Winter’s POV

and I beat it back with sheer force of will. My hands, which had been trembling before, were now fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. The pain was an anchor. It was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Then he moved to my stomach. His palm hovered over my navel, so close I could feel the shift in the air as he breathed. My own breath hitched, a tiny, traitorous gasp I couldn't swallow. His eyes flicked to mine, and a ghost of a smile touched his lips. He knew. He ...