At some point between getting out of the tub and now—five minutes tops—Kelly had closed herself off. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly when the change had occurred, and outwardly she appeared the same—except her eyes. Her eyes had lost their sparkle. Something had caused their brightness to dim and he wanted to obliterate whatever it was and see them glow again. See them flash with her need and excitement. She hadn’t said a word. She’d put her hands in his and let him help her from the bath. There had been no argument when Finn had wrapped a towel around her or when they’d rubbed the soft cotton over every inch of her. It was like dealing with a mannequin—an emotionless dummy they could move at will. When they’d finished drying her, Ethan had handed her a fresh towel for her hair while he and Finn took care of themselves. And still there were no words. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to get close to her again. Moving up beside her, he picked up a thin rope of her hair and rolled the wet strands between his thumb and fingers.
