His words had a hypnotic power—without thinking, she reached for the belt and tugged it free from his trousers. She let it fall to the floor and stood frozen, waiting to see what he'd do next. His hand curled into fists at his side, and he clenched his jaw in self-control.

"Okay," he finally said. "Put the new one on."

The box had fallen on the floor. She bent slowly and grabbed the belt, sliding the end into the first belt loop. With her arms wrapped around him, she slid the belt into place. ...