He pulled back just an inch, his forehead resting against hers, his thumbs tracing the delicate line of her jaw. The frantic pace of the hallway softened into something more rhythmic, more profound.
"I didn't think it was possible," he whispered, his hands now resting at the small of her back, holding her flush against him. "To have spent every day with you and still feel like I'm finally meeting you for the first time."
He traced the gold band on her finger with his own, the cool metal a sharp, grounding contrast to the heat of their skin.
He looked at her not just with desire, but with a quiet, fierce reverence that made her breath hitch
The silk gown finally gave way to the floor, landing in a soft, shimmering heap at her feet. Julian followed it down, dropping to his knees, but not in haste. He moved with the slow grace of a man who had all the time in the world.
