Charlotte drew in a deep breath through her nose, hoping to steady herself but it only made things worse. His scent surrounded her, thick and inescapable, filling her lungs until it felt like she was drowning in it.
Her heart hammered violently against her ribs, fast and unrelenting. To distract herself, she began counting backward, anything to keep her mind from fixating on the warmth of his bare skin beneath her palms… and the wild, electric sparks dancing there. She was painfully aware of the weight of his strong, muscular arm draped over her waist.
Every instinct in her screamed at her to squeal, to wrench herself free from his hold and bolt back to her room.
But she didn't.
Instead, she shut her eyes for a brief moment, steadying herself, then slowly reached for the hand resting on her waist. With careful movements, she shifted in his arms until her back was pressed to him. Still, she didn't try to pull away.
