened, pupils contracting in shock as she met the gaze of the person standing at the top of the stairs. Their cool, detached eyes burned into her memory.

Zhong Cheng...had seen them.

Zhong Lin carried her into the room, slamming the door shut behind him with a resounding bang, cutting off Zhong Cheng's view.

He strode to the bed, tossing Jiang Yi onto it. He ripped off her pants, then his own, before pressing down on her, expertly thrusting into her, his hand gripping her thigh, grinding against her.

He moved so fast she barely had time to react. One moment she was in his arms, the next she was beneath him, enveloped by his scent.

His breath came in ragged gasps, hot against her skin. He held her close, panting, trailing kisses and bites from her collarbone up to her mouth.

As he leaned in to kiss her, Jiang Yi turned her head away.

"Just now...I..."

"Just now, what?"

He forcefully turned her head back, capturing her lips in a fierce, urgent kiss. He pressed against her, prying her mouth open, his tongue invading, exploring every corner, tasting her teeth, her gums, the soft flesh inside, teasing her tongue, stroking the back of her throat.

He pulled back, his thumb stroking her cheek, then slipped it between her teeth, preventing her from closing her mouth. He stared at the tip of her pink tongue peeking out, at the glistening saliva that escaped her lips. Desire swelled within him, tightening his chest, parching his throat, urging him to thrust harder, deeper.

"What were you saying?" he asked, his voice husky with lust.

Jiang Yi's heart hammered against her ribs. In that instant, she decided not to say it. Shaking her head, she whispered, "Nothing… nothing."

His thumb was still between her teeth, and every time she spoke, her tongue brushed against it, soft, teasing.

Zhong Lin's eyes darkened. He pulled his thumb away and claimed her mouth again.

"Mmm...mmm..."

Soft moans escaped her throat, mingling with his own gruff groans, filling the room with a symphony of desire.

Zhong Lin shifted their positions, again and again, taking her three times, their lovemaking stretching from morning into afternoon before finally subsiding.

Exhausted, Jiang Yi lay limp in his arms, letting him hold her close.

Zhong Lin held her, sated and content. He looked down at her closed eyelids, his heart overflowing. He bent his head, pressing a gentle kiss to her hair, tightening his embrace.

He never imagined he could crave a woman so intensely.

Before her, his desires had been faint, easily satisfied. But since meeting her, he'd discovered the depths of his own need, the constant urge to hold her, kiss her, possess her. The mere thought of her ignited a thirst, an ache that only she could quench.

But it didn't matter. She was his.

He gently brushed the hair away from her face, his gaze dark and possessive.