It was easy to tune out Emmett's demented guffawing when my eyes landed on a long cut down Bella's shin.
My fingers worked automatically, assessing the depth and length as my eyes probed the rest of her for injury.
Shit. That was a mistake.
Big fucking mistake.
My gaze had scanned up her legs, beaded with moisture, across the sloping curves of her bony hips.
And landed squarely where her arms wrapped around her naked breasts.
"I'm... sorry."
I couldn't tell if I was apologizing for my perverted invasion or the unspeakable desire overtaking all my other senses.
Now that I'd noticed how acutely bare she was, it was impossible to look away.
Shame crept up my neck like a hot wave.
Bella may have been my girlfriend but the objectifying quality to my raking stare felt dirty.
"So is this the part where we have sex?" Her voice was breathy, lilted by laughter.
The comment brought me up short.
It's not like we'd really had an opportunity to discuss exactly why we couldn't be physical.
Being in that moment, though, our eyes locked, I found the reasons mattered much, much less.