Chapter 31. In Exchange

Emerald removed her jewelry one by one and wiped off her makeup, leaving her skin bare and glowing under the dim lights. The pink silk nightgown hugged her curves softly, its delicate fabric catching the faintest light, making her pale skin shimmer like polished porcelain. She approached Alaric slowly, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against the warmth of his chest. There was still a slight dampness on his skin.

Gently, she began to wipe the moisture off his chest, expecting him to pull her closer with that hunger she'd grown accustomed to seeing in his eyes.

But Alaric only embraced her softly, his touch gentle, as if he were cradling something fragile and precious. Not the ferocious need she had expected.

Alaric lowered his gaze, and his eyes darkened when he noticed the hollowed back of her nightgown. It exposed her slender waistline and the smooth expanse of her back, a tempting display of her soft, creamy skin. She looked as delicate and