The simplicity of his words strikes me harder than anything else. I feel exposed, as though he’s peeled back every layer I’ve built to hide behind. My thoughts scatter, leaving only the raw, aching need to believe him.
The music slows, the rhythm easing into something softer, more intimate. Kael guides me closer, his hand sliding to the small of my back, drawing me nearer until there’s barely any space between us. My heart pounds wildly, and my head spins with emotions I can’t begin to process.
“This feels… impossible,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “Like a dream.”
“Then let it be a dream,” he says softly, his forehead lowering until it brushes against mine. His breath is warm against my skin, his scent wrapping around me like a cocoon. “Just for tonight.”
His fingers trail along my arm, slow and deliberate, igniting a warmth that spreads through me like wildfire. My skin burns under his touch, every nerve heightened, every breath shallow. His hand brushes my cheek, his thumb grazing my jawline, and the sensation sends a shiver down my spine.
The way he touches me, like I’m something fragile and precious, is so gentle, it makes my heart ache. His fingertips linger at the base of my neck, the heat of his palm seeping into my skin as he holds me there, suspended in a moment that feels too big to contain.
“Kael…” I whisper, his name slipping from my lips like a secret.
His eyes darken, his thumb brushing against the rapid pulse at my throat. “You’re not invisible, Talia,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough. “Not to me.”