Page 221 of Love Me Stalk Me
But then I look at him, the way he's watching me, the pure, unfiltered desire in his eyes, his chest rising and falling with each increasingly ragged breath, his hands gripping the couch cushions like they're the only thing keeping him grounded.
He's looking at me like I'm the only thing in the world, like he's starving for me, like I'm doing everything right without even trying.
"You're so fucking beautiful," he rasps, his voice like smoke and whiskey, rough around the edges with need. "You know that?"
I swallow hard, my fingers stilling on the strap. The words hit something raw inside me, something tender and bruised. I don't know what to say, how to respond to such nakedhonesty.
Because I don't believe it.
I've spent too many years being told otherwise, too many years measuring myself against impossible standards and coming up short. Too many years with Evan's subtle digs and not-so-subtle comparisons.
But when Cal looks at me like this, with such open hunger, such genuine appreciation—I want to believe it. I want to see myself through his eyes.
"I mean it, Izzy," he murmurs, his eyes locked on mine, seeing too much. "Every fucking inch of you—" his hands flex against the couch, his knuckles going white with the force of his grip "—is perfect."
My throat goes tight, emotion threatening to overwhelm me. There's something about his absolute certainty that breaks through my defenses.
His eyes tracks every movement, his throat bobbing as I let the fabric slip lower, exposing more of my shoulder, the curve of my collarbone. The lace catches slightly on my breast, and I hear his intake of breath. There's power in this, I realize. Power in being watched, in being wanted, in controlling the pace.
"That's it, baby," he murmurs, eyes molten, voice a soothing command that somehow both calms and excites me. "Let me see you."
My skin feels hot, flushed with as he looks at me. Every nerve ending feels lit up, hyperaware, sensitive to the slightest touch. The lace slides lower, catching briefly on my nipples before falling away.
I'm bare from the waist up now, my lingerie pooling at my lap, my nipples peaked. I resist the urge to cover myself, to hide, instead forcing myself to stay still, to let him look his fill.
A breath slips from his lips, his eyes raking over my exposed skin, taking in every curve, every freckle, every imperfection I've spent years trying to hide.
"Jesus fucking Christ."
The reverence in his voice sends a shudder through me, heat pooling between my legs at the raw need I hear in those three words.
I move again.
I shift slightly, hook my thumbs into the waistband of my panties, dragging them down slowly, teasingly, feeling my own pulse hammer at the sheer audacity of what I'm doing. The lace catches on my thighs, and I have to lift myself slightly to pull them down, exposing myself inch by inch.
Cal watches me. His eyes never waver, locked on me with a hunger that should terrify me—but all it does is make me ache for more.
"Good girl," he rasps.
When I’m finally bare, instinct kicks in—my arms start to rise, trying to shield myself under the heat of his gaze, the way he’s looking at me like I’m something to be devoured.
"Don't."
His voice is commanding in a way that sends a fresh wave of heat between my legs. It's not harsh, not cruel, but it brooks no argument.
"Don't hide from me," he murmurs, his voice softening slightly though no less intense. "You have nothing to hide."
There's something in his words, in the way he says them—like he genuinely believes it, like he sees nothing but beauty when he looks at me. Like my insecurities are incomprehensible to him.
I bite my lip, forcing my hands to stay where they are, to let him see me, all of me, without barriers or defenses.
"You are…" he exhales roughly, the sound almost pained. "The most breathtaking woman I have ever seen."
The sincerity in his voice is unmistakable. This isn't a line, isn't something he says to get what he wants. He means it, wholly and completely.
I want to believe him.
And God, he makes me want to believe him.
