Helena instinctively stepped back, her spine hitting the curve of a warm rock behind her. The water lapped gently against her waist, but her heart pounded like war drums.
"What are you doing?" she asked, voice thin, trembling—not from fear, but the sheer absurdity of the moment. "You're not supposed to be in here!"
Kayden waded through the water like a shadow wrapped in sunlight, every ripple following the sharp line of his hips, his gaze unwavering. He looked like he belonged here. No, like the river had been waiting for him.
"You didn't answer me," he said quietly, stopping just a foot away. "Do you let him touch you like this?"
Helena's lips parted, but no words came. Her arms instinctively crossed over her bare chest, cheeks burning. She hated that he could still do this—strip her defenses apart with just a sentence.
