A soft sigh slipped from Catherine's lips. Somewhere in the room, an old winding clock ticked steadily, grounding the moment, while warm light pooled around them like something alive.
The instant that sound left her, Maximilian stopped trying to be careful.
He tugged her sleeves down, one and then the other, and the dress slid without ceremony... too easily, too honestly, leaving her... exposed.
Her heart slammed so hard it felt as though it tore loose from her chest.
Maximilian froze, his gaze caught, unguarded. Catherine reacted on instinct. Her hands flew up, covering herself as she rolled onto her stomach, heat rushing to her face.
For a beat, there was only silence.
Then he blinked. "You're not wearing a bra," he said, genuinely startled.
He'd assumed there would be another layer, something that would slow this down, give him time to decide what he was doing. This… was not what he'd expected.
Catherine should have been furious. Or embarrassed. Or both.
