My mouth opens, but no sound comes out. I hate that my heart is pounding so loudly I’m afraid everyone in the house can hear it.
“It’s so…”
“Beautiful?” he finishes, with that cocky little tilt of his head.
Yes. But that wasn’t the word I was going for. Exquisite. Breathtaking. Impossibly intimate in front of his entire family. That’s what it is.
But I nod.
He steps behind me, and the world tilts a little. Maybe from the anticipation. Or maybe because I’ve stopped breathing again. He doesn’t touch me right away. He leans in, close enough for me to feel the heat rolling off his chest. His scent curls around me like smoke. He brushes my hair to the side with slow, intentional fingers, his knuckles grazing the back of my neck. My skin erupts in goosebumps.
“Relax,” he murmurs, low enoug
