Natalya brushed her fingers over Evie’s waist. “What are you thinking?”
“You’re warm.” There was a slight tremble to her voice. She’d gotten used to feeling cold, clammy flesh against her. “You’re so warm.”
Natalya took Evie’s hands in hers, leading them up to rest on her shoulders. She held them there, her shining eyes resting on Evie’s.
“You have a beautiful body, Evie.”
It was odd hearing her say that. Firstly, because Natalya was beyond gorgeous and hearing her give a compliment like that was so startling, Evie forgot to feel awkward about it. Secondly, she never took her eyes off Evie’s as she said it.
Natalya slowly ran her fingers over Evie’s arm, the touch so faint it was barely there.
“Does it feel alright so far?”
Slowly—veryslowly—Evie nodded.
“I need you to say it. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
“I…” Evie stopped, looking for the words and finding absolutely nothing. She didn’t know what she was feeling. There were too many conflicting emotions for her to identify them.
Her silence made Natalya pause. Then she put her hands on Evie’s hips.
“Do you like it when I touch you here?”
Her hands were warm and gentle. The touch at the same time soothing and exciting. Evie nodded. When Natalya didn’t move or speak, Evie swallowed and let out a shuddering breath. “Yes.”
Natalya moved her hands to Evie’s waist. “Here?”
Evie nodded again. “Yes.”
Natalya moved her hands up to cup Evie’s breasts. The touch made her shiver. “What about like this?”
Evie’s skin was sensitive around her chest. It seemed to be even more so under Natalya’s touch. “Yes. I like that.”
Natalya repeated the question with the rest of her body. She caressed her arms, her stomach, her legs. Almost every part of her. The continuous touch left her so sensitive Evie trembled when Natalya trailed a fingertip over the skin on her hipbone.
Still maintaining eye contact, watching her reaction, Natalya moved her hand between Evie’s legs.
Evie flinched and dug her fingers into Natalya’s shoulders. Being touched there was a forceful, hopeless thing. It meant pain. It meant terror and blood andpain. The caresses she’d delighted in a moment before suddenly felt suffocating.
Her breathing went rapid, her grip tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Yellow,” she whispered. “Yellow.Stop.”
Natalya had been pulling her hand away before Evie said anything. In the quiet that followed, and with the realization that Natalya had actually stopped when she was told to, Evie’s breathing calmed. She opened her eyes again, finding Natalya’s locked on hers. Worried and violet.
“What happened?”
“It was… It was going too fast.”
“Do you need to stop?”
The panic was jarring, the touch and proximity bringing back horrible memories. Separating the past from the present was difficult, but it was easier when Natalya didn’t move. She just waited. She just kept looking at Evie.
“It’s better now. It’s okay.”
“Are you certain?” That commanding tone again. She wanted the truth, not what Evie thought she wanted to hear.
Evie nodded. “Just move slowly. Please.”
