Reclaimed By My Ex-husband

Nathaniel guided Zara into the backseat and slid in beside her, his sharp eyes immediately taking her in. Something was wrong, and he could see it. Her cheeks were unnaturally flushed, her eyes glazing, unfocused.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked, brushing a finger along her jaw and turning her face toward him. "Why are you so red? What did you eat?"

Zara leaned helplessly into his touch, her breath uneven. The fire inside her was too fierce to suppress any longer. Now that she was safe with him, her defenses collapsed. She wound her arms around his neck, pressing her body firmly to his.

"It's burning…" she whispered. "So hot." Her lips grazed the side of his throat. "You feel amazing."

Nathaniel's stomach dropped as he recognized the signs instantly. Zara wasn't acting on her own. She had been drugged.

"Wait," he said, firmly gripping her shoulders and easing her back. "You need to fight this. Don't let it take over."

But Zara resisted, clutching his hand and guiding it to her breast, desperate for his touch. "Please… just touch me," she pleaded, leaning in to capture his lips.

Nathaniel jerked his head toward the front, though every instinct screamed at him to give in. He looked ahead instantly, catching the driver's eyes flickering to the rearview mirror. His face turned to stone.

The driver froze, terror stiffening his spine as he snapped his gaze forward.

"Drive. Faster," Nathaniel commanded coldly, hitting the button beside him. The partition hummed to life, sealing them off from the front seat.

Nathaniel turned back to her, his gaze softening. "I know you are suffering, but you have to control yourself," he murmured, trying to reason with her.

But Zara clung tighter. "I can't," she rasped desperately. "Don't stop me." Her lips brushed his as she spoke, fingers fumbling at the buttons of his shirt. "Take me…"

Conflict flickered across his features. He had craved this for so long, dreamed of the moment she would finally give herself to him. And now it was here—yet he felt it wasn't right.

She wasn't in control. He feared she might later accuse him, misunderstand his intentions if he gave in.

"You are not yourself," he said, pushing her back a little. "This isn't you. It's the drug talking."

"I don't care," she whispered, pressing against him harder. "I want you… Mm…" A breathy moan slipped from her lips, her thighs clenching as she looked at him with eyes hazy and darkened by desire. "Nathaniel… please…"

Her hands rose to cradle his face, and before he could resist, she leaned in, stealing his lips.

His restraint shattered. He crushed her to his chest and kissed her back with raw hunger. "You started this," he growled against her mouth. "Don't regret it later."

He pressed her down against the seat, their kiss turning wild and fevered, teeth clashing, tongues tangling in a desperate struggle.

Zara arched into him, her nails trailing down his back, his touch, his kiss soothing the inferno raging inside her. She melted into the heat of him.

His hand slipped beneath her dress, gliding over her skin. But the moment he touched her flat stomach, he paused.

Something jolted through him. A warning bell blared in his mind.

Abruptly, he pulled away, leaving Zara dazed and breathless. Adjusting his shirt, he moved back and muttered, "You need to calm yourself. I'll call Eugen. He'll bring the antidote."

"I don't need an antidote," she whispered, leaning closer, her breath hot against him. "You are my antidote. I need you."

"Zara, stop it," Nathaniel snapped, this time shoving her back with more force than he intended.

She staggered and hit her head against the window.

Regret washed over him in an instant, and he reached for her. But Zara slapped his hand away, flashing a hurt look at him.

"You've always treated me like this," she cried. "You never cared for me. All these years, I gave everything, not because of any obligations, not just to keep the promise I made to my sister, but because I wanted our marriage to mean something. I hoped one day you'd notice that you'd finally let me in. But no—you never wanted me at all."

Her words poured out, raw with pain and disappointment.

Nathaniel's chest tightened. He wasn't rejecting her. He was only worried for her, for her health.

"It's not what you think," he tried gently. "I—"

"I know," she cut him off bitterly. "You don't love me. You don't want me. The only woman you have ever cared for is Nora. No matter that you married me, I can never take her place. I'll never truly be your wife."

It was true—Nora was the only woman he had ever loved. Yet, hearing Zara voice it out loud cut him deeper than he expected. It felt as though a piece of his heart had been ripped away.

He wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms, to reassure her that she was his wife, the only one by his side, the only one he thought of. But he stayed rooted where he was. If he moved, he feared he wouldn't be able to restrain himself.

"Even now, when I'm like this, you still don't want me," Zara sobbed. "I'm throwing myself at you so shamelessly, and still… you push me away. Do you know how humiliating this feels?"

That broke him.

He pulled her against his chest, his arms tightening around her trembling body. "Do you even realize how hard this is for me?" he whispered hoarsely. "You think I don't want you? You are wrong. The only reason I resist is because I care—because I care too much."

Zara's mind was clouded, her emotions twisted by the drug coursing through her veins. Anger still simmered, but the moment his warmth enveloped her, her fury crumbled. All she could think of was his nearness, his strength, his scent wrapping around her like a drug of its own.

On the edge of reason, his words barely reached her. All her focus was on him, on his body, his touch. The need clawed at her until it consumed her. She pressed her lips to his throat in a desperate, fiery kiss.

"Zara…" he groaned, his Adam's apple bobbing with strain. "Don't—don't do this."

"Just… feel me," she breathed, her hand slipping inside his shirt.

Nathaniel gripped the edge of the seat so tightly his knuckles whitened, fighting the storm of desire raging inside him. Silently, he begged for the ride to end.

And as if fate heard his plea, the car rolled to a stop. Without wasting a breath, he leapt out and swept Zara into his arms. She clung to him, her lips feverishly trailing across his neck, jaw, and even nipping his ear.

"Hiss…" He drew in a sharp breath, jolted by her sudden wildness. His gaze flicked to her, disbelief flickering in his eyes. "You never stop surprising me," he muttered, almost in awe.

Cursing under his breath, Nathaniel quickened his stride into the house. Thankfully, Zane had already fallen asleep. If he had seen his mother like this, he wouldn't have stopped asking questions, which Nathaniel couldn't reply to.

With a shake of his head, he strode into the bedroom.

Zara, certain he was finally surrendering to her, let her hopes rise. But instead of lowering her onto the bed, he walked into the bathroom.

Before she could register what was happening, he set her down in the tub. The next second, icy water from the hand shower sprayed over her, drenching her through.

Zara let out a startled gasp, flinging her hands up in a futile attempt to shield herself, but the chill had already soaked deep into her skin.