Ariel swallowed hard, her hands still trembling against the rapid beat beneath his skin.
"Horace…"
Her voice cracked, soft and dangerous.
That single sound undid him.
His breath hitched—sharp, unrestrained—and his eyes darkened, the silver deepening like molten metal pulled by gravity.
He cupped her waist, pulling her slowly, achingly close until her knees brushed his hips beneath the water. The warmth between them rose, thick and intoxicating.
"Ariel," he whispered, "if you keep looking at me like that… I won't survive it."
Her heart thundered.
She didn't look away.
Instead, she lifted a hand, hesitant but desperate, and let her fingers glide along his jaw.
He inhaled sharply—almost a growl—but he didn't move, didn't touch, just waited… trembling.
"Horace," she whispered, "I'm yours and yours alone."
His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, as if the words hit something raw inside him.
