“This close, Tal tipped his head back to meet Athlen’s unwavering gaze. He spied the light line of freckles that spread over the bridge of Athlen’s nose, and the dimple in his cheek, and the slope of his neck as the collar of his shirt slipped sideways. Tal’s blood pounded and his head swam, and he didn’t know if it was due to illness or something else, something about Athlen’s proximity and the strong cage of his arms and the salty smell of his skin.”
