He was taking his time, dismantling her defenses not with force, but with a devastating, focused tenderness. His hand found the hem of her shirt, his fingers slipping beneath to skim over the soft skin of her stomach. A shiver raced through her.
"Leo…" His name was a whisper, a plea, and a confirmation all at once.
"I'm here, Bunny," he murmured, his lips trailing back to her ear. "I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere." His touch grew bolder, his hand splaying across her ribs, his thumb brushing the underside of her breast through the lace of her bra. "This research," he said, a hint of that smug smirk returning to his voice, "had a very clear hypothesis."
"And what was that?" she breathed, arching into his touch.
"That loving you," he said, punctuating the words with a kiss to her shoulder as his hand finally, slowly, cupped her breast fully, making her moan, "is the most effective therapy in the world."
