Lucas's eyes opened slowly, the thick, dark fringes of his lashes lifting to reveal eyes of frozen, unbothered blue that showed absolutely no trace of morning disorientation. He didn't flinch from her sudden movement, nor did his iron grip on her waist loosen by a single millimeter.
He simply stared up at her frantic, flushed face, absorbing the chaotic energy vibrating through her entire body. There was something almost predatory in his stillness, as if he were a large cat observing the frantic flutter of a trapped bird. The comparison wasn't lost on Nina, and it only heightened her panic.
When Nina saw that he was now fully awake and looking at her with a calm, predatory awareness, her heart rate accelerated to a terrifying, frantic rhythm. Her chest heaved beneath the structural expanse of his oversized white shirt. The fabric smelled like him: clean cedar and something darker, more masculine.
