This is for Ash, I reminded myself.
My jaw clenched along with my fists at my side. "Then let's get this over with," I ground out, anger sparking to push back at the fears making me crave courage that came from a bottle.
Pushing off the bed, I rose to my feet. Keeping my eyes locked with Rowan's, I channelled every ounce of courage I could muster to uncurl my fingers, grabbed the bottom of the only piece of clothing I wore, and pulled it off over my head. The fabric cut off my line of sight for a moment, but when I looked at him again, his eyes were still focused on mine. They didn't stray as I let the shirt fall to pool on the floor by my feet.
Swallowing hard, I shifted on my feet, lifting my jaw in false bravado that was quickly crumbling as a cool brush of air hit my skin. Goosebumps broke out across my flesh and I had to curl my hand back into fists at my side to keep from trying to cover.
Just as I was about to cave, Rowan finally decided to do something other than just stand there. Reaching a hand over his shoulder, he grabbed his shirt by the back of the neck and pulled it off in one smooth motion that revealed how his muscles shifted underneath.
"Let's," he agreed, discarding it onto the floor like I had and meeting my eyes to see who would lower theirs first.
It was me.
Lured by the expanse of flesh, My eyes lowered to take in the pale flesh that stretched across hard muscles. Black ink painted his side, wrapping it in dark lines that stood out starkly against the paleness of his complexion. Their jagged edges stretched, reaching for the defined lines that were a result of years of rigorous training. Training that left his body carved from stone, just like his unreadable expression made him appear to be at times.
Did he feel as cold as he could look?
When my eyes trailed down the hard expanse of his abs, following the sharp V lines of his hips, his hand joined them to meet me at the point where fabric once again obstructed my view.
Intent on remedying that, his fingers flicked open the buttons of his trousers. My cheeks heated but I couldn't help but watch, captivated by the promise of what lay beneath.
Rowan's appearance made this easier than it should have been, but I found it alarming how easily my body responded to just the sight of him.
Using his thumbs, he lowered his trousers the underwear he wore beneath down his trunk-like legs, revealing a third trunk that had my mouth growing impossibly drier.
I swallowed hard, nearly choking on my spit as the backs of my legs hit the bed behind me. I wasn't even aware that I had taken a step back.
Snapping my eyes away from the intimidating and... ready appendage that hung between his legs, I returned them to his. It came as a surprise when I found him still watching my face, watching as I had taken him in.
He has witnessed how my blood heated as I took in his flesh, unable to find a single flaw aside from who it belonged to. He also must have witnessed the fear that had flashed in my eyes when I saw what he was packing.
The hard edge to his blank features softened as he grabbed something from the table before stepping toward me. The butterflies that were warming my stomach with fluttering wings began to swam. To make matters worse, as he made his way towards me, I became the one watching him as he lowered his eyes to take me in.
The flush of heat from my appraisal of his chiselled form only grew as he returned the favour. Expect, this time it held an edge of self-consciousness that had me curling my shoulder. His gaze was like a touch, but instead of feeling the ice from his eyes, I felt the warmth of heat that I wasn't sure if I was more surprised to feel or to see reflected in his eyes.
