Ethan's movements carried a subtle yet electrifying allure.
Fragmented sunlight streamed through the window, casting delicate patterns across his sharply defined collarbones.
His usually stern features now held an intoxicating charm that was impossible to ignore.
When he tilted his head to look at Sophia, his gaze burned with unspoken intensity.
That look brushed against her heart like a feather—light yet impossible to dismiss.
"Maybe I should just take it off."
Sophia approached slowly, bending down to unfasten the necklace.
The clasp was unusually stubborn.
It demanded more attention than she'd anticipated.
She should have been focused solely on the necklace—after all, it was the only piece in the world that matched her mother's heirloom.
Yet her eyes kept drifting toward Ethan's neck.
Beneath the two undone buttons, the faint outline of lean, sculpted muscle teased her vision.
The exquisite serpent pendant rested in the hollow of his chest.
Cold. Mysterious. Provocative.
Memories of that night on the Royal Princess Cruise resurfaced unbidden.
The way Ethan's waist had tapered into a striking silhouette when he leaned over her.
The surprising softness of his firm chest beneath her fingertips.
"Need help?"
Ethan's voice was a low rumble, his dark eyes fathomless.
"There's a hidden clasp on the right. Release it first."
He adjusted the necklace so the fastener rested at the front.
When their fingers brushed, the contrast in their body temperatures was startling.
Sophia hadn't realized a man's skin could radiate such heat.
Even from that fleeting contact.
"...I've got it."
She avoided his gaze, concentrating on the clasp.
Her fingertip accidentally grazed his skin, leaving a faint pink trail in its wake.
"Are you feeling warm, Mr. Sullivan?"
"It tickles." Ethan gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "Your hair."
Only then did Sophia notice how her fallen locks had been sweeping against his neck.
No wonder his skin had flushed.
Even after securing her hair, it kept slipping free whenever she leaned forward.
As she reached up to gather it properly, Ethan's hand intercepted hers, capturing the silken strands.
"Just focus on the necklace."
His calloused thumb grazed her wrist.
The inky tresses felt cool and smooth against his palm, like moonlight given form.
His attention drifted to Sophia's profile.
There was an uncharacteristic sharpness to her concentration as she worked the clasp.
From this angle, he could see the elegant sweep of her lashes.
And the soft pink of her lips.
The scent of roses drifted in from the garden.
Everywhere Sophia's fingers had touched, his skin tingled with lingering electricity.
"Thank you for today. I was helping Emma find her toy and didn't handle that mother and son situation promptly. You shouldn't have had to endure that."
Weariness roughened Ethan's voice.
After a day of chaos, his turbulent mood had inexplicably settled the moment he saw her.
Just like when his migraines struck—the fragrance of her perfumes alone could soothe him.
Sophia had always been his remedy.
In every possible way.
"Don't mention it, Mr. Sullivan. We're past formalities between us. Besides, they're the ones who suffered. Compared to Zachary and his mother, Liam and Chloe are far more irritating."
The clasp finally gave way with a soft click.
Sophia carefully removed the necklace.
Studying it now, she could truly appreciate the masterful craftsmanship—unlike her hurried glimpse before.
It was unmistakably created by the same artisan who'd made her mother's bracelet.
Strange how she'd never uncovered any leads about the bracelet all these years.
"Let me take a photo."
As Sophia straightened, her eyes met Ethan's upturned gaze.
He'd been seated on the couch but now looked up at her.
The already close distance between them turned dangerously intimate with this shift in position.
Close enough to share breaths.
Close enough that the slightest movement would bring their lips together.