As Zarius's weight finally settled over him, the first thing Cherion felt was the sheer, staggering reality of skin-on-skin contact. It wasn't just warm, it was a physical confrontation.
Being this close to Zarius felt unfair. The man was built like solid steel and somehow still warmer than the entire cabin combined. Now that the clothes were gone, every point of contact felt unbearably sharp and warm, each brush of skin sending sparks straight through him.
Cherion's head thrashed back against the dark furs, his spine arching instinctively to meet that heat. His eyes had gone glassy and dazed, like reality itself was slowly buffering around him. He wasn't pinned down by strength alone. The real problem was Zarius's stare, that intense, glowing gaze tracking every reaction across Cherion's face like the man was studying him in real time.
"You're shaking," Zarius rumbled, his voice a vibration that Cherion felt more in his hips than his ears.
