"You want me to stop?" Alex asked quietly, voice carrying undertone that made the question feel dangerous.
Catherine's breath hitched, eyes widening fractionally.
Before she could formulate response... before consciousness could reassert control over instinct... Alex's thumb shifted, pressing against one of the pale silver points his skill had identified.
Not hard. Not overwhelming.
Just enough.
Just precisely calibrated pressure against psychological vulnerability that Catherine didn't know existed, couldn't see, couldn't defend against.
Her entire body went rigid, eyes wide, lips parting in silent gasp as sensation flooded through her nervous system... not overwhelming, not painful, just present in a way that made thinking clearly impossible.
Alex felt her struggling beneath his touch, felt the desperate attempt to regain control, to form words, to do anything except lie there helpless while his fingers stayed exactly where they were.
