Chapter 42

Eliza moved beneath him, pulling at the buttons on his shirt, eager to feel his skin against hers. She wanted to hear his heartbeat, taste his sweat, feel the rise and fall of his chest as he pressed his body against hers. She wanted to keep her eyes open, she wanted to note every smile, every frown, every second that passed across his face, because she understood now that their time together was precious. She didn’t need him to tell her that he had missed her, that he was worried about her, that he wanted to be with her, because she could see it in his eyes, she could feel it in his mouth as the kiss they shared moved through a spectrum of emotions from simple need to hungry passion to a quiet desperation.

“Don’t rip this one,” Eliza warned against his mouth as his fingers tore at her dress. “It’s the only one I’ve got.”

“You look better without it.”

She smiled, pushing him back so she could sit up. “Help me with the buttons.”