Chapter 16
Kaelen's footsteps drew nearer.
Sylvia didn't turn around, but she caught his reflection in the mirror. He'd shed his black suit jacket, and his shirt collar was undone enough to reveal a patch of perfect skin beneath his collarbone.
The crescent-shaped scar on the back of his hand flickered into view as he reached up to unfasten his cufflinks.
"Don't move." Kaelen's fingers hooked the thin tie at the back of Sylvia's neck. It wasn't a zipper, but a slender chain fastening the open back of her dress. With a quick tug, it slipped loose.
A chill ran down Sylvia's spine. Before she could catch her breath, his palm covered her bare back.
He wasn't caressing her, but slowly tracing every inch of her skin from her shoulder blades down to her waist dimples, as if cherishing land he had finally gotten back.
Sylvia's breath grew unsteady, and she noticed in the mirror that her ears were burning.
"Alpha Lord," Sylvia called out instinctively, her voice softer than she'd expected.
"Call me by my name." Kaelen's lips hovered beside her ear, his breath brushing against her skin.
Sylvia trembled slightly as if jolted by a faint electric tingle. "Kaelen."
"Yes?" His nose grazed the loose strands at the back of her neck. "Say it again."
"Kaelen."
His fingers settled in the hollow of her waist, like vines clinging firmly to a sturdy tree trunk. His hold was gentle, yet it made Sylvia's legs go weak.
"What do you call me online?" Kaelen asked.
Sylvia bit her lip and didn't reply.
"Darling." He answered for her, his voice laced with amusement. "Why aren't you calling me that now?"
"Th-That was online stuff," Sylvia stammered.
"It counts online." His fingers glided over her bare back. "It counts the same in real life, too."
Sylvia turned around and met his gaze.
His golden eyes glowed in the dim light, like embers on the verge of bursting into flame. They were so intense that Sylvia couldn't bring herself to look straight at them.
She lowered her gaze, her eyes landing on the second button of his shirt. The pearl-white button was fastened neatly, like a barrier she couldn't quite cross.
Her fingers lifted, dropped, and then lifted again. In the end, she only dared to hook her fingers into the hem of his shirt and give it a gentle tug.
Sylvia's voice was barely more than a whisper. "C-Could you move away a little?"
Kaelen didn't budge. He looked down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Why?"
Sylvia's fingers tightened around the hem of his shirt, bunching the fabric in her palm. "B-Because you're so close. I-I can't breathe."
Kaelen chuckled, his chest vibrating with the sound.
Sylvia could feel it through his shirt.
He pressed his forehead to hers, their breaths mingling. "Sweetheart, you weren't this shy when you were asking to see my abs online."
Sylvia's face flamed up at once. She thought back to those late nights lying in bed, phone light glowing on her face as she sent him messages like [Darling, show me your abs.]
Back then, she was bold because she was hidden behind a screen with no way to see his face, and she knew he'd never meet her in person.
But now, he was here for real. His breath was warm, his body burning hot, and his fingers rested at her waist, half wanting to pull her close and half holding back.
"T-Things online are different." Sylvia struggled to make an excuse.
Kaelen leaned in, stopping at a dangerously close spot. They were near enough for her to count his lashes, yet still a kiss apart. "But now, I'll let you see the real thing."
He undid the top button of his shirt and then the next one.
Sylvia's eyes drifted down to the flawless, taut skin below his collarbone that rose and fell softly with his breath.
She couldn't help recalling what lay further down in those photos: broad shoulders, a slim waist, sharply defined abs, and a deep V-line along his hips.
"Have you seen enough?" Kaelen spoke in a husky tone.
Sylvia quickly looked up and met his amused gaze. There was a triumphant glint in his eyes, like a hunter watching his prey walk straight into the trap.
"I-I wasn't looking," she stammered.