Chapter 20: Intimate Bonds
(Elara's POV)
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, bathing our living room in a clear, radiant glow. I lay exposed on the couch, feeling utterly vulnerable under Rhys's intense gaze. The light revealed every inch of my skin, which seemed almost to glow in its fairness.
I could feel his eyes on me, studying the intimate parts of me that were still tender from our mating night. Between my legs, I knew he could see the soft curves and the slender divide at the center, with its rosy hue that betrayed my arousal despite my embarrassment.
His gaze was burning, almost scorching in its intensity. To my mortification, I could feel myself responding to that look alone, my most intimate area gradually becoming slick with moisture.
"Rhys," I
