He didn't wait for her to take it. He slid off the bench to kneel in the narrow space of the boat, his large hands reaching for her foot. He lifted her heel onto his knee, his thumb tracing the sensitive skin of her ankle with a slow, agonizing deliberation.
"I told you I'd be careful," he whispered, his eyes locking onto hers as he fastened the clasp. The metal was cool, but his touch was a slow-burning fire. "But looking at you like this, in this light... It's getting harder and harder to remember that promise. You have no idea what you do to me, Amara."
He didn't move back to the bench. He stayed there, his hands sliding up to her calves, his gaze unblinking. The sun finally dipped below the line of the buildings, plunging the canal into a deep, romantic violet.
