Axel’s POV For a moment, Cassandra stayed frozen, but then she nodded, barely noticeable, and handed me the gauze. My fingers brushed hers—warm, soft, trembling just enough that I caught it. I didn’t pull back right away, letting that fleeting contact stretch a fraction longer than it should. Her breath hitched, I heard her heart race at an incredible speed, and I swore I felt a ripple of heat dart through her. She clutched the dress tighter to her chest, knuckles whitening, but the fabric barely covered her modesty as it left her back completely exposed and within my view. The sight of her bare skin, smooth and unblemished except for the nasty wound Brittany and her little possies caused earlier today, held my attention for a beat too long. I moved behind her, crouching slightly, my j