Page 12 of Protecting Lanie

She did. He stepped in close—not touching her, but close enough that she could feel the heat of his body behind her.

Her breathing went shallow.

The silk of the blindfold slid over her eyes, cool against her skin.

Her world went dark.

Archer’s voice was the only thing left.

“I’m going to use a few different touches,” he murmured. “Nothing intense. Just sensation. Focus on what you feel. Not what you expect.”

Lanie’s hands balled into fists. Then something soft drifted across her shoulder. She shivered, her breath hitching.

A feather. She recognized the sensation instantly, light and teasing as it trailed down the length of her arm. She didn’t hate it.

Archer didn’t rush. He traced slow, deliberate paths along her skin, the faintest brush of touch that sent tiny ripples of awareness through her.

Her heartbeat kicked up for a different reason now.

“Doing okay?”

His voice was too close, too deep. It slid along her spine, pooling low in her belly.

Lanie swallowed hard. “Y-yeah.”

The feather drifted over her collarbone, down her wrist.

Then it was gone.

Something warmer took its place—his fingers.

The contrast made her whole body lock up.

He barely touched her, the lightest graze over the inside of her wrist, but it lingered.

A test. A question. A challenge.

She exhaled shakily, realizing she was gripping the sides of her dress too tight again.

Archer’s fingers disappeared.

A second later, he was undoing the blindfold, sliding it away.

Light flooded her vision, but her world was still off balance.

He was so close.

She could see everything—the sharp cut of his jaw, the controlled calm in his eyes, the way his fingers were curled like he wanted to touch her again but wouldn’t unless she asked.

Lanie swallowed, her throat dry. “That was…”

Archer tilted his head. “Too much?”

She licked her lips. “No.”

That word came too quickly. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and her breath stalled. Something flickered in his expression. Not amusement. Not arrogance. Something darker. Something dangerous. For one wild second, she thought he was going to kiss her.

But then he stepped back.

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