The towel slid from Emerald's fingers and pooled at her feet, the soft fabric forgotten the instant it touched the floor.
Her pulse thundered as she stood there, naked and feeling exposed.
Heat burned up her throat, and though her arms flew across her chest instinctively, it only heightened her vulnerability, made the way Kieran stared at her all the more unbearable.
His gaze dragged over her like fire, lingering on the curve of her breasts, the line of her waist, the softness of her thighs.
The silence between them thickened, pulsing with tension. He sucked in a sharp breath, chest rising, and the sound alone made her knees weak.
"Em…" His voice rasped, rough as gravel, scraping up his throat as though he was barely holding it together.
Her lungs fought for air, every inch of bare skin prickling under the weight of him. She should have covered herself, reached for the towel, done anything… but she couldn't.
Her body swayed toward him, caught in gravity she couldn't fight.
