Bella's breath hitched. The feeling was overwhelming in its simplicity. It wasn't just the contact; it was the care in it. Her heart skipped and then raced, sending waves of warmth through her limbs. She didn't understand why something so soft could make her feel as if her whole body was trembling inside.
His touch was steady, patient, as if he was afraid to startle her, as if she were something rare that might break if handled carelessly. The realization made her chest ache and her eyes sting for a moment.
He never crossed a boundary, never took more than what she offered, yet every glide of his hand carried a burning intimacy. When his palm settled against her stomach—warm and slow, his touch a whisper over damp skin—she drew in a sharp breath, the sound trembling in her throat as though he had found something far more delicate than flesh.
She bit her lower lip without thinking, her voice barely more than air.
