RILEY’S POV
Kael’s hand landed on my thigh beneath the fabric of my gown. Warm. Solid. Intentional.
I froze.
His touch wasn’t forceful, nor was it hesitant, it was steady, like it belonged there, like he was testing something unspoken between us. My breath hitched, my entire body going rigid as his fingers rested against my skin. The warmth of his palm seeped into me, and suddenly, I was painfully aware of how little space existed between us in the dimly lit car.
My mind screamed at me to push him away. To jerk my leg back, to snap at him for crossing a line. But I didn’t move.
Why wasn’t I moving?
His thumb barely grazed the inside of my thigh, the touch featherlight but searing, and my pulse roared in my ears. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way my body betrayed me, the way
